Case Information

*1 OFFICE OFTHEATTORNEYGENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN

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this tranraatioa a* mb- lgasiollar part of thhlot, being that part mm Lo- oat&l within the Qalreaton Oounty uda w&d1 right-or-~, wan pmhaeed by Oal~eston Oounty tram Augtmt Anderrron an4 *iii, by > ', deea dOt0a Agril 6, 1908.

Honorable Charles H. Theobald, Page 2

"This deed recites that Galveston Coun- ty was purohaaing, for sea wall right-of-way pUrpOl38a ) a strip of land aoross Lot 5, partic- ularly deaorlbod by mete8 and boundm in eooord- ance with the map of' the sea wall right-or-way adopted by the Cemml8slonera* Court of oal~es- ton County, Texas, August 2S, 1902, and reoord- ed in Book 194, pages 14, Doed Rooords of f&al- veston County, Toxae. Tho otjnaldoration was paid out or the ssa wall rund.

'The balanoe oi #aid lot, being the north portion thereof was allowad to remain, under the term8 OS eeid dsod, in Auguet Aadamoa and wife.

"It subeaqum.atly developed, howover, that on the 14th day of February, lQO0, the oity OS Oalveaton had seoursd a Judgment against August Anderson end.wlis for tax08 duo on mid Lot 9.

On the 29th day ot August, 1905, come rive month8 after the purchase ol the south portion of said lot sea well right-at-way purpomm, Henry Thomar, Sheriff of Oalveatoa mty, oon- myed to Gherlas T. Sudawaa, under q@aution olc aeld tax judgment eald Lot 3, for'4 oonald- sratloa of $100.00. and apparently

~Thereafter, for the purpose of ouring the flaw In the tltlo to that part of the Lot purohased by it ior right-Of-Wey pur- posoe, Galveston County, on the 17th day of Deoenber, 1903, by deed reoo?dad in Book 200, page 136, purohaaed all of 8.3ia Lot 3'rrom Charles T. Sudeman, for a oonslderatlon oi $125.00 and the assumption of taxes. Thle oon- sideration was also paid out of funds set aside r0r sea wall purposes.

nIn this last deed from Sudenmn to OalVe6- ton County, there appears no statement wheteo- ever es to the purposea for whloh that lot was *3 Honorable Charles ii. Theobald, Page

being aoquired and no referanoe to the nap of the sea wall right-of-way or any other language of whatsoever nature tending to oonmot the lot \jlth the see wall.

"In due uourse the Galveston Qounty sea upon the right-or-way wall was ooastruotad as shorn by the map, and ever slnom 1%~ oam- the north part of aald Lot 3 has re- pletion, mained vaoent and unuua& by enybody for my The lot now stands in the name of purpose. Oalveston County.w

The oountlss of this Stats derive their authority to sell oounty-owned real estate ironi the provisions of Artlole 1577, R.O.S., 1925. Thie statuts governs the sale gf all county real estate exospt lands belonging to the free sohool fund of the oounty. See Logan f, Stephens Gnmty . (00; A;,p. 1904) 81 S.W. 109 (afflwsd, 33 9.W. 368, 98 Tax.

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Artlols reeds as follow8: setete. m The oomaission-

*Sale of roal era court may, by an orda? to be sotera& on its minutes, appoint e oommlssioaer to aoll and dispose of my real 68fatO of the oounty at public euotlon. The deed of euah ads- slonar, made in conformity to suoh order for end In behalf of the oounty, duly esknow- ledged snd proven and reoordsd shall bo suf- floient to sonvsy to tho purohassrs all the right, title and interest and estate whioh the oouuty may have in ana to the preinlaes Nothing oontained la this to be sonveyed.

article shall authorize any oOxumlsSlOn8r8 mm to dispose or any laude given, donated or granted to suoh oounty for the purp@%6 of education in any other mamsr than shall be dixeoted by law+*

You will note that this srtlole includQ8 within its soope @Viny real estate of the oounty" exoe t land8 eo- quired by the oounty the puX!poso of eduoa ion. e

Bonorablo Charles H. Thsobald, Pago 4

Does this broad language of the statute ambreoo lands held in trust by the oounty for a partloular purpose? This question arises booaueo of the faot that the oonsider- atlon for the purohese of Lot 3 was paid out or the sse wall f'und. This ,fund oo!U#tltutes a speolal fuad held in trust b,y the oouaty for the exoluslvo purgoso of oonntruotlng i malnteining and purohaslng right-of-ny for tsea wall ad breakwaters. tie Art1018 0836, Vomion*s metatcra Statutes. In the management and handling or this fund, the oommlsslsn- era' oourt aots in the oepeaity of a trustas.

