Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Your request for hn

telstlre to the above subject

conalder$d by this departmeu

Restated, your rir

a person who braads

but rmallec figure

Article 1484,~Pena brand ia PlaC

8heeF and goat8 t ful for the oouns

18s Of sni!s!3is UpOn VblCb uo perroas register the azure ereat polats on the aaimals’ uho has cattle, bogs, sheep or n ear aark an& bread differtag clerk of the county vhere such animals periton shall use aore than one brand, but may re- be. 30 co& hlo brand In as msay counties 8a he deems nec- crsar7.”

Artiole 1486 of the -enal Code proVidea: “Any couaty clerk vho rhall record any brand the person hating tbe same recorded falls vhen *2 loowable ~14~ Jurrg, page 2 the prt of the animal upoa vhloh the

deolgaata urn Ir to placed ahall be flmd aot less thaa tea aor more thaa fifty dollars.” The last quoted l rtlole I8 an l xtraotloa from the Aat of Maroh 23, 1874, (flea. &VI, 14th Leg., p. 45, 100. 52). ~&ion of this Aot required the party having a brand re- ewded to derigaatr tha part of the aalmal upon vhloh the braad voald be pl-ti. Although this seotloa va0 omitted vhen statutes vero retired, the oourto have be14 that It Is plrIa, the reoord of a braad troll reading Artlole 1486, oupra, thst te be logal, the .reoorder auot designate the part oi the anIma1 wn vhloh the Maad Is to be placed. Xarvell v. State, 2 S.N. 66. The court In the ~080 Of Reese v. State, 43 Tax. Cr. R. 559, 3.Y. 325, l uotalned the coatentlon a recorded that braod’de8igMted as a figure elther on the hl or side of an aala violated our penal statutes t ao~rooa -La porldlng shall have more than oae brand aad ,provIdIng aa offense sly eouat$ Olerk to reoord any brand ualeo8 the p8rt OS the a-1 upon vhlch the same lo to be placed deoigaated. Ao- 0~61 Steed t* State, 4) tex. Cr. R. 567, 67 S.U. 330. In the light of these cases, ve agree vlth the oourt la Relamuth V. State, Tex. Ct. of Clv. App. R. 580, vhere It stated that lav seems to make .the particular portlaa of the animal tho upon vhlch the brand is to be placed equally as Important as letteps or +aractero rued in braad~ltseli.

fhe#e l uthorltleo In effect hold that a tlgure lo- sated oa dliiereat pert8 of an animal’s body Is aot u braad oaa be properly recorded coordanoa vith the provl- oloao of our m.rks brands tacuteo. Further, ouch a that recordatlon I8 In rIolAtIon of our pmal strtuter, om of vhlch th8t no perran shall have In use more than oae braad. In other vords, thr sam figure. at dlfrereat loeatloao oa the nlmal’o body la aot one brand but reveral brands. Therefore, vo agree vlth reached In Opinion Ilo. O-1114, the~olualaa ooundneos f vhloh you queotloaed, la vhlch VI held that tvo perooas may hate same figure a brand ii plaoed at dltterent polnto on the alnmls~ bodies. Ye are of the oplaloa looatloa OS a bread that

should be ths same aotvlthotandlng the olasr d anlmala aa Iadlrldusl possesses. lie hate found a0 uth6rIty dIreotly Supportlag thlo oontentlon, hoverer Artlole supra, In Proriding an lndlvldurl 8bould bare ln use on17 9 brand

._, .

-Fable Alax Jung, page I a perroa vho has Cattle, hogs, ohsap and &ats. There

,+! w 90 iafereaoe or refereaoo vhatooerer that l aoh person amy ,y,e braad for aoh ol888 of aalmalr ho 0~01. CoaaIderIng w8 fret ooamctioo vith v&t vo hare uld a8 to thhr in-

we of the lOCatIOn oi tlu braad, ve Se01 ooastralaed u &hat tb fIg~r8 8M lo88tl@a ot tha braad should be If m mtvlthetrrrdiry vwlous olasooa of 8nImsls an Indl~i- it need be, ve re-

