Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
kfarch 31, 1939 Xr. J. F. Bryan
County r:.ttoIney
Bmzorie County
An&1etor!, Texas
attar to 8lwPiff sohnsoa whether or not eizsoe oted In tw.s oounty ywl to IupOutxd oattle in the here are no feness along the hlgh- oad; that is, the landowner's proper- ty Is not fenoed off I’POJJI tha highway and there fe nothing to keep his oattle irem going from hia land on to the highway.
-YQU want to know if, when ial suoh a *aEm *2 Mr. J. F. Bryan, Maroh 31, 1939, Page 2
where the ownur IS not having his oattle
herded but the cattle are not on the high- way, tbat you could go on the owner's land and Impound the cattle. It is my opinion that you oould not do this."
'He alsh to express our appreolatlon for the able brief whicti you submitted to ua. This exoallent brief has aided us greatly In passing upon this quegtion. Artlolc 6965, Revised Civil Statutes of Tezae reada am rollows : ?‘fi. any stook %arbi.ddoa to ‘mm a$ -Jar-
aball antei.~.ths inoloH6 landr;‘or &all, without being herded,.~fobi'aboutt"the'reslUsnoo, lots or oultitated lkixide~of any persuii other tha# the owuer of sluh #took wlthout his eon- ml6, in-any oouaty OP embalt~alon In WhiOh the p~ovlolone of thl8 ohaptar harQ bsooae operet2re in tha auumr .prorided, In this ol+p- tar, the owner, laseoo, or pereon in lawful poeassslon of suoh l8nds nay islpetmd mob atook and detain the 8am until his fee8 and all damages woasionod by Bald 8toek’~ pdd to bimr provided that a0 aalma shall be *3 Xr.. J. ? . Eryan , Xaroh 31, 1939, Page 3
impounded except as provided in the preoed- Ing article, unless they have entered upon the inclosed lands CT be found roaming about the resldcnoe, lots or clrltlreted lhnd of n1:other, bmi, whenever any stock Is impound- ed, notice thereof shall be given to the owner, If lzown, and such owner shell be entitled to thefr postx9f5slcm upon payment or reeseand damages." ."
Artlols 6938.3e~loqd 01~5.1 Statutes of Tsxas, mad8 as iollowst
.wIf iany &ok .X?rbIdd&'to~run at Lar* shall enter the lnolomed lands, or shall without being h6rd6d;rwa &out the rs& danoe, lots or oultlvats&Land.~of sny parson, other -&art the owner.oi.auoh,tt&ok rithoub ' .hIa oonssnt, In anf ootsity~~or;%iEdi~~~io%:~
In whloh the provIsIons.irl fhis rubdI~aIo@ ha- beoime operatIM In thq.miuner provldd In the prsaediry artlolss, the ounsr, &msoa.
or persoa'~In l6wfQl ~posm8aslon of soah haar: sky Impound said stosk.and,ds%aIn the s&i6 until hIti ises and all dimages.~ooaslonsd~~b$~ aaid stbok.ars paId~.to.Umi ~~o.anlmal8~WaZl bit Impouaaea uQless alo li6v6 entema .ttpon ~. L.' : ~the inalossd land8‘~ i $l .be fouql awmI~ q!& ibout the rssidenoe, O'i, Or ultlvatmd: '. . .
land of doother; a&d wainsvsr any~stosk~$8 : is&sounded notlde thereiN shaX1 at onoe bs ..~ .glvento the ownsr. if Snam, and snoli~:omsr shall bs sntitled to,$he$r pqs8e8s~o% opbll ~.:. p6)msn.t of. r688 6na .mgw.*
Art1016 1369, Penal cod& of Tszas, ,x6668 am tollow6t
"Wboe~e~ ~shall rilfully turn out or 1 oausa to bs'turned out on land not his own or and& his oontrol ok rilfully fa'll or r8- rums to keep up any stook, prohibited by law rroq running at largs In any,oouaty or riub- ~XlvIsIon of any oounty in whioh the atoak.
3dr. J. Y. Eryen, J.Xarch 31, 1939, Page 4
lsw !~a bv:.n adcgted, or wilfully allow Such stcok tc trespass upon the land of another in suoi: count:: or subdivision thereof, or wilfullg permit tc run at large any stook of his own, or of which he is the agent or or which he hss the aontrol, and not per- mitted to run at large In any county or aub- division of any county In which the atook law has been adcpted, shall be fined not less than five nor more than fiity dollars.*
Artiole 1370, Psnal Oode of Texas re,ads f0llCWSt
Wh&+ar 8ballkno&ly'pirmlt any her- sea, males, jacks, .jqm$ts, ana oattle to .
'km at.&arge in any territqry.in this State. !, _ whw-4 *Ita plvvisions~.~ t&e lrlre or thti State bqa been adopted. prohlbltine arty er . .
suahaalmals fro~~ruan%n&atlarige sh&ll.ba ~. - tine4 not less than,five .nor more than two. huMFed ,$ollars.* . . . : . ..y.. Vd. 59, +z& 2369;~&~..‘8S T&e Ju.rita~~dei&, .
read8 as followat 'In ti, territory in w&h the .X& Ms. bean’.duly adopted, th@lsnQ owner 1s ,gu,l.lty ', oi no fault or negll(pmom in foiling te%enao l gdhst the animals wh$eh are ftirblb&en .to : roam ths:oounty at will. The ounerd~of auoh sh&jc must'keesp the ssme oonflnad at their..
pefll;~ dlss they will be held liable to aa- oount for. the damages ti,lah w~ba ~lnflloted on ~thelr neighbors by .suoh anlmale.* .I
lZi&@*se La*, page 1146, reaae .ls part a8 follollst
The Right of the State to kaaet.1e@211;A ")I', .
Er. J. P. Bryan, Harch 31, 1939, Page 5
latlon prohibiting animals from running at large and providing for the teEin up and impcundlng thereof when so fount, Is unques- tionably a legitimate exerciac of the poliae power desll;ned to proteot the public at large in the use and enjoyment of the publia streets."
Corpus Jur?s, Vol. 3, pago El, Lea. 61.2, reads as follows:
%I animal cm. the land or it8 owner or on the land of another:, w&at-her with or with- out the nuimsLon'eS the lattar 1.s not at -49 lx ass the statutti so provldea.*~
Oorpw Jurl~Seoumlum, Val. J,pagelesB, nag8 l i011ows:: :
nAnlh~ on the laid of their orme* am3 not at. large.-
Corpus Jtirlm, Vol. 3, page 186, Sea.-653, reads in. part au follows:
the atatut?tw
Thenwrore, y0.q .ars'rsspeotfully advfsa$ that it is the .~plnlon of .tbls De#artment that err long ar atook re~inad on the owner's own property, theWwould not be running at large, .nor would the .sherlfS then hare the.rfght to ,$.mpound then, nor would the 'qor then be guilty of orimlnal violation of the stoak lnws.
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