95-002944
Tony Depaul And Sons, Inc. vs.
Department Of Transportation
Status: Closed
Recommended Order on Monday, October 16, 1995.
Recommended Order on Monday, October 16, 1995.
1STATE OF FLORIDA
4DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
8TONY DEPAUL & SONS, INC. )
14)
15Petitioner, )
17)
18vs. ) CASE NO. 95-2944
23)
24DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, )
28)
29Respondent. )
31_________________________________)
32RECOMMENDED ORDER
34Following notice to all parties, Don W. Davis, a Hearing Officer for the
47Division of Administrative Hearings, held a final hearing in the above-styled
58case on August 31, 1995, in Tallahassee, Florida.
66APPEARANCES
67For Petitioner: William J. Cummings
72Qualified Representative
74Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc.
79Post Office Box 1650
83Blue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422
87For Respondent: Mary Dorman, Esquire
92Department of Transportation
95605 Suwannee St., Mail Station 58
101Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450
104STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE
108The issue to be decided in this case is whether Petitioner timely submitted
121an application, with all required accompanying documents, for prequalification
130as a contractor with Respondent.
135PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
137By letter dated May 10, 1995, Respondent informed Petitioner of intent to
149deny Respondent's application for qualification as a contractor on Respondent
159projects on the basis that Petitioner's application was not accompanied by
170audited financial statements. In the letter, Petitioner was apprised of
180recourse to formal administrative proceedings.
185By letter dated May 16, 1995, Petitioner responded and requested
195administrative proceedings with regard to Respondent's proposed denial.
203The matter was transferred to the Division of Administrative Hearings for
214formal proceedings on June 9, 1995.
220By order dated July 10, 1995, this matter was set for final hearing on
234August 31, 1995. Pursuant to request of the parties, Petitioner was permitted
246to appear and present evidence via telephone.
253At the final hearing, Petitioner presented testimony of one witness.
263Respondent presented testimony of three witnesses and one rebuttal exhibit. By
274prehearing stipulation, the parties submitted a joint exhibit consisting of
284Petitioner's exhibit A and four exhibits on behalf of Respondent.
294A transcript of the final hearing was filed on September 7, 1995. The
307parties requested and were granted leave to file proposed findings of fact
319twenty (20) days after the filing of the transcript. Respondent's proposed
330findings of file are addressed in the appendix attached to this recommended
342order. No proposed findings were submitted by Petitioner and none had been
354received at the time of preparation of this recommended order.
364FINDINGS OF FACT
367Stipulated Facts
369The parties stipulated at the final hearing to factual findings set forth
381in paragraphs 1-3, below.
3851. The Department received the Application for Qualification on April 27,
3961995.
3972. An audited financial statement of Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc., was
409completed on December 31, 1994.
4143. The deadline for the Department to have received the annual audited
426financial statement of Tony DePaul & Sons was May 1, 1995.
437Other Facts
4394. Petitioner in this proceeding is Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc.
4505. Respondent is the Florida Department of Transportation.
4586. Respondent's Contracts Administration Office administers a contractor
466qualification program in which the Department qualifies contractors to
475subsequently bid on Respondent projects which exceed the sum of two hundred and
488fifty thousand dollars.
4917. Petitioner's application was received on April 27, 1995, minus
501Petitioner's annual audited financial statement which had been completed on
511December 31, 1994.
5148. The deadline for receipt of the application and Petitioner's annual
525audited financial statement was May 1, 1995.
5329. Respondent's representative contacted Petitioner on May 9, 1995, as a
543courtesy to inform Petitioner that the annual audited financial statement had
554not been received. Thereafter Respondent received the annual audited financial
564statement on May 11, 1995.
56910. Respondent's interpretation of law applicable to the subject
578application dictates that an application, such as Petitioner's, must be denied
589where the application and annual audited financial statement are submitted more
600than four months after the ending date of the annual audited financial
612statement, unless the applicant submits an additional interim audited financial
622statement.
62311. Petitioner made no inquiry of Respondent's offices to ascertain whether
634Respondent had timely received Petitioner's application and audited financial
643statement. Notably, Respondent's Contracts Administration Office has not lost
652or misplaced a document since 1982.
65812. The total elapsed time between receipt by Respondent's offices of
669Petitioner's Application for Contractor Qualification on April 27, 1995, and
679Respondent's issuance of a Notice of Intent to deny Petitioner's application is
691thirteen (13) days. Respondent is required to process applications within
701thirty (30) days.
704CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
70713. The Division of Administrative Hearings has jurisdiction over this
717matter. Section 120.57(1), Florida Statutes.
72214. Petitioner bears the burden in this proceeding of proving entitlement
733to the requested relief by a preponderance of the evidence. Fla. DOT v. J.W.C.
