West India Industries Inc. v. Vance & Sons amc-Jeep

Appellant, West India Industries, Inc. (West India) is an ocean carrier which brought these two actions in admiralty seeking recovery of unpaid ocean freight. Defendants-Appellees, Vance & Sons AMC-Jeep (Vance) and Tommie Vaughn Motors, Inc. (Vaughn) are Houston, Texas automobile dealers who were allegedly the shippers of the cargoes of motor vehicles for which freight payments are now sought by West India. The issue presented to the Court by these consolidated appeals is whether or not an ocean carrier is entitled to recover unpaid ocean freight from a party designated as shipper on the carrier's negotiable bill of lading by a licensed freight forwarder which was without authority to make such designation. The two courts below to which this question was presented answered in the negative and denied recovery to the plaintiff carrier which now appeals from those adverse judgments. We affirm.