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B-129504, OCT. 23, 1956

B-129504 Oct 23, 1956
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UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 12. BY INVITATION NO. 93 BIDS WERE REQUESTED FOR FURNISHING CERTAIN METAL CULVERTS DESCRIBED UNDER ITEMS 1. UNDER ITEM 10 TWO CULVERTS WERE SPECIFIED. YOU STATE THAT A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION WAS THE ONLY BIDDER PRESENT AT THE BID OPENING AND THAT WHEN THE PRICES WERE READ. THAT THE PRICE IN THE EXTENDED AMOUNT COLUMN SHOULD HAVE BEEN TWICE THE AMOUNT SHOWN THEREIN. THE TOTAL PRICE OF $665 QUOTED BY THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION FOR THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER ITEM 10 IS LESS THAN ONE- HALF OF THE TOTAL PRICE QUOTED BY THE ONLY OTHER BIDDER IN THAT ITEM. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION INTENDED ITS BID PRICE FOR ITEM 10 TO BE FOR A SINGLE CULVERT ONLY.

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B-129504, OCT. 23, 1956

TO MR. FRANK WALISCH, CONTRACTING OFFICER, UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 12, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION, PORTLAND, OREGON, ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON OCTOBER 4, 1956.

BY INVITATION NO. 93 BIDS WERE REQUESTED FOR FURNISHING CERTAIN METAL CULVERTS DESCRIBED UNDER ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND 5 THROUGH 10. UNDER ITEM 10 TWO CULVERTS WERE SPECIFIED, WHEREAS ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS CONSISTED OF SINGLE CULVERTS. IN RESPONSE, THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION SUBMITTED A BID DATED OCTOBER 3, 1956, OFFERING TO FURNISH, AMONG OTHER ITEMS, THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER ITEM 10 FOR A PRICE OF $665. THE CORPORATION DID NOT INSERT ANY PRICES IN THE UNIT PRICE COLUMN FOR ANY OF THE ITEMS, BUT INSERTED ALL OF ITS PRICES, INCLUDING THAT FOR ITEM 10, IN THE EXTENDED AMOUNT COLUMN.

YOU STATE THAT A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION WAS THE ONLY BIDDER PRESENT AT THE BID OPENING AND THAT WHEN THE PRICES WERE READ, HE IMMEDIATELY ALLEGED THAT THE CORPORATION HAD INADVERTENTLY PLACED THE UNIT PRICE FOR THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER ITEM 10 IN THE EXTENDED AMOUNT COLUMN; THAT THE PRICE IN THE EXTENDED AMOUNT COLUMN SHOULD HAVE BEEN TWICE THE AMOUNT SHOWN THEREIN; AND THAT THE CORPORATION INTENDED TO QUOTE A TOTAL PRICE OF $1,330 FOR THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER THAT ITEM.

IN A CONFIRMING LETTER DATED OCTOBER 4, 1956, THE CORPORATION REQUESTED THAT THE TOTAL PRICE FOR ITEM 10 BE INCREASED BY $665 TO $1,330.

THE ABSTRACT OF BIDS SHOWS THAT THE ONLY OTHER BIDDER ON ITEM 10 QUOTED A TOTAL PRICE OF $1,575.36 FOR THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER THAT ITEM. THUS, THE TOTAL PRICE OF $665 QUOTED BY THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION FOR THE TWO CULVERTS REQUIRED UNDER ITEM 10 IS LESS THAN ONE- HALF OF THE TOTAL PRICE QUOTED BY THE ONLY OTHER BIDDER IN THAT ITEM.

ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION INTENDED ITS BID PRICE FOR ITEM 10 TO BE FOR A SINGLE CULVERT ONLY. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE ERROR WAS PROMPTLY NOTED AND NO AWARD HAS BEEN MADE, THE BID OF THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION MAY BE CORRECTED TO PROVIDE FOR A TOTAL PRICE OF $1,330 FOR ITEM 10, AND THE BID, AS CORRECTED, MAY BE CONSIDERED ALONG WITH THE OTHER BID IN MAKING THE AWARD.

IN THE EVENT OF AWARD OF ITEM 10 TO THE BEALL PIPE AND TANK CORPORATION, A REFERENCE TO THIS DECISION SHOULD BE MADE ON THE CONTRACT.

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