479
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable C. H. Cavnsar
EitatcAuditor
Aumtln, !l!eur
Dsrr Sir1 op~lnlonRo. o-
Rea Im tit10
u grve La8oertain secta,
r the bookc or au-
ml'm l-wpatiment.
Q&g documultmr
480
mn. C. H. Cavaeem- Page 2
2. Yarrmnty Deed, dated May 15, 1935, exeuuted
by Hark L. W&lnton and wife, Oorham Wlginton,
conveyfng to the State Staff Corps and Detach-
ment Club a 1.35 acre tract situated in Travis
County, Texm', and described by mete8 and
bound8 therein, for a reaited comiidemtion of
$1,000.00. The aoknovledgrarmts on this 6e.d
were dated tkptember 9, 1935, and it VQB filed
for record in the cfflce of the County Clerk
of Prsvlr County, Texan, oa September 10, 1935.
3. Photoeteitio oopy 0r the oharter state
of the
Staff Corps mad Detaahment Club, vhich was
approved September 9, 1935, by the Seoretary
of State, and vhlch show Lieutenant Oolonel
Bonae H. Carmloha& Major Q. C. Taylor and
capfialaRklph A. ~ewio a. tba oorporrtic6l'r
direstorm.
4. Illnut Of a erll%d IceWtlng Of th SW0
Staff Corpr 8ad Detaobmnt Club number8
(earboaoopy), dated l&y 26, 1941. lluahRIP
uter rwlte, uwag other thing*,that Colonel
Carmiohaeldfed September Z4,1938;thatthe
- oaly other two mmbere, namely, JfaJor Fwlor
and Gepkla Lwi~, vew prerent at the met-
ing, and thrt the fol%W.llQ rWo]LUtlon W88
duly doptedr
"URRRRAS, 011Augumt 27, 1935, Ii.H. Caml-
chaed and Q. 6. Taylor end Ralph B. kW18 did, on
or shout August 27, 1935, deternine to o~anlse
thOiU8~1V.8 into a Club, and to that aardthey did,
oa September 9, 1935, file with the Secretary of
State of Tuta8 8ikapPlf'.UttOn for a ohsrter Of 8Ueh
Club to be known a8 J3tate8ta.W Corpr 6nd IkItreh-
ment Club, whloh applicationwas appreved W the
Secretary of State ot Textbeon the date upon which
it W88 fib& 6lld
"WsiEm, the thme individualsabove
mmedwere andare the on%y per8ons whohave ever
been member8 al said Club and Golan01 B. B. Oar-
michael, one or l&ld 5OBbdF8, died in the gear
1938, and the other two above named are now all
ROD. 0. N. CaVDe88 - Page 3
ol the and the only membera of t&la Club: and
"UHRREAS,by an lnetrwmnt dated &Say16,
1935 but shoving on its face that It v&a not
executed until September 9, 193S, Mark L.
