Case Information
*1 I [3] OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN A
GcrrroG- A-a-
Mr. B. A. Hodges County AudItor
w11llsmeQll county
oeorgetcm, Texas
mar Slrt
This wlllrulmowl
mroh 18, taunt upcm wherein you re
the fallowing
era' Qouwt desirer tn plllaa8er for a the Cmz't bms w- poetlng or publioatlcaP
oplnian ti that AlMale 1577 nales la it not a fact tturt The statute boolca of'tbia State aC&ia@oalyane general statute regulat3n.g the U(P ot aarnst~ real estate. It Is Artiolo 1577 (R.C.S., lg@$) whlah govems sales of all *2 m. H. A. Hodges, Page 2
county lands exaept those belonging to the County free &&mol .fmd. The latter are controlled by rpea2al pro- V~8iCUlS of the Constitutlcvi and Statutes whloh do not em- oera us here. See logan v. Ste hens County (Div. App.
1904) 81 9. w. log, (affIrmed, 83 8. w. $5, 98 vex. i&3.)
Artlule 1577 (R.C.S., 1925) read8 a8 follows: "The oomtnl8slaners court may, by an order to be entered on its miautes, appoint a comla- siC#Ier to 8~111 and dl8pOse of any Mti estate of the county at public auatlcn. The deed of such commtssfoner, mdc 3n oonformity to suoh order for end in behalf of the comty, duly scknovledged and proven and rscordod shall be sufflaltent to amvey to the purohamew all the rlgbt, title and interest and estate vhioh the aomtg may have in and to the premises to be ccmveyed. Iiothlng omtained ia this artlale 8hall authorize any oomai8eloners court to dlr- pO8e of any lands giv~n,d~n~tad oh @'eat&to such county for the puqioae of sducatim In any other manner than aball be dlreoted by lav." It 28 generally held that the aouuty wmml8slctaers~ aBurt, a8 the agent of the aounty in It8 ao&pcmate aaproity, nunt oanform to mode pre8cribad for its aation in the exewise of the pavers confided to it. The pre8oribfng of mode for its aotlon i8 usually held to constitute a restrio- tion to that mode. Fergusan v. Balsell, 47 Tex. 481~ Llaao Count v. gnovlea (Clv. App. 18%) 29 8. w. 549; 8pmoe# v. Qiv. A99., Austin, 1914>, 173 9. W. 550, Rrror Retured. Levy s
"Althougb thla Statute (Artiale 1577) is permiai!iv6 in it8 term, yet it is the only mode exp~eacllg pointed out in the gene-1 I&v8 of this State by vhloh the COUnty Court au1 divest the COWlty Of ft6 title t0 it8 Peal e8- tate." Farguaon v. Ealsell, oupra.
Thus ~11 attempted aale not made at pub110 Outcry noz? In the manner provided by Artiale 1577 has becar held to ecafer no title upon the pumbaser Ond to pas8 no title Out Of the cotity. -11 County v. %lta (01~. App,, 1909) l20 S. U. liJ65 (reversed on other @ounda, 132 1). Y. Za3, 103 Tex. 616)g Ferguson v. Balsell, supra.
p. 8. A. Hodges, Page 3
It hue al.80 been held thet the ootireiaieai3~
OoUrt Is vithout authority to restriot in any way the ala88 of puruhasera by Pestricting ths U8e to vhich lead 80 am- veyed ~YY be put. Thus a sale of co\mty real estate under ~1 order which provided tbt the property rhould be used &y for eduaatimal pufposw va8 deoland invalid. X&no (Civ. App., 1895) 29 9. W. 56. We qwte &u@.y v. Johnsan the follOwlng exoorpt from the CQWt'8 opinlcmr
"The property, tao th4 deed seoftes, ~a8 803.d under the sWabhx?e of a publla ule, to the highest bidder) but be- sold under the order 8et Out, tb#Lt required it tO be 8old and US8d fOl' edU43&th4Hl PUl’mIeII, -8 Vidl WOU- lated to deter 8ad hinder 8 uls of proper- ty for a fair priob."
You will note that hrtlole 1577 provide8 that Qoun- ty mal e8tate be sold at "pub110 avaWm, but that zt 18 8ilUkt8S tOaZiyIW&ZWWkt tk#t th8 Iti~beadVeL't~led. ia a publla 8ale of property to te An *auetlon” hQhest bidder. Webrter'r li4w Intermtianal mabr&&ed DiatlQ&y (Seooad Wtion, 1938). Publie auctlar $8 83Zl- ~gmou8 with public rale. In re lbvbraugh, 256, It. w. 233,
BUoh. 170, 35 Words ds P&a808 (?ersmmt Zklltiax) 45. The word "public" oonWte8 meral lmn?ledg6 OF It 28 defined M notloe . -g *opQI to the kneWled@? OT V&W Of ulj @!36Q’811~ 8BQ91, hgWn OF h.Wd; WithOUt pp?inray 4r agProealment.” Webeterfr Dlatiarury, 81tpra.
