497
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS’
AUSTIN
DROVER SELLERS
AmvnNRY
OENNLRAL
tear sirt
uqlating u6rJs-
0tm or 0 ltrt0
homa-rula oity
thatuhlla~
t to the eon-
qutr6 ror the
r thr rajoot.
lrflgth of ltq -P a prlvato
a to ba 0an&%and. Tim oity
or the &tak but lxpr%rnr it8
18 for moh property to br, oen4~rao0 by
1S it oan be done. Undsr th%ao faet8,
611 irr aA8’lbP t0
"(1) Mly the Dop6rtalsnt, or th% oewty, 6otiJg
6~ behalf OS tae Deg%rEra%at, 68 provide6 in
kstldo 667i+ii, zeviwd ClvU 3t+tuka, ;L92S,
ao~uim by puroheu or by oon6siamtkon the ri@t
of *ay rayuire6 ix4 8 hosua-rule otty sor the eon-
8truotion oi n 8t8te hl&JwIy?
498
"(2) Cen the olty, rrlthar by ordlnanoe, ar by
etment with the St&a undrr ttu tomaa of Artiok
&b, l%.eeallg delegate, twA8ter or pcla8 OA to
tha riighwey ;3%g%artr;YntOr the oountj t#otSng ror
the ~,epartaefit, it% authority to oor&wnn such
riC;ht of wag'i
*IO. the sverit auoh ri@t of wr\y oaimot be oondemrmd in
eithvrr kBrUi4r BUf;(;tt6t6d by the yX’6068ing qU6stion8, theA
~lrase sdviee is the Governor or TOra8 could ,8(IOUTO8uoh
right of way iOr tie18Depsrtueilt under the provl8Ima or
irtlole 5240 Of the Havised Civil Statuter, lP2). 88BWlliRg,
of %OLWRJ%, th%t the GovgrAor la willing to not IA thir
iLlltUAO(t."
Atil01% 1175, (Aotr 1YZ.L). V%~AOA'~Annotated cIVIl statut%a
0f T%xOr, OAUiMr8t~8 VtWiOU8 EOWW8 Of haPu-rule Oiti.8. Sub-
f? ~fvi8ion~ 16 of said article provider l.n prt a8 ioll~wr:
"TO heQ8 %S0lU8iV% doorfAiOA, OOAtrOl, EA4 jlWI8-
dlotion fa, Over aAd under tho pub110 tYtr%%t@, 8v8~um,
0ll%yr, hi@JA~8 and boulevard%, and publio $rounA8 of
8uoh oity and to provido for the ImproVeneAt or 8~y
public 8trmt, alleya, highways, ev%nu%8 or boulevard8
by paring, raining, gradlAg, filling or othomise is-
pr~vin~ths %%AW. . a"
Art. 1.082 (Act8 18751, V. A. C. 8.. providoa ift part C8
"The oltr OOUAOI~ahall be lrwe8wd with full pmor
and authority to grsbc, t3reve1, repair, pars Or other-
wise improve any avenue rtreet or alley, or my portion
thrnor, within the 1dt.r of aaid oity, whonersr, by 8
;r voto of two-third% Of th% CIld%X?X%A PZ’WBAt, thoy .rruy
d;.
