Board of Contract Appeals
                    General Services Administration
                         Washington, D.C. 20405
 
                        ________________________
 
                        GRANTED: January 7, 2000
                        ________________________
 
 
                           GSBCA 14729, 14947
 
 
      EARL C. WILSON d/b/a GREENVILLE STORAGE & INVESTMENT, INC.,
 
                                             Appellant,
 
                                   v.
 
                    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION,
 
                                             Respondent.
 
        David   C.  Hammond  and  Lorenzo  F.  Exposito  of  Powell,
   Goldstein,  Frazer  &  Murphy LLP,  Washington,  DC,  counsel for
   Appellant.
 
        Martin A. Hom and Ruth  Kowarski, Office of General Counsel,
   General  Services  Administration,  Washington,  DC, counsel  for
   Respondent.
 
   Before Board Judges DANIELS (Chairman), NEILL, and HYATT.
 
   NEILL, Board Judge.
 
        These appeals involve two  claims, one by the Government  in
   the amount of $244,466.74 (GSBCA 14729) and one by the contractor
   in the amount  of $308,239.14  (GSBCA 14947).   The  Government's
   claim is said to be based  upon damages caused by the release  of
   water from a sprinkler system  in a warehouse leased by appellant
   to  the Government.  The  contractor's claim denies any liability
   for the incident in question and demands  return of the amount of
   the Government's  claim,  which was  set  off by  the  Government
   against rent due  under the lease.  In  addition, appellant seeks
   to  recover costs  allegedly resulting  from damages done  to the
   sprinkler system and warehouse by the Government.  By order dated
   April 13, 1999, the Board consolidated the two appeals.    
 
        On December 29,  1999, the parties filed a  joint motion for
   stipulated judgment pursuant  to Board Rule  136(e).  The  motion
   advised  the Board  that  the parties  had  settled the  disputes
   underlying the  two  appeals.   Pursuant to  the settlement,  the
   General Services  Administration will  pay appellant  the sum  of
   $199,466.74, with  interest starting from December 31, 1998.  The
   parties have further stipulated that  neither will appeal or seek
   reconsideration  of or relief from the Board's decision rendering
   the requested stipulated judgment.
 
 
        Rule   136(e)  permits  the  Board  to  adopt  the  parties'
   stipulation of settlement, by decision, and it provides that such
   decisions are adjudications of the appeals on their merits.  See,
   e.g., Thermal Management Inc. v. General Services Administration,
   GSBCA 14558, 99-1 BCA   30,354.  
 
        These appeals are, therefore, GRANTED in accordance with the
   parties' stipulated settlement. The award  is to be paid from the
   permanent indefinite judgment  fund with interest, as  agreed, at
   the Contract  Disputes Act  rate.   31 U.S.C.    1304  (Supp. III
   1997); 41 U.S.C.    611-612 (1994 & Supp. III 1997). 
 
 
                                           ______________________
                                           EDWIN B. NEILL
                                           Board Judge
   We concur:
 
 
   ______________________                 ______________________
   STEPHEN M. DANIELS                     CATHERINE B. HYATT
   Board Judge                            Board Judge