Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
/ ion besod upon da ~fb Op4Ad reoeiVd,
and road on a r6eton County, Texas, and 5b~~rt. Chadriok and Xlllama, 8 b.- about $l~,OOO.~O. T&at dwiok and ~illlfama lnforsmd at they wished to with&-an their their bldder*s dqmsit. That he hl@way Departmmt, the oon- a Yearrs. Chadwfok and i+llliam but that outs the oontraot ecd bond and thct there- pecezt war forood to award the oontraot X&m requested to edrlae pa if in frlrneas to the state other bidders, the Highway C’0mmk~~l0A should return aAd Xfl3.im.a and ohhaok te Jfmsra. Cbadwlok the bfddor*il permit them withdraw their under tha oiroaastrnaea out- lined above.
__ Julian Uontgomery, Page E
Iionorebls For the are mwordiag PWPOS~ 0r thi8
0piai0n *IO pour reuueet into the following quaetlonsi
1. .Can the Stata Hlghwat Com.laalon permit a bld- drr to withdraw hla bid on a highway oonatruotloa projaot after tha hae been adrertlaad for, r8ceiYid, opanad and and the low bidder anaounoed7~ read,
2. Can the Highway CoumIrslon CsturA a b1dder.a
dapoalt upo,l default of the blddar IA exaoutlng the oortraot bid upon? Art1010 6674-h prorldoa all thst mado by contraota
the State Highway Dapartment for the Improvam~at of any sigh- W&y should ba aukaitted to OcmqmtitiYe bids. SO tar 68 We oourtr hare not oonetrued hare bean able asorrtain thI8 artlola but-the Intention of L8glalaturr, without doubt, wks to aocompllah tha usual of all auoh pro- purpoeo YilTiOAS of law, la, tha purpora of making this artiole read aa it does was to preolude f’aVOritl8m and prevent ex- oosslra WpeAdItWS of pub110 funda and to prevent oolluslo~ between oontraotora #tat@ otflolalr.
Gaotlon 118, Chap+ 18, of Don~all.y~a "Tha Law OS pUbI. COAtrSOta" reads, iA put, a8 fOl~OW#t “The objoot of pub110 woikr to letting
the lowest bidder after lnvitiqg pub110 blda la to preoludr faroritlam and jobbing on the pert Of pub110 OfiiOiaim iA whom authorit to msko oontraota la vested end to whom the superrlalon of xeoutlon of oontraota la entrusted,*
It Is aeon that to pannlt a bidder to withdraw hla bid would defeat the ultimata purpoao of the law raquirlng compstitlro blda for the reason that to permit auoh would for a13 bidder8 to withdraw their bids and Eke it possible thereby make tha h&heat bid'tha lowest bid. thb rulra promulgatrd by lour de-
ha atatod above, partment, aa authorized by law, require a doporlt wlth a bid ohaok 81 a guaranty of exroution or a oertlfled tha oontraot and bond. Thla oheak under the ruler la llquidatod damage8 for auoh Sallure.
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Honorabl8 fullan Xontgomery, P-e 3
It has bean hold in 8sny other jurladlotlona that when the ntstutea provldo that tha bidder on pub110 works must make a depoalt with his bid the drposit that oannot be returnrd after tha bide have been opened Cnd read. wheaton Bulldln~ Oompeny Y, Boston, 90 W. B, 598 aAd BAltlaore v. t. L.~RobInaon Canatruotlon company, Ql.Atl. 688.
It is further hold %A oasa of West Tome Con- pnaa Warmhouse compw Y. Panband end Santa Fa Railway Company, 18 S. W. (8) 568 that a valid edmlnl6tratlro order o? a legal and duly oonatituted adalnlstratlre body her the same foroe as a like enaotpent by the Lqlalatw. > orders of Stat. Hlghwey Codaaion
Tharsforr, requiring e deporit as a guaranty of xeoutlon of the OOD- tmot bid upon and the dollvory OS tha bond has the same fopon and affeot aa a utatuta prawd by the Leglalatura.
It la, thsrrfore, the opl~lon at thlr deqertMAt that the State Hi&way Commission oannot permit a biddrr to withdraw his bid atter the opened and road; thet came hem beon reoelfed, thr EI@way %Ufni88iOA amriot roturn the blddar’s deposit; but the bidder ir bound by the atrlot terma of his bid and tha atrlot ooAatruotlon the law and rulra applloable.
You are further advised that on June 16, 1936, Honor- able Curtla E. Hill, AarlataAt Attorney GeAeral, in a letter ooinlcn to Honorable Glbb GIlohrlat. State KLshwaJr Englnasr. " hild ai we hAve in this opinion and‘we oonour-in bald-opl&n
in all reapeats.
Trusting that thla will aAswwr your In~ulry aatla- faotorlly, we are