Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Beaonbl~ fobn A. Shcrok
CWmlral DIrtrUt Atkmmy
Raur Oeuut~
Ban Aamtoalo, Tua#
Attentloaa Mr. 1. J. Oltblager
/A ,v Doar 8lrt
oopy of letter M- Fmnk Bau&hea, D&e- #l, Bexar aoust~, vikkire slom herewith copy of 001 re- far an 6,pinloa oa a l lmilar qubr- qtmt to you tioll, dated J antmy 88, 194e, and mmr pm to your oplnloa 150. c)-43TR in aaemr t0 OUT F8- quart.
Rbnerabla Johm B. slhoek, Pago 2 ve rlmo hand year copy of mu opinioa 8e Judge Vau&aa 6ated mroh OI, 1948.
r. I
wa know of no rwtmr l mterltlea fm qw8tlon submitted, o-t that n~opaper l e- eounto l taak that tha sBp rem* aourt, is pa..- try on tho quootloB af the mmerohlp of ia*.
in the oaoo of Rueeeo Ooolrty vo. OwWoa, Taxoolloetor,ioropertodtohow lmuthat 00 BTueoeo OouatJ. I hrvo mush tioo klended a0 0epy or tk ap4a0n.
"It la JwS@ Vma&mn'r rontontloa tht & la atltlaa tottbr ieor,aemlu1oBa uraprp wato wrwd at hir ior aotla@ l 1 R86trtrmr for Baord’oi 'liti1 btatlotloo uabr tho provl- l iOBO O? th8 1O.t l o&rmph Of &t. 88-. 8.0. 19, 8UbdittOiOB (0 7 .
W now doolro to pawpmad tbroo ~aotloao: *(a) X0 t&o Jwtloo a? tb Peas., eotin far tha BoaPd Of ato f a. Re~lrtrar 8to~lotlaot ocltherlsmd to 6ollwt ~oeowborethore 4o no foa f4xed b law the owvloa puformod br h L aI ouoh Ro&lot,rrm*l “(b) Ia tha *rent it be held that tlm ‘rw woo oellootod ritheut eutkwitf al low, ~Ohoul6 tha f*e k mtUXB& to tho parer, rolrinod W tIm Juotlaa af the Peaoo, or pold owr to tha cowtJ1
"(a) Xo tho Jaotiee of tha PwW uitlt1.d to tempt aad nteh ioo Mmmst 1F4f- koa OeBtO ia POySWlt Of -oh ProOf of death trawalttod hla to tha
8004~~ sooarity Basrd ogoa 8 fora l ubritted br oha Board where prori-
eion ha. b4.R ma. sor so&e1 soour4ty RoamI nke l mh payamtt? lo reqnwted oa the 9mo- =A Mb ewww tioaro ubpftted." *3 Honorsble Soha R. Shook, Page 5
The latter of the juatieo of the p..oe ad&roooo& to you, montlomd in the iirot paraeaph of your l.tt.r, the r0mi part8 read0 am r0ii0w0t amittinp, wAttached hereto la a oh.ok in the ma8
0r #LOO tendered PO by l!r. Ralph 8. Cadwal- leaer on bahalr or one or hi8 aliento for r0110win& purpose: the 181~ Of the BMCO Of uBW0 %aU
one mar .ot.blloh h4. noord of birth br pro- of l entiq4 to that state a eortirloota l.oo8l mgiatrar of tha Count7 of tha 8tato in whloh eroon rroldoo, stat iB l ub.t.aro ff that auoh .giotrar bad viewed f.dl~ bible, t iBOlW.ilO. POl~O~O Or Oth W l tat.d bOtm0BtO and that auoh Snotrumeato and blblo ooatalnod fret8 ngardlng the bSr%h oi maid party. Mr.
Cadwalladu promntad to me &w&h dooumantr and i.aquir&d am to tha rem. I latonrd hlm that I did not know ofan~ proorrlbod f.. but no aura that it rortld not .x.md $1.00 aoh proon upon ah0m information u80 aought.
wlmroupoa ha pnoented the wooooary lnatnt- mrato ror two people and tan&red thm attaohed ohaok.
