Case Information
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable C. H. Cavnsar
Eitatc Auditor
Aumtln, !l!eur
Dsrr Sir1 op~lnlon Ro. o-
Rea Im tit10
u grve La8 oertain secta, r the bookc or au- ml'm l-wpatiment. Q&g documultmr mn. C. H. Cavaeem - Page 2
2. Yarrmnty Deed, dated May 15, 1935, exeuuted
by Hark L. W&lnton and wife, Oorham Wlginton, conveyfng to the State Staff Corps and Detach- ment Club a 1.35 acre tract situated in Travis County, Texm', and described by mete8 and bound8 therein, for a reaited comiidemtion of $1,000.00. The aoknovledgrarmts on this 6e.d were dated tkptember 9, 1935, and it VQB filed record in the cfflce of the County Clerk of Prsvlr County, Texan, oa September 10, 1935.
3. Photoeteitio oopy 0r of the state oharter Staff Corps mad Detaahment Club, vhich was
approved September 9, 1935, by the Seoretary of State, and vhlch show Lieutenant Oolonel Bonae H. Carmloha& Major Q. C. Taylor and capfiala Rklph A. ~ewio a. tba oorporrtic6l'r direstorm. Of a erll%d IceWtlng th SW0 Illnut Of Staff Corpr 8ad Detaobmnt Club number8
(earboa oopy), dated l&y 26, 1941. lluah RIP uter rwlte, uwag other thing*, that Colonel Carmiohaeldfed September Z4,1938;thatthe - oaly other two mmbere, namely, JfaJor Fwlor
and Gepkla Lwi~, vew prerent at the met- ing, and thrt the fol%W.llQ rWo]LUtlon W88 duly doptedr
"URRRRAS, 011 Augumt 27, 1935, Ii. H. Caml- chaed and Q. 6. Taylor end Ralph B. kW18 did, on or shout August 27, 1935, deternine to o~anlse thOiU8~1V.8 into a Club, and to that aard they did, oa September 9, 1935, file with the Secretary of State of Tuta8 8ikapPlf'.UttOn for a ohsrter Of 8Ueh Club to be known J3tate 8ta.W Corpr 6nd IkItreh- ment Club, whloh application was appreved W the Secretary of State ot Textbe on the date upon which it W88 fib& 6lld
"WsiEm, the thme individuals above mmedwere andare the on%y per8ons whohave ever been member8 al said Club and Golan01 B. B. Oar- michael, one or &ld 5OBbdF8, died in the gear 1938, and the other two above named are now all *3 ROD. 0. N. CaVDe88 - Page 3
ol the and only membera of t&la Club: and
"UHRREAS, by an lnetrwmnt dated &Say 16, 1935 but shoving on its face that It v&a not executed until September 9, 193S, Mark L.
