Case Information

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Honorable Charles T. Banlater County Attorneys

Navarro CountJr Oplnlon No. V-14

Corslcaw, Texas Re: Authority of oountykx asiessor-colleotor; or deputies, .to retain notary -. * fee0 for afiidavit's~exe-

out6d under seation 33 0r the,Certifiaate of Title Pot, and related matters. Dear Mr. Banister:

Nour reoent .request for an opinion reads as fou&B: .' : .;.. '. (, 00u60t0r or t~8~couaty~ 'ty ~ssx~B~*~Mo~~~ ~‘. ~. dlad/or.his~~~~~~'oan~le~lly ntaii3Yor ) the perclan taking. th6ln66l~oe:~ wldlvldu6 9 the~~aakaarle&pB~t r&a ning alLor the ZS$i

fee) ~a.natary reo or es+ ohar@ e&oh appliy oaot for a OOrtiri0diO or title or re-itgu- anoe:.thereoi la l ddl$loa to the 3O~'~rovldad-- In Adole 1456-1, Swb.57, Teurr P6nal Oode, ln.+ia# of' Art, QWh, T6na Paal 0od.o : "Th6 omlaty Ju@e‘rilwE the ti qum- t&n ia to etfii6 ot:~lSoOO obarg6tl oaadlbatee Weleotloa par8 by the.Tar Uleeeor 8 Ool- : LootOr and/or hle emplo~aes for poll llets

..that-have ken.oomplled by the oolleotor and

hip l m~lopes at timr other than drrriag busi- 'i mas. Eourl,r~

"The question XS oa bath oi the above "The question XS oa bath oi the above 8ltuatiionr u+ather'arrob SS# aotary roe and 8ltuatiionr u+ather'arrob SS# aotary roe and fp&f offloe, 'In rlew of Ast. 9780, "gal fp&f offloe, 'In rlew of Ast. 9780, "gal . ...‘. .’ :’ . ‘~ ‘$,’ .: : :. : ; ,. , ‘, *2 . .

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Hqora?le Charles T.~Baniskr:- Pa@ 2

,’ tou ask in your request if euoh feOe may be retained in view of Article 9780, Penal Code (House I3111 Not 80). In an opinion rendered on November 9, 1945, numbered O-6908, this department rule+3 that the . provisions of House Bill Nor 80, Acts 49th kgislature, 1945 (Article 9780, Penal Cod@) were unconrM.tutlonal.

Themrore, your question mat be answered wlthln the meaning of Article 724Ba, Vernon'e Annotated Civil Stat- utes, and section 33 of Art1010 14389lo Penal code.

,.%, hrtfole 7246a, Vmnonts Annotated CiTil,Stat- .utae, pr66ldea 3x1 aubstanoo aa tollowa:

“sea. 1, The Assessor and Collector ..’ shfkrirr or shezirr e&d Aslussor nor Taxes, ,and Collootrr oi Tama, 4r4 h4nb7 author-

la01 a84 eapomnO to rdalalater rll 0athS nooesurg for the diuohqe or thr awe6 or th4lr nlpeotlve orsims and to ad&i- lrtor a11 oaths requlnd ror tha tranrao- tloa ,or the, buala48u of their nrP40tlv4 . omrta~rrr aontti- \.

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Honorable Charles T. Banister - Page.3

l atioa r~.t~.tur&8tr8tion 0r~ a'motor :.

vehiole that ha8 not beea.a8e4 ror the

ourrent .mgirrtration year, when any woh

rendition, lmntorf, applloatlon, o$ 1~:.

strument abord ment one0 is~~qulred to

be riled in the orftoe or .suoh Asaesaor

and Colleotor or Taxeri .and a&- bther in-~ strument'that may be &a in said orrioe, : or that aayrelats to the buainesa or du-. ' ties 0r 8aid orri00.whenerer the spplb~i8 ..' or pay be required by law to be morn to, .~ proridwl that 8uoh,d88eessor and Collector or Taxes ~&all.Charge.and.oolleot as a

tree of 0rme,:..-.* wXdltio*~.to'a4 other roe8 thnt'ho may now bog l uthorlzod bylaw '~ to oharge, .ln~oolursotlon with saoh lnrtru- ment8,: the 6~ or *ent+=rrr*.(e6)' Csntb: ror eaoh saoh oath or'itildmlt.as ho, or bla boputler'. w. aMtiutir;whloh ahall '1 b@nd.oon8tjfuts ti'fek.ot oiiloe, 'kdibr ., .;: wbloh he &mlL aO.oount aa'he $8 mw or-4 huvlitir be required by law to.aooount

forany other tee of offloe,: nuehBeea8or8: a@ coll~otor8,0r Taxes., a@ tho,lr D8putieq.

being henb~~~lven the mme-rlgbt to.amp .. .. ibhr all euolr oaths.or arrfdav$ta a8 *c4' notarl~s~pablfo aader the lrwm or..the 8ttite or Tens; prwia0a.m rba.. @hall be ohargea rtor say oath.or airidilrit oOnne~oted~wlth the ron&ltl.oa oi- any ~.~perty ,ror~ ta+&lokF '.. .., ..- . '. ;,.. .' : '. ..’

