Aerovox Corp. v. United States
Aerovox Corp. v. United States
Opinion of the Court
This is an action under the Contract Settlement Act of 1944, 41 U.S.C.A. §§ 101-125, for the recovery of compensation to which the plaintiff contends it is equitably entitled under § 7(f) of that Act, 41 U.S.C.A. § 107(f).
Plaintiff is a, Massachusetts corporation doing business in Massachusetts. During the recent war it was engaged in production
At the suggestion of an official of the contracting agency plaintiff then filed a claim for payment under § 7(f) of the Act.
Plaintiff thereupon instituted this action under §, 13(b) (2) of the Act, 41 U.S.C.A. § 113(b) (2). The United States has moved for summary judgment or dismissal of the complaint, and plaintiff has filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. Defendant’s motion to dismiss is based on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction and the -alleged failure of the defendant to -state a cause of action.
In view of the sovereign immunity enjoyed by the United States, this court has, of course, on jurisdiction over a suit against the United States except where the United States has consented to be sued. Congress, in providing for the determination and payment of equitable claims against the United States, is free to limit the claimant to an administrative remedy without providing for any review of the action of -the administrative agency by the courts in an action against, the United States. Lynch v. United States, 292 U.S. 571, 582, 54 S.Ct. 840, 78 L.Ed. 1434.
It appears that the present claim is one on which the United States-has not consented to be sued, but which it has committed to the final and conclusive determination of the contracting agency. The Act, after providing that settlement of
Plaintiff contends, however, that recourse to the courts is always possible where there has been an abuse of discretion by the administrative agency, and that the finding of the agency that equity and good conscience do not require the payment of the plaintiff’s claim is an abuse of discretion. Even if this were so, the facts of the case as they appear from the pleadings and affidavits filed in connection with 'the motions by both parties for summary judgment do not support such a contention. Plaintiff’s argument that equity requires that it be paid under § 7(f) rests on the fact that due to the war-time pressure for speed in the execution of contracts, it accepted the subcontract without making the check on the credit standing of the prime contractor which it would have made under its usual practice in time of peace. But it nowhere alleges that such a check would in fact in March of 1945 have disclosed facts which would have led it to refuse to do business on a credit basis with Frank Reiber, Inc. Moreover, nine months thereafter plaintiff chose to file its termination claim with the prime contractor. Under the applicable regulations, 10 C.F.R. 1945 Supp. § 846.651 — 2; 32 C.F.R. 1945 Supp. § 8008.4, it could have requested the agency to settle the claim directly under § 7(d) or take other steps to protect payments made on its account. It made no such request. It can be inferred that it had either failed during this whole period to check its prime contractor’s credit standing, or else had done so, and found no ground for believing it could not be relied upon. On these facts it cannot be held that the equities in favor of plaintiff are so strong that the agency has abused the broad discretion granted it under § 7(f) in holding th.at the government is not in good conscience bound to pay this claim a second time.
Defendant’s motion to dismiss is allowed.
. §7. “Settlement of subcontractors’claims —G onclusiveness of settlement.
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“(f) If any contracting agency determines that in the circumstances of a particular case equity and good conscience require J;air compensation for the termination of a war contract to be paid to a subcontractor who bas been deprived of and cannot otherwise reasonably secure such fair compensation, the contracting agency concerned may pay such compensation to him although such compensation already has been included and paid as part of a settlement with another war contractor.”
Reference
- Full Case Name
- AEROVOX CORPORATION v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published