McMURRAY, Judge.
Atcon, Inc., a Georgia corporation, delivered four separate shipments of carpeting materials to Brown Transportation Corporation, operator of Harper Motor Lines, Inc., to be shipped collect to the consignee, Idaho Shippers Association, Salt Lake City, Utah. The carrier
After discovery the case came on for trial before the court without a jury. The court held that the plaintiff was in violation of 49 CFR, § 1322.3 in that it failed to bill the defendant shipper as required within seven days of delivery and failed to bill defendant shipper for at least seven months after said discovery. Hence, the plaintiff was entitled to nothing. Plaintiff appeals. Held:
1. Generally, the carrier may collect the shipping charges from the shipper or consignee absent a special contract under which the carrier agrees to relieve one or the other. Aero Mayflower Transit Co. v. Harbin, 126 Ga.App. 72, 73 (190 S.E.2d 91); Allied Van Lines v. Hanson, 131 Ga.App. 506 (2) (206 S.E.2d 108). Here the carrier had inserted the following information on the bill of lading, "Subject to Section 7 of Conditions of applicable bill of lading, if this shipment is to be delivered to the consignee without recourse on the consignor, the consignor shall sign the following statement: The carrier shall not make delivery of this shipment without payment of freight and all other lawful charges." This statement was not signed, although the goods were shipped collect. Section 7 of the contract terms and conditions had reference to the fact that the owner or consignee shall pay the freight except in certain instances. But under the authority of Aero
2. Having properly granted the motion for directed verdict (considered by judge without a jury), it was not necessary to render separate findings of fact and conclusions of law, although the judgment contained both.
Judgment affirmed. Bell, C. J., and Smith, J., concur.
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