Westwood Shipping Lines v. Geo International Inc.

In Carriage of Goods by Sea on (Updated )

This was an application for summary judgement by the Plaintiff carrier against the Defendant for conversion. The Defendant was the "Notify Party" on order bills of lading. The Defendant obtained delivery of the cargo without surrendering the original endorsed bills of lading and without paying the purchase price to the shipper/vendor. The Plaintiff maintained that the cargo was delivered only after the Defendant fraudulently misrepresented that the original bills of lading had been surrendered by the shipper. The Defendant denied any such representation had been made. The Court found it unnecessary to determine whether a fraudulent misrepresentation had been made. The Court held that the Defendant’s actions in taking the goods without having paid for them amounted to conversion.