Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable Joab Caqb.11 county IrttorIwp
Sohleioher County
61 Lh?radO, mxas
D6ar sirr
carefully ooluliaend by thi
your repue8t a8 followrt
work was oomplotd Whhh th@ OOU't paid egrw4 oo~nMtion. l olc r k wlm to paw-
alo- at hi8 8pan en4 tine ith tha peranmmoe oi hi0 y ir on the ieel bade ry8tei6 lerk ir pai4 * ex-ofi ml.- ,.
"The County Clerk oonten48, m 600s hi8 attorney, that au& ooapenutlon we8 mid hi5 out &da of for aorvioer mn4ore4 his offioial '1168 not a &WOpW ie6 Or dutias, 0fri0e and 8houl4 not bm eoootmt.4 in ar- riving at enxioun teao mllorrod hip uader 16%
Honorable Xoab.CaEpboll, Par~o 8
p.%ould the County irlwk of thla a@unty aooount for awh oosqpent~tlon paid him, in ar- riving et the saxlmum fesa allowed him unbar law? Was raid Coanlsaiormra Gmrt author- ized to Eake such oontraiWw
hrtiolee 1941, 19&c, 1845, 3931 and 3938, Vernoa’a Texas Civil Statutea, roe4 80 follqur: wnoteted
-Art. 1941. mcordsra whey shall be cx-offlois rsoordera Sor. their aereral oountlea, and aa maoh ah&l n*- book8 to be proourrd oord in mitabla ptupoae all 4ab48, mortgama au4 other lnatr& menta raptired or pomltte4 by law to ba re- aosdedj they ahall be the keeper8 ci cuoh m- eo rtl b o o ks, and l fiell keep tho aama properly lndarad, arrangm? en4 pftMWVa4."
"hrt. 1948. custody or reoor4a -They shall be keapsra of the reoorda, books, papera ant? prooeedfngs o? their napee- an4 ar$.aual oaaea an4 fn t1va oottrta In oivil Batten, Of grobate, an4 aae the4 aam are proporlp indoxe4, arm4504 au4 preaarv*4, aa4 shall F@ritWi auof: other 4utlOs an4 in that be- half as may br by law imp~sr4 on them.”
"Art. 1945. Other Qookota, oto. indersa, Tha olerk ahall keep mob other daekota, ti requkred by lauj books an4 imleraa aa my and all booka, reoor4~ and file4 pepore below- irkg to the offios of county alarks o&all et p]Ll reasonable thea be opan tbo ins ~eotlon en6 exauiaation oi 6u oitiran, Iho aha 1 have tha P to mke oop sa of the ae~~a,~ right P
w.a%. 3921. County ol.srkr prsaonlng ro- oordm "At sash tern ot hi8 oourt oouaty judge
ehell inquir* into Pad examIn* the uount of labor actually aad nsowearilf parforme4 by tie *3 Bonorsble Saab Ccmgbcll, Fai?,e S
clcrb of hit oourt in the care end reacrve- f n making tfon of the rcoor4a of his offloe, and keepI% ncocccary indcxce thePet0, and other labor of n llko olacs, end cllow said olerk reasonabla thertrror, net oo~~msetloa to wrgeed fees ellowea him by law for like aervioos, and mt to cxosed one hundred bol- lera annually, to be raid out ot the county treasury upon the aworn aocount of such clerk, thcrcoo by the OOUllty buddy.” approved fn Writ& *Art. 3938. County olerk: cx-~ffi.oio sore loos
-For all cr-offiolo crrviooa In reletion to rocdc, bridges ana ferries, iaauing jury aorlgt , county warraate, an4 tati* rcca:pta therefor, ccrviooa la habsac oorpua cceea, mck- lng out bar dookotm, keeping funds, rCOOrd8 of trust
filing end docketing ell gaper8 for corn- micc%onerc* keeping road overaecrc* books hurt, cad list of henda, rsoording all oollcotion~ro- turna o? dallnquent inaolrenta, reoar4ing oountt trca)OBuP0r*a rcport8, rcooPdl~g reports or @a- tioea OS the peaoe, reoordlnii ruportpc or anirala aervloss In coanrotfon with all slaughtered, e~eotiona, and cl1 other publio services not othsnSao be pf&lU u n tho order provided at the Ooruiasianera * Court out at he treasury, r such sum as tho county olerk shell reoalvs Commlssionsra~ Court m&p Qetemlns uuder the of &-tlclc 3895, to be paid quarter- provlslona 50 oounty clerk Bhrll be oompcllmd to file ly. or moor4 any lna4mummt of writing porrPitte4 or mquircd by law to be rooordad until the ~wg- sent or tendor of pr~ymcnt of all legal fro5 Sor such f’i1.i~ OI rcoording has been made. Mthing herein shall be held to include papcrc or in- at uaente filed or moordad in mite gendlw in the oouti6y aourt:~
twtlale 3930, Vtirnonls wmotctcd CivU %Itatutoa, reed8 In port as iol.Wwa:
"::le*a of th6 oourt ahall reoeivs the f0110w1n& fear:
". . .