Artlolo roads aa rollOws: *r *Ou8t0dw0 0s fund8 "A3.l funds, revenues and wmys add from the sals of the bonds haroia authorlssd and frar the sale rent of raolahed or othsx lands ao- qulrea unaor this tltlo and rrom l adltienol uaw 0s acrid work&as herein authorissd, shau be ac- poalted with the county or olty twoasurer, a8 the case nay be, end shell be held ti tmet ur- ~ olusl~oly for the oonetruoblon and malntonsnoe 0s eeawalle and breakwaters, inoiuaing ths pur- oheme of the right of way therefor. All monsys dorlved from tho aasessmsnt and lsvy of tams aa aforosald am deollared to be a trust fun6 for the payment of interest and principal of bonds to be issued under this tltlo.' It might be urged that under the prorfslori8 of thl8 statute, the property eoqulrod with roe wall fund8 beaama truet property, and, theretore, su0h property is not inaluaoa in the provislona of Artlols 1577.

However, in view of tho feat that ow ooult8 h&v0 stated that the aonmiselonsra~ courts oooupy io rOspsst t0 all county property a trust relation, f&s oontontlon bo- ocuues tmnmue. Se. LZano bounty v. Knoti (air, App.) 39 S.W. 549; Llano Oounty Y. Johnson (017. App.) a9 S.S. 56.

Another queetlon in regard to the authority of the oommlsi3lonor8* court to a011 the unn0ea0a portion of Lot B is raised by Artfolo 6839e, whlah reads es rOu4W81 *5 Honorable Charles H. Thoobald, Page 6

"Grant of sea wall right of way *Any aouuty wiy donate and grant to the Sate of Texas or to any elemoaynary instl- tutlon inaorporated under the laws of the Stats of Texas and operated without profi8, but for the benefit of the publie, auah por- tionr of any ~sawall right oi way aa may have been heretofore aaqulred br aueh ooumty, anti by the Commlesionera* Court of auoh tmunty detxneb proper to be so greeted, and upon-any mah Oommii+aionera* Court so doterminIng,

the oounty J 61 of suoh eouhtp may aonvoy suoh property %l aaoordanco with the order of aald Oommisaiom~a~ Cmrt.w

This statute eaaeted as Oh. Aota 1939, Uat Ieg. p. 308, is the only pzorlaion appear& In Title ll.3 whloh deals with aea wall*, and the qusatlon present8 lt8eJ.r aa to whether it was the legislative intent that this be the on~ly method of diirpoalng of unneeded sea wall right of v proF=tY.

Counties being tmmponoat parts of the state, have no powers or dutlea oxoept those whlah are alearly forth and dofined in the oonstitution and atatutel). lblwar&~ OounQf t. JMning* (Ch. App., 1805) 35 S.W. 58S; 11 Tex. Jur. WS. Gommiaaioners* oourta have only mah power8 am ax-o expresrly or inplidly oonferrod upon them by law. cqmiI8lon4wil' Oourb T. XVallaao, ll8 Tex. 879, 18 5.W. 535; Sauar4 va 1al.b Qauaty (Oir. App., Almtln, lOat) 846 S.W. 788.

You will note, however, that Art. 683Qa is QW- Bieaive in itr termah It eoafldes in the ooznaii~~ionor8' oourt au abdltisnel power in regard to the dieposition of ma wall right of way3 that is the power to donate It to the State or certaih tppee of elee5oaynary lhatltutlonrr. W power to sell land, which oountiee have under the provi8iona or ktiOl8 1577; doea not include or llripu the authority to give it away. Rogers v. Totapklna, (Div. App. 1905) 07 5.8. ;Fi ~ro~9reruae6; Llano County v. Knowles (Cir. App., 18Q5j

. . .

&umrabls Charles Ii. Theobald, Page 6 ?!hs emergenoy olauee whish appears in the ori&sl

snaotmant @W Chapter 144, Rots 1929, unmiatskably revssls the legislative intent to grant the additional power to donats uuoh laad. We quote the following therefrom:

"The faot that there exists property hereto- tere aoquired by oounties sea wall purposes snd~not now needed for suoh purposes but re- qulred by the State of Texas and by l lesswsynary oorporationa oreated by the laws of the State of Texae for the benefit of the publia, without pro- fit, an4 in furthesenoe of ohsrltable work, and the use of said properties for sush purposes is questioned, an emergency exists." eta.

Another leglalatlve provision whloh is pertinent to the quaation raised by you, la Chapter 42, Aots or the SWih Legislature, Regular Seaaion.