To rnbrtantI8te thir aoaoluslon, st8t8, 20 8. Il. 740, aa8 Led- better v. 3tSto, g. V. 903, vheroin oomt8 held ,e t8tut.8 do Rot require reoorder to derlgaato upon vhloh 8~80 of animals the brand 18 to used. fhl8 Is Indicative mt th e l ams braad , iigure aad looatloa, to be used by a -goa aa all hi8 nl~l8, l.f not, the reoorder should shov r@h olas8~oignrtlon a0 the purpose or the registratlao rtai- 8te8 vould be fulfilled. I8 our oplaloa 'psr;od 18 urlng more Although it

wn one brand vhea ho brand8 hlr cattle vlth the same figure em 8 dffiereac body plrrt t&a he brands hls sheep goats, suoh a person la so dolag would be violating m do not bellore 1484, Pearl Code, vhlch prorldeo: Utiole

gbhoever In &lglnally branding or m&king '., ” ” cattle uses more thaa one wrk or b&d shall ba "., aor ‘6oro than oae

fla4d. not less than tlieaty-flro for e8c-h nIma1 so branded or murk- b$red dollars It vi11 be aotloed above statute rpeaks ot using more t&n one brand vlth refereace oaly to oattlo. Thlo statute 8ao part Of OOCtlOn 41 OS Aotr OS August 23, 1876. AS to WOW OS thla Aot, ve IlnQ thereio the folloving provloloar

. this Aet aot be so ooa- . provldod to lnoludo sheep, goats, ovine hldeo atrued*.; of either. . . .” lt oa0 safely be said that Article

tbrefore, supra, 8p- flI@O onl cattle, end ona rho uses a dlffereat bread 00 hi8 lo not ubjeot ~ep~goats thaa on hla oattle proseou- tion thereunder.

Iaoofar as the county ilrrk recordlag different brands $8~ an lndlrldual oa his rarloUo elaooeo of animals, ve.hare *4 noble Alex Juog, paw 4 no provlslon or strtute vhloh vould sake it unlaviul

*d ir bl,E to do 80.

The foregolog oonolusloao have been reached oaly 8Ster each lorue preaeated vu8 oare?ully studied aad coarlder- IOU have rrgued that by allwing tvo perooas use rd. se,e figure for a br8ad but St dlff@F@nt pOlat0 on tbe al~ls' )odies vi11 oreate oonfu~lon~ an example subaltted fume vas If tha ~8s placed ‘2 Iaehea 1eSt of @@atOr oi right shoulder .’ ma vould oause ooafuolon to the reoorder, Ye admit, but lf i8 deslgaatee oa hip, 8houlder side, eae figure aad the plan IO logically oarrled Sorth by ports OS the aalrmrl & not by decimal ueaouremeats, ve oaa sea no great oause OlAW.

.:a You have pointed out and Ye have conoldered lm- ~gotl~lllty a? requiring a brim! to be plsoed on the same bdy pO$qt OS Sheep and goats aa placed oa cattle. This ~~aot~lllty has 8rloen bec+of~ our lPark0 and brands otat- gtgo have not been rollovee. As queer, as It may appear, It ggoao tbat It Yam the lntentlon OS the ~g~8l8ture la enaotla& oilf oltll statutes on omks Sad brands cattle should be grkGzktgd branded but that hogs, sheep and goats should only

. Ue arrive at this CoacluSIOa after reading the orl- g1na1 rot from vhloh our ascot 01~11 statutes vere derived, r tbls befn~ the Acts ot~.l8 8, ps 156. rhlr Aat atter providing ror person8 to hate differeat braado marks apeoifled that rattle should be l ardar ked or brended before tvelve months old r& bogs, sharp and oats be marked beiore 01x months bid. Also see Artlole 689 , Rerloed Civil St tuteo. Our oourto rec- ognlre the dlotlnctloa betveea oborko and breads. Johnroa vs. &ate, 1 Tax. App. 333.

Ye have also aotloed th8t House Bill 170 (aov Artl- ale 6899-l) requires thst In rtoordlag tettoo wko th8ra should be o $colgaatioa o? the types OS aaimalo upon vhlch mr’ko We to be used, You hare suggested such a procedure should that be Solloved vlth our ear-marks and brandr. Although ooneedlag laob a method of recording vould be more nearly proper, such a ehoge vould hare to cooapllahed by legislative aotloa. yurthesmoru, ve eaanot say thst the Leglr&ture intended tbr Prooedure prescribed for reoordlng tattoo Mrkr should be Solloved in recording msrko aad brands, SOr by a speclSIo pro- Vision Ia House Bill 170, oothl~8wrela affects our rarks and ~mdo records.

We quote In part from your letter vith refereaoe to group oi lat8mog8torIes: your a@xt

.(a) Goes te l ppl~oatlo~ -8 Qgure In pint on aa saI5al oautltuts brsndlagt “(b) Ia ihe owur reatrletad to tha use of the same figure as registered VhSa ho u808 palat? '(cl ^[18] reatrlctod the 8ame polat 00 th e b od y of th e l lriPra 1 a8 shova by ths reoord vhen applying Olirrt?’