Wiglnton and his wife conveyed to srld r.%ub traot of' land belng 1.35 acre8 out of th8 Qeorge W. Spears League, Travis County, mm% particularly deeorlbed in raid dead; md
%iBiRMS, said deed wao not delivered un- tll SepteabsP 10, 1936, On vhich date it V88 plaaed of reaord vlth the Couaty Clark of Travis couuty, Texa8, and is to be r0uad Of reoord oa pmgos 36l-362 of Vol. 526 af Deed Reoord8 of 8tid County; and
%UBUSA8, t&o mnaldenation of $lfiOO.OO realted la said deed va8 sctuelly paid by the Adjutaut @enemil' Deportment of Taxa by warrant8 drawn agaiootthe funds in the State Treamary appropriated for the pro~wwtmat of amaries SOP the tilltary forces of Tex8a and neither this Club nor ang meaber thereof paid C4tly part Of 8U& oon8ldsr~tlonl an8
%isimw3, at tin t,lme or the r0rrPatim or this Club aad e8id aonveyanae and raid pagnrsnt tha Adjutant Oeneral'r Department in- tanded to, by tho u8e of fund8 so approprlatod, aopuirs said laud and, thereafter, oonstruet thereon a bail&g oc building8 au& military force8 and, in order.thnt a legal the u80 of entity take title to osld property, thin club vae orgaaiaedand chartered; and
"WiRftEA8, shortly after the aaquisltlon of said property, the proourement of ruch amorles me, by Statute, t6ke.n fPom 8UGh Ad- jutant General'8 Departsmnt and plaaed in the Texse Rational QYard ti.raery Baard, v&we 8unh procurement authority nw rep~esi and
?BWBA5, tt has thereby beaoPie impo88i.- ble to oam?y out, ln the mm3.ueP and fom8 intended, the origiPal. purpo86 for rbiah thl8 Club Y&8 ol?ganired and said PWoha8e aUd8, but *4 4S2 plan. C. 8. Cavaesr - Page 4
it is possible to aooompllsh praetioally the 8ame purpo86 fn the lImxumr provided in thlll reDolut:onl be it and it 18 hereby re-
“Therefore, solved by the Stat8 8ta.H Corp8 and Detaoh- I8eSIt Club and by all the mmberr Oi 88ld Club, a8 fOlloW8t
"1. That the Preuident of' tU8 Club be aad he 18 hereby authorlmd and directed to oxmute and proper1 aaknovledge edeed, C ub, aud ito ontire IYIP- la behalf Of chi8 f bermhlp ooILV%y%a& for@nNinrl. WHi8ldW+ or land to the lox88 tioa, t&e l ald tnot Ilatlonal Ward Arwwy Board, body pollti aad oorpanste under the dktuter of~x88, on the to11owLng aondltion8, tolritc
the 8UdBoard 8hellnoton orbeforethe ex- piration of the ten you period lmediately iOlloVS.ng the xecutlou OS 8uah deCrd begin or ~prooure to be begun on raid laud the con- stlslctlaa of a buZld+ OF bu%ldLngs lxatanded to be leased by 8alb Board to tha State of Texas 8s conteml8ted ia th0 Statutes govemUg 8afd Board end law8 umnd8toPy tihereol and, ooa@eto suoh ooxmtrwation with thereaf’ter reasonable dirpatoh, the title 80 oonveyed vill revert to the State of Texas for the use and benefit of the Adjutant Qen6ra.l of ths said st4te, @Ad hi8 8UOoO88Ol’8 in OffiaO, OtbDnri80 to beaome absolute in 8aid Board.
"2. That the tmmetary OS thits Club be end he 18 hereby authorired sad diroated to aSfix ths seal of thlr Club to raid deed 8nd atted the #@~a utd properly urknowledgs aald deed.
"3. That eaah of the two prorent membera of thin club join in raid deed ia their indlvl- dual capacltie8 snb in their Oa&WWitiO8 1Dw- hers md DlreUtors of this Club.
'4. That after the exeoutlon of such deed as aforesaId, the 8e8e be dellverod to the ~hyO'OX181 (8UW-d &8IW$' BOM'd thl'OU@ it8
l
c. H. Cam488 - Page 5 "5. That Mrr. Edna Pa Camlchaei
be pnd 6he I8 hereby raquer I l d and authcwi- aed to execute La8tmment in .sn appropriate her lndlvldual capaalty and Indepuxlent th4 Eatate OS Ii. If. CarmUhael, Exeoutrix deooea646, tranBfarrin$ and wnveylq to uid Amtory Roard, under the 84164 conditions a8 above Bet out, all of her right title and lntrrest and intme8t hsld and ail of the right, tltie and poBree84d br il. H. Camlohel at the tlm of hlr death In and to said iand, and that the seamtary of thl8 club tranmU.t to her a copy ot tbi8 lW6Ohti’Xl vlth th4 r4qu48t that rho execute 4u0h 8n irutruwnt. ooplsa of the lflnut48 “6. That 04rtlSied
of this me4tfAq and 0f tsll8 ReBolutian b4 de- llvsmd to raid Ammm Board at th, tlma raid deed LB deliv4md."