Section 1 of this aot reads as followe: "BB IT ENMTED BYTHELF#ISLATWRE OF TYiX S'lWl!X OF TZU3: That no aorporation, person or aeaooiation of pereons, shall be granted or exeroiee any rights, privileges or frahohises ror the oonstruotion or operation of any rail- way, whether by steam, eleotrio, eable horse or other powex, non shell any 6or radon, person or aseooiatlon of persons e granted r

any right, leaaehold, privilege or frMahlse for any purpose, or purposes other thsn a public walk, public driveway or pub110 park, along upon or aaroaa ,any part OS that tract of lend situate in the oity and county of Galveston, in this State, whloh waa ao- qulred by aaid oounty or aosuuieaioners* court thereof for eeawsll purposes under the auth- ority of ah Aot passed at the first aalled seeaion of the twenty-aeventh Legislature of the State of Texae and approved by the Gove- nor September 7th. 1901, entitled 'AXI aat to glvs erfeat to Seotlon VII Artlole P, of ~:@m,Oonntltutlon, author&g all oounties

and cities bordering on the ooaat of the Gulf of Yen160 to eonetruat aeawalls md

Honorable Charles ,9. Theobald, Page 7

breakwaters, to fame bonda therefor, aad levy a tax for the payment thereof; and to further provide for the oonatruotion and maintbnanoe of said works, and payment 0s said bond6 by sale or rent of lands re-

olaimed fram the sea, or otherwlse ao-

q&s6 bresl&iter purpoaes,l and it shall also be ud.awful to allow the pea- session, use or oooupanoy in any manor

whatever of any part or ssid traat or

land for sny plrpoas whatever other than a publia wslk, public drivemy or plbllo park aud any aotlon upon the psrt of the oota& oom5.salonera~ oourt or Calveaton Omnty, nor any other court or body, OT

0rfloidL or ortioial8, in attem tsa oontra- rentlon of this Ast shall be PO d f and of

no 0sre0t.*

ibder the faote submitted by you, the narth por- tion OS Lot B wa6 not aoqulred for @es wsli p.arposss. By its own tsms this aat is reatriotod to lands aoqutred Sap: ma wall puTposes, and w0tia not,'thererors, apply da sny land not aoquirsd for suoh purposes, unleess ws srs prs- pare4 to deolars that all land aoquired with Soawsll Funds must neoeassrily assume that utatw.

Artlole 90 0s the Psnal me provldss that nmsys realized from the sale or land aoqulred for asa usU pup posss' shall be deposited in the soa wall fund, thus I.&W- entially lending sup ort to our oonstruetion of ahpptsr @, A0t8 1929 and of Art 68a9a. Thls provlslon ef the Penal Oode reads3

“Art. 90. DIviERYION OF SEAWiLL MONIEP. Lul runda, revewe -6 moneys aorirsa fram the ssla of the bonds authorissd by law to pay the indebtedness l.noW?red In establish- lng locating, ero&ln& oonstruoting, fee-' ten&g, atrsqthening, ma.intsinlng or keep- ing in repair or otherwln l.mpraring an7 saawsll breskwstar, and to improve, ma%B- tsin ana beautify any boulevsry ereotsd ig

371

Eonorable oharles Ii. Theobald, Pago 0

commotion thsrerrith, and all funda. rweunm~ from the aale or rent or and monem &wind reolaimod or other lands aequired by law and rrom addltlonal use6 or suoh works as auth- orized by law, shall be deposited with ths oounty or olty treasurer, as the ease may be, and shall. be held In trtmt exolulr1~l.y for the oonrtruotlon and maintenanoe or mth wall.8 and breakwaters lnoluding the purohaso

f th ;tght r therefor; and all rnonsyr ~~iraedriso~-~h~~s~ss~e~t and levy or tax.8 as aforesaid are deolared to be a trust fund for the payment intereat and pxinaipal 0r auoh bon&, and the use or diversion of' @ioh moneys ror any other urpoee whatever la hezrc by prohibited and a vfolation of this Arti6le shall oonstitute a mlsapplioation ai pabllo money, and the person 80 offending shall be

iahed am provided in Artial.ef36ra RaphacJl8 supplied.) v"

It Is therefore the opinion of thle KW~partmont end, you are ao advised, that the oomaissionera' oourt of Galveston Oounty~hae authority to dlepose of the exoesu portion of Lot 9, being the north port&on

under the provlslone ot Artlole 1599 (R.&S.

A oontrary view of this question OFiiliOx: written by R. 3. Gray, AWbiatant Attorney UUIOr&, dated June 8, 1998. Mr. Gray held that the Artiolo 6889a, rrupra, asta out the odly method Of disposition Of lltObs8 sea wall right of way and that, therefore tha ormmi8~lon- era* court may not eell suoh land by o~&yi.ag rLth ArtiOl* wlth*ti%*o~nafon, f ^[0] (8 inion, s hereby expressly over-ruled. in80rar as it ia in ow.fliat

Trusting that we have fully anmver:sd your inquiry, we are

Your0 very truly ATTC’RKEY G?B?ZN OB TFZAS