BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair

Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals·Decided June 13, 2016·No. ASBCA No. 58810, 59642·Published

Opinion

ARMED SERVICES BOARD OF CONTRACT APPEALS

Appeals of -- ) ) BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair ) ASBCA Nos. 58810, 59642 ) Under Contract No. W912SU-04-U-0005 )

APPEARANCE FOR THE APPELLANT: Peter B. Jones, Esq. Jones & Donovan Newport Beach, CA

APPEARANCES FOR THE GOVERNMENT: Raymond M. Saunders, Esq. Army Chief Trial Attorney CPT Tyler L. Davidson, JA CPT Harry M. Parent, III, JA Trial Attorneys

OPINION BY ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE TING

In 2006, the Army's Northern Region Contracting Center Mission Contracting 'Division at Fort Eustis, Virginia (the Army or the government) issued Delivery Order No. 2 (DO No. 2) under an existing multiple-award task order contract (MATOC) - Contract No. W912SU-04-U-0005 (Contract 0005)- to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair (BAE) to overhaul an Army Logistics Support Vessel, the MG Charles P. Gross (LSV-5). Among other work, DO No. 2 required BAE to remove all existing potable water, air-conditioning and gray water drain systems and to replace them with new copper/nickel (90/10 CUNI) piping. During the course of performance of the delivery order, after the bulkheads and ceilings were removed, BAE's piping subcontractor, Custom Ship Interiors, Inc. (CSI) discovered that the piping systems existing on the vessel, which were not visible during ship check, were not as depicted on the contract drawings. CSI through BAE submitted 19 Condition Found Reports (CFRs) or change proposals for additional labor and materials required to complete the piping replacement work. Lacking input from her on-site Ship Surveyor, the contracting officer (CO), who was located in Virginia, was unable to initiate discussion to negotiate or settle any of the CFRs. Facing an approaching contract completion deadline, BAE and CSI proceeded to complete the piping replacement work with funding advanced by BAE.

The government acknowledged that BAE discovered additional piping repair requirements that were not anticipated at the time DO No. 2 was issued. Since completion of the contract work in 2007, the parties were unable to settle the quantum of equitable adjustment. In July 2011, BAE converted its piping Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA No. 7) into a certified claim. The CO's 2013 decision partially granted BAE's claim. BAE appealed the decision (ASBCA No. 58810). In 2014, the CO issued an amended decision, claiming that she overpaid BAE in her 2013 decision. BAE appealed the decision (ASBCA No. 59642).

We have jurisdiction to decide the parties' dispute under the Contract Disputes Act, 41 U.S.C. §§ 7101-7109.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. In April 2004, the U.S. Army's Northern Region Contracting Center Mission Contracting Division at Fort Eustis, Virginia, awarded an Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity contract - Contract 0005 - to San Francisco Drydock, Inc. 1 (R4, tab I at 1 of 440). 2 The contract, in the estimated amount of over $22 million, was for the programmed and unprogrammed drydocking, cleaning, painting, repairs and modifications of active Army Logistics Support Vessels stationed on the West Coast of the United States or Hawaii (id. at 4 of 440). Work would be ordered as task or delivery orders under Contract 0005 (R4, tab 13 7 at 1 of 8).

2. The base period of Contract 0005 ran from the date of award until 30 November 2005. The contract provided for four one-year option periods ending on 30 November 2009. (R4, tab 1 at 2 of 440) The events in this appeal occurred during Option Period Two from 1December2006 through 30 November 2007 (id. at 2 of 440). Contract 0005 provided that "[t]ask orders under this contract will be issued only by the Contracting Officer" (id. at 2 of 440 n.6) and liquidated damages of $3,626 per day would be assessed if the contractor failed to deliver the supplies or to perform services within the time specified in the delivery order (id.). Time, therefore, was of the essence in completing the work specified in the delivery order.

3. Contract 0005 contained the Department of Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) 252.217-7028, OVER AND ABOVE WORK (DEC 1991) clause. This clause defined "Over and above work" to mean "work discovered during the course of performing overhaul, maintenance, and repair efforts that is - (i) Within the general scope of the contract; (ii) Not covered by the line item(s) for the basic work under the

1 San Francisco Drydock, Inc. became a part of BAE Systems in 2005 and changed its name to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair (BAE) (tr. 1/106, 3/203). 2 In citing to the record, we use the consecutive numbers at the bottom of the page, where 000009 is shortened to 9. A document without a consecutive number is cited to the typed page number on the document, for example, R4, tab 1 at 1 of 440.

2 contract; and (iii) Necessary in order to satisfactorily complete the contract." The clause provided that:

(c) Upon discovery of the need for over and above work, the Contractor shall prepare and furnish to the Government a work request in accordance with the agreed-to-procedures.

( e) The Contractor shall promptly submit to the Contracting Officer, a proposal for the over and above work. The Government and Contractor will then negotiate a settlement for the over and above work. Contract modifications will be executed to definitize all over and above work.

(f) Failure to agree on the price of over and above work shall be a dispute within the meaning of the Disputes clause of this contract.

(R4, tab 1 at 350-51 of 440)

4. Contract 0005 also incorporated by reference DF ARS 252.243-7001, PRICING OF CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS (DEC 1991 ), providing "When costs are a factor in any price adjustment under this contract, the contract cost principles and procedures in FAR Part 31 and D FARS Part 231, in effect on the date of this contract, apply" (R4, tab 1 at 329 of 440).

5. FAR 31.201-2 (2003) 3, Determining allowability, provides in part:

(a) The factors to be considered in determining whether a cost is allowable include the following:

( 1) Reasonableness.

(2) Allocability.

(3) Standards promulgated by the CAS Board, if applicable; otherwise, generally accepted accounting principles and practices appropriate to the circumstances.

3 Since Contract 0005 was awarded in April 2004, the 2003 version of the FAR was applicable.

3 (4) Terms of the contract.

(5) Any limitations set forth in this subpart.

6. FAR 31.201-3, Determining reasonableness, provides in part:

(a) A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of competitive business. Reasonableness of specific costs must be examined with particular care in connection with firms or their separate divisions that may not be subject to effective competitive restraints. No presumption of reasonableness shall be attached to the incurrence of costs by a contractor. If an initial review of the facts results in a challenge of a specific cost by the contracting officer or the contracting officer's representative, the burden of proof shall be upon the contractor to establish that such cost is reasonable.

7. Contract 0005 included a provision establishing fully burdened labor, G&A, and profit rates for various contract periods. The "OFFEROR'S FULLY BURDENED LABOR RA TE FOR THE SECOND OPTION PERIOD" provision (fully burdened rate provision) provided:

a. Changes are inherent to vessel repair contracts and should be expected by the Contractors. Offerors shall include a fully burdened labor rate to be used in negotiating changes.

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