5. Warranty deed, dated H6y 26, 1941, wouted
by StrEe Staff Oorp8 an& Deta&umnt Club, eonveyiaq to the Texas Ratichnai Ward Armory Baud th4 1.35 (LOW dercrlbad in tbs deed referred to In paragraph (2) above, upon th4 ioilovlng oanditlon, hov4v4rt ra.ldArmorJBaard, Ita 'lithe 6uase88or8 or aa8Qn8, 6hai.L ior any r4a8on. fall or refuBe, 0II or b&or4 tbm rxpintion af the R4rled or t4n ydarr iam4diat4ly follov4j the date of thir in8tmmant, to to ocmrtruat on mid aotwllg begin land, and thereafhr pro8,souts the 8ame to completion vith msaroaable dilig4nce, busldtag or bu.Llding8~lntendad ior 14aah to tha Stat4 Oi l%sa~ under the lav8 mu pr4valliing, Orany 86m&64ntrth4r4of, the title hsrrby oonveyed st.mll pa66 frost e&id Hoard unto th4 Stat4 of T4%a6 Of D4partBmkt Of Bald St8t4 Qeum%i’8 Texaof but if such oOn6truatlon be 40 bsnsflt of the Adjutant [1184] and
be@m and proB4out4d ta aom&?letian, thl8
d4ed to Bald ROard BhaLl be00164 b6olute.* 6. Qultolaiea d44d, dated Ihy 26, 1941 executed by Edna Pay Camhhael, lndlviduaiiy and as Bdep4nd4nt Exe0UttrS.x of th4 PBtate Of H. H. Carmlcbael, deeemed, 44nv4yln43 to Texas *6 1 Hon. C, H. Cavnear - Page 6
National Guard ARttory Board all of the right, title and intereat of grantor In eltber capaolty in aud to the 1.35 6Cl'48 above described. $2,000.00,
7. Lint of varraUt8, 4ggregating paid out of funds of th4 Adjutmt O4114ral*a Department a8 rentals, tovit; Warrant Ho. Amount m To whor IBBU4d
4;g.g hy, 1935 Clyde H4i14y, TrUsti :p ;; June, 1935 Clyde Hailey, Zmrtee
60&h& July, 1935 Ralph A. Levia, Trustee :: 3g i .m6 ., 1935 Ralph A. L4wl.4, Trustee correrpondenoe. l6i644~BZk4OUB
-9. working Sketch of Camp ykbry.
You request our opinion upon the tolloving "1. if66 properly th.iB tr6nrrotion
handled aa to the m6mer in vhioh this pro- perty va8 acquired, tht ia by &%ymtmt of State fuuds oharged on the book6 as rental vhioh vaa actually pay Tor 1.35 a4r48 of 1-d vhexw the title r46 4d vlth three lndl- '"&
vldual6, on4 of vhom ve kuov vaa a Stat4 employee, orgmlsed as chs State Staff Gorpr 8nd Oetaah6mt Club, 46p4oially In v%bv of the fact that the propsrty vaa acquir4d by the club in 1935 and ~66 conveyed to a State Agg;; +a 141 after a lapse of some six
“2. Is DOourA4ntliumber 5 ablnd%ng document in V16V Of th4 fact th6t the Stat4 Staff Corps and Detaoimsnt Club la ~%oxvJ&.~~ the 1.35 aOl’46 t0 the T4xa8 ~atiOlld &UW’d COnBidQNItiOn of ‘#lO.OOt mory Board whereas th4 Club did not pay for this plWQ4rty Fn the beginning as it va6 p4ld for by dis- buraeM4ntB fW?m the fund8 Of th4 AddjUt6.Ut Hon. c. Ii. Cavneaa - P4ge 7
04uer6116 D4partment, and furth4r r4rtrictlv4 clauses condition the dsed?