! d%%n 8UOh iB&WOV%mAtfor the pub110 iAtOF%6t$ . . .*
Art, 1086 (Acts l$oY), V. A. C. EL, provide8 IA it8 entirety
as P0llow81
-TOWA%, oltior *Ad vlll$g%n, incorporated under
either g%ner%l or 8pOi81 law, whloh rtiall eoo%pt th%
baaefitr of this ohapW&aa h%niA provide& 8h8lt hnV0
pawar to iaprov% any h&Buay wIthIn th%Ir IktA, by
rlllkig, &$wXn&, mlsirif;, paving or raPkvIA& the ume
ln 8 pranont m%M%Z', or by the oOA8trUOtiOA Or r9-
ccnatruotion of ald%w%lk%, ourbs %A& gutterr, or by
wldcning, narrowing or etraI&t0AlAg th% @ante, an& to
499
aon. 5. C. Greer, paw 3
eOk%trUOt neaeeeery epptUt%neAO%8 th%r%tO, Lnolud~
8eyfBrr and Cra5.m. ‘city,’ WhOA U8%d herein, 8kl8u
inoluda, all Lacorporetad tOUn8, oitler and vIllag%r,
and t&~%tam @kighwey* fittall inotudf~ eny vtreet,
BwmU%) tqlcy, uic;3way, or ;!ublio plecu or apwm, or
portion thereof, d%dloat%d to pub110 U%%.*
iat. 6673 (Acts 1923j, Y. A. i. 2.. provides Ln pert an fol-
LOW81
nThe Corpai88iOn is authorized to t&k0 Over 8Ad l&.A-
kin the VQl’iOG8 StQt% iii@,hWy8 iA TUI18, %fib the OOUti08
through whioh said highway8 gaf@.qhall bar f'roe from any
ooat, tbxpenoe or aupa+'fisfo~~of h2.i h&hways. . . .w
Art. 6673b (hCt8 1$39), V. A, C. Y., ~rovId%s In it8 entirety
88 tQuOW8:
iB hereby
“Tb Ststr iii&hW%yCrrmmi#~l~~~ &#UUlOPiS%&
SAd eqcwered, i.~ it8 QisOmtiOA, t0 %Ater iAt o&m-
tSMt8 Or a M&X%At8 *rIth the tjOV%min& bodi.8 Of
inoorpor~te r oItI%8, t6WA8, nA6 Viu8 68, uh8th8r
bio6rpOr8krd under the horru rule pro1 x S~OAS Of the
coA8tItutIon b;peoIel charter, or under~the Genersl
LFlW8, ~rnVI& for the loccltion, r8looetIozr, OOA-
rtruot 011, r%OoA8truOtIon‘ aa.At%A8Ac%, otultrol,
8U~OrVi8iQA, end HgUl8tiOA Or diY8i$A8ted Skt. hi&h-
ways wIthIxa or through the oorporats limits of 8uah
lnaorporat8d citio8, tom3 , and vlll&~ee, arid Q@tor-
crlnlng an4 tlsine the rimp%otlVc liabIlItla6 or
rW+OAaibiliti@8 of tha yarti88 r~aultitl$ therefrom;
%t\d auoh lncorpratml aitt%%, towns, and villag%% 6r8
hemby euthorizad end %fGpouer%d, through the &ov%rplog
b o dc t0o r suc ha ttI0rtoWR8, , a ndvlu8g 88 to lnter
into auoh OoAtraOtb or agr%aa%nt8 vith the Stat@
Ui&hWtlp ~Off&l.ibSiOA.”
Art, 6674.11 (~of.8 lY2J, QS axeodad hot8 19351, T. A. 6. S.,
provides 10 it8 antir%ty All fOlhV81
“i4;hcn%v%r * iu the judgmut ol tns Bt%te ii&hw
~~~~~&eion, the uacl or aoQ&i#itiOA ot AAJ' land for
roab, right ol weg puSpoa%a, thbor, earth, eton0,
grew1 or other natorlal, n%o%oraFy or OMVeai%At
to soy road to ba construct%d, r%UO~BtrUCt%dr -ia-
tein%d, hlensd, rtmightened Or lm&h~~@d, OX lud
mt axc%cd~ one hundred (100) fa%t in width tOr
strwun bed dlveralon I.0 conn%ctIoR *Ith U-A%locetiJV$,
rclooatIl;e! or rtonrtruotlon of % d%8iS%t%d S&it%
Eon. 2. c. Cretw, ?wa b
IlU&nfax by State iiighuay Couaiaaioh, the @am may
the
be acquired by purohase or oondeanatloh by the County
Co;Pmieeionerfl court. Trovided thet tha Couhty in which
the State Ilighway la located my pay for mm out of the
County aoad and Bridge Fund, or shy available county
funda.