~~1.80. %aSorm mo whether OY not I ho- rl&ht to oecnpt mash tOn6ar and if so, io
it aoooantmble.w
Rule &3a ) Art lolo 447’1, Yeraeat’O AaaWated 0 1~1% Statut08, aO ~sz@ndeU, AotO 19U. 47th &gi818tW., peg0 788, 0hapt.r 406, providea 4~ part 88 fo~ow0:
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"That each 10081 re&lotrar oh811 IM paid th. .UPL or Fiftr (50) O.nto ror *aOh birth and death 0Ortirioato propetl~ and oompletely aada out ana regiotored with h&i, and aornotl7 ra- oorasd ana promptly roturwd br &la to th. State Bureau of Vital Stntlti00, a@ r0qUiOd by this Aot, URUOO OUOh We.1 8’B@.$Ot~r .hSll *4 Eonorable John R. Slwok, Fag. 4
b. stating ao Registrar Of Birth8 end Doatb in an lnoorporated afty where oompenastioa of the Rogiatror is oth.rwirr. riad br city Qrdi- 041108b
* . . . .* Tb 188t 80nt8n0. in #ub..Otlon (0) Of motion 19 Artiolo b9lf!8, V.rnon~o Annotated Citil Statute., apply,iog to oouotl80 h8rlng a population In axoe80 or 0.8 hundred end BiWty 8boumand inhabitanta aooordixig to tb last pr...din(l Fbduel Oewua med. a. follomoi
*In oouatioo whore oamml8alonua~ aour to plaoo $aotloe8 or the poaao on dekalw a 8alary basis juetioo Of the pseoo .h.lL r.- o.ir. in addition themto, all fe.., oou.nl..i~no, or payment0 ror prforniog murisgw ouemonloo and for aotlng 80 reqglotrar the4 Board or Vi- tal s8at4otloo and wbsa aotiug m ax 0fric40 no- tary publlo.*
whuo juatfaeo 0r the pasob are oompemaCed oa an baa5.8, ouoh jtmti.80 of the p08oO 8r. authorlmd naual aalarl to oolleot end rataln ?..a (whioh are author&red and provided by law) ror sot4aq eta nglotraro for the Board of Vital St.- tiotioo, in addition to their annual BdlOrie8, whioh h8r. boon ?I..6 by th. ~is.ion.ra* oaurt. In 8o~lf.noo with th. Off- lo.ra Salary Law. IJI oonnsotion with the forogolng w dlrvot four attsntion to our opinion Ho. O-/Z25 and 8801006 a eopr or tim maw h4rewlth. Th. abor. matloned OpinlOn d080 not h01d that jurtio.0 0r the psao. aotlng al reg4otraro the Board of for
Wt.1 Statietioa are outhorltod to eoll.ot snd r8t.i~ fee8 where th.zy io no r00 rird or .uthorlmd by law ror the s.rv- i008 8njoS.n.d oa thm b7 statut8 ana parotid thaa as suoh Zooal mgietraro.
31th r.f.mnoe to your rirot quest4on, it io 88t8b11sh.d that em offloer my not olai~z or retain w money without a law au8horiring him to do .oI end ol.erL9 fir* the amount to whioh h. i. antlt1.d. To entitle an OffiO*r *5 Iiolwrsbl* ;Tobn R. Shook, 'Pa@ 3 T~OOiVe fees cr o~n~&Isai~na, the reobipt thereof mt
haV0 bOOA FT0Vid.d for and the aaount fixad by law and he must her* priorwed the servlcea ror ~tioh oompnsati0n haa bwn oertiried. Ao. otflaer la not entitied to any OoXIpen- Setfou in addftiGn to that whioh haa been fIxed by l&w for the prformsnae of the duties OS his ofiioe, even thou& oompanaation SO firad or inadequate. is uareaaonablo 80 may ba rsqulred law to perform 8~oIfLa sorviaea or diaaharue addition& dutiaa for whiah no aompruetlou 1s provided. The obllaation to perform auoh eervhwe la im- posed a8 an iaoldent orfloe, end the offiaer bJr hla to tin 8eOeptan6e theroof la doomed to hv6 en&aged to have par- fommd tham without ooapenution. zr there is no 8pe0if10 statutory authority providing the payment of fees, It bee been ropeetedly held that publio offiorra are not per- fitted to oollsat teoa unleea the same era provldod~for by law and the aaount for deolared by lsn. (Texas Jurinprudonoe, Vol. 34, pp. 311, ss?P, 3318 Benrord la. Roblnsonn, 234 Zi.#. 807i Duoloa va, Bsrrla County, Z96 ii.3. 4174 %&alla vs. City or Rookdale 866 a.'#. 6941 State vs. l&ark, 87 Texas, 3071 Coebp County Cattle Compel VE MoDotitt, 281 S.ii. 293)
fa view or the toregoin~, we respeetrully l nawe x your fIrat qmation aa stated abwe, in the nagativ0.