“3. Whet Statb &ency dO4B hold title
to this property under the 4xl6ting documnt? If 4Ay fatlit b4 found iU th484 inBtNWNlt8, vhat should be don4 to oorreot SW? We feel there 8hod.d be a clear tit14 to th4 3tate of T4XaB. * The, Stat4 Of T4XaB bsB the SW and POVerB right-8 in r46peCt Of property aa an individual. It 166y 84qUir4 mail or
person61 property by conwyBno4, vi11 or othervise, aud hold or t::r;t~f the property or apply it to 4ny purpose a6 the Stat4 Povbr in re6pect of State property rights Is vested . in the LeglrlatUre, and the ~&$BidlI’b tionb may e%bl'ol8e th4 power neaersary to the enjoyment and prot4atiou of those rights by th4 snaotment of statutes for that purpo84. 38 Tex. Juv.
8. B. lo. 526, AotB of th4 Regular 8488ion of 44th Legislature, 1935, trMBf4ITed eatrtaia property ovned by the State of T4a~tB aud theretofore anqulzwd for th4 u6e of the Ad- Oeniwal's D4partm4nt jutant to the State Hlghvay Ikpartiwnt, aud authorlaed th4 Stat4 Hlghvay Department to p8y over to the AdjuttMt Qeneral'a Departmnt ths au61 of $3,200.00, vhi4h lull VBB plaaed in a apscl4l fuud ln ths Stat4 Treasury to the or4dlt of th4 Adjutant General's Mpartrmnt. 8uoh Act authorlred the Ad- jutant Oenerni~s IMpartlaent to purchase pnd acqtiz-4 suitable right Of vay and 4UtMnO6 t0 CaIiIp l&bTg, b6 deemed neaberary Out for paid and propw', such prOp4rty t0 be iU jUd@4nt it8 may oi speulal fund thereby created. Suoh Aot further provid4d th6t 6hould the $3,200.00 6petial fund not be 6ufflaiunt, an amount sufficient, not to exceed )3,200.00, va6 appropriated to the Adjutant &meral'a Departmint to pay the differenae betvesn the Sp4Cial fund and th6 pWWh684 prLo9 paid 6Uah rlght'of way.
Purawmt to euch Aat, the Adjutant &rneral's Department acqulr4d tLtl4 to a .55 acre tract from Frenk Roll and vif4 for $1,345.00; a .6669 a&e tract from be. Alice Alken for $1,800.00; and a 3.2 acre tract from n. L. Ulglntoa and vif4 for $3,200.00. Such prop4X%y is nov used 66 M eI%trmC4 to CampR6bry. The 1.35 aore tract pUWh864d by the State Staff Corps and Dsta&twsnt Club, simultaneou6ly with the abovs pur- ohases by the Adjutant Oeneralt6 Department, is located juet east of thie entrance. Ihwing the months May, Jun4, July and AuguBt,
I EUZi. 0. fI. ~Vll488 - Pf&4
1335, th4 VarrarltB dararlbed Iu Ml?eph 7 l b oVe Ver4 iSSUed upOn VOUI3h4l’B signed b cOiOIl4i k'Bli&84l, 88 ABBiBtUlt Ad- jutant wneral. Suoh vowhers stated that th4 8um8 ver4 cOrp6 and BakChBIMt for Stat4 *arBiOrJT rBnld.6” staff madqu8rt4rr 36th Di~l810n Trains; Co6unuy D, 141th Infautry.
