Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS Bonorable Varvln Hall
Fire Insuranoo Commleaionsr
Board 0r Inruranoe CommIs~loner8
Austin, Texas
Dear Sir:
This wIl1 aoknowl
May 9, 1940, in nhloh you 6
l&e upon #OVWl que0t10nr t
esrential to here est o
understanding of the fa
daltlonr are aa no authoritf prevent hasardous uoh Inapeotions Is soli been oaued upon, iB sx-oSfIoIo Statr Fire State Fire Earshal, hate author- the eleotrloal wiring In houlrrs under f your anmer III in the afflrmetirr, do I, as State Fire ?:arshal, have the authority If same Is found unrafe and
condamn suoh wiring oaue the removal, or oorreotlon, thereof? the power oompanlas from
"(5) Can I prohibit to such unsafe rirlng? furnishing eleotriolty
. Honorable i’arvln IIall, Pag4 g
“(4) If your an8w.r to tha foregoing qu44tionr are In the afflrmatlro, my I appoint a dsputy fully quallfl4U, to eot in my plaoe and stead In making those InepootIon8t
“(8) If amwsr to proporltlon numbor 4 18 in the afflrnatlvo, do f have tha authority allow the deputy reasonable aolapenaatlon tsar- Vi008 l-OndOred in makin6 ths inirpOOtiOl28’)
“(6) Do I ha~4 the authority to aase84 and owner or aontnotor, 001140t, from thr prop4rtl a reasonable fee for making ruoh Inapootlonr? If I do hare authority to a84488 and “(I) suoh fe4, will
oolleat It bs legal to allow the deputy to oollsot and retain for hi8 mn ~44 4uoh for his aorvIoo8?R foes as oompsnsatlon 4897 of the R41ised CIvIl~Statute4 of Toxa4, ArtiOl4 1925, tloalr with the authority and duty of th4 Stat4 Flro Ear- 8hAl. It 181
RThs Stat4 Fir4 Farehal I4 heraby authorlaed to snter at any fine any building8 or premIm8 or any where fire oaourred or Is In pro&rem, the purpoar of la- plaoo oontIguou8 thereto, Ing the oau84, origin ana olr4um8tau448 reetigat such The Stat4 Flro Marshal, upon oom- fire. plaint of any poraon, shall, at all rsaaouable hours; for ths purporo of erazalnatlon, ntor Into and upon all building8 and prem18eo within thlr State, and It #hall br hi4 duty l nto r upon u&d make.or oau8o to bs ontored upon and -do, at q a thorough oramlnatlon of meroantlle, menu- tins, and all plaors of faoturing and pub110 buildinga, pub110 amuasmnt or whers pub110 gathering8 am hold, together w th the preEI84s belonging i thereto.
Khener4r ho shall find .anp building or other strua- turs which for want of repair or by reason, of age or whloh for any oaueo or dllapidatsd condition, an6 whloh Is 80 situate& is liable to fire, a8 to property, ir 40 sndangor other building4 oooupiod that fir4 would endanger person4 or pro- and whenever he shall Slnd.an Im- . perty thoreln, proper or dangerous arrangcmmnt of atov48, ranger, furnaoe8 or other heating appllano48 of any kind whateoavsr, inoludlng ohlmnepr, fluea and pipa with yhloh the 8am may be ‘oonnootod, or dan@roue . ianin Hall, Page 3 Honorable Or lighting yBta8 Or dOtio48,
arrangement or oompouad8, potro- daqgorow loum, garolino, storag4 of 4xp~o8iVO8, dangerous ohemioalr, k8rOBOn4, vogotable produoti, ashoe, ocrabu#tible, lnfle8!mable and rerure matorialr, or other rondltlonr which aax or liable to cau8e or be dangerour In ohanotrr, promoto rim, oreate conditions firemen dangerour 8am4 to be nmwed or oocupants, ho shall ardor or remedied, and suoh ordrr shell be forthwith ooa- plied with by the oooupant or ownrr of auoh buIldln( premirer, and ths Stat4 Flro Kar8hal is horobr uthorlrrd, whrn necerrary, to apply to a aourt o? oompetrnt jurirdiotion for the nooo88ary writs or orairs to enforoe 0s fhI8 art1010 thr 9rorIsion8 and in ruoh oa#e ho shall not be roquIr4d to give bond."
Artlole 4882a, of the RevIre Civil Statutea,& Toxar, as amended by Aat8 OS 1987, 40th Loglrlatun,, pago 3ti, Chapter eZ4, para, 8, prorider In part:
" . . ..The autler horetoforr plaoed upon )nd the powers and privileges hsrrtofore exorolsod by the Ststr ltlro Farehal ars now to bs plaosd upon and xrroleed and enjoyed by the Flro Incurrmoe &IUQ~~- #loner. w fra whloh,
Roforrlng again to Artlole 4S97, rupra, a8 4x 0rri0i0 firs marshal, power of you aaquln inv48tQp tlon, It appsars that your right8 and duties may be la88IfIo4 Into three BUbdI+IBiOn# r0iitm:
1. You are authorized "to ontor at anl tImo any build- ing or premiers whors fire ooourr4a 18 In progrorr, or uy for the purpose of lnrertlgatlng plaoe-oontIguou# thereto, the of 8uoh fire." oauso, origin and oIraum8tano48 0s eny Demon . . . . at
a. You shall *upon oomvlalnt Into all r4asonablo hour8 the DUrDOIe of 4xamlnatIon. enter and upon all buildings and pr~mlisr within thi8 Staio...." (Vndereoorlng oura)
5. It IS your duty to ontsr into and upon all Wmemui- tile manufaoturlng and pub110 buildIng8, and all plaool Of publio aE!lU84S4Ut, or where pub110 gatherings are hold, together thereto a for the purpo#s of 4xamlna- with the pr4mIaee belonging tlon to detennlno ths oondltionr with rerpeot to firs hasardr.
