# DENIED: March 18, 2021

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/agency%3Acbca%3Aa51c7a4035b9b386

## Record

- **Collection:** Agency decision
- **Document type:** Agency decision

## Text

DENIED: March 18, 2021

CBCA 6893

ALLIED MERIDIAN FUNDING LLC,
Appellant,
v.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
Respondent.
Robert D. Albright, Jr., Managing Principal and Secretary of Allied Meridian Funding
LLC, Minnetonka, MN, appearing for Appellant.
Adria Greene, Office of the General Counsel, Department of Agriculture, Atlanta,
GA, counsel for Respondent.
Before Board Judges SOMERS (Chair), DRUMMOND, and RUSSELL.
SOMERS, Board Judge.
The Department of Agriculture Forest Service entered into two contracts with Genesis
International Management Group LLC (Genesis) to provide staffing services. Genesis
ultimately assigned its right to payments under both contracts to appellant, Allied Meridian
Funding LLC (Allied Meridian). This appeal concerns payments made to Genesis under only
one of these contracts. We deny the appeal because appellant cannot support its claim of
entitlement.

CBCA 6893

2
Background

On June 18, 2015, the Government entered into an indefinite delivery, indefinite
quantity contract with Genesis for temporary personnel staffing under contract number AG4670-C-15-0102 (contract 4670). On October 6, 2015, Genesis executed an assignment of
“all moneys due or to become due” to Genesis under contract 6470 to appellant. Appellant
notified the contracting officer of the assignment on October 7, 2015. The contracting officer
issued a contract modification on October 8, 2015, to incorporate the assignment of claims.
On August 29, 2016, the Government entered into another contract with Genesis for
staffing services under AG-4568-C-16-0085 (contract 4568). Genesis executed an
assignment of “all moneys due or to become due” to Genesis under contract 4568 to
appellant on October 10, 2016. However, the document was not notarized until December 1,
2016.
The Government continued to pay Genesis all amounts due under contract 4568. On
December 1, 2016, Genesis filed with the contracting officer the signed, notarized
assignment relating to contract 4568; and on December 2, 2016, the contracting officer
modified the contract to incorporate the assignment of claims. In a declaration dated
February 17, 2021, the contracting officer stated:
I had no knowledge, actual or constructive, of the Assignment of Claim
relating [sic] Contract 4568 prior to my receiving it on December 1, 2016. I
did not receive any correspondence, written or verbal, or any other
communications about the Assignment of Claim relating [sic] Contract 4568
prior to December 1, 2016.
On October 25, 2019, appellant submitted a claim for $268,760.01, citing entitlement
under both contracts. The contracting officer found entitlement in part, stating that “[i]t is
my determination that the information submitted in [Allied Meridian’s] claim, and due
diligence conducted investigating applicable invoices and Task Orders, only supports a claim
totaling $46,072.11.”
Allied Meridian appealed, seeking payment of all disputed invoices. Appellant states
that it is entitled to payment for all invoices financed by it between October 10, 2016, and
December 2, 2016, totaling $86,840.83.

CBCA 6893

3
Discussion

Summary judgment is appropriate where there is no genuine issue of material fact and
the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.,
477 U.S. 242, 247 (1986). The moving party has the initial burden of informing the tribunal
of the basis for its motion and identifying those portions of the pleadings, depositions and
affidavits, admissions, and answers to interrogatories, if any, which it believes demonstrate
the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323
(1986). Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the case under governing
law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248. The
party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of demonstrating that there is no
genuine dispute as to any material fact, and all justifiable inferences must be made in favor
of the non-moving party. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-23. In considering summary judgment,
the tribunal will not make credibility determinations or weigh conflicting evidence.
Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249.
Allied Meridian contends that the Government wrongly continued to pay Genesis after
the assignment. However, Allied Meridian did not provide any evidence that it notified the
contracting officer of the assignment before December 1, 2016. By statute and regulation,
a contractor may assign any amounts due from the Federal Government under a contract to
a bank, trust company, Federal lending agency, or other financing institution. 41 U.S.C.
§ 6305(b) (2012); see also Mayberry Enterprises, LLC v. Department of Energy, CBCA
5961, 20-1 BCA ¶ 37,616. Among other requirements, the assignee must “file written notice
of the assignment and a true copy of the instrument of assignment with . . . the contracting
officer or head of the officer’s department or agency . . . the surety on any bond connected
with the contract . . . and the disbursing officer, if any, designated in the contract to make
payment.” 41 U.S.C. § 6305(b)(6); see 48 CFR 32.802(e) (2016). The Government may
“assent to and recognize an assignment where it seems appropriate.” Mayberry (quoting G.L.
Christian & Associates v. United States, 312 F.2d 418, 423 (Ct. Cl. 1963)).
Thus, in compliance with both statutory and regulatory requirements, the Government
will not recognize an assignment until the assignee files the written notice of the assignment
and a true copy of the instrument of assignment with the contracting officer, among others.
In this case, the evidence is that Allied Meridian did not provide written notice of assignment
to the Government and that Genesis provided written notice of the assignment after it was
notarized on December 1, 2016. Upon receipt, the Government processed the assignment
and modified the contract. The Government paid all invoices submitted after the contract
modification to Allied Meridian.
Appellant asserts, without evidence, that “‘the totality of the circumstances’ . . . argues
that, at least Appellant, through its servicing agent, believed Respondent had been notified

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of the assignment well before December 2, 2016. The “belief” of the servicing agent,
without more, does not meet the statutory and regulatory prerequisites for an effective
assignment.
Decision
The appeal is DENIED.

Jeri Kaylene Somers
JERI KAYLENE SOMERS
Board Judge

We concur:

Jerome M. Drummond
JEROME M. DRUMMOND
Board Judge

Beverly M. Russell
BEVERLY M. RUSSELL
Board Judge

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/agency%3Acbca%3Aa51c7a4035b9b386. Public record. Not legal advice.