Ronomble Saab Carpball, Faga 4
*“tansoribing, ooaparing -6 verifying reoord booke oi hia otfioa, payable out of tho county tmemry upon warrant iaimed under the order of the Gotmiaeionore* Court, for eeoh 1Or: worde. . . .lO.”
The oaee of Tarrant County la. Ropre, l&5 S.%. 898 (Sup. Ct. 15% &. 3. 1101 held that the Comlaeicnere~ to pay the ooUnty clerk a oertaln Court had aa authority mm rw work in lndoxing reoorde, an4 bono8 the ommty woe not baud by said a reeaent an4 oauld reoover iron the ‘: clerk the amount pa Q hiPa for doing the work ln exoosa of ooet. %‘e quota from the oaurt’e opinion what it aotually in err14 oaae as rtalowe~
Ytte oourt fn Its main charge, with ref- ereaoo to extra work done on the lnbaxoe, la- etruoted the jury OF fatlower ‘You will ohargo him (reaniug RogerrJ*Lth three-fourthe of
~7,576.78), the amount paid Fmgare by Tarrant Countr for reinboxing &de, over qn4 l beta the l rpenaoe pai4 out b$ Rogrra tar thrt work. ‘Be oxtn work refetrsd to Or tble oharise aeant the work thet woe don. b{ R-era uader the dirootion ol the ocee~iedoaere oourt upon the inboxor.
Thie work oonalete4 in plaoiag on the am-gin of the rmporte oppoefte the dead8 80 r~orded of the ~roprrty aonrofrd a brlet daeorlption by the inetrmeat, 80 that a pareoa 4xamialng the rewr4 4oulQ toll by Iookiacg at tb;le nota- tion whether the lnet~rument to which it raPemod oonroya4 rapexty for whioh ha rae searahing.
I?elatl+o ta t 18 work, Rodager8 teatlfia4 that ho it 4~ It by tha omiaelonere’ wae lnrtrueted court that ha ha4 never bean order dlnet- to 40 the work; that But or, hle prude- uy lng h L oeeeor, ha4 ocmmenoe4 the work; thet when he went into oliior the oomml8eionara direat- 04 him. tc 60 oa with it g he flnlehed it up ae direote4 by them, an4 pai4 out ror olerionl aid in doing the work the cum of $%,OfS~ bhat he kept dlirfsmaoo that osount betwean amount al&wad him by the ~omal#ei~ne~e’ Oatart ?or the same, whioh aewtmt 80 kapt bg him wee hi0 oompeneation 97,s&i.m, which he retslned thsraior; thaw wa8 an underetandiry between *5 r... L
2 .A<) Honorable SoeC Can%pbell, Page 5 that he we6 to have
himelf and the oommleeionera five cent% for the entry of a&oh deearlption that was mode on thle Index, 0136, at five cents for eaie work amounted to the sum eeoh 4eeorlptlon, of $13,587.75; that the amounta paid him by the oounty tatting there deearfptione on the in- dex ware pa 3 d by warrant on the aouuty, drawn by the aomalaeionere' court; thet he deolined to do the work when first requested by the oormaieeion- era, on the mtxml that it was going to mix up the ofiioe work considerably, as it tack about mm to do this extra work; and, further, that he 414 not oare to do it, if they mre gooinr~ to regard it as a part OS the dutlelr of the office, as a prt of the offiae ~eee; whereugctn the oommireionere told his t&at they&d n6t sapeat anything of thet kind, but to go ahead end rlnleh It up a8 Butler h0e oosmen484 tt, m they did not want it inaompleta. left