& a&o&&& & beg diap&ed : .of eat spbetwqgeat sale unlers tae okner

::. ” I~ de&peed in the osrtirloato or title .:

nhcll tranerer the oertliioat* o? tXtle

oa rorn to be.p~eeorLbed by the Depart-

mat before a;l?ookry ?ubllb, irhloh rorm~

rhcll'laolude, among rmoh of&r matter8

a8 the D8partment may determine, an ar-, Pldavlt to the efre0t that the EignBpsdr.lS

tha owaer or the mto?? vehiole, and that

there we no llew agalaat suoh motor ve- hlole, uoept 8uoh a8 We shown on the- : abtiirieate or filth ma ne title to-my

motor fehlole ah11 pa88 or vest uatll

8uoh Web be 80 l xeoutode"~

Honorable Charles T. Banister - Page 4

ma olerka ai tits CW% au O%ril Appeals are .not ent!ltled to IWSJLW ex%ra acmpenaiatloa for ae~mbeala per*formed with- in the scope of their OfFAcial duties pm-.

scribed by law+ The genkwel prlnaiph pm-'.

hibltim public oftioiaitr from ohar&3g of their offioial fee8 r4r th8 pwfowwwe duties QOSB not proh%bft the5 TwNI,o~~R!!- ing for their services or aats that thog are tinder no obligation, under tk law; ~to per- rolln..

mT~xs being ao statutory duty re-. to x3&m&* unaaraaflsa, qutxina’.patStaosrsr unoC~loPaA tqlea or opf~&oas of tka Comrts of CivlJ. Appoa18?. no statute fixl&g any fee for such mrvioea, ana no valid statute re- @ring that mmmy rsscoived therefor be d6.L~ ? Honorable ChdrAe8.T. Banister-- Page 5

poaikd in ths State treasury, there i%

no debt owing .by petitioner to ths Hate.”

Thsrefore, S.n the absenoe or statutory aut& ority prohibiting the %%me, it is the opinion .of this depart-W, that a tax assessor-oollsstoi, ore deputy, a& ing in the oapaolty of a notary public, would be entitlad to the notary re% r0r aotarizing an affidavit under Sac- tion 33 of the Certiflaate or Title Act, provided suoh servloe rendered as a notary .public does not interfere gh the diaohargo of. those duties imposi?d upon him by

IOU a%k the further question as to whether a roe of $AS,CO oharged aandidates in elaotlon years roar the prsparrtioa or a poll-tax list, may be retained by the t,az a%%%8%or-oolliotor, or deputy, if prepared duri-m off-duty hours. We know of no statutory prsri- sioa making it an oirioial fuMtion of the tax-aaseeeor- co.lleotor, or d6puty, to prepare such a poll tax list for pritiate distribution. A6 statsd in the case oi Moore v6* Sheplwrd, supra, ethe general prinaipls prci-

itiM DubUO OfciiOidS fTO6 OherRiIlR rS%% r0l' thee .perrorm&$e or their ofiioial dutie%, zoee ‘not prohibit them from charging for their services ror aots that they are unde~r~aa obligation, wider the Law, to p%rfora~~’ Ther%fors, in the abaanoe of a statutory prohibition, the tax assessor-aolleotor of your county may retain the ies for tha preparation OS a pall tax ll%t, oo%giS3& in off-buty hour%, ii the %ama doe% not interfere tith the. dischargs of thorn duties iilpossd upon him by Law.

There is no authority to the effect ~that such fee is a ice of orfice for.whidh the tax asseaeor-oolleotoruould be aocountable. The praotioability of this procedure is, 8ors or lo%%, detera.ined by each lndirldual tax as?, .-, %%8%8,T-OolhOtor, and, If practioad, the ree ror the

preparation of such liat may be retained. .:.

we are %nolorlng a copy 0r opinion N0.0- 8908 ror ycJur il&roMation,

A tall a88s88Or-OO~b3tor, or deputy, aotiag An his imdlvidual oapaoity as a ~no- tary public, may retain the notary fee for examtad under ~Eleotioa 33, zw- airi&Wif8 .tiSiaatr of T5,tle Aet; and, in th% absonae

.ot a .%tatutolry proh$bitioa, may retatn the _. : .

BonnraUle Charles T. Zkmistok - PaW 6

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