we have be4n unable to locate any vrlttau rentai egreoment betveen ttU Adjutant 04nezel'a D6pmt6mnt and Colonel Car- aieh641, I(rjor Taylor 4nd CapkIn L4vi6, Truatooa for btate Stxff Corps and Detaokm@nt Club. T& oovporatlon, State utaff Corps and DBtaaba4nt Club, did not oom Into legal ex- Iat4nae untL1 8ept4mber 9, On au4h data, Mark L. VIgIu- ton md vife conveyed to such oorporatfon the above desorlbed the ma- 1.35 aar4 traot of land. We am at a 108~ to underrrtapd son for the "amwry rental" vouoh4r8, axxaept the &at-t In th4 R4Bolutlon, on p6ge 3 hereof, to the offeot th4 oaurId4ra- tlon of #1,800.00 xwolted In the doed from N8rk L. Wiglnton urdVifef0 th4 State Staff GOrOB audDBt@&~64& Clubpu l otua~y paid by th4 Ad&tad &nerai18 Ik partaent, and neither luob Qlub nor any ma&or thereof paid 4ny part of l uuh Croprid- l ntloa.
SSaoe Colonel CarmMbul va4 A8riBtMt Adjutant Generai and Trustee for th4 Mate Staff Oorpr and Wtauimmnt Olub, Any awit& qrea~mn t ha might attai8pt to make betvoen the State of Texas and 6ueh Club vould be void aad salnst public pl3lIlQ. I3 Am. Jur. PP. l05, 107% myerr 8. w. 305; CI$ of EdInburg v* HiiIB, 59 s. u. &r%z6 "armoryrantai agmeaantva8voId,mdbtrte fuad#vereuueed to pay th4 oonaIdrratIon the &ed to th4 club, v4 am of th4 opinion that W Sate Its eleatlan, vi11 Taxas, at have a c0natructlv4 trust upon 6UUh property, Vith the Mm0 right8 to follov its funds into tmh property [88] 4n Zndlvldual vould have under th4 6am4 oIruum6tanoes.
zn viev ofth4 fast that the Texm Aatiowbl
Guard 8aad a [16] it, Club for the d44d to Dataobnumt State Agemy no Board paid Arpiory value to the State Staff and Corps vlth notloe of the ofiloiil porttion of Cob3ne~ C6rmIchae1, ve belI6v6 Wbst 8u& Boa+& holds this proparty upon a aonstructlve trust for the Stat6 of ‘PeJU%B.
He anav4r your fo1loval questIan* This tran6aCtiOn -8 IlOt Property Firat qU4BtioPI handl6d sine6 bate fund6 vdm u6ed uudsr th6 gUiB4 Of *aFPloW rsntals to pay purchase price for proparty vhere the title xon. 0. B. Cfbm488 - rage
th4r4to w48 t8k4n In th4 mm8 of another. Iiov4ver, it Bhould be noted th8t thr Adjutmt Wnerrl'a Departunt h8d ruthorlty to PUWJhaBe no OXpl.468 hgiBhtiV4 thi4 pl’O~~‘ty, 8nd could not have pUrCh8ed 88m for ths Stat4 of TWB vlthout BU4h legislative wthorlty.
S4aoud uu4rtIo~~~t~el14v4 th8t domamnt Bo. 5, abOV4, iB a “binding d , but thnt the TWB I4tIonBlOu4rdAmwyBo4rddld8thiB property Upon8 eon8tru~tIve trust for th4 Ot&te or TWB, b4aau44 (1 NC& l Board paid no value this property, aud (2) 18 a 8 ate pgysti aotlo* bf th4 offIoI4l porltion of Colonel
.
Tuaa National @uard rty, Nbfeot to and AmoryBoarQ Texas, at upoaaaonrt t0 leatlon of th4 Legl8i4tura. l nfo rae a oanrtruotlvo If tb k#tituX'4 4iMtB up00 this propwt~, a ooavoy- trust anae to th4 State or mlt by th4 Attornq @4aW8l to 4n- tOrOe 8U4h tl%Bt xiu. be llO~.BB~ t0 V@Bt title in th4 mat.. Th4 r4m4dy of 4aforal.ng a o4n8truatIve tmmt upon to ua mre ml.6 property iB not 4xaluBIv4, but it apperra tUnibl4.
YOU’S very truly t