Advance America Services, Inc. v. United States

33 Fed. Cl. 524, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 116, 1995 WL 361321
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJune 14, 1995
DocketNo. 91-1039 C
StatusPublished

This text of 33 Fed. Cl. 524 (Advance America Services, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Advance America Services, Inc. v. United States, 33 Fed. Cl. 524, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 116, 1995 WL 361321 (uscfc 1995).

Opinion

[526]*526 OPINION

SMITH, Chief Judge.

This matter is before the court on plaintiffs motions for relief from judgment on the grounds of excusable neglect pursuant to RCFC 60(b)(1) and for leave to file an appeal from the judgment entered on October 24, 1994 pursuant to FRAP 4(a). For the reasons stated below it is the sad duty of the court to deny these motions.

BACKGROUND

This ease originated as a suit upon a contract with the government for the repair, maintenance, and overhaul of government-owned vehicles. Plaintiff, Advance America Services, Inc., filed its complaint in this court on March 26, 1991. Plaintiff sought $90,000 in compensation for an alleged breach of contract based on the difference between actual requirements and the estimates the government had provided.

On August 18, 1994, this court issued an opinion filed nunc pro tunc on October 18, 1994, dismissing this case under RCFC 37, as a sanction for plaintiffs violation of discovery orders. Advanced America Services, Inc. v. United States, 32 Fed.Cl. 191 (1994).1 In Advanced, this court thoroughly reviewed the history of the case, and found that plaintiffs repeated failures to respond to defendant’s discovery requests were wilful and in bad faith.

Plaintiff in this hearing requests that the record pertaining to the original opinion be supplemented with letters from its first attorney, Mr. Samuel Gdanski, and a new affidavit by its president, Steven Jannings, dated January 20,1995, to support the argument that its failure to follow court-ordered discovery was because of a mistake in communication with its attorney. Advance America’s fundamental argument is that its failure to supply various documents is due to its not being aware of a separate request to produce documents. To support this position, Advance America claims that it did not know about the government’s separate Request for Production of Documents until after the Advanced opinion was issued. Mr. Jannings maintains in his January 20, 1995 affidavit that:

On April 28, 1992, we received a letter from Mr. Gdanski that indicated that a request for documents was enclosed____ we do not recall receiving such a document and none is in our files which we believe to contain all of the documents that we received during the course of this ease. The April letter did not indicate that it contained an enclosure.

The April 28, 1992 letter from attorney Gdanski to his client states:

Enclosed is the government’s request for production of documents. Please compile these as soon as possible. We have had a telephone conference call with the judge and things are progressing well, but we need your additional responses and documents requested herein. (Emphasis added).

During the course of this discovery dispute, Advance America’s attorney sent numerous follow-up letters that mentioned the government’s document requests, which are included in plaintiffs supplement. For example, on June 25, 1992, Mr. Gdanski sent Advance America a letter, stating:

This is a follow up to our previous letters requesting.production of documents. In light of this office not having received said documents, we have postponed the conference call scheduled for today until July 22nd at 2:00 p.m. By not complying with this request, the case is put in jeopardy.

Please advise as to when this material will be furnished. (Emphasis added).

On July 15, 1992, Mr. Gdanski wrote to Advance America:

This is a follow up to our previous letters and phone calls requesting production of documents. As discussed telephonically today with Karen Kasman of this office, I understand that you and Bill Regan are [527]*527pulling together the appropriate information and will forward it ASAP.
I just want to make sure that you are aware that in light of this office not having received said documents, and by not complying with the material request, the case is put in jeopardy.
Please provide this material as soon as possible. (Emphasis added).

On July 21, 1992, Mr. Gdanski forwarded to Advance America a copy of a letter sent to him by the government, which stated in relevant part: “As you know, Advanced America’s response to the Government’s request for production of documents, served on you December 6, 1991, was originally due on January 8, 1992. [Y]ou have made no responses to the Government’s request for documents.”

On December 1, 1992, Mr. Gdanski wrote to Advance America stating:

I need a letter from you sworn to before a notary public staying [sic] the following. This is premised on what you have represented to me.
“I, Steven P. Jannings, hereby certify under oath that to the extent any documents exist that we intend to rely on, and that have been requested by the government pursuant to its interrogatories, we have furnished all said documentation. No other written documentation exists and we hereby certify.”
We need this because they feel that there should be additional documentation, yet you have represented to me there is no other. I need this back in my office ASAP since it has to be filed with the court.

On February 11, 1998, Mr. Gdanski forwarded a copy of the government’s January 27, 1993 letter to him to Advance America. In this letter the government contended that the certified statement quoted above inadequately complied with the court’s order requiring the certification because:

[t]he statement addresses only documents requested pursuant to the Government’s interrogatories; however, the statement must also certify that no documents requested in the Government’s requests for production of documents exist.
The statement refers only to the plaintiffs release of documents that “we intend to rely on”; however, pursuant to the Court’s order, the certified statement must address any documents that have been requested by the Government, either in its interrogatories or requests for production of documents, whether Advanced America intends to rely on them or not. (Emphasis in original).

According to his latest affidavit of January 20, 1995, Mr. Jannings discussed neither this revision nor why it was required with Mr. Gdanski. Instead, Mr. Jannings simply submitted the following statement by editing and incorporating his earlier statement:

I, Steven P. Jannings, hereby certify under oath that to the extent any documents exist that have been requested by the government pursuant to its interrogatories or Request for Production Documents [sic] No other written documentation exists and we hereby certify.

On March 9 and 10, 1993, the government deposed Mr. Jannings and several other senior officers of Advance America. These officers brought to their depositions a folder full of documents, which the government believes were responsive to its document requests.

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Bluebook (online)
33 Fed. Cl. 524, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 116, 1995 WL 361321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/advance-america-services-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-1995.