Court Opinion

ID: 9753983
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 19:37:17.846244+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:46.065458
License: Public Domain

NEBEKER, Associate Judge,
dissenting:
I would reverse and remand this case to the trial court with instructions to enter judgment for appellant. The trial court and the Board correctly held that Paragraph 12(f) is not ambiguous; however, both erred as a matter of law when they interpreted the term “include” to exclude the costs and charges contained in Paragraph 12(f). Such an interpretation “violates the rule that all language of a contract should be given effect and no terms should be construed as meaningless.” Northwest Marine Iron Works v. United States, 493 F.2d 652, 657 (Ct.Cl.1974). See also Thanet Gorp. v. United States, 591 F.2d 629, 633 (Ct.Cl.1979); State of Arizona v. United States, 575 F.2d 855, 863 (Ct.Cl.1978). The holding is also at variance with a multitude of cases which hold that the term “include” is expansionary, and not limiting. See, e.g., Federal Land Bank v. Bismarck Lumber Co., 314 U.S. 95, 99-100, 62 S.Ct. 1, 3-4, 86 L.Ed. 65 (1941); American Federation of Television and Radio Artists v. NLRB, 149 U.S.App.D.C. 272, 275, 462 F.2d 887, 890 (1972); 20A Words and Phrases 152-55 (1959).