RCS Enterprises, Inc. v. United States

46 Fed. Cl. 509, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 72, 2000 WL 490770
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedApril 26, 2000
DocketNo. 99-724C
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 46 Fed. Cl. 509 (RCS Enterprises, 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
RCS Enterprises, Inc. v. United States, 46 Fed. Cl. 509, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 72, 2000 WL 490770 (uscfc 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

MILLER, Judge.

This case is before the court after argument on defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can [511]*511be granted pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1), (4). Plaintiffs suit seeks damages pursuant to its contract with the United States Army to audit the telephone system on a military base. The issues to be decided are whether the contract allows plaintiffs claim for a percentage of identified overbillings; whether plaintiffs claim for breach of contract damages resulting from government interference with contract performance is properly before the court; and whether the court has jurisdiction over plaintiffs claim for commissions under the Value Engineering clause of the contract. The court rules that plaintiffs claim for commissions in Count I is inconsistent with the express provisions of the contract, that its claims for interference were not presented as a specific monetary demand, and that plaintiffs claim for commissions under the Value Engineering clause is barred by the clause itself.1

FACTS

RCS Enterprises, Inc. (“plaintiff’), a general partnership organized under the laws of the State of Colorado, performs telecommunications auditing and consulting services. Plaintiff is a Small Business Administration certified section 8(a) contractor. See 15 U.S.C. § 637(a) (1994). On January 9, 1998, plaintiff entered into an agreement with the United States Army Signal Command (the “AFSC”), located at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, to provide telephone auditing services for the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and its associated sites (the “WSMR”). Pursuant to the contract, plaintiff was to “audit and review base charges, ensure correct tariffs and rates are charged, confirm completed and/or non-completed calls, and other determining factors with respect to telecommunications bills.” The contract period began on January 9,1998, for an indeterminate period “through the completion of the initial audit,” with two option years.

In order to complete performance, plaintiff’s findings were to be compiled into a final report, which was to detail all “one-time and future savings based on an adjustment to tariffs and/or over-billings.” Plaintiff was to recommend specific actions for future savings and provide explanations for all such actions. Throughout the process plaintiff was required to keep the AFSC apprised of its progress by providing monthly status reports and an outline and draft of the final audit. Correspondingly, the AFSC was obliged to execute the necessary authorizations for plaintiff to complete its audits, to provide plaintiff with complete access to past and present telephone records, and to ensure the cooperation of WSMR personnel.

Plaintiffs compensation for performance was a nominal fee of $150.00 plus 50% of the cost savings generated by its services. The total cost savings was determined in one of two ways, depending upon the source of the savings. When plaintiff identified past over-billings, plaintiff was to arrange for the carriers) to remit plaintiffs share directly and give the AFSC a credit in the amount of the remainder. The contract explicitly states that “payment to [plaintiff] is only activated, in the event a credit or savings due to the elimination of incorrect billings and/or overcharges is received by the Government.” Alternatively, when plaintiff identified potential future savings, “[Unvoices resulting from future value engineered savings[ ] will be submitted monthly over the course of two (2) years, identifying the source of the savings.” Among other clauses incorporated into the contract were the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Disputes clause, 48 C.F.R. § 52.233-1 (1995), the Value Engineering clause, 48 C.F.R. § 52.248-1 (1989), and the Government Delay of Work clause, FAR § 52.212-15 (1995) (redesignated § 52.242-17).

Plaintiff began its audit of the facilities at the WSMR on January 28,1998. In the first month of performance, plaintiff identified many “irregularities,” “including numerous collect calls accepted by WSMR personnel as well as phone-sex, phone-psychic and other 900-number services made by WSMR personnel.” Am. Compl. filed Mar. 6, 2000, ¶ 10. [512]*512Plaintiff further alleges that it immediately encountered resistance from WSMR personnel, who delayed performance by failing to provide billing information in a timely manner, including billing facilities information, service provider contract and billing information, and call accounting system information, and by failing to return plaintiffs telephone calls. Plaintiff discovered that the records that it did receive were not maintained in accordance with Army guidelines and noted other inconsistencies, including omissions of collect and operator-assisted calls and missing accounting records. Plaintiff complained of these obstacles to the AFSC, but allegedly received no assistance in dealing with WSMR personnel.

Despite the lack of cooperation, plaintiff completed its final report on July 10, 1998, “with the limited information made available.” Am. Compl. ¶ 14. According to plaintiff, the final report identified several refunds or credits due as a result of overbillings, totaling approximately $192,000.00 in savings to the Government. Further, plaintiff claims that it recommended several measures for future cost savings which could have resulted in savings of as much as $9,227.20 per month over a two-year period. On September 17, 1998, plaintiff submitted another report — the traffic study — which identified additional measures for future cost savings, totaling as much as $2,041.30 per month, over a two-year period. Plaintiffs asserted potential future cost savings total slightly more than $260,000.00. Taken together, plaintiff asserts that it should have received as much as $231,323.48 in commissions.2

The AFSC orally rejected in their entirety plaintiffs cost savings recommendations that were made in the final report and the traffic study. Although plaintiff sought a more detailed written explanation for this decision, none was ever received. On November 20, 1998, plaintiff submitted a claim for the above amounts to the contracting officer. In that claim plaintiff asserted that its performance was hindered by a lack of cooperation and that its recommendations should have been accepted. Plaintiff alleged a total of $674,000.00 in cost savings, past and future, which would have yielded $337,000.00 in lost commissions.3 By letter dated January 22, 1999, the contracting officer denied plaintiffs claim in full.

Thereafter, on August 23, 1999, plaintiff filed this action. In Count I plaintiff alleges that the AFSC breached the contract for the WSMR telecommunications audit by failing to cooperate with performance and rejecting the recommendations made in the final report and the traffic study. In Count II plaintiff alleges that it had a reasonable expectation that it would be paid for the services rendered, of which the AFSC knew or should have known.

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Bluebook (online)
46 Fed. Cl. 509, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 72, 2000 WL 490770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rcs-enterprises-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-2000.