Court Opinion

ID: 9516605
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 23:46:50.764954+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:37:26.745779
License: Public Domain

WHITAKER, Judge
(dissenting).
I think a binding contract was made in this case. I shall state my reason for this opinion very briefly. The invitation for bids asked the bidders to state the time the bid would remain in effect. The bidder stated it would remain in effect 20 days. This was a binding agreement. The bid could not be withdrawn within that time in the absence of fraud or mistake, but the mistake must have been mutual. The plaintiff admits this in its brief. A mutual mistake would invalidate plaintiff’s agreement to hold his bid open for 20 days, but a unilateral mistake will not.
There were wide variations in the bids on the several items covered by the invitation. In the circumstances there was nothing to put the contracting officer on notice that the plaintiff had made a mistake.
For these reasons I dissent.
MADDEN, Judge, concurs in the foregoing dissent.