Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

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