FMC Dismisses Claim That Firms Blocked Export of 2 Cars
A Federal Maritime Commission small-claims officer on Sept. 22 dismissed a complaint against ocean freight forwarder Sefco Export Management Co. and non-vessel-operating common carrier Schumacher Cargo Logistics, saying Dina Piteira of Portugal failed to show that the firms deliberately mishandled her shipment of two electric vehicles.
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Piteira had sought $18,813 in damages, saying Sefco and Schumacher colluded to withhold the titles of the used Fiats to prevent their export from the U.S. to Europe and allow Schumacher to charge fees to store the vehicles at its California warehouse. Piteira asserted that the cars became unusable because they sat in the warehouse for a long period without having their batteries charged.
But the FMC officer said the evidence shows that the inability to export resulted from deficiencies in the cars’ titles that were never resolved.