747Co., Inc., 396 So. 2d 778 (Fla. 1st DCA, 1981)
75715. As required by Section 337.14(1), Florida Statutes, each "application
767for certification" must be accompanied by "the latest annual financial statement
778. . . completed within the last 12 months." The statute also requires
791submission of an interim financial statement in instances where "the annual
802financial statement shows the financial condition of the applicant more than 4
814months prior to the date on which the application is received by the department
828. . ."
83116. Section 337.14(1), Florida Statutes, also requires that Respondent act
841upon an application "within 30 days after it is presented." In the case at bar,
856Respondent acted upon the application in timely fashion, 13 days, and cannot be
869held accountable for Petitioner's failure to file the application and required
880financial audit in a timely fashion.
88617. Although it is conceiveable that Petitioner could have timely filed
897the required financial audit immediately following the receipt of the
907application by Respondent on April 27, 1995, Petitioner made no inquiry of
919Respondent's offices. Petitioner's failure to insure that its application was
929properly accompanied by the annual financial audit is not an oversight that lies
942within the realm of Respondent's responsibility.
948RECOMMENDATION
949Based upon the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is
962recommended that a Final Order be entered denying Petitioner's application.
972DONE and ENTERED in Tallahassee, Florida, this 16th day of October, 1995.
984___________________________________
985DON W. DAVIS, Hearing Officer
990Division of Administrative Hearings
994The DeSoto Building
9971230 Apalachee Parkway
1000Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550
1003(904) 488-9675
1005Filed with the Clerk of the
1011Division of Administrative Hearings
1015this 16th day of October, 1995.
1021APPENDIX
1022In accordance with provisions of Section 120.59, Florida Statutes, the
1032following rulings are made on the proposed findings of fact submitted on behalf
1045of the parties.
1048Petitioner's Proposed Findings
1051None submitted.
1053Respondent's Proposed Findings
10561.-11., Accepted.
1058COPIES FURNISHED:
1060William J. Cummings
1063Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc.
1068P. O. Box 1650
1072Blue Bell, PA 19422
1076Peter DePaul, President
1079Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc.
1084P. O. Box 1650
1088Blue Bell, PA 19422
1092Michael J. Lerner, C.P.A.
1096Tony DePaul & Sons, Inc.
1101P. O. Box 1650
1105Blue Bell, PA 19422-0465
1109Mary Dorman, Esq.
1112Dept. of Transportation
1115605 Suwannee St., MS-58
1119Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450
1122Ben Watts, Secretary
1125Dept. of Transportation
1128605 Suwannee Street
1131Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450
1134Thornton J. Williams
1137General Counsel
1139Dept. of Transportation
1142562 Haydon Burns Building
1146Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450
1149NOTICE OF RIGHT TO SUBMIT EXCEPTIONS
1155All parties have the right to submit written exceptions to this Recommended
1167Order. All agencies allow each party at least 10 days in which to submit
1181written exceptions. Some agencies allow a larger period within which to submit
1193written exceptions. You should contact the agency that will issue the final
1205order in this case concerning agency rules on the deadline for filing exceptions
1218to this Recommended Order. Any exceptions to this Recommended Order should be
1230filed with the agency that will issue the final order in this case.
- Date
- Proceedings
- Date: 06/14/1996
- Proceedings: Final Order filed.
- Date: 09/27/1995
- Proceedings: Respondent`s Proposed Recommended Order filed.
- Date: 09/07/1995
- Proceedings: Volume I of I (Transcript) filed.
- Date: 08/31/1995
- Proceedings: CASE STATUS: Hearing Held.
- Date: 08/30/1995
- Proceedings: Order Granting Motion to Present Evidence to Hearing Officer In Person sent out. (Motion Granted)
- Date: 08/25/1995
- Proceedings: Respondent`s Motion to Present Evidence to Hearing Officer In Person filed.
- Date: 08/25/1995
- Proceedings: Joint Prehearing Stipulation filed.
- Date: 07/27/1995
- Proceedings: Notice of Telephone Hearing and Order of Instructions sent out. (telephone hearing set for 8/31/95; 10:00am)
- Date: 07/20/1995
- Proceedings: Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
- Date: 07/18/1995
- Proceedings: (2) Letters to DWD from P. DePaul (RE: response to Initial Order) filed.
- Date: 07/10/1995
- Proceedings: Order sent out. (re: qualified representative)
- Date: 06/30/1995
- Proceedings: Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
- Date: 06/23/1995
- Proceedings: Letter to DWD from W. Cummings (RE: response to Initial Order); Exhibit List filed.
- Date: 06/14/1995
- Proceedings: Initial Order issued.
- Date: 06/09/1995
- Proceedings: Agency referral letter; Request for Administrative Hearing, Letter Form; Agency Action letter filed.
Case Information
- Judge:
- DON W. DAVIS
- Date Filed:
- 06/09/1995
- Date Assignment:
- 06/14/1995
- Last Docket Entry:
- 06/14/1996
- Location:
- Tallahassee, Florida
- District:
- Northern
- Agency:
- ADOPTED IN TOTO