Opinion ID: 566465
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Is the Decision of the ASBCA a Final Decision For

Text: 9 Jurisdiction Purposes? 10 The government argues that we should not reach the merits of this case, citing Fairchild Republic Company v. U.S., 810 F.2d 1123 (Fed.Cir.1987) (Fairchild III ). In Fairchild III, contractor Fairchild appealed to this court from a decision of the ASBCA upholding the government's right to withhold progress payments, and consequently denying Fairchild's motion for summary judgment. The ASBCA held there, as it did here, that the DCA and DAR Appendix E were inapplicable. There, however, the ASBCA had not yet considered a second issue which was before it in the same action--whether the government had properly determined that there was defective pricing by the contractor. 11 On review, because this court may only review final decisions, see United States v. W.H. Moseley Co., 730 F.2d 1472, 1474 (Fed.Cir.1984), the court dismissed Fairchild's appeal, without prejudice, on the grounds that the ASBCA decision was not a final decision on all the issues before the Board in that action. 810 F.2d at 1125. Further, in response to an argument that this situation comes under the Cohen exception to the usual rule on finality, see Cohen v. Beneficial Indus. Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 546, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 1225, 93 L.Ed. 1528 (1949), the court noted that 12 Fairchild's claim that the government improperly withheld the amount of the defective pricing is not completely separate from the merits of the claim of defective pricing [--also before the Board in the same proceeding]. Both issues arose out of interrelated conduct and the same or closely connected facts.... Furthermore, Fairchild has failed to indicate any reason why the board's decision on withholding cannot be reviewed at the time a final decision on the defective pricing issue is entered. Whether or not Fairchild prevails on the defective pricing claim, it may then appeal the [then final] ASBCA decision regarding withholding and seek as a remedy interest from the date of withholding for loss of use of its money. 13 810 F.2d at 1126 (citations omitted). The court also concluded that a considerable savings in judicial resources can be achieved by waiting to consider both of Fairchild's 'claims' [involved in a single action before the ASBCA] in one appeal [of that action]. 810 F.2d at 1126. 14 Unlike the setting in Fairchild, Allied's claim here regarding withholding has been pursued in a completely separate action from Allied's claim regarding interpretation and application of the EPA clause. Under the facts of this case, Allied's separate pursuit of the two claims was not improper. Although both claims arose substantively out of the same contract, the two claims arose procedurally from two separate and distinct decisions issued by two different COs at two different times. The claims were brought and pursued in separate and distinct appeals to the ASBCA and would therefore normally be expected to result in separate and distinct final decisions by the Board, each of which may be separately appealed to this court. See 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(10); 41 U.S.C. § 607(g)(1) (1988). 15 At the conclusion of the ASBCA decision in Fairchild, the Board said [w]e therefore leave the parties where we find them, that is, with the issue of whether defective pricing existed on this contract. [Fairchild]'s motion for summary judgment is denied. By contrast, at the conclusion of the ASBCA decision in Allied's appeal, the Board granted the government's motion for summary judgment, and subsequently dismissed the appeal. As stated in Catlin v. United States, 324 U.S. 229, 233, 65 S.Ct. 631, 633, 89 L.Ed. 911 (1945), a final decision is one which ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment. See also Fairchild III, 810 F.2d at 1125; Teledyne Continental Motors v. United States, 906 F.2d 1579, 1581 (Fed.Cir.1990); Teller Environmental Systems v. United States, 802 F.2d 1385, 1388 (Fed.Cir.1986). Here, the Board's decision had the effect of disposing of the case and ending the litigation on the merits. 16 The government's assertion that jurisdiction over the issue in the present appeal would not lie in this court unless Allied waited for the ASBCA decision regarding interpretation and application of the EPA clause is incorrect. Allied's appeal now before us arises from a decision of the ASBCA which led directly to the dismissal of all remaining issues in that proceeding. There is no reason to consider the ASBCA decision as anything less than final. The Board's disposition of this first action was a final decision for purposes of our jurisdiction; Allied's appeal of that decision is properly before us. See 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(10); 41 U.S.C. § 607(g)(1). 17