Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

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