OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
/
ion besod upon
da ~fb reoeiVd, Op4Ad
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 and the other bidders, the Highway C’0mmk~~l0A should
return the bfddor*il ohhaok te Jfmsra. Cbadwlok aAd Xfl3.im.aand
permit them to withdraw their bid under tha oiroaastrnaea out-
lined above.
__
Iionorebls Julian Uontgomery, Page E
For the PWPOS~ 0r thi8 0piai0n *IO are mwordiag
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 bid hae been adrertlaad for, r8ceiYid, opanad and
read, and the low bidder anaounoed7~
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 thst all contraota mado by
the State Highway Dapartment for the Improvam~at of any sigh-
W&y should ba aukaitted to OcmqmtitiYe bids. SO tar 68 We
hare bean able to asorrtain the oourtr hare not oonetrued
thI8 artlola but-the Intention of the L8glalaturr, without
doubt, wks to aocompllah tha usual purpoeo of all auoh pro-
YilTiOASof law, that 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 and #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 letting pub110 woikr to
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 th elxeoutlon 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
Eke it possible for a13 bidder8 to withdraw their bids and
thereby make tha h&heat bid'tha lowest bid.
ha atatod above, thb rulra promulgatrd by lour de-
partment, aa authorized by law, require a doporlt wlth a bid
or a oertlfled ohaok 81 a guaranty of the exroution of tha
oontraot and bond. Thla oheak under the ruler la llquidatod
damage8 for auoh Sallure.
- .
Honorabl8 fullan Xontgomery, P-e 3
It has bean hold in 8sny other jurladlotlona that
when the ntstuteaprovldo that tha bidder on pub110 works
must make a depoalt with his bid that the drposit 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 the oasa of West Tome Con-
pnaa and
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. >
Tharsforr, the orders of the Stat. Hlghwey Codaaion
requiring e deporit as a guaranty of th elxeoutlon 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 came hem beon reoelfed, opened and road; thet
thr EI@way %Ufni88iOA amriot roturn the blddar’s deposit; but
that the bidder ir bound by the atrlot terma of his bid and tha
atrlot ooAatruotlon of 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 KLshwaJrEnglnasr.
" 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