452
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
reaouiitrblo:ar i
icre of oiilac+, or
a fee that ma be
retaind by $ha .
oounty attommy.
i the Rmvi~a& 8tatute8,’
hat. the Etato Bmrd of
tf Or ~iBtri&l CtttWA89
Ung a alaim X5 robate
oouaty or dibtr Pot
tea peroent deeion an the
aleo prorldre thnt the oountp
tohey may rafueo to~sot, in other words,
ke it nmndrtorf that they shmll aot in
this 0~ per aent oollsoted ae oaranic~f~lOnnr
by the oounty attmnay nooouatable a8 face of offlo~
or individual iasP
Sa?tian 5, of Artlolm 3196A, V.A.C.S., prqldsrt
"Upon the written request of the stats mara
of Control, the oounty or dietriot attorney or in
oane of the reruaal or inability of both to aot,ths
Attorney Cknsrsi, ahall rsprsaent the Stnta in ffl-
ing a olaka in probate court or e petition fn P
oaurt of aompetwit ~~urlsdlotfon, wherein .-the_iprdlan
__
453
for hi8 support, may be oltsd to appear then and
the?8 to show ORUSB why the State ohould not haro
jtigxent ncainot him or them ior the srmount due
it for the SU~FQV t, aaintenanoo and trerrtmsnt of
ouch patient; and, upon suftlolemt shawlng, judg-
sent my be entered a4aZnst otmh guardian or other
persons for thQ amount found to be due the State,
whioh Ju&qaent may be mtaPoo4 as in other oaseo.
A verified aocouht, ouorn to by the ouperlhtendent
of the respeotioe hospitals OT poyohopathlo hoopl-
talo whereln suah patient lo being treated or ha8
been treated, as to the anmnt .4ue rho11 be sui-
rid6nt eofUonoe to authorfse the oonrt to rondar
judgment therein. The oounty or dlstrlot attorney
represehtin4 the Stste oholl be ontltlod to a
OOIWI~M~M of tsn (10%) per gent 0r ths amount ool-
leoted. All a~onlso oo oollootsd, leso ouch oonuulo-
oion, shall be, by the osl4 attorney, paid to the
State Board of Control, uhioh shall roooito ond
receipt for the oamo and oholl Issue ‘the name ior
the maintenonoe an4 lmprwaoent of #aid lnotitutlon
01: lnotitutloho in whloh oald patients ohall have
bseh oonf lmd .*
‘Ihe foregoing otatute authorlseo the State Board oi
Control to request the oounty or dlotrlot .attornoy in wrltia4
to represent the Ytote in fillng a ala&o in probate court or,
o petition in 8 oourt of oompeteat jurlo4iotlon wherein the
gaardlaa of a pationt ond/ot other person io logall~ llablo
iOr hia SuppOrt. This ototute allowo the ootity or dlatrlot
attorney representing the State a lO$ oommloolon cb the oeou&
oollecte4. Generally opoaklng, a r00 or any oomponoatlon pal4
a pub110 ofifoe~ for the poriormcrnooo or a duty cspjolnod bY
statute is a fee or oompensatloh oolleote4 in on 0rfiolQi
oepaclty. (See the cnse o? hueors County ?o. Cerrin&on, et a,
162 S. ‘i. 24, 087, and the authoritleo dlted tberoin.)
Artiole 3891, V. A. C. S., reeda, in part, 88 followo:
I.. . .The oompehoetlono, llaitatlons en4 amrlaumo
horain flrsd in this aot for orfiaero shall lncludo
tin% epply to ~11 ofrloers mentlonsd herein mnd eaab -
and every county at this State, and it .I8 heroby de-
olared to be the intention of the Le&io~eture that the
proYlolans 0r this Aot ohall applp to each or *al4
orfioero, and aqp opeoial or general low lnoonsiotent
Kith the prwlslono hsreof lo hereby oxpress repeal84
Insofar as the same may bs fnoonofotent with th3.8 AOLw
454
hon. G. Zarl Eutahlngs, pace 3
“The compensation, llmltstlone and ;~axl;~ums
herein fixed shall also apply to all reaa and
conpensatlons whatsoever onllected by aald of-
ficers in their offiol~l aapacity, whether ao-
aountable SCIfees of oif’lce under the present
?e,w, and my law, general or epealal, to tho
orantrary, Is hereby expressly repealsd, The o::ly
kind and charooter or oonpensatlon exempt from
the provisions of this hot ah611 be rewards re-
ceived by eberlrfe for apprehension of orl.mlnale
or fugltlvea from juutlar snd for the reoovory
of stolen property and monlea receifed by county
judges .end justloss or Lhe pssoe ror perioraing
marriage oerenonles, whloh au9 shsll not be ao-
countsble for end not required to be reported a18
rees Or orme.*
Young County hae a population OS 19,001, inhabitants,
aooordlng to the 1940 Federal Census and me are lnrormed by
the C~ptroller*s ofrice that the ~~mml~sioners~aoitrt0r
Young county has determined that the county-~oifloers In euoh
county shall be compensated for their serr1ge.s by the payment
of an annual salary. Your attention la directed to Seotlons
,zia: “,fo 5; or Artlole 39126, V.A.C.S., and it ~111 be noted
. or Art. 39120, aupra, makes it the duty of all
offloera to’ohargs and oolleot ln the manner authorized by
law all fees and c~v&slons which are permitted by law to be
;;rsbd and ooll6oted ror all orriolal servloes perrormed by
. And when ruoh fees are oolleoted, they ahall be de-
~poelted in the ofrloero~ ealary fund or runda provlded in the
act.
The Supreme Court of Texas, in the oaso of Nlaholn,
et al, vs. Galveston County, 228, 9. ;k;. 547, quoting frcm the
cane of Zard vs. Harrlaon County, 209 S. “:.793, said:
We cannot agree with appellants In their
contention that the oommlsslona received by the county
judpe for the sale of Harris oounty drainage dlstrlat
honds are not included lr. the term ‘feea or all klndav
ss thet ters 1s used In Artlale 3881, Vernon’s Saylea’
Civil Statutes, Plxlnp the s?arxialu~%
aoapensation allowed
county officers. Cn the oontrary, ~6 think the dealslcna
of our Suprgile Court end Courta of Cl011 Apooals settle
this qusstl~n ndveraely to eppellants* contention. The
eerernl purpose of the naximwn fee bill was to limit the
compensation reoslved by the officer8 named therein
..
455
non. G. Earl ?Mx.hl~a, page 4
- ror the pertorslanceof their oiflclal duties,
and the term 'reas of all kinda* as used ln
that not, has been sxpresaly held to lneluda
commissions allowed by law ior the perrormanoe
ot official duty, the oonuals,slon 80 allowed
not bein& exoepted from the msxlmum roe bill
by any provlalons or the statute." (Also 860
the oase of Taylor, et al, vsJWms~ttsrCounty,
144 S. %. 314.)
In view or the iore%olAg authorities,you are
respaotfullyedtlaed that it la the oplnlon of this
department that the lG$ oolleotedes commls8lonby the
oounty attorney under Sm. 5, of Art. 3168A 1s aeoounta-
blo as e tee 0r 0rri00 aed aunt be grid into the orrloerd
ralary ruad. Stated airrer0ntlJ, the oounty attornef 18
not legally authorlztid t0 per&Bna~lyW&sin this O(IPml88ioll.
Ardell Mlllsm
Assistant
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