OFFICE OF. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
I
!
Honorable W. P. Bems, Jr:
County Auditor
lfa liar c ountg
Eempstead, WAS
Rear Slir .ipl’b.toa no. .o-6991 .
ded to VaLtor
t baok fop con-
nad ~for 15 pars, a~&
C high, thus creatlxq a
rlty, without Comlsslonsr~a Cou*t
clooo this rmd by a oomon fenoe?
“If your anwar is Ko’ then what Fs the
propor action to be takei& the Comissioner~s
Colmi? .
It has ba,en hpld tb.zt the publ,lio right to a madway
Is but on easenont, vhathesr the roadway 1s dod%cated by the j
wber 0~ ucc~uirod by pwchaso OP established by prosorlptlon.
(sea: 22 %xbiJ~e., Sm. 93, p. 622 and cams cltod themxander~
Booue et al V; Clur!: et al, 21’: S. 11. 637; HwbLo OF1 and he-
flniq3 Co. v. lle~gcqcr, 19 S. C. (26 457; C; FJ. Xei.2 et 02, v. '
33iar3peientrimty co. (sup. ct. 1.30. 70 11, L., R., 550).
In the case oT Clutter v. Eavic (CW. App.) 62 S. If.
1107 (error refussd), the Ccwt saldr
%pon the d~soontincsnce or tha W&way
the soL2 and f’reohoid revert to the omer.
KLtohell v. Bnss, 26 Fer. 300.”
In-CO~Sl.+CtiO~~With 8 QUWitiOD COUCWIli~ the MtlU’i3
& the sts tsts rights in conm~ction vlth coxtafn port;ions of ‘.
formi* croanl;y ~EKI~ rhich bad bceti abandonad as public wads, ’
,vhere no fozml deed or easement bad OWF beeu secured by the .
Ooun$y or &ate Prctn the oirnep for said roadvay, this depsart-
,.me,nt heldr .
_’
: “l&t tslm it frown the alumi quoted po~tidn of
your letter that noue of .ths trqcts in questFon
were secured by on o&right deed in fee sinplo
frix~ the fee cwner to the county or state and answer
your questions on that asnum~tion. !Fherefore, the
ctost that the state aculd ovu under tiic oircuastanc~s
would bs au oanemnt for hflghvag purposes. Thus, vhea
the road is closed and absndoned the right to we end
‘occupy the laud vould revort to ths ovuar~free and clear
of the eesment 8nd tho stste vould have no right to” : ._
rataln 8mm for othr piiosc8, ‘~8 the state uever had
any sight to USQsuch land cxce3t for highmy purposes.
The, Pee silc;?le title bwacnod vith the easouent remained
In the cmoer thereof, at the time the easemant vas
orested, hin holrs ond rssifns. This is true vhethor
the ocsenont wca acquired b$ dcdicatFon frou tho mnor
for roodway puxxposes, ncquirod by pwch!so of a right
of may for rmdvqf pu.qoso s, condomed under tho lew
of enittont doomin for roadvny purposes, or cstabllsbed
by prcsoriptlon. ”
.
.
.
:
&horam3 u. g. Horrii3;Yngo 3
In vlcv or the 3bdve ond fore~olll~, nnd uudnr the
f&a ataiqea Fn your lottor, It 13 our opinfon that vhcn th8
county haa.sbsxidonad a pui3l3.c PM~, 6wh a~nr30nmnt opcvstos
'8s a l?olc?$3o to the OiillcPa of tik3 P?l@t of aublio use Of sold
.road. It $s fwthm ow opinion tk&t, unde$ such ~l~i~~rzats~es,
the cxncrs:i~vo th3 right to USCan3 OCCUPY sc$h foru~?r rmdvsy
fr8e &Ed Char OP easemt-ct f0~ purp0309, End t&t
p‘k3liC rO3d
the epp~oval of the Comissionor~ * C&i-t in commotion t&we-
uith 1s not ntocesary.
.Me trust that the fomgoin?; sstfsPao+xM.ly ansri0ra
your quQadi.on.
YOum vury tcu1y
.
A'ATORB73Y
GIZ-ZUL OF TZXkS