-Any CowiiasionarsqCourt la heroby authorized to
eeaure by purohare or by oonderauatiozr on behalf or the
&tate of Tsxaa, any nclw or wider riat OS ray or land
not exceeding one hundred (100) feet in width for
8treaia bed diversion in oonneotion with We locating,
relooatlng or ooartruotion of e deslpted Stats
IilghWy, or lands or lands for material or bofiow pite,
to be used in the oonatruotlon, reconstruction, or
walntenanae of State Highwayi and to pay for the aem
out ,of tae c0w.W hoed and brides Fund, or out of any
speoial road f’undr or any available oounty funds. The
State blghway Commioaion shall be charged with the duty
of furnlrhiue to the County Coindualonem* Court the
plats or field notes of auoh right of way or land and
the description of suoh mterials ae mvy be m&rod,
lrter whioh the Oommiimlonera* Court may, ahd in hereby
authorinaC to pumheae or oondamnthe smi6, w lth title
. to the E&et6 ot Texas, in aeoordanoe with euoh field
,//
notea. krovided that in the 8vent of oondamzmtion by
the County the pooedura ohall be tha &am a8 that Mt
out in Title 32, hrtlclea 3264 to 3271, iaolu8lve,
tiovised Civil St6tutea of Texiwi, OS 1925. Frovided
that if the County Cormia~ioners Court of any County in
whioh euoh right Or way ia, lo the judgment of the
state ifighway Cti~ion, neoarraory for the oon8truotlon
of a part OS a denigrated Stats Elghway shall Sail or
refuoe to 8eeure by puroham or by oohdemhatlon for or
on behalf of the Stat@ of Toma, euah right of way or
part thereof, Uaediatsly and aa rpesdlly aa poeelble,
under said Title 52, Artiolea 3% to 3271, inolueive,
r5.c.vioed Civil iitetutsa of Texae, of 1925, after belog
nerved with a copy of an order of the State Highway
Commiaeslon identifying by field notea, the part of tha
tii@iway necaasary for the oonstruatlon of auoh deeig-
n&fed state Zlghway end reQue8ting euoh CoUnty COrmaiS-
sionara Court to eecure aame, then and ih (luoh event
Eg$lI;t&h ten (10) daya eftsr the servioa of auoh
mid mate Itighway comission shall divot the
*tto&y WWIMl OS Texes, to iaetltute oondafanation
P
r+”
prooaedlnga in t&a MM of the state of Tuxrta,for the
&:;$
2 purpose of securing auoh right of w&y. The r&&t of
ominwt dorprrin to oo~dem 6~y pert of a rl&ht of w&y
for a State designated highu&y, under the ooAditioA6
hamin oclt out lo hereby oonfernd on the state kiigh-
wey Comminsio~ end the Juriadiotion for the exeroine
o f luob rlgat la hereby OOAfermd oc the County Court
or TraVlS County. Suoh oondemnatlon prooeedinga shall
be instituted by the httOrnOy General by fllir;cj 8 stete-
6UBAtfor oonderznation with the COUAty JuQe of Travla
'I
'I Oounty, Teua, and the venue of auOh proo&ediA& ah611
y.s br in TraVla County, Texas, aAd jurladiotion and au-
thority to appoiAt three (3) dlaintereated rreaholbara
. of Travla County, Texas, as Ctmdaaionrra la hereby
ooeterrad upon tha CouAty Judge of Travis County,
Texas, end othorwlae auoh OoAdomatloA shall be ao-
.I~ oosillng to the prorialon of said Title 52, titiolar
,:F’;. 3266 to.3271, i~oluaivo, ,'i&vlaad Civil zitetutea of
TOxaS, or 1925.=
g Art. 6703 (Aotr 1885), V. A. C. s., yrovldra ia pert aa
:,;g
,'~ :. follow&r
.d
,p? ". . .said (oommirrioaara*) uourt ehall ~SSUPU
&Ad have oontrol or the 8tWrtS and alleys in all
oltlaa end lnoorpenkd toner in noes whloh, h&v&
%O dOfPOt0 (de faOt0) WliUi~i ~OVUrAfMlAt b the
aotlve diao&argr of the& pfffOi.al dutiesea
The oaao of G&bbert 'I* City of mowAuood,'~~g%~#. (2d)
344, t't a%., (Cit. A p., k;a6tlaAd, opl~ien by Jue?Am Funderburk,
alt of error refused Y , was a suit brought by Orbbecf et al to
noover for poraonal Ltjurier 66 a rasult of alleged negU&ence
of defeaduit city of Brownwood, a hosue rule oily. Gabbort, a&
employoo of Banner Gmaev3riaa 0ttamptirg to get into a truok
of &La csnployar, atoppad at A&&t On 6 Qtste hi&hv?&ytn the
City of Brownwood, stepped into t&r open u~&u&rdad &Ad of a
oulvert whloh had beeA ocumtruoted by tha Stats'Bighwoy Dsp&rt-
m&At and fell several feet, nuataini~g injur%o&. XeAoe, t&la
0866 raised the quest&n for deoiaion whether wider the plead-
logs and the unoontroverted evlderroe the City of Brownwood
h&d jq.r$adiotlon of tns partlouler aeotion of tie titate Hl@m&~
within St& 1ipJLts where tae aooldont ooaurred. Mother w&y of
rtating the Question it raised for doalalors is whethim the
transfer of juriediotion Over State RifEPlrsga in a oounty
from the County CO~~&&~OAW&~court of euoh oounty to the
State Kighwey C~RUJU~~~ABffeoted likewise a treA6f6r of the
furiadiotlon of the oitis6 eAO toWA iA EWO& OOwty over State
highways in euoh oitiea and towns to'the state !li@iw&y Co6miaalo~O
Juetice PuAderburk wrote et great 1snGth di&Oua6i~~ and reQOAOiling
$fJIJ. I). c. DJ.-F, pow 6
the above quoted atetutee and 4lattoguiahing many daoiaiona.