Wiglnton and his wife conveyed to srld r.%ub
a traot of'land belng 1.35 acre8 out of th8
Qeorge W. Spears League, Travis County, mm%
particularlydeeorlbed in raid dead; md
%iBiRMS, said deed wao not deliveredun-
tll SepteabsP 10, 1936, On vhich date it V88
plaaed of reaord vlth the Couaty Clark of
Travis couuty, Texa8, and is to be r0uad Of
reoord oa pmgos 36l-362 of Vol. 526 af the
Deed Reoord8 of 8tid County; and
%UBUSA8, t&o mnaldenation of $lfiOO.OO
realted la said deed va8 sctuelly paid by the
Adjutaut @enemil' Deportmentof Taxa by
warrant8 drawn agaiootthe funds in the State
Treamary appropriatedfor the pro~wwtmat of
amaries SOP the tilltary forces of Tex8a and
neither this Club nor ang meaber thereof paid
C4tlypart Of 8U& oon8ldsr~tlonlan8
%isimw3, at tin t,lmeor the r0rrPatim
or this Club aad of e8id aonveyanaeand raid
pagnrsnttha Adjutant Oeneral'r Department in-
tanded to, by tho u8e of fund8 so approprlatod,
aopuirs said laud and, thereafter,oonstruet
thereon a bail&g oc building8 for the u80 of
au& military force8 and, in order.thnta legal
entity take title to osld property, thin club
vae orgaaiaedand chartered;and
"WiRftEA8,shortly after the aaquisltlon
of said property, the proourementof ruch
amorles me, by Statute, t6ke.nfPom 8UGh Ad-
jutant General'8 Departsmntand plaaed in the
Texse Rational QYard ti.raery Baard, v&we 8unh
procurementauthority nw rep~esi and
?BWBA5, tt has thereby beaoPieimpo88i.-
ble to oam?y out, ln the mm3.uePand fom8
intended, the origiPal.purpo86 for rbiah thl8
Club Y&8 ol?ganiredand said PWoha8e aUd8, but
4S2
plan.C. 8. Cavaesr - Page 4
it is possible to aooompllsh praetioally
the 8ame purpo86 fn the lImxumr provided in
thlllreDolut:onl
“Therefore, be it and it 18 hereby re-
solved by the Stat8 8ta.H Corp8 and Detaoh-
I8eSIt
Club and by all the mmberr Oi 88ld
Club, a8 fOlloW8t
"1. That the Preuidentof'tU8 Club be
aad he 18 hereby authorlmd and directed to
oxmute and proper1 aaknovledgeedeed,
la behalf Of chi8 Cfub, aud ito ontire IYIP-
bermhlp ooILV%y%a& for@nNinrl. WHi8ldW+
tioa, t& e la ldtnot or land to the lox88
IlatlonalWard Arwwy Board, a body pollti
aad oorpanste under the dktuter of~x88, on
the to11owLng aondltion8,tolritc
the 8UdBoard 8hellnoton orbeforethe ex-
piration of the ten you period lmediately
iOlloVS.ngthe lxecutlou OS 8uah deCrdbegin or
~prooureto be begun on raid laud the con-
stlslctlaa of a buZld+ OF bu%ldLngs lxatanded
to be leased by 8alb Board to tha State of
Texas 8s conteml8ted ia th0 StatutesgovemUg
8afd Board end law8 umnd8toPy tihereol and,
thereaf’ter ooa@eto suoh ooxmtrwationwith
reasonable dirpatoh, the title 80 oonveyed vill
revert to the State of Texas for the use and
benefit of the Adjutant Qen6ra.lof ths said
st4te, @Ad hi8 8UOoO88Ol’8 in OffiaO, OtbDnri80
to beaome absolute in 8aid Board.
"2. That the tmmetaryOS thitsClub be
end he 18 hereby authoriredsad diroated to
aSfix ths seal of thlr Club to raid deed 8nd
atted the #@~a utd properly urknowledgsaald
deed.
"3. That eaah of the two prorent membera
of thin club join in raid deed ia their indlvl-
dual capacltie8snb in their Oa&WWitiO8a8 1Dw-
hers md DlreUtors of this Club.
'4. That after the exeoutlonof such
deed as aforesaId, the 8e8e be dellverod to the
~hyO'OX181 (8UW-d&8IW$' BOM'd thl'OU@ it8
l
c. H. Cam488 - Page 5
"5. That Mrr. Edna Pa Camlchaei
be pnd 6he I8 hereby r a q uer Ild and authcwi-
aed to execute .sn appropriate La8tmment in
her lndlvldual capaalty and a8 Indepuxlent
Exeoutrix of th4 Eatate OS Ii.If.CarmUhael,
deooea646, tranBfarrin$and wnveylq to uid
Amtory Roard, under the 84164 conditionsa8 above
Bet out, all of her right title and lntrrest
and ail of the right, tltie and intme8t hsld
and poBree84d br il.H. Camlohel at the tlm
of hlr death In and to said iand, and that
the seamtary of thl8 club tranmU.t to her a
copy ot tbi8 lW6Ohti’Xl vlth th4 r4qu48t that
rho execute 4u0h 8n irutruwnt.
