Lamb Engineering & Construction Co. v. United States

58 Fed. Cl. 106, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 294
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedSeptember 30, 2003
DocketNo. 01-225C
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 58 Fed. Cl. 106 (Lamb Engineering & Construction Co. 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
Lamb Engineering & Construction Co. v. United States, 58 Fed. Cl. 106, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 294 (uscfc 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

BRUGGINK, Judge.

This is an action brought pursuant to the Contracts Dispute Act of 1978, 41 U.S.C. §§ 601-611(“CDA”). Plaintiff, Lamb Engineering & Construction Company (“Lamb”), sought to have its default termination converted to a termination for convenience. Defendant counterclaimed under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 (1994) (“FCA”), seeking civil penalties and treble damages. We earlier granted in part defendant’s motion for summary judgment, sustaining plaintiffs default termination based on false statements made in connection with contract progress billings. We denied without prejudice, however, defendant’s motion for summary judgment with respect to its FCA counterclaim for insufficient proof as to the claim for treble damages.

Defendant re-filed a motion for summary judgment on October 3, 2002, seeking judgment as to damages pursuant to the FCA. The motion was once again denied without prejudice for insufficient proof of payment to subcontractors. Now pending is defendant’s amended motion for summary judgment on its FCA counterclaim. Defendant alleges that it is entitled to recover up to $10,000 in civil penalties for each of four false claims and $258,900.24 in treble damages, based on asserted losses of $86,300.08. Oral argument is deemed unnecessary. For the reasons set out below, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted in part, and, once again, denied in part.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (“WAPA”) and Lamb entered into Contract No. DE-AC65-99WG50567 (“contract”), a $3,467,552.60 fixed-price construction contract, on August 13, 1999.1 WAPA terminated the contract [108]*108for default on April 17, 2000. Lamb filed suit on April 13, 2001, seeking to convert its default termination to one for convenience. Background facts from this litigation can be found in our earlier opinion and order. Lamb v. United, States, No. 01-225C, slip op. (Fed.Cl. Aug.26, 2002) (“Lamb I”). Familiarity with them is presumed.

BACKGROUND

In the course of performing the contract, Lamb submitted five progress billings to WAPA, the last four of which were supported by attached invoices from subcontractors and suppliers. Lamb certified its payment requests for Progress Billings Nos. 2-5 in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (“PPA”), 31 U.S.C. § 3903(b)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) 52.232-5. We found earlier that WAPA was justified in terminating for default because Lamb knowingly made false statements in connection with Progress Billings Nos. 2-4. Lamb I, at 11.

What we found previously made out the elements for an assessment of civil penalties as to Progress Billings Nos. 2-4, although we did not actually assess them ($5,000 minimum per violation). We declined to make a finding as to Progress Billing No. 5. Pending now is the defendant’s third attempt to obtain judgment on its claim for treble damages, as well as its reasserted claim for civil penalties for false statements in connection with Progress Billing No. 5.

With respect to Progress Billing No. 5, defendant relies on the prior record, which establishes the following. On May 2, 2000, Lamb submitted Progress Billing No. 5 requesting $1,121,073.03 in payments, which included the identical certification previously attached to Progress Billings Nos. 2 — 1. Lamb certified that all subcontractors had been paid from previous progress payments and that Lamb was not withholding any funds from its suppliers. It is uncontested that at the time of the certification for Progress Billing No. 5, Lamb had not in fact paid all its subcontractors in full from the funds dispersed as Progress Payments Nos. 3 and 4.

Defendant’s claim for treble damages depends on proof of actual loss prompted by the false statements. Here, defendant contends that, because Lamb did not pay all its suppliers’ invoices from funds dispersed with Progress Payments Nos. 2-4, WAPA was forced to incur a total of $86,300.08 in additional costs in closing out the work. Defendant relies on the previous documentary record, which includes the declarations of contracting officers Roger L. Moody and John P. Rynerson. It also now offers credit card statements and the affidavit and employment records of Lary A. Martin, a contract specialist.

Mr. Martin, as contract specialist for WAPA on Lamb’s contract, was responsible for payments to subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers. He asserted in his affidavit that, after termination for default, he made numerous such payments. The court previously denied defendant’s second motion for summary judgment on this issue because it was not clear from the record (and plaintiff declined to stipulate) that the photocopies of checks and credit card statements were authentic, and that checks paid by “Lary Martin” were paid on behalf of WAPA.

Mr. Martin’s latest affidavit attempts to fill in these gaps. He affirms that the checks and credit card statements are authentic and represent payments made to subcontractors and suppliers on behalf of WAPA. Based on this latest information, defendant contends that WAPA paid J.D. Steel for invoice No. 737103, attached to Progress Billing No. 3. With respect to Progress Billing No. 4, the defendant contends that WAPA also paid Beacon Metals (“Beacon”) for invoice No. 0007187-IN; CIE Inc. (“CIE”) for invoices Nos. 13800, 13803 & 13805; Conesco Inc. (“Conesco”) for invoice Nos. 001466 & 024436; Crescent Electric Supply (“Crescent”) for invoices Nos. 138-191335-00 & 138-191335-01; Cummins Southwest Inc. (“Cummins”) for purchase order No. 524-31373; Mohave Truss & Mfg. (“Mohave”) for purchase order No. 31610; Roxtec Inc. (“Roxtec”) for invoice No. 0007562-IN; and Riter Engineering Inc. (“Riter”) for invoice [109]*109No. 12000-149. With the exception of invoice No. 024436 from Coneseo for $119.11, it is uncontested that none of the above-listed invoices and purchase orders were ever paid by Lamb.

Defendant claims that these payments to Lamb’s subcontractors and suppliers totaled $86,300.08, and were made to satisfy claims on the proceeds of Progress Payment Nos. 3 and 4. Defendant contends, and plaintiff does not deny, that following the default termination, WAPA made payments to suppliers for invoices originally submitted along with Progress Billings Nos. 3 and 4. It is not disputed that WAPA paid the following suppliers and subcontractors for invoices totaling $20,292.76: J.D. Steel ($1991.04 for invoice No. 737103); Beacon ($258.45 for invoice No. 0007187-IN); CIE ($12,456.07 for invoice Nos. 13800,13803, and 13805); Crescent ($187.33 for invoices Nos. 138-191335-00, and 138-191335-01); Mohave ($1050.00 for purchase order No. 31610); and Roxtec Inc. ($4,349.87 for invoice No. 0007562-IN).2

WAPA also asserts that it made additional payments totaling $66,007.32 to three remaining vendors: Riter, Cummins, and Co-nesco. Lamb contends issues of fact remain as to payments to these three vendors, which cannot be resolved on a motion for summary judgment. The undisputed facts concerning payments to the three vendors are set out below. The disputed facts are addressed in the discussion section.

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58 Fed. Cl. 106, 2003 U.S. Claims LEXIS 294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamb-engineering-construction-co-v-united-states-uscfc-2003.