Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honoreble George tl.Sheppard Comptroller oi Public AkEounts Ausifn, Texas Dosr Sir: Opinion No. O-7278 Re: Procedure to in calculatin I , .. . YOW the opinion of questions: pmperty been properly assessed. 8eferriag to yxr first question, Articles 7346 and 7347, R. Y., provide in rubstancm tnat whrn it is d&s- covered tiut any realty hss been omitted from the tax rolls for any tFmr sine8 1881, thr Commlssloner8Court may order a list of such property to be nade and the 8-8 is to be George .i.-.ne;!drd,:are 2 .ionor;bls assesbed 2nd texed for t..cye&r8 J:..ltted, and trrereSLAPU be added *a penalty equal in amount to wuat w&ld be 6~ interest to the date of ruaki..g said list from t& date such prvpertieswould nave bea.&dcli:aquenthad 88~1sbeen properly rendered by the owner thereof at the time end for ths yea-8 stated in said list.* ks are of the opinion thet the 1anquPgs of the . statute means 63 par lnnum~ had the Legislature intsnded that a flst penalty of 6% be levied, we do not believe that It would hats set forth the term for whloh interest was to be computed. It uuuld have been muon simpler for the statute merely to provide a flat penalty of 6;. Our oon- struat:on of this provision Is in aacord?nce witn tne aot- struction by the Coilptrollerfor mrny yesrs. Cur holding is in accord with comon usace and follows the general rule. Yee 33 G. J. 196, uherein it 18 steted tist a, . . . where the coiltract contain8 no stip- ulation as to tne perioc;Cn.,ic.a tns rete agreed upon shall apply, It Is construed so as to meke the interest computable p*r annuni,not for any longer or shorter psr1od.s yurtuer, it till be noted that Article 5073, 2.S. imposes the penalties for usury when *a treater ri:teof interest than 10,P is received. Gur courts have uniforuly CJirStNed t;.isle.?pur.re to ~86~ 13,~Per ~~UUUIL See for example :o;,lznerce Trust I;oi;pany v. 3est, 80 S;..;.2d 942, per Judge ckedley (adopted o?inisn by