“6. That 04rtlSied ooplsa of the lflnut48
of this me4tfAq and 0f tsll8ReBolutian b4 de-
llvsmd to raid Ammm Board at th, tlma raid
deed LB deliv4md."
5. Warranty deed, dated H6y 26, 1941, wouted
by StrEe Staff Oorp8 an& Deta&umnt Club,
eonveyiaq to the Texas RatichnaiWard
Armory Baud th4 1.35 (LOW dercrlbad in
tbs deed referred to In paragraph (2) above,
upon th4 ioilovlng oanditlon,hov4v4rt
'lithe ra.ldArmorJBaard,Ita
6uase88or8 or aa8Qn8, 6hai.Lior
any r4a8on. fall or refuBe, 0IIor
b&or4 tbm rxpintion af the R4rled
or t4n ydarr iam4diat4lyfollov4j
the date of thir in8tmmant, to
aotwllg begin to ocmrtruat on mid
land, and thereafhr pro8,souts the 8ame
to completionvith msaroaabledilig4nce,
a busldtag or bu.Llding8~lntendad ior 14aah
to tha Stat4 Oi l%sa~ under the lav8 mu
pr4valliing, Orany 86m&64ntrth4r4of,
the title hsrrby oonveyed st.mll pa66
froste&id Hoard unto th4 Stat4 of T4%a6
for the 1184 and bsnsflt of the Adjutant
Qeum%i’8 D4partBmkt Of Bald St8t4 Of
Texaof but if such oOn6truatlonbe 40
be@m and proB4out4d ta aom&?letian, thl8
d4ed to Bald ROard BhaLl be00164lb6olute.*
6. Qultolaiead44d, dated Ihy 26, 1941 executed
by Edna Pay Camhhael, lndlviduaiiyand as
Bdep4nd4nt Exe0UttrS.xof th4 PBtate Of
H. H. Carmlcbael,deeemed, 44nv4yln43 to Texas
1
484
Hon. C, H. Cavnear - Page 6
National Guard ARttoryBoard all of
the right, title and intereat of grantor
In eltber capaolty in aud to the 1.35
6Cl'48above described.
7. Lint of varraUt8, 4ggregating $2,000.00,
paid out of funds of th4 Adjutmt O4114ral*a
Department a8 rentals, tovit;
Warrant Ho. Amount m To whor IBBU4d
4;g.g hy, 1935 Clyde H4i14y, TrUsti
:p68;; June, 1935 Clyde Hailey, Zmrtee
60&h& July, 1935 Ralph A. Levia, Trustee
::
i3g .m6 ., 1935 Ralph A. L4wl.4,Trustee
8. l6i644~BZk4OUB correrpondenoe.
-9. working Sketch of Camp ykbry.
You request our opinion upon the tolloving
"1. if66 th.iB tr6nrrotion properly
handled aa to the m6mer in vhioh this pro-
perty va8 acquired, tht ia by &%ymtmt of
State fuuds oharged on the book6 as rental
vhioh vaa actually pay Tor 1.35 a4r48 of
1-d vhexw the title r46
'"&4d vlth three lndl-
vldual6, on4 of vhom ve kuov vaa a Stat4
employee, orgmlsed as chs State Staff Gorpr
8nd Oetaah6mt Club, 46p4oially In v%bv of
the fact that the propsrty vaa acquir4d by the
club in 1935 and ~66 conveyed to a State
Agg;; +a 141 after a lapse of some six
“2. Is DOourA4ntliumber
5 ablnd%ng
document in V16V Of th4 fact th6t the Stat4
Staff Corps and Detaoimsnt Club la ~%oxvJ&.~~
the 1.35 aOl’46 t0 the T4xa8 ~atiOlld &UW’d
mory Board COnBidQNItiOnof ‘#lO.OOt
for a
whereas th4 Club did not pay for this plWQ4rty
Fn the beginning as it va6 p4ld for by dis-
buraeM4ntB fW?m the fund8 Of th4 AddjUt6.Ut
485
Hon. c. Ii.Cavneaa - P4ge 7
04uer6116 D4partment,and furth4r r4rtrictlv4
clauses conditionthe dsed?