~muauoh aa hi8 lengt& declrlon la raadfly available. we dsem
it unAeoeaaary to quota it. BuSSioe it to bay that he held the
city of Srownwood liable for itc tort by first dater~r,ir,g era
holCin6 thet the City of WOWAWOO~ had i~:~CiUsfl~ Qo@,nlon
oontrol ma iuriediotion 1~. UWR, over and under the yub lo
stresta, 0v4nu4a. 011 ‘$y * an ]ipJi.&& 3 0 f t&e oity acQ that $hot&~
tl;ro I.&.alaturc could have tranalerred ~urisdlation of cftlea an&
‘forma over var%to~~Ler hl&hrsaya therein to the tttate iiip,hway Da-
portrant. AeVbrthel80b It Arlthilr oxvrerbfhl nor Lamliod cay
tntentfon to do so. ‘tic! point8 out th t St i t1 Q. 1 that
ht. 6473 operated to tmmbfer the Soker J”UP:%offione~s
OOUAtibR bAd/Or COUAt$’ (%lUAibbiOAlrr6’ ciOlUt8 OVaI? UtbtCi high-
waga within oouty limita to tha Stats iii&way Comalaalo~,
oitFaQ; &bbfne v. &%8StOAcl COUAty, ll4 Ter. 345, 268 3.w. 915,
and other caaca. IA this ~O~WO~~OA he Starthor btatear
*Z&orerffaotlra than Art&&e 6673br as indiaating
Legislative oonatruotion of ~rtiole 6673, is Al’tlola
66&n, luthorircLng oosuniaelonwa* oourta at county
exponae, but only as acants of the Etato fifgbray
2epartsent, to oondam laodo and mnteriala Soor
'OOARtFUOtiOA, PBOOAl)trUOtiOA, Or -intOAaAM Ot
stat6 kil.&waya.' rfll it be oontendad that thla
WlpOWW8 OOUAtJ’ OOi7&bb~OA@3Xb’ OOuttb t0 OOAdOSC
1aAda bad Jabtcrialb in the oitp lmtb Of 6A
imorg3oratad olty or town for stats highway pur-
poaoa? May aliouLd the power bs exerolaad at
oounty oxpmae rather than city or town expanse?
The oo~olualoA see818 to u8 to be ineeoapabla
thet the effaot of Artiole 6673 web to ooafrr upon
the Btste iii&hWny DfQtWbWAt OA4 the fOrEiOr jurib-
diotiOA of oouoty OOidbb,ioAer~’ OOUTtb, wnioh,
althou@ ~JI terma broad snou&h to inolude tbs formtir
JtCiRdiCtiOA Of Olti4a end tOWAs, ai6 not d0 aOb iOr
the very same rebaa~n they WON. oat inaluded I& t&b
jurladlation of oountg o~n~~isal~n~r~* court8 which
eeid article treraferrad to the lilghway i)eperkWnt.?
tie atatoa in effect, oitiag tiupreere Court suthorlrlea, that
tha ccuzmisalonora' Court tas n8vw hcd furiadiction to OpA up e
hiaway v&thin the oorwrate llaita of e city; timt aubh right
ir solely one of looal eelf -~:OVWAlWAt for the oity to axeraiw
and apeekr of possible dire and Erave ooA0equaA040 to the city
Wd its citizens should the ;itate ~~IighwayJ6pttrtaent a0 80.