Although Ye have Sound a0 FOXaS oasee as vhat our ve believe tha ooUN ia the CBS8 oUtuteo maa by ‘brmdLog,” of Chuvchl11 v. Oeorgls RSIlrOad & BankLcrg Co., 108 Oa. 265, g. E. 972, very rptly StSted the meurlag of “branda? aad 1’ as used la our otatutea vhea It usid; arp’ l!he vord ‘braad’ IndIoate8 some Slgure

or dev;o; hraed upaa the aalma by a hot lroa, aad the vord ‘wk’ indicates generally 800m ohango mea la mom part OS anlmtil by kalSe or other, meaas ,. -- such ~borlng llttlag ear: The ‘~ ‘. ‘brand@ ~more oommoal~ used upoa come aalmala e ~’ a means OS ldeatISlcatloa, -- ouch horoeo, mules, and the like; vhlle otherl are generally ld8atlSIed by %arks’ 8ade by kaIfe outs ear, -- ouoh oattlr, hogs, and the like. . . .a v. Kansas City, 87 km. 205, 121 P. 985: 42 Aooordr Pollwh L. R. A. (X. 8.) 465.

Ue therefore asver these qwotloas la the aega- tire.

For next ocrIeo of questi- ve quote from your lrtter as r0ii0v01

for one '(8) pl8CS it a ViObti= ear 0s an a-1 in the tit. 1484, Of OUpSS, a tattoo mrkae additionally aaother OS ths oommoaly used ear MrkS vhloh Ouch perooa ha8 reOOrdedT the tattoo mark show&by ‘(8) ky oerti- ficate mmtloned u sec. 0f he. 6899-1, CIT. St., *6 ba r.COrd.6 b7 the Count7 Clerk la the -me book - kept for tha pWpo00 of rroordbg vrkr rad brrado

&or raid 8. B. (Art. 6&g)? for the County Clark

‘(0) II it poralrrlble to keep l rqmrato reoord of 8uoh tattoo mark81’ la our oplmloa that House Bill providea l It 1U. and dlrtlnct method OS ldvntlilcrtloo. For amorous raw loon vo do not bvllrvr Artlolr 14&, rupra, vould be rlolat- ,d if per-a l 8r-mrked 4ad tattooed 88M alml. E%P- mpk8 8ad t8ttOO Mrk8 8F8 tV0 bl8tbACt Mthodr Of ldentlflc8- (ion, 88 different mark8 rnd br8ndr. Article 8upm. 8pe8k8 only Of Crttl8 8136 br8ndr 8nd Mr-Mrk8, vhlle &W8e ~111 170 de818 Only Vlth t8ttoO marklog Of hOg8, 8heep aad gmt81 iIt 0th’ VOrd8 , fit1018 1484 dsrl8 vlth differeat type of ldeatl~lortloa from of ralmdr 8nd L differeat PO- frrreb t0 l.Ta HOU88 Bill 170. ,~ ., BOU80 Bill 170 3WOVidO8 00p1.8 Of th88e t8ttOO tbrt Mrk8 rhould Slled la thr County Olerk'8 oltlee ol the ooun- ty of the 8ppllC8llt'8 r88ldenO8 la rOgUb book for put- m8e. Althou& it 8DDC8P8 tohave been lntrntloa OS the ~iUtti8 68t thr-‘tattoo Mrk8 rhould b8 kept 011~ record Fa 8 rsp8rate book, VI 808 DO brrn W&d thiak it pW8188lble to CC- cord there t8ttOO nurkr th8 ram book vlth M r k r l d brmd8, provided the t8ttOO Mrks 8re properly 8O@O@t8d 8nd titled 80 88 t0 &2MlOllt COoiU8iOll 88 t0 th8 MtUN Ot tb Mrk8.

For JOUP u8t ~UO8tiOa, VO ag8in Quota trO0 yOUr r8- QUO8t:

“Do08 r8oord-owner brand. (tiguro) ha*8 priority upon rr-re&rtratlon vhore thr rot- ord do88 not d180108r th8 point on th8 body ot rnlmal vhsro the brand 18 be plaordt" We n8uer thir quertlon in thr Mg8tlTo. A8 polntod in the 0.~88 Of Hwvrll v. gt8te, luprr, ordrr t0 hrv0 l out leg81 bwnd, thr rroordsr oi the brand murt drrlgnate the por- tion ot the 8nim81 upon vhlab the flguro 18 bo ptoed. Vlth- Out 8uoh de8l&MtlOn, lark Or ii&W. 18 not I lrgtllly !‘a- th0 Oorded brand, type our re-moording 8t4tUtO giv88 priority *7 # pa8feremOe t0 rO-r8OOrd. Themtore, p@r8oa, vho hA8 00 rHo rd l ii&We Vith 00 iK&diOatiOa 8 t0 VhOra it 18 to b.

puaod on the a-1, ,,,rroordrd ha8 no profrrentlal right to iare it

under our nev rroordlng 8t8tUt8. we tXW8t the fOr8gOhg ftily OIVIC8 YOW QUW tioar*

Robert 0. Xooh AS818ant