Testa v. Katt

Section 205 (e) 1 of the Emergency Price Control Act provides that a buyer of goods at above the prescribed ceiling price may sue the seller “in any court of competent jurisdiction” for not more than three times the amount of the overcharge plus costs and a reasonable attorney’s fee. Section 205 (c) 2 provides that federal district courts shall have jurisdiction of such suits “concurrently with State and Territorial courts.” Such a suit under § 205 (e) must be brought “in the district or county in which the defendant resides or has a place of business . . . .”

The respondent was in the…