Sk.36 Honorable Marvin Rail, Page Sumuksrlzlng the84 arbitrary 8UbdiVi8iO~8, it that you nay outor into and Upon th4 proporti48
8ppearr derorIbe4 In Seotlonr 1 and 3 theroof at will for l uah In- l peOtiOB8 you doom neoesaar~ and prOp4rj that a8 a Beo488- ary prer8ptirIte to right to enter Into and upon tho mentIonod In 8ubdIileIon 8 herrof you must h#ve proportirr a oomplalnt mad4 to you by 80344 94r8on as to th6 probable no84 an In#p4otIon.
Wo bellero that ths prlvato rerldenoea involved In the lnotant inquiry ?a11 within this seoond 8ubdIvI#Ioa.
QUlE3TIOl'J 190. I Subjeot to th8 limitation hsrelnrbors dlaouaae4 we n#w8r your rlrrt questlon In the fflrmativo. QvJwrI0N NO. 11 Artlole 4891, supra, furthor provider that whenever YOU W,...ahall find . . ..dangsrou# arrang4lnOnt liehthg ryr- tan8 or 44rloea.... 8fm4 r4Eiov~ or r48mdied Shall Order . . . . * The word *or* undersoored In the quotation hereinabove ppo8ra to bo an error Of tho printOr aa the word *‘of” 18 U88d fflrmatlve. In the original aot. Your BoOOn [18] an8wer4d qurstion in the
QVESTION NO. III Artlole 4097, eupra, rurther provIae8 that after you bp’l8 found a dangerour oonditlon and h4v4 ordsnd the #ame swm01- ed romsdiod "BUOh order ahall bo forthwith 00~11pliOd with bt the oooupant or ownor of suoh building or p~mlmea, an&tho Btato Fir4 Harabal IS hor4by authorlsed, when n40888ary.
apply a oourt or oompotont jurls4lotIon the nooerawy writ8 order8 to enforoe the provi8ion# Of this sot....* qUO#tiOn Of whethor Or IlOt Without 9a88ix Upon the 8944ifiO th4 oompany undsrtaklng to th8 rult, to furnlah powor #haul& be mado 4 partf
it may be OffeOtIT8ly prohibIt8d SrCUB furniBhIli& l uOh power by an Injunotlon dlrooted at the owner of th4 pn- nIro# prohibiting him from pexmlttlng a oonnsotlon bsIng made has boon mm4aied. until the WLBaf4 oondition
QvEsTIoNs NOS. IV AND v Artlolo 4898 of the Revised Cl~ll Statute8 prwlder In part8
"If ror any reason the State Fire Yarahal I# Honorable Marvin Hall, Pago S
!
; lnreatlgstlon in per,
unable to mak8 ant nqulnd 80x1, ho aer dmrlgnate thm fin aer8hal of rwh oit]r or town or 80~8 other oultable person to aot ior hlmi and 8uOh peroon rhell have the 8am0 author- the Stat8 Fire Marrhal with ity l 8 is hrreln glrrn rsrer8non to.th8 pertlouler matt8r to be int88tl- @ied by him and rhell rooelre ruoh 0~1 l nntlon am tho Btnto f~um~noo E caml88lon hi8 8on7jow mey l llcm...."
Your fourth quo8tlon Is emwend in thr l r rlrmatlre, Tour fifth qw8tlon 18 llk8rise enmnd Lo the or eotw8e l ll l rrlmmtlro rubjeot llmltetlon8 oontelnra end the gOzmre1 ap roprletlon bu. in tha p6rdnent rtatut88 en? do not WO have mead0 no lnve8tlgc4tlon
GrnSTIORs Nos. VI, Am Yxx Artlolo 48(l'e, supra, authorize8 you to m8e88 and re68 end fix en808 rr0m one roqusstlng oolleot en lnrO*tlgation retoalm a tote1 r,in but l lp ill gent rreroh of the 8tatutor laok euthorlty r008 end v88tad in you to l 88688 en6 oolleot xpon888 tor th6 kind and ohareotor of lnv88tlgatlon whloh vm era her8 oonrldrrlng. Haarlng no ruoh authority', it 1s l p par- Ont that you oannot author180 mm8 gent b do that rhloh rou oonnot do. Tour quertlonr No8. 6 and 7 ere both enowered In thr nO6atlro.
Your8 very truly