**OFFICE OF**  TNE **ATYORNEY GENERAL**  **OF TEXAS**  **AUSTIN**

honorable D. C. Greer State HighwayEngineer Austin, Texaco Deer Sir:

Weaokuowlebgs 31, 1941, In whlahyou prrtnsnt upon the

tion of the project ana requested the !1ig,;;S*~ Depeirtmentto assume the coqlatlon In any minner it sawfit, as Is **orovlded** by the oontraot sgeclflcations. Luring the conference, the Aondlng Companyrepreeentatlve bequested that he be DEr-Honorable b. C. Grew, Page 2

Bitted 

### to seoure lnfomal bl&dr fr om l number of ooatrdotor8 

### theretofore appmrd by the Iii&awayDspartasnt for the oompfetloaof the proJeot, wlth the understandlog that the Xlghwy Departoent would enter lnto agreementwith the lowest blddrr for 

### the oompletlorrof theproJsot as orlglnally planned. Under thlr plan, the contrsotor, 

### whosebid may be 

### seleoted for the oomplrtlon 

### at the projsot, wouldfurnish bond ln the

### amountof hie bid.
a
. . . . Proolalon tar the submlsrlon to oompetltlve bids of all oontraotr proposed to bAmadobythe 6tate Riqhway Cepartaent 1s nade in 

### hrtiole 6674h, Vernonca Revisad Civil statutes of Texas. Artlole 68743, **red&s** as tollorsi

*Thesuooessful bldler or bidders shall enter Into writton oontrsota wltb **eald** depart-

.msnt, andshall !I

lV3 bond la such amount as la nowprovided b;t ax, oonditlonsd tor the.falthful oozplisnoe with hle bid and performnor of the contract andpayable to the State alghway Departiant for the use and benefit ot the State IiIghra;r Fund.’
**Item 8.7**  of tine **oontraot** apsolfleatlons provldee trat in the event ot abanSonnent of workor default of the 2ontraot **by** the oontraotor thrt the State HighwayDepartsent 6%~ta’re over ths proseoutlon of work, appropriate or use any or all material andequipmant on the ground as msybe sultable, and enter lnto an agrsersnt 

### for the oorrlJ~etionof the contract aocordlng to the terra sad wovlslons thereof **or** usa such other .methods as In the oglnlon of the Sn+ne& may be required **for** 

### the oou@etion of the contract In aoce?tabls smnner. Analysis of the lnatsnt situation reveals that ths contra& ~$8 orIglnsllp let end entered **into Un.ter**  **tk8 au**  thority of andIn oompllscce with the ap?licsble stiitutory I)?( rLsions, bond in the mount of tks contract being furnlshs3
**bJ the**  **&erican &main3**  Company. Althou:L the contrsctor haa a~faulted the State Is P~lly proteoted by the ‘bon3andF!imorablO D. C. Grwr, Paqe 3

thare 1s ao ooaaaIon for the suboIsslon OSaoapetltlve bide as rsqulred under hrtlale 6674h, supra, bsfore arrangersnts are entared Into **for** the ooapletlon **of** the projeot. The HlqhnejyDepartment Is authorlted by ftem 6;7 05 the oontraot opcolf~catlans to assuas comoletlon o? the oontraot In what

### ever mnnsr is oaosptsble un3rr the oxlstlng olrowastanoes. Nocontrary provlsloa a?psars in the statutes and no method of procedure Is Were eug;Jeete& Artlala 66?4h hsvlng already been oola?lIed with endthe ssftguards provided in that and the suoceedlng artloles having already been brought lnto exlstenoe them would appear to be no neceesIty for the resubnleelon of oompetltIvs bids.

It la,therefore, the opinion of this departmnt that the Highway Department maylegally **aocspt** lnforaal bids taken from qusllfled and **apCuW@d** oontreotora by the bondlnz ooznpanywlthout advertising **for** such bids as provided by Artlole 667411andenter Into agreeaent with the low bidder ror tha cowletlon of the Lea1 contraot. Wenote that this procedure was requested and lnstlqsted by tS%bonding congany, and ve sqgest that the racpeat bs redwed ta wrltlng, and tlaf all subsequent tranerotlons be refleot%d by urltten Instrum9nts. TheapglIoatIon of tbls oglnlon, of course, 1s llnlted to the s~eolflo faot elt~atlon presented In your lettsr. foure very truly

..-.m - **ATTOXNZY**,GEIlEtAL

02’TE;%AS

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