“3. Whet Statb &ency dO4B hold title
to this property under the 4xl6ting documnt?
If 4Ay fatlitb4 found iU th484 inBtNWNlt8,
vhat should be don4 to oorreot SW? We feel
there 8hod.d be a clear tit14 to th4 3tate of
T4XaB. *
The, Stat4 Of T4XaB bsB the SW right-8 and POVerB
in r46peCt Of property aa an individual. It 166y84qUir4 mail or
person61property by conwyBno4, vi11 or othervise,aud hold or
t::r;t~f the property or apply it to 4ny purpose a6 the Stat4
. Povbr in re6pect of State property rights Is vested
in the LeglrlatUre,and the ~&$BidlI’b tionb may e%bl'ol8eth4
power neaersary to the enjoymentand prot4atiouof those rights
by th4 snaotmentof statutes for that purpo84. 38 Tex. Juv. 836.
8. B. lo. 526, AotB of th4 Regular 8488ion of the
44th Legislature,1935, trMBf4ITed eatrtaiaproperty ovned by the
State of T4a~tB aud theretoforeanqulzwd for th4 u6e of the Ad-
jutant Oeniwal's D4partm4nt to the State Hlghvay Ikpartiwnt,
aud authorlaed th4 Stat4 Hlghvay Department to p8y over to the
AdjuttMt Qeneral'a Departmnt ths au61 of $3,200.00,vhi4h lull VBB
plaaed in a apscl4l fuud ln ths Stat4 Treasury to the or4dlt of
th4 Adjutant General's Mpartrmnt. 8uoh Act authorlred the Ad-
jutant Oenerni~s IMpartlaent to purchase pnd acqtiz-4suitable
right Of vay and 4UtMnO6 t0 CaIiIp l&bTg, 88 iU it8 jUd@4nt may
b6 deemed neaberary and propw', such prOp4rty t0 be paid for Out
oi the speulal fund thereby created. Suoh Aot further provid4d
th6t 6hould the $3,200.00 6petial fund not be 6ufflaiunt,an
amount sufficient,not to exceed )3,200.00,va6 appropriated to
the Adjutant &meral'a Departmint to pay the differenae betvesn
the Sp4Cial fund and th6 pWWh684 prLo9 paid for 6Uah rlght'of
way.
Purawmt to euch Aat, the Adjutant &rneral's
Departmentacqulr4d tLtl4 to a .55 acre tract from Frenk Roll
and vif4 for $1,345.00;a .6669 a&e tract from be. Alice Alken
for $1,800.00;and a 3.2 acre tract from n. L. Ulglntoa and
vif4 for $3,200.00. Such prop4X%y is nov used 66 M eI%trmC4
to CampR6bry. The 1.35 aore tract pUWh864d by the State Staff
Corps and Dsta&twsnt Club, simultaneou6lywith the abovs pur-
ohases by the Adjutant Oeneralt6 Department,is located juet
east of thie entrance.
I Ihwing the months of May, Jun4, July and AuguBt,
486
EUZi.0. fI.~Vll488 - Pf&4 8
1335, th4 VarrarltB dararlbed Iu Ml?eph 7 lb o VeVer4 iSSUed
upOn VOUI3h4l’B signed b cOiOIl4ik'Bli&84l, 88 ABBiBtUlt Ad-
jutant wneral. Suoh vowhers stated that th4 8um8 ver4
for *arBiOrJT rBnld.6” for Stat4 staff cOrp6 and BakChBIMt
madqu8rt4rr 36th Di~l810n Trains; Co6unuy D, 141th Infautry.