Wkppellant oootmbe that the oharge c;bove referred to woe arroneoue, in that the work so don4 by Rogers upon a614 Indexes woe not free of offioe, and henoa the woe entltlee to recover af hlm the entire amuat, wtt, #?,56&, remaining after pa iag ia ror the l atual expense of & doing the work. charge was evl4ently given by oourt upon the theory the alerk woe that entitle4 tees. to one-fourth of said sum ee offlelal
uAfter a careful examfnatlon of the etat- utee reletiva .to the duties OS olapke am to ati. keegiag of the reoorde and preservation Indexing the name, we fail to finad any pmvi- ston thereln requiring thus to make marginal negtione or the 4eaer~ptlon of the lana ooavng- ee by the inetrumnte reoorded, such aa was eon6 in thie lnatanae, an4 hen06 oon01u4e work done by wi4 olerkk while It may here
been a great oomenienoe to the publlo, et111 woe not euoh work ee Chk oonenieeioners ootiCr re- quire him to do. 3t Charafma did not fall withla thla, oategory. !?or 40 we think
eppellee oauld rely, es ha un4ertakes to &a, ugcn the oantreot mada with the oommjeeioners~ *6 eaurt, 4~8 reaoww the whole or l g portion of the balsnoe relmlning after e06uotiag tha 8x0 pensee for having ths work done, beoetue the ooa- ~i#aioners* aaurt had no authority, in our judg- arnt, to make any auoh QOAttaOt With h&i (1116, if without authority to do 80, the oounty wag not bound by thslt aotlon in wdorteklng to m&b See Tar- a oontreot with hfn ior mob MtViOO. rant countr V. EMlar', 38 %3x. Cir. ripp. re1. S.E. 666 6140 Ed1 County v. Felts at al, x or i4 th e o ounty l 4to p p od in
lE.0 8. 57. l&66. any mnner rttn4 tmaorting that mid oonttaot wa8 uil6wti, 8tia reo overfng thr eawnt 40 paid cut, based thsreon. Bee Eeldwin 0. Travis County, 40 BIX. Mr. App. 149 BB 6. QJ. 4$0, and Tmlta iO0 Pm, 51, 98 e;x. (UQ.’ County Y. Blaokbuta, ‘:!'a quote from the oaee of Tarrant County T. Eutlec, 80 S.W. 666r
“xi the $u,oOO aLlowa appellee i;utler r0t aaklng ln8eixo8, eta., during the lart flsoal rest3 or 0rfi00, year or his tern, ommtituteu ~ithln th4 meaning 0r the rm bsll, than, or oouram, the oounty was mtltlead to hts thia oon8lasrad in datstmintng the uount of ftra OXOMB dua it. The rc4 bill 'all r-8 rquir*r oallootsd 8url6g the ri00ail. year* eta., to be 4ooounted for rix08 a i~xlaum aplcunt or tees or *all hnil#* rbiob may be retained. It ir fnslrted, hcmevor, axtre rstvio~r thus aompenrated were not orrlolal; that otmpen- eatlon for &akiu& tha indexa@ wan a aatter purr- ly or oonttwtual rl&ht. a*. do not think M. Aa we ham oberroed, Oonatitutfon omfsta gen- em1 pow4rs upon thr Lo#irlaturs to Brerar:be duties or aounty oletke, sad bp rersrenor to Rev.
