c
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTXN
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a- c. MIllI4
mramuvoI*- 4
Hon.. O.J.S. Elllnz~on - Page 2
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,
Hon. o.J.3..zlllngeoll
- Page 3
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It is a ganaralrule that o&tierhave euah
pouor, and suah Power ow, a'8~
ia oonlerredupan them
‘by statute or epssialohorter aad saoh addltianal
powerr, a6 sriBt by. neo@rBary finplloeMw imxa powm~
,granted
tihembfthe bgislaturo; stersneYe city
or Dublh (13lV. Ap~i, Port Worth, 19l4) 1.693. W.
US81 Vosbtzg,&Q'Or, V. %Crary, 77 Tex. 568, u+.
S.X,~195$ banham v* Nator Co., 67 Tex. 542, 4 8.U.
:U38 1YaQuillfn an'Wnl0lpa.l Corporationf3,Sea. 229.
.I19 ax. 302.
It is also generallyheld that oltleshftve
.~ no.auf&orityto olOes street8sxoaptas the power to
&o 80 hai been expreissly ooafetied-by etatute or :~
:speolalohsrt%.i-.l~%lliatton IWads and Streets,
3~. 30; 2 Idem. Soo. ll77; ~13 H. C* LI 67 3601 60;
Bgre V. Mqhir (WV. App., Port Worth, 1417) 197 S&F.
Authoxityto Taoate and~'alose alley@ has bwa held
m*to inaludeby Impli&tiOn.a 8inrtlar porrerdth re-
;gardto ~BtreotB. Steveas va tJltyor Dublin (CJlv.App.,
:rgrtyo*th* 19l4.149 8, PI.1q,.
., 'i,.
Grants or power to othdr subordlntito go~ema-
:awtal agsnoietiare usuallyISODSstriotlyoonetrwd than
.srtt
those to lneorporated numioipalitiea.Stratton
'V.~ommlw~otiera' court (Clv*APP., San Antonio,19w
1.37 s. w. U70; I.3. Tax. Jur. 563, Sec. 36.
Prom these oonaideratidos,
it r0llowathd .
no iirm,agaop or eubtitisionor the Stats otbrnmont~*
pi the abaenaeor opeoiiloEt&MOW a\ithor
ftY 50 to do,
my exeroisetie peer to 0108s OP vaoato pubUa road-
ways within the State.
The Texas Prisoa Board ir, a aroatureor the
Legislatureandenagenay of the State bmrrght iat
being trndorauthorityoi the 1927 amen&t t0 the
Conetitutloaauthorizingthe Maotwnt Or la&iabtion
for the ~agement and admiafatration of 8tato ptilOnB*
Gonstitution, art* XV&~ 8ee. 561’33 Te . Wr 766
Teer V. &Gann (Glv, App., Austin, 19335 65 S. We l2a) .’
:
lion.it.J. 5. ~uingaon - Page 4
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362.
bY Pwer or aUthorltYrrhioheuoh Board has
to 0lOlM W Moats publio streetsadjaouibto the4Hunt*
but out-
vilrh l%box~ and vlthla the @ty of 3itmtsville
aida the wallo OS euoh prif~~mat appearamoq the sots
of the LeSitiature.
A aark wuainatlon of all akitutorygro-
viaf~ons
.pwMnlng to fho'PrironSpatan inalubingthose.'
preaoribI.a&tha
authorit& mare and dutiesot the Taxar
Prison Board, revem& the delegation of no au& authority
to t+ Board and M p%'Oriei~~~
which br &@.ioatlon in-
aludeo the.requiaftepower and authority.,
Obrioualy ‘thoreforoi ii the streetal.npueation
are’ to ba le@~.U$
&srd and vaaated, lruohmu& be done-either
throUghaation.ofthe Legislature,or by a&ion on the part
of 8oam other agumy to whiah ewh authorityhm born dale-
gated. CountyComirsi0r&er8~ Courts ara ganerel~ held to
The Prison.Board,.o'dook15.ng7'to
~yourletter,has
alma ippqale6W :aaiOalJ other State agenoy vhIoh
ml&At%J ~6 the re~ixbitopower, that 18, tho city Counoil
of ELunttaville.In view o$-theproblem3whiah now aonfrOn6
tbnt;body in ooBM08iOn With the BO'trd'S6pp.d it m
not be 'tier tb diaow8 brieflyhereia.~o~~~ of ,ihab
l&
atathofitieato rhi6h'~thoBoard nuxydireotthe attention
OS IAW city couaollin rurlihsxyimof ite applioatlon.
