Run Through the Base, Not To the Base
Thankfully, baseball season is back. While listening to a broadcast of my favorite team yesterday, I heard the announcer repeat the fundamental lesson of “running through the base, not to the base.” Running to a base leaves the runner no option or momentum to continue. When running through the base, the runner has the option to stop or keep going to the next base. This too is an important lesson for government contractors – run through your goals to preserve your options.
Recently, a contractor’s appeal was dismissed when the ASBCA found it had no jurisdiction because the contractor did not first submit a claim to the contracting officer. In the contractor’s defense, he probably (and understandably) thought a claim wasn’t necessary when a settlement had already been reached between the contractor and the Army, as evidenced by a written agreement from the contracting officer.
However, “through bureaucratic indifference, the government failed to keep its promise to pay appellant, failed to explain why it was not paying, and failed to retain records that demonstrate what happened.” ASBCA No. 60597, decided March 3, 2017 (underlining added). The Board was “sympathetic” to the contractor’s “predicament,” but the absence of a certified claim meant the Board was powerless to do anything.
To keep your options open and maintain momentum, claims may be necessary even when they shouldn’t be.
Differing Site Conditions: When the Part Does Not Equal the Whole
If all apples are fruit, then why are all fruit not apples?
Forum Selection Can Be a Home-Court Advantage
I promise that any disputes between us will be argued at your house. Time passes and a dispute begins to brew. Now, I want to argue at my house, not at yours. You pay costs to argue at my house that you wouldn’t have incurred had I done as agreed. Should I have to reimburse your costs?
No-Damage-for-Delay and Owner-Related Dispute Clauses are No Defense to Surety Liability Under Miller Act
Prime Government Contractors - you may need to update your interim payment waivers.
Contractual Fairness is Whatever the Parties’ Agreed
When you know a current action or inaction is wrong, but you do not object, should you be allowed to object later?
Which Comes First – Specifications or Drawings?
Sometimes it's not better to ask for forgiveness after-the-fact.
Government Contract Claims: When Appeal is Rejection of Settlement
Without a reservation of rights, appealing a Contracting Officer’s Final Decision is a rejection of any offer of payment or settlement included therein. So, the contractor had only three options.
Linking Obligations
If you want to bind the subcontractor to the prime in every way the same as the prime is bound to the owner, then the incorporation clause of the subcontract should be: . . .
Termination of Government Contracts for Convenience (T4C)
Imagine you’re a Government Contractor under a firm, fixed-price contract and you’ve done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, the Government has decided to unilaterally end its contract with you. Yes, the Government can do this...
Government Contractors: Build a Snowman in August
As a Government Contractor, when have you agreed to perform a certain way, but later realized that another way is better for everybody? When the Government agrees, expressly or impliedly, to the alternative performance, it waives a credit for the unperformed work.