St. art. X43, end r0ii0+4g, It I4 apparent that h6e afku0 it tha duty or the 00wg th0 bgi4latut4 olarks to k8ep and prercroe the reoordtr 0r tholr ol’fioes, and to keep praper lndoxms OS al1 NO- srd8 thereof. 'ma duty ii0 r6rdy k69g ad
py4*4tVe tbs reoomls neomurrily oonfetr, 6xolude 6ll 00ik0rri0id4 rr05 Inter-
right farsnoo themwlth. iha Oml4lf~sionet4' ooutt would be without pcmt, wfthout eon4ent df tba *7 Hoaorable Joab Campbell, Fege 7
alerk, to authorize a attangor to taka posaeadoa of the teootde and petiozm tho asrvloea oontemplated In the work to whioh the oontraot oi’ the aoanllr- ‘Iho duty to keep ana pre- aIonerst ,ooutt related.
aarvo, the Index08 also neoeaaarlly Imp1108 the duty to tranaarlbe, renew, or rake proper ln4exos when neoetbaarp, a# ?xm allagod in eppellant’a pe- been l xptemtl~ provided, tltloq thenror ocapwmtlon and the scan rtom will be to bare 404m4 follaIgg quotatloa rta artlole W57, Rev. St.
1.995, viz. ) * tra~sotiblng, oomparinfz and verify- ing IWSYO~~ b00h 0r hIa orrioe, payable out or the oounty tneauty upon warrants Irmad un8er the order ai, tha owmIatdoa~m~ oourt, Wr eaoh loo word4 ten a*ntn*, whioh saema not to barr been eiieeted br the iea bill, aa will bo erl- dont by an lnspaotlon or the trontq-sixth aeo- tlon thereof, providing that laws not in oon- the aot are not arfrated. f 110% with For’ eqht appearr, the &3,000 allcnwl appelles Butlot tar making new fnaexar wan but the sum totei 0r to whfoh ho ma6 retitled thmeior under ex- ha8 1rtinS llra and the settlement indioatwl b order bmei~~before referred mounted Q ni y to aaoettainmaat or this But howevat this faot. was, wo think the $8,000 was orriolal rear), within Ohs mwaing or the re4 bill, rot whioh 53utlot should be taquiwd to eaoount.”
You et@ rsapsotrully advised It is the opirr- Ion of this dspartsent:
1. The aoamI44Ionet4' ooutt halls no authority to aonttaot to pay the oounty filotk a oertaln twit rot *pro- patlag a sew 48t of oorreoted ana improved Indexerr or all the reootis kept In hia ofrio&* (Gee Ten-ant Qmnty v.
iiogsrs, 185 2. 3. 58s)
E. The oor6aIclalonera~ oourt ha4 authority to allow the oounty olerk ~&se 0r 10 oonta per 100 words rot Rtnnsoriblng, oomparl,ng mb verifying tooat books of hIa Suoh ree8 ofrioe** as provided for by ittide 8930, Y.A.C.S. fox by the clerk as Pees or 0rri0a. (sea must be eooountea Tarrent County Y. Dutler, 06 2. 1-j. tM%l
Roaorabl4 Yoab Ca?wbrll, Paa* 6
3. The county juQ4 hdi sut+ority to $lm for his labor eorurlry 444 naaerrarrly per- aounty olark formed in the 04m and praaarratlon of th4 raoordr of hi4 offioe, in makin and keeping neooarary iwlex44 thereto, and other labor of 4 1Xke 01444, 4 r44n444bl4 oa24&~~54- tlon thdrsfor, not to axoeed tha fes4 ollow4d htm by law lika rarvloon, and not to 4x04& on4 hundred dollars ror (Sac mtiola 39S1, V.A.C.S.) Suoh oomp8nartton rnnually.
f4 8X-Offhi 8ODIp4B44t&3n 44d 4bOdd b4 4OOOUZBtab for by f&m ol4rk ia tba Usterdnatian of hla o~anration wtd.r ~artieler Seas anu Stwl, v.A.a.5. A1.o in thir oon44atlon a*4 tho 0444 of An%erron County va. flopkinu, 187 5. %?. 1019.
4. The 40~1~li44fo1~4r4* ooutt ha4 authority to ox-officio ooqeneatlon olerka undrr provlaion4 of snd within the liatltationa preroribed by Artiolas 8895 and 3938, V.A.O.S. 4nm14r4 your
Trusting t&i4 44bl~faatOrily inquiry, am3 with bea8 regards, wo 4~4
Very truly you-e