@onerallya atreetor highwayoan be vaaated aalr
~h0n the p-par publlo euthoritieeilsterminathat lt.i*
no longer r@uiracIi'or the publio980 or oonven1aaoe~
ana
tut th*re i8 a publr0neuemity far,lta Yaaatlorror that
it u for ~8 publio benefit the0 s~h adiOn b* k-c
13 a. c, I. 68, See. 61, and oa8em oitodi
. .
:
where taler@quisitapobor exists 4 a nunlol-
palltyr.it18 for the aopliiolpal'outhoritiea'to rleteaine
whisn%t ahall be ~eseroieetl~ and’their eotlan in t&f8
rq?aZtltillinoatbo~rsvimed by the’ooartein the cbssnce
of treutl or iafinlfset~~ abuse of diaareii~~~ or praot tla& it
was done sol.04tar tha parposeOS praaotlnga pxioate
ente~rpr*eo. The OreeUigtloIi le that e streetor~higtmey
wan vaosteib in the intorestor the publh, azidthat its
vaodhJa was netweea~ for pubAh purpmes~ and tbn burihn
of ~0.~~46the oontraryis pleoedugoe thepersone ob-
jeotdna80 the pro5aeding. Hartwellbon Yiorkeva Hla3ou,rl-
IKansas-Tess8 ityaCO. i~iv.Appqr C;alvsa-ton, .1932)56 8. d.
(2U) 922; lJ 2. C. L. 70.
*'ft is mm wall-settled In TOXRS that eaeemante
over .ouahwwe my byeeitherOP a publia or a privateahap
eater,~endthat theea two oeperatsend dietlnotrights
“The 0onselrs~cul4re’ Gour8 has the-right to wlth-
Hon. 0. J. 5. Ulingeon - Page 6
draw, at any tlnw It saw fit, it8 oontrol.andright to
saint&n this paeaagewayas a publioroad, but thie ri&t
to rithdmm 0eintenahoe+and the approprlatlon of publio
fund8 theref0r;d06a not oafiywith it theiright to 0108%
UP a ,RW8W5eWeY0 whloh a privateindlvidualmay~haveao-
qUb%b b;p. oOiitd?80Lw .ufsyer V. Calve&on, H. & B. A. Dy.
CO. tiCW.&R. Sieo.E;l932) 50~9.. iV.(28) 268.
The80 daoif&nr; em believe eaiPbllahthe prop
sitlolathat mu&olpaLauthoritle8~autLag under legl8latfm
autho:rltdelegatedbr atatuteor apeolalcharter,han,al-
most till& ted dleocetlanpverthe purelypublio~ eaaementr
in puhlle street@.,ThelraotlQa In vaoetfngOr ellmlnatlng
rruohpub110 eaeenent~w1l.l
not be questionedby the oourta
in’thaabaanaeof’s showlngthat they aoted Craudulentlg,
aaprinlously Or~raole4to benefita privateanterprlse.
Applying this propoaitloato the aituat,lOn~~
eentedby yourinqulry,the City Oounollor.Hunterllle,
it it poseesseethe requleltsauthority mayby ordlnenoe
’ vaoato the publiceasementip ouoh port&S QZ I@elfth
Btraatt and AvenueEI,‘andit8 dl~oretlonin this regard
oannotbe queetlcmed80 long a8 it nakes no atterapt to phy-
lsioally oloee ruoh Jegnmnta*‘.. .
_.
C&OS hiuohaetntm of;thesetwo etreetr~~‘ure thu8
nu6vita of the pai w-t, toll i0gal~tftbriu
ordlnarilfrevert to the abutt- owner) being ia~thl@ln-
stmoe the ~TexasPrleon System..:.&f, thereafter,the Prison
Board detealne6 to phy0loally0Mae euah l treetrr,,theolti,~
may ~~~lafnrerponalblllt~for au&h olo~fngand 8np olalm
i@,lr
&uaageaor injunotlon~ would be dlreoteb.erolualvely
agalnrrt suah Board. Dallas CottonAilUs Y. Indwtrlal Co.,
(Go& AppIr Seoe A, 1927) 2% 9. VL 503.