we have be4n unable to locate any vrlttau rentai egreoment
betveen ttU Adjutant 04nezel'a D6pmt6mnt and Colonel Car-
aieh641, I(rjorTaylor 4nd CapkIn L4vi6, Truatooa for the
btate Stxff Corps and Detaokm@nt Club. T& oovporatlon,State
utaff Corps and DBtaaba4nt Club, did not oom Into legal ex-
Iat4nae untL1 8ept4mber 9, 1935. On au4h data, Mark L. VIgIu-
ton md vife conveyed to such oorporatfonthe above desorlbed
1.35 aar4 traot of land. We am at a 108~ to underrrtapd the ma-
son for the "amwry rental" vouoh4r8, axxaept the &at-t In
th4 R4Bolutlon,on p6ge 3 hereof, to the offeot th4 oaurId4ra-
tlon of #1,800.00 xwolted In the doed from N8rk L. Wiglnton
urdVifef0 th4 State Staff GOrOB audDBt@&~64& Clubpu
lo tua p~y a idby th A 4d& ta &nerai18
d Ik p a r ta a ndent,
neither
luob Qlub nor any ma&or thereof paid 4ny part of luuh Croprid-
lntloa.
SSaoe Colonel CarmMbul va4 A8riBtMt Adjutant
Generai and Trustee for th4 Mate Staff Oorpr and Wtauimmnt
Olub, Any awit& qrea~mn t ha might attai8pt to make betvoen
the State of Texas and 6ueh Club vould be void aad salnst
public pl3lIlQ. I3 Am. Jur. PP. l05, 107% myerr
8. w. 305; CI$ of EdInburg v* HiiIB, 59 s. u. &r%z6
"armoryrantai agmeaantva8voId,mdbtrte fuad#vereuueed
to pay th4 oonaIdrratIonfor the &ed to th4 club, v4 am of
th4 opinion that W Sate of Taxas, at Its eleatlan,vi11
have a c0natructlv4trust upon 6UUh property, Vith the Mm0
right8 to follov its funds into ltmh property 88 4n Zndlvldual
vould have under th4 6am4 oIruum6tanoes.
zn viev ofth4 fast that the Texm Aatiowbl
Guard Arpiory
Board paid no value to the State Staff Corps and
Dataobnumt Club for the d44d to it, 8aad16 a State Agemy
vlth notloe of the ofiloiil porttion of Cob3ne~ C6rmIchae1, ve
belI6v6 Wbst 8u& Boa+& holds this proparty upon a aonstructlve
trust for the Stat6 of ‘PeJU%B.
He anav4r your questIan* a8 fo1loval
Firat qU4BtioPI This tran6aCtiOn -8 IlOt Property
handl6d sine6 bate fund6 vdm u6ed uudsr th6 gUiB4 Of *aFPloW
rsntals to pay the purchase price for proparty vhere the title
487
xon. 0. B. Cfbm488 - rage 9
th4r4to w48 t8k4n In th4 mm8 of another. Iiov4ver, it
Bhould be noted th8t thr Adjutmt Wnerrl'a Departunt h8d
no OXpl.468 hgiBhtiV4 ruthorltyto PUWJhaBe thi4 pl’O~~‘ty,
8nd could not have pUrCh8ed 88m for ths Stat4 of TWB
vlthout BU4h legislativewthorlty.
S4aoud uu4rtIo~~~t~el14v4 th8t domamnt
Bo. 5, abOV4, iB a “binding d , but thnt the TWB
I4tIonBlOu4rdAmwyBo4rddld8thiB property Upon8
eon8tru~tIvetrust for th4 Ot&te or TWB, b4aau44 (1 NC&
Board paid no value for this property, aud (2) 18 a 8late
pgysti aotlo* bf th4 offIoI4l porltion of Colonel
.
Tuaa National @uard
AmoryBoarQ rty, Nbfeot to and
upoaaaonrt of Texas, at the
lleatlon of th4 Legl8i4tura. If tb k#tituX'4 4iMtB t0
a oanrtruotlvo
lnfo r a e trust up00 this propwt~, a ooavoy-
anae to th4 State or mlt by th4 Attornq @4aW8l to 4n-
tOrOe 8U4h tl%Bt xiu. be llO~.BB~ t0 V@Bt title in th4
mat.. Th4 r4m4dy of 4aforal.nga o4n8truatIvetmmt upon
ml.6 property iB not 4xaluBIv4,but it apperra to ua mre
tUnibl4.
YOU’S very truly