i;e now ooneider ycur abaoad quOOtiOn.' AS y8 M- you have reterenoe to the fee mm- derataad this question, tfoned i&i tha letter of the juasi+IO of tte pee00 quOtOP above. The eervioee readerad or the dutieo porrormd by looal registrar nmntioned IR the above quObb i*ttW Of jugtioe of the peaoo are not aervlaea or dutloe urjolned or requind by atetute. ThSa be* trtrw, we nre of epln- ion, tbt tha loeel ragiatrer io peaally entitled to reoeln end TOtalA the above mantioaed fee. (Doeby Oaunty Cettle Company ve. #ro~~~t~t; BeatIon 19, Artlole 391ti, 8upTa) In 00meotion wittt tk toregcrlag we rent to point out thOt OW a apllea only ta the** l srvle** ~~SWOX to OUT rirst question or duties %a posed ugon the looal registrar by the Statut4 for whioh A0 roe la provided.
TI* quote from the oaem of Nwoea Oounty ya. AnR Currin ton et a&, So. ba 20, &Qi2) r0lbiwt -7-o (@PintOA d*1INMd ahar
Honorable John R. Shook, Pam 8
(t . . . .
"It may be etcated et the outset that t&a Court of i;iviJ Apprle oorreotly holds that a Zee Paid a pub118 offloes for the pertormenoo OS a duty enJoined by statute Is a fee ool- leetad in an oCrlaia1 oapaalty. It la equal- ly true that unless the fea ia pravldad by 13~ for CM OrfiO%al SerVfOe r8qUfrOd t0 b3 p0Ib fommd and amount tlvareai fixed 13x8, nom eaa lawfully be abarged tlmrefor. State v.
Moaro, 59 Tsura, 309. 380, 221) MoCalle T*.
City of Rookdale (Ooa. App.) 246 9.3. ser. xt does not roli03f, hovmvor, that a ocwiy wban ofrialal aolleota e ire wron@ully, but under oolor of otflao, is not entitled to have a&m doposited and paid over in th e l amo mmnner a~ ia required iOr dirpoaition Of f’8e8 rlghtful- ly aolleatad. s~bthor aountr offlalal ~rho has wrongfully 00u00tda fees 0rri0i.a~ is estopped to aeamt se agalnat the ootanty a personal olaka thareto, 18 not before W. Tha only que6tlona presented are those arIefn& 8 virtue of u;rholdlng by 00~1% of 01~1 I Appesla of the aotlon of the trl3l in oourt sustaining defandsntla generel demurrer to oountpa petition.
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*It Is oux aonoluaIon t&t th fees ool- leoted, whether rlphtrully or wongfully *mei servloea Tendered by dafor:dant offlafally. . . . .
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*It rollom iron what we have ateted that wo hold the defendant aoted In h3T otfloial oapaoltp in isruing tha tax oertirIa3tea and ra- ooiving themfor the fess sued for by the ooun- ty; ale0 that it MO her duty to 3ooouut ror and tb aounty treasury Par the bWS- pay sm3 IntO rit of thg oirioara ml~ry Fund, and that hevins rail34 to da 811 and E3ving breaoimd her ofiiolal *7 Honanblm Solm IP. Shook, Pago