Thus, ln:the r;o
(civ. App., Amarillo, 1941!
that *there waa~no basis for attaokupon,tihe good faith Oi
a0 Gw.3m$m0ionera0 court"ror raoatiing a portionof a 0ountY
rood ai0h dirid0dlend aoquirearor
0aplgln3.wnt night hare had a olaim
-gem -et the Parks .Boardif the
euoh im-ettt had interfered with any
T&, up nOw 9xeJsine the questionOS,-griYate’d&ht~
efititjsg
in the portionsor the 8treetto be moated, with
th4 enpeaialobJeo3 of determining the rlghta Of tbee.l=d'= .
,
Hon. 0. J. 3. Xllingson- Page 7
ownerseaet or the mlaon who are proteatlngagainstthe
ooatslnp~tedaotion:
The rule ie 50 wd.l settledam to be a&oat ele-
aentaq th+ a privateperrron oannot sue ror damagesor ior
an injunotionor to abate an eaoroaohment,beoauaeot en
allegedinproperuae of a streetor an obatruotlontherein,
unleaisthe injuryhe has suatcilned is speoialae diatlngulshed
from injuriesaflifered by tha publlo at large. 4 Ho~in
on !&niolpalCorporationa, 187 380. $446 (1382);Hertwell
Xron Worka vb Mlaa0url-Eaneaa-~exa aJrtCo. (Clv.App.,
GaLve8ton,1932) 56 9. ‘Si.i2d) 922.
What.~ktuatlonagire rime to ‘auoh‘private
~lghta
ln a YaoatFdPUbllo roadwayto aupp~rta clala of 8pGlal
injq9 It la @aera- held that aa abutting owner,&a#
auoh rightsand Teses ~deoialmareoognlzesUl.larrights
ooqulmd by contraot. 4 2doQtiU on Munlolpal Corpora-
tbw, 271; ~5~30. 1522 (l405)-~Btiwera
pe &whir (cfv. App.,
flortWorth, 1917) 197 S. 5& ‘j58.~“.’
OUT oourtehare.p~~olf~~allyreoognlaedthe fight
in own~ra Of &riVE&esa~srJsnta~~of
this nature in publlo
etreetato anJoin the phyaionl~oloeingor auoh streetswhere
peymmt gf adequateompensatlon ham n@ been ppade.~
damgqai ii eny. But where he owns pre rtg abuttingan
the e.loeed he .w eajolnthe Rc aloal oloalngoi
.streetP,
the street.
~mmllar right0in a purchaseror land aoooraing
to e “rroordedpLet are reoog@Zed ‘inDella8 oatton2WlS
Y. InduatrlalCo. (Corn. Appti:#
Bea* A, 1927) 2% 9. W. 503.
We puote the $‘allori~exoerptfroa the opinion of the Port
Worth Couxt or ‘CivilAppea;te
Qn this qW5titiS 7
-It is well settledby the &eolalOxUor this
etnte,and by many other~atateaam we3.l.~~
that where
the owner of lend laps it out and out@ the came into
lots dnd publlo streets and allafa~and Sells 8Ueh
lgta ‘byrefannoe to,the plat, th.e‘purohaSOX5 Of
auoh lote aoqulreaa appurtenaat.$hereto ,the r&at
.
i
Yan. 0. S. 5. Elllngaon- Page 8
to use the streetsso dedioatedwhich right la
a propertyright aoquiredby purohase,and en-
title&to the same proteotlonaa the title to
the lota themaelvea~and the r&ht la not
limitedto the streetson which the lots of
auoh purohaaera are sItBated,* Bowers Y.
Afaohir(Clr. ApJL; Fort Worth,1917) 197 -.
758, 760. Se& alaos Oswald v. Grenet, 232“*
Tex. 96. -
BoweVer,ona purohaeiugunplattsdaoreagein-‘a
olty withoutrererenooto, or relianoeupon, an 0rri0ial
map or plat of the oity or a eubdirfaionthereor,wua
held to have aoqulredno pritate, easemeatsin the atreeta
or aYenue8 upon whiah auoh eoreagedid not abut. be Y.
Clt Of Stratford (Oom.App., Seg. A, 1.935)81 S. W.
(261 1003, %25 !Pet.179. The Coim@aeion or Appeals’in
this oaee also quotedwith approvalthe follaW5.xq ox-,
oerpt rran a noted teatbookwritert
*On the,other hand, if the streetdirectly
in ~Trontor one*8 propertyla not moated but
the portion taoated 15 in another blook; so that
he lnaptie an interaaotlngoroae-street, although
perhaps it 15 not quite 50 ahort a way’~ar a6’,oon-
veabnt, it la almosttmlvereally hela that &J
does not mUfforauah apsolalInjuryaa entltlea
hinito demegea~ And this la so notwlthataudi.ng
the nau road la less oonrenientend the diYeralon
$rateldepreolateathe,ralue or his property.
