Opinion ID: 546195
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 1 On January 31, 1989, the Arab Water Works Board (hereinafter Board) of Arab, Alabama, opened sealed bids for the construction of an addition to a water treatment plant. Appellee Advance Tank and Construction Company (hereinafter Advance Tank) submitted the apparent low bid of $3,984,375.00. The firm of Brasfield & Gorrie, Inc., submitted the second lowest bid at $4,068,000.00. 1 The Board understood that the bids were firm for a period of sixty days. On March 29, 1989, the Board rejected Advance Tank's bid and thereafter awarded the contract to Brasfield & Gorrie. 2 On April 5, 1989, Advance Tank brought suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, seeking damages under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983, 2 and injunctive relief under the Alabama Competitive Bid Law, see Ala.Code Sec. 41-16-61 (1975). 3 See generally, sections 41-16-1 through 41-16-82. 4 3 After a three-day bench trial, the district court enjoined the execution of the contract between the Board and the second lowest bidder, Brasfield & Gorrie. The Board filed a timely appeal to this court and we reverse the district court's judgment. 4 The sole issue in this appeal is whether the district court erred in finding that the board violated Alabama Code Sec. 41-16-50(a). 5 The trial court made several factual findings with regard to the Board's reasons for rejecting Advance Tank's bid; we review these findings under the clearly erroneous standard. Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a); C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure Sec. 2585 (1971). We regard the question of whether the Board's decision to reject Advance Tank's bid violated the Alabama Competitive Law as a legal question subject to plenary review by this court. 6