A publia aWtlOp of vh%oh PO notioe what8oeves WM givez%advh$ohvaa notin mae numner broUghttothe of the pubUa would be a publit! auatloa in nam 8tteution =b.
In dlea~88ing the qU6B8tiCKl of M14 Of OOUQty w
88kte Under Artiole 15'7‘7, the hm~lllo Court of Civil Appeal8 U8crd the fOllOWtig bRUj$W@bl,
‘We find PO 8tatUtOw &U’OViSiOIl dtMota tiwraethod,~88~11~er, orl8agthoftiaPs that 8uoh *4 D. H. A. Hodges, Page 4
real eetate mat be advertised before it nrag be sold at publia auction. The term 1advert5.se- merit' is synmymous with notice md IEI a means CP method Of attz'actin& publlo attentim. The object of the statute in prov3dlng for sale at pub110 auotfan ia to secure to the oouaty fair price for the prop8rty." Edward8 v, Lub- book County, (WV. App., Amarillo, 1930), ,'y 9.W. (28) 482.
Just what mBullier OP emomt of notloe voul& be auf- Plcient seeam to be a matter left within the 6ound discre- tim of the commla8loners I aourt.
Vhile SOI68 Other type Of nOtiOe might be sufft- aient, this department In it8 aaferenae opinion Ao. 2849, dated April 29, Sg31 has ret-ded that the notice pro- vided In Article 3806 (R.C.S., 1925) ?or sale8 mder levy a? exeaution be given. Confemmas opinions, vol. 64, pp. 21.2.
The mum 1dantSaal notice is requtred bs statute to pmoede public sales of property belonging to estates of dccedauts. Se@ Articles 3558 and 3573 (R.C.S., 2325).
Therefore, in answer to your firat question, it la the oplnlon of this department, and pou 8re so advised that a r86Wn.UIble posted or publlahed notice by the commib- sioner appoiated by the court would be required&p a valid sale of real estate aoqulred by the aounty by deed. I?hilS no partlc~lar type cf notioe is provided for by Statute, this department again recommenda that the county follow Articles 3@d+ md 3808 In giving euch notice.
As W8 have pointed out above, all real estate
vhicb the ccntntp my wish to dlagose of, cixcept la&s be- longing to the aounty public *se school fund, nuat be sold In manner protided In Artlole 1577. Surplus right-of- wag property is not 18mI belaugia$ to such school &fuad, and muis", be sold in the 'manner provld86 I?3 said As%icls. we, themfope, e&aver yaw aeaond question 8s ve d%sksveP8d your first,, that is, a reasanahln notice by postiag or publlmticn [28] requ&wl and we likewitte r8OCUUmend the nOtiC8 required ill ereoution sales.
In MelI8P to your third qutmtlon, Ye dlreat your l ttelltial to the iollowlng portlat of AP.ticla 15778
*+ l *‘i’hr, deed Of suoh c)5BBili681QIOl'8, lade In cdornritgto ruohorder for&din
behalf of the amty, duly aokaovled@dand Pl?OVSa Md P8OOPbd til b8 8UftiOi8l2t t0 bcnvey to the pumatmewa all the right, title
od interest aad %8t8te aah td OQllltY nUg t0 b% caweyed . 0 th8 -8e8 b& % Fd t
880 al80 Eudia COUIlty V. ROna Mill8 CO. (OiV. App., 1908) II.2 s. W. 822, 825.
Tha deeds under vhioh tb v8a'ioun tPWSt8 uoco 4o- qtiawd 3y the OOUnty VW? a& f'~aiSbihl with your POqwBt aad ~b do not &lOr what title the 00%&y hold8 In 8UCh tlWSt8.
We hrva therefox'e, S!%avemd you' seaond and third ~U@8titWJ under the rsmmptim tkat the aomty holds the 8b8oltlte tee 8Wplb title ia each, and our M8mrs apply ably to aale OS pmperty 80 held,
we ve8S 330 O@lki~ 98 t0 th8 Z'ighC Olp SUt~ity Of aolmty to 0aExvay partans o? tracts in t&Ml it halJl apI)FO MA8OllUBLt. Thstqusstimva8nOt ~~8~tsdbJgoUr In- 'P-7.
For your infoo*matlQa we add that OQWlti~8, in BOiNP- N land foi' lW%d pUl3M8s8 5e~dGBi llaquLre tkb fsS 8illl#O title thereto, but oFdLarJIilyMUU&N apily8R WSrarslrtOV8Jb 8Wh land, thus leavjng the fee rimple title in the vend=.