~oi-~
: 2he rao,t that.fhe lot -or may.be inocwmnienoe& or
aat ha may hare to go a more roundaboutway ta raaoh
~oertain parts, it .I8 general4 held, does not brine
Aim an-injury‘dffferent in kiad porn the geaerel
pubU.0,but in degreeonly. txr mana of inme
and egress are not out ofr or 1eiWenedin the
blook or the abuttingowner,but is on4 rendered
&es oonvenientbeoauaeof being 1055 dir%Otf5
&e, also, Texsa Co. et al ta Texarlcena)&ah.
Shops (Clr.APR.~ Texarkaaa, 1928) 1 S-W.,(26) 9281.
s-5 V. Galyeaton,H. & S. A. wiriCo4 (Cl?.APP*s
~aLveaton,1933) 57 8. W.,(26) 199 .error U-0 SW-
weu. Y. Uasourl-3Saneaa-Texea5. -00, ot Texas tcir.
Don. 0. J. Se Slliceaon- Pat;e9
1932) 56 5. x. (2d) 922. :
API?.l;alveston,
TO the 84me effuct la the case of JohnsonV.
bncaster (Civ. App., AImtin,1924) 266 5. ‘3.565, wherefa
it wes held that an ,&ncorporated oity bed authorityto
wdelad-endw a publio street by phy5icaU.pclosingone 'ad,
ovclr the proteetof 45 abuttingowner where suoh oloaing
aid. not aeprivehim or him ntoatconvehiantroute to the
buslneaadistriotof auoh city, rlefind alxilarhold-
ings in Uhn v. City of Houston,28 3. 3. (26) 595, l2l
Tel,.‘293 land,inMeyer,v, Oalve&on, 9. & S. a. By. Co.
(Con.App., Sea. Do,1932) 50 S. 3. f2d) 268.
Ye ia.apparent.
from the faota atate Ln your
inq~uirythat the property’of’thepersonawho are pro-
testing the taoating'ofauoh streetsdoes not 4nd
oanvlotabut upon thelportionato be oloa=d sinoe the
prison ropexty~abuta.on both eidea of such blocks.
Iu the fight of the’decisionscUscu4seaana mny other
authorities ‘too,nmeroua.tomentionin this opinion,it
would seem that the onQ baa15 for injuaotivereliefor
0laZ.aror~damageawould,depsnd.upon whether they urchased
auohproperty in relianoeupon, and by referenceeob a
map or pIat whioh iz&oluded
end dedicatedauoh street.
Yom requeetdoes~not 6upp4 us with thi5 informationbut
you daxigaeily,obtBin.lt from the County Deed Reaorda.
Before conoludingthis opinion, it tight be well
ror uato d.iameebriefly the statutoryprovialonawhloh
bear!upon the questionof the authorityoi.the'CityCouucll
or Ebmtevilleto vacate streetar~
Prior to the passageof the enablingaat to the
%ome ihrle”amendmentto the State Constitution, oitieaof
this;State had ho suoh authorityesceptas it was granted
oharter.~Gohatitution,
by 4~pecia.l Art. XIWi Sep. 5~ Aota
or 1.913 ChapterI.47 p, ~307 Stevefia vc City of Dublin
(civ,.A$. , Fort 7io&h, 193&f 169 S. M‘J.
188.
heoing populationsin efoes~ of 5jOOG~irrhauiteata
to adopt
or amend tbsir charter5to ineludethe power to YeOak end
01088 aareets. Thid ~pr$&olereads la part am fOllovat
WCitieat.dopting the charterOr &ueaaartYlt .
hereundershall have full power of loodl self-
i
HOW. 0. J. 5. ~llih~;~on
- Page 10
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government,and amng the other powers that my
be ereqoiaedby a4 euoh oltp the follows
are hereby enumeratedfor greateroertainty:
n* * *
“18. To control,regulateand ramove all ob-
struotionsor other enoroaahmentsor onoumbranoeaon
a4 publia street,aliey, or Ground,and to~narrow;
tlter,widen or straightena4 suoh streeta,alleye,
avenues or boulevards,end’to .vaoateand abandon