503
~fon. I). C. Crser, page 7
StatUtes OOnfOrdng right OS WliACWltdO,,,RiA must be stristly
S&lowed end atrlotlyH~;;le~rued in Savor of owner of property
aought to be taken. . Kllbargar County, Comm. App., 55
s. x. (2d) 797. Fight of eminent domain must be exercised fn
aaoordanoe with strlat prlnolplea governing right. State v.
~lller, Clv. App., 92 S.??.(26) 107’3. The law having provided
* apeclflc fom of prooedure Sor aoqulrlng property for street
purpose8, any other method not so authorlced oar.not be upheld.
city of Dallas v. Bergtleld, Clv. App., 245 S. K. 749; Coolays
aonstltutlonal Llmltatlone 8th Fa.., vol. I, p. 138.
In Adams v. Rookwall County, Texas, Comm. App., 1926,
280 s. :y. 759, Juatloe Nickels held, that Rookwall County dlb not
bare the Power to oondemn lands for road purposes wlth,ln the
corporate limits of the town of Royse.
By virtue OS the holdings and reasoning in Oabbert v. City
of Brownwood espeolally, and the hOldlAgS and maeoniq generally
in other oases olted, we answar your Question No. one in the ’
negative.
To answer ysur aeoond question, we puotl3 from seotiog 33,
20 colpas Ju-ris pp., 545-546:
Vhem the laglslatura dela’gatss tha right to
exaralae the power OS eminent domain the grantee of
the power oannot surrender, transfer, or redelegate
the same to another unless expressly authorized by
the statute oonferrlxig the power. . .*
The text is supported by the Texas base of ~:atkine v. Hopkins
L COtMy, Civ. kpp.. 72 6. W. 872. Therefore, we answer your
question No. TWOin the negative.
NOW in regard t0 your third question, Art. 5240 (A&s 1903)
provides as follows:
Vhen any land shall be required by the State
for any charaater of public use, the Oovernor la
authorlaed to puroh~ase sala land, or the right to
the use thereof, Sor suah purpose; or, falling to
agree with the owner on the prloe therefor, such
land may be condemned for such pub110 use in the
name of this State. TJpon the dlreotlon of the
Governor, prooeeain,@e shall be instituted against
the owner of the land by the Attorney ceneral or
under his dire&ion by the dletrlot or county at-
torney. Should the award of damages in the opinion
I: i.i 1.
504
of the Covernor be ex~essl~e. euoh award ahall not
be p~ld but tbe Ztata shall pay the oosts oE the
proceedlnqs and no rurther eotlon abell be t&w.”
~rtiole 1107, v..k.C.2., ,providee in pert aa r0ii0w8:
“2s lncorporat,ed olty. or town ahell have the
rlc,ht of eminent domain to oondemn private property for
either of the following purposerr
“1. To open, ohawe or wlden any pub110 street,
avenue or alley. . . .*
Art1016 1202, V.A.C.S., pmrldrr in part as follows:
u?Wbjeot ts the tenan hereof, the governlq body
or a city may lay out, open, eatabllsh, widen, rtraifihten,
or extend any highway within its limits, and puPohss6,
oondemn, and take property thenfor. . . .*
Art1016 1203, V.A.C.S., provides ln part a8 follower
*Cities may purchase by axreement wlth the owner any
property, all or part or which in the opfnlon 0r the gov-
ernlnq body la neoesaary for tha naklng ot lmprote!uuItr
under the terms hereof, an6 pay for 8~ Out Or any fund8
ersllable. . . .*
%c here bean unable to tlnd any authorities oonstrulng the
powra or the crovernor under Art. 8240. Rowever, we oonolude that
Arts. 1175, 1082, 1086, 1107(l), 1.202, and 1203, supra, are to be
oonstrued in para materla and as giving oltler exolual+o domlinlon,
oontrol, right to purchaee rights at way, and rl#it of eminent do-
main and jurladlotton ovar publia mtroetm and highways within *he
sorporate limits of home rule oltlea. The Legislature hating enaoted
$crneral statute9 making a general provlslon r0r all oasee (a6 ror
example, all hlghwqya In ell Counties) and having furthar anaated
atatutca aakins special prwlelona for a partlotiar oataeor class
(as ior example, highways in citlea anll towns) the former yields and
the letter prevalla, lneorar aa the particular oaes or olaea ia oon-
Qerned . Sabbert va. City or ‘LrownWoQ, aupra.
~thersfore anmwer your third ‘question in the negative.