D.V. Gonzalez Electric & General Contractors, Inc. v. United States

55 Fed. Cl. 447, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2003 WL 1069757
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMarch 3, 2003
DocketNo. 99-993C
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 55 Fed. Cl. 447 (D.V. Gonzalez Electric & General Contractors, 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
D.V. Gonzalez Electric & General Contractors, Inc. v. United States, 55 Fed. Cl. 447, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2003 WL 1069757 (uscfc 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

SMITH, Senior Judge.

This government contract case is before the Court on defendant’s Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff, D.V. Gonzalez Electric & General Contractors, Inc. (“GEGC”) seeks compensation for expenses arising from the breach of alleged express, implied-in-fact, and implied-in-law contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (‘VA”) to replace the fire alarm system at the VA Medical Campus (‘VAMC”) facility in Canandaigua, New York. Defendant moved to dismiss the Complaint alleging lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim under Rules of the Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), respectively. Based on the briefs filed and oral argument held in this case, the Court finds that jurisdiction is lacking with regard to the plaintiffs negligent misrepresentation and implied-in-law contract claims, and that GEGC’s remaining counts fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Accordingly, the Court GRANTS the defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.

FACTS

This dispute arises from plaintiff’s contract with the VA to replace the fire alarm system in nineteen (19) buildings at the VAMC facility in Canandaigua, New York (‘VAMC project”). In preparation for the solicitation of the VAMC project, the VA awarded an Architectural & Engineering (“A & E”) design and technical services contract to Robson & Woese, Inc. (“Robson”) on January 24, 1994. The scope and price of the A & E contract was scaled back several times to conform to the VA’s allotted funds. The A & E contract stipulated that the VA would provide Robson with on-site survey information and drawings suitable for the VAMC project design. The contract also included a “Design Within Funding Limitations” clause, and an estimated construction contract price of $605,000.

In November of 1994, the VA notified the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) that the contract at issue was eligible for a set-aside under the SBA’s Section 8(a) program with an estimated cost between $500,000 and $1,000,000. The A & E contract was completed in early June of 1995, and estimated the cost of the VAMC project to be $771,690. The VA adopted the A & E estimate as its project cost estimate and established a fair market price of $900,000 for the fire alarm system project. On June 30,1995, final solicitation specifications and drawings were forwarded to GEGC and the SBA. On July 25, 1995, GEGC submitted its first detailed cost proposal to the VA in an amount totaling $1,369,418. Over the next several days, GEGC and the VA discussed variances between the estimates and negotiated reductions in the scale and scope of the project. On August 1, 1995, GEGC submitted its best and final offer in the amount of $900,000.

Also on August 1, 1995, the VA requested the Defense Contract Audit Agency to perform an audit of GEGC’s proposal. The VA awarded the contract to plaintiff on August [450]*45023, 1995, subject to a possible price adjustment based on the audit. On September 27, 1995, the contract was modified via a supplemental agreement to $859,086 resulting from the audit. The final contract required GEGC to “[pjrovide all labor, material and equipment, and perform all work to replace fire alarm systems at the VA Medical Center, Canandaigua, New York, in accordance with VA Drawings and Specifications.” The contract initially called for completion within 700 days from the government’s Notice to Proceed on October 11, 1995. GEGC began work at the VAMC facility in January of 1996. Due to unexpected delays, GEGC requested and received several time extensions, and the project was completed in 901 days, on April 15,1998.

On March 20, 1997, GEGC submitted a formal request for an equitable adjustment (“REA”), alleging a differing site condition, mutual mistake, and superior knowledge claims. The REA was based upon site congestion encountered by GEGC in various forms which plaintiff claims caused substantial delays and increased its cost of performance. On May 5, 1997, the Contracting Officer informed GEGC that the REA lacked sufficient justification. Over nine months later, on February 18, 1999, GEGC converted its REA to a certified claim of $390,412 pursuant to the Contract Disputes Act of 1978. The Contracting Officer issued his final decision denying plaintiffs claim on March 16, 1999. The Veterans Administration Board of Contract Appeals (‘VABCA”) dismissed this matter on July 14, 1999, for lack of jurisdiction. Plaintiff filed the instant case with this Court on December 13, 1999.

Plaintiffs Complaint sets forth eight counts, which can be categorized into three primary groups: Counts I-V (Breach of Implied Contract, Superior Knowledge, Negligent Misrepresentation, and Breach of Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing), Counts VI & VII (Invalidation of the Express Contract), and Count VIII (Mutual Mistake). The allegation tying all of these counts together is GEGC’s claim that the government’s contract estimate was procured illegally and was inaccurate with respect to the impact of site congestion. GEGC claims that as a result of the government’s unlawful conduct it suffered $478,6771 in cost overruns.

DISCUSSION

1. JURISDICTION

The Tucker Act provides the Court with jurisdiction over claims against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, an Act of Congress, a regulation of an executive department, or upon an express or implied contract with the United States. 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1) (2002); Gould v. United States, 67 F.3d 925, 928 (Fed.Cir.1995). “The party invoking jurisdiction has the burden to show compliance with the Tucker Act.” Trauma Serv. Group v. United States, 104 F.3d 1321, 1324 (Fed.Cir.1997).

In the instant ease, plaintiff bases its jurisdictional claim on the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, as amended, 41 U.S.C. §§ 601-613 (2002); and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1491(a) & (b)(2) (2002), as amended. Under the Tucker Act this Court’s contract-based jurisdiction “extends only to contracts either express or implied in fact, and not to claims implied in law.” Trauma Serv., 104 F.3d at 1324. As a result of the dismissal of plaintiffs appeal by the VABCA, this Court has jurisdiction to hear the express and implied-in-fact contract claims. 41 U.S.C. § 609(a)(1) (2002). Plaintiff has also indirectly alleged that the government breached an implied-in-law contract. It is well established, however, that this Court does not have jurisdiction over implied-in-law contracts. Hercules Inc. v. United States, 516 U.S. 417, 423-24, 116 S.Ct. 981, 134 L.Ed.2d 47 (1996).

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

The government has moved to dismiss this matter for either lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1), or for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(4).2 [451]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Magnum Opus Technologies, Inc. v. United States
94 Fed. Cl. 512 (Federal Circuit, 2010)
International Data Products Corp. v. United States
70 Fed. Cl. 387 (Federal Claims, 2006)
Taylor v. United States
57 Fed. Cl. 264 (Federal Claims, 2003)
Franklin Savings Corp. v. United States
56 Fed. Cl. 720 (Federal Claims, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 Fed. Cl. 447, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 38, 2003 WL 1069757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dv-gonzalez-electric-general-contractors-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-2003.