In the Matter of Bid Solicitation 25dpp01134 R&B Debris, LLC

New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division·Decided January 5, 2026·No. A-0158-25/A-0335-25·Unpublished

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited . R. 1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION

DOCKET NO. A-0158-25

A-0335-25

IN THE MATTER OF BID SOLICITATION #25DPP01134 R&B DEBRIS, LLC, PROTEST OF NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD, T0777— SNOW PLOWING AND SPREADING SERVICES—NJDOT.

IN THE MATTER OF BID SOLICITATION #25DPP01134 BVW SERVICES, LLC, PROTEST OF NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD, T0777— SNOW PLOWING AND SPREADING SERVICES—NJDOT.

Argued November 19, 2025 – Decided January 5, 2026 Before Judges Currier and Jablonski.

On appeal from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Joseph L. Sine argued the cause for appellant R&B Debris, LLC in A-0158-25 (Cohen, Seglias, Pallas,

Greenhall & Furman, PC, attorneys; Joseph L. Sine and Clifford C. David, on the briefs).

Jennifer R. Budd argued the cause for appellant BVW Servies, LLC in A-0335-25 (Cohen, Seglias, Pallas, Greenhall & Furman, PC, attorneys; Jennifer R. Budd and Clifford C. David, of counsel on the briefs).

Roza Dabaghyan, Deputy Attorney General, argued the cause for respondent Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property (Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney General, attorney; Sookie Bae-Park, Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Molly L. Case, Deputy Attorney General, on the brief).

PER CURIAM In these matters, heard back-to-back, appellants submitted a bid in response to a solicitation for snow plowing and spreading services on state highways and interstates. Both appellants received a notice of intent (NOI) to award a contract. However, after appellants failed to present the requisite equipment for inspection by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the NOI award was rescinded. We granted appellants leave to appeal on an emergent basis and conducted oral argument. After reviewing appellants' contentions in light of the record and applicable principles of law, we affirm.

A-0158-25

I.

R&B Debris In January 2025, the Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property (agency), issued a Bid Solicitation on behalf of NJDOT. "The purpose of the Bid Solicitation [was] to solicit Quotes for snow plowing and spreading services on all State interstates and highways under the jurisdiction of the NJDOT." The solicitation gave first preference to bidders who proposed to provide their own equipment, over those who needed to use equipment owned by NJDOT. R&B submitted its bid, and was informed on June 27, 2025, that the agency intended to "make a [c]ontract award" for twelve price lines.1 On July 17, 2025, NJDOT sent R&B a letter advising it would be inspecting "all trucks and snow plowing equipment," within "[ten] business days of [appellant's] receipt of [the] notice," pursuant to "Bid Solicitation Sections 4.4.1 . . . and . . . 4.12.2." The letter stated that "each vehicle and equipment must be physically on site and presented with a valid vehicle registration." An attachment to the letter listed how many trucks must be presented for each

1 The term "Price Line" is not formally defined in the Bid Solicitation, but is understood as referring to a distinct snow plowing or spreading services assignment. Each price line corresponds to a specific portion of interstate or highway under the jurisdiction of the NJDOT, for which the price line awardee would be responsible in the event of snowfall. See Bid Solicitation Section 1.1.

A-0158-25

delineated price line. The letter further advised that the "[f]ailure to comply . . . or presenting fewer than listed number of trucks and equipment may result in the termination of the affected Bid Solicitation [p]rice [l]ines."

On July 23, NJDOT informed R&B it would be at its facility to inspect the trucks and equipment on July 29. On the date of the inspection, R&B provided sufficient trucks for the price lines but no plows. In an October 1, 2025 certification, R&B's manager stated she "advised [NJDOT] that plows were on order, and provided . . . documents, showing purchase and payment." The documents provided in the record reflect quotes and estimates for plows dated July 23, 24, and August 6, all on the day of or after the inspection. Some orders note a partial deposit payment.

On September 5, 2025, the agency issued a revised NOI award and recommendation report to R&B under N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.7(h), rescinding multiple price lines because R&B did not "possess the required equipment for the . . . [p]rice [l]ines" at the time of the inspection. On September 10, R&B submitted a formal protest challenging the rescission of the NOI award. R&B contended the equipment inspection was not authorized by the Bid Solicitation.

On September 12, 2025, the agency issued a final decision affirming the revised recommendation report rescinding the award to R&B. The agency stated

A-0158-25

that because "R&B failed to provide plows, . . . NJDOT could not ascertain if R&B possessed the equipment necessary to service the lines awarded."

The agency also addressed R&B's contention that it

made [its] "facility" available for inspection, and that it was willing to make its equipment available on dates of its choosing well beyond those offered by NJDOT, and that it was not required to have its trucks and plows available for inspection until after October 1 st, the date R&B claims is the start of the contract term.

The agency responded that

Inspections of equipment are set forth . . . in Bid Solicitation Section 8.7 State's Right to Inspect Bidder's Facilities, and Bid Solicitation Section 4.12.2 Equipment Inspections, both of which state that all bidders' facilities, vehicles, and equipment, whether provided by the Contractor or the NJDOT, shall be subject to inspection to ensure the bidder can perform the contract. The NJDOT Letter advised R&B that the NJDOT needed to inspect the equipment of R&B and any approved subcontractors they were intending to use for the . . . [p]rice [l]ines they were awarded. R&B's argument regarding facilities is akin to a manufacturer bidding on work to manufacture parts, and arguing it can perform the contract because it owns a building that fails to contain any manufacturing equipment. R&B was provided with abundant notice in the Bid Solicitation . . . that if it chose to bid [first] Preference, then it would need to provide its equipment, including plows, for inspection.

The agency decision continued, stating

A-0158-25

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