OFFICE OFTHEATTORNEYGENERAL OFTEXAS
AUSTIN
-CL-
--
this tranraatioa a* mb-
lgasiollar
part of thhlot, being that part mm Lo-
oat&l within the Qalreaton Oounty uda w&d1
right-or-~, wan pmhaeed by Oal~eston
Oounty tram Augtmt Anderrronan4 *iii, by
', deea dOt0a Agril 6, 1908. >
Honorable Charles H. Theobald, Page 2
"This deed recites that Galveston Coun-
ty was purohaaing, for sea wall right-of-way
pUrpOl38a
) a strip of land aoross Lot 5, partic-
ularly deaorlbod by mete8 and boundm in eooord-
ance with the map of'the sea wall right-or-way
adopted by the Cemml8slonera* Court of oal~es-
ton County, Texas, August 2S, 1902, and reoord-
ed in Book 194, pages 14, Doed Rooords of f&al-
veston County, Toxae. Tho otjnaldorationwas
paid out or the ssa wall rund.
'The balanoe oi #aid lot, being the north
portion thereof was allowad to remain, under
the term8 OS eeid dsod, in Auguet Aadamoa
and wife.
"It subeaqum.atlydeveloped, howover, that
on the 14th day of February, lQO0, the oity OS
Oalveaton had seoursd a Judgment against August
Anderson end.wlis for tax08 duo on mid Lot 9.
On the 29th day ot August, 1905, come rive
month8 after the purchase ol the south portion
of said lot for sea well right-at-way purpomm,
Henry Thomar, Sheriff of Oalveatoa mty, oon-
myed to Gherlas T. Sudawaa, under q@aution
olcaeld tax judgment eald Lot 3, for'4 oonald-
sratloa of $100.00.
~Thereafter, and apparently for the purpose
of ouring the flaw In the tltlo to that part of
the Lot purohased by it ior right-Of-Wey pur-
posoe, Galveston County, on the 17th day of
Deoenber, 1903, by deed reoo?dad in Book 200,
page 136, purohaaed all of 8.3ia Lot 3'rrom
Charles T. Sudeman, for a oonslderatlon oi
$125.00 and the assumption of taxes. Thle oon-
sideration was also paid out of funds set aside
r0r sea wall purposes.
nIn this last deed from Sudenmn to OalVe6-
ton County, there appears no statement wheteo-
ever es to the purposea for whloh thatlot was
Honorable Charles ii.Theobald, Page 3
being aoquired and no referanoe to the nap
of the sea wall right-of-way or any other
language of whatsoever nature tending to
oonmot the lot \jlththe see wall.
"In due uourse the Galveston Qounty sea
wall was ooastruotad upon the right-or-way
as shorn by the map, and ever slnom 1%~ oam-
pletion, the north part of aald Lot 3 has re-
mained vaoent and unuua& by enybody for my
purpose. The lot now stands in the name of
Oalveston County.w
The oountlss of this Stats derive their authority
to sell oounty-owned real estate ironithe provisions of
Artlole 1577, R.O.S., 1925. Thie statuts governs the sale
gf all county real estate exospt lands belonging to the free
sohool fund of the oounty. See Logan f, Stephens Gnmty .
(00; A;,p.1904) 81 S.W. 109 (afflwsd, 33 9.W. 368, 98 Tax.
.
Artlols 1677 reeds as follow8:
*Sale of roal setete. m The oomaission-
era court may, by an orda? to be sotera& on
its minutes, appoint e oommlssioaer to aoll
and dispose of my real 68fatO of the oounty
at public euotlon. The deed of euah ads-
slonar, made in conformity to suoh order for
end In behalf of the oounty, duly esknow-
ledged snd proven and reoordsd shall bo suf-
floient to sonvsy to tho purohassrs all the
right, title and interest and estate whioh
the oouuty may have in ana to the preinlaes
to be sonveyed. Nothing oontained la this
article shall authorize any oOxumlsSlOn8r8
mm to dispose or any laude given, donated
or granted to suoh oounty for the purp@%6
of education in any other mamsr than shall
be dixeoted by law+*
You will note that this srtlole includQ8 within
its soope @Vinyreal estate of the oounty" exoe t land8 eo-
quired by the oounty for the puX!poso of eduoa e ion.
Bonorablo Charles H. Thsobald, Pago 4
Does this broad language of the statute ambreoo
lands held in trust by the oounty for a partloular purpose?
This question arises booaueo of the faot that the oonsider-
atlon for the purohese of Lot 3 was paid out or the sse wall
f'und. This ,fundoo!U#tltutesa speolal fuad held in trust
b,ythe oouaty for the exoluslvo purgoso of oonntruotlng
malnteining and purohaslng right-of-ny for tsea wall ad i
breakwaters. tie Art1018 0836, Vomion*s metatcra Statutes.
In the management and handling or this fund, the oommlsslsn-
era' oourt aots in the oepeaity of a trustas.
Artlolo 6838 roads aa rollOws:
*Ou8t0dw0 0s fund8 *r
"A3.lfunds, revenues and wmys add from
the sals of the bonds haroia authorlssd and frar
the sale or rent of raolahed or othsx lands ao-
qulrea unaor this tltlo and rrom la dltieno uaw
l
0s acrid work&as herein authorissd, shau be ac-
poalted with the county or olty twoasurer, a8
the case nay be, end shell be held ti tmet ur- ~
olusl~oly for the oonetruoblon and malntonsnoe
0s eeawalleand breakwaters, inoiuaing ths pur-
oheme of the right of way therefor. All monsys
dorlved from tho aasessmsnt and lsvy of tams
aa aforosald am deollaredto be a trust fun6
for the payment of interest and principal of
bonds to be issued under this tltlo.'
It might be urged that under the prorfslori8of thl8
statute, the property eoqulrod with roe wall fund8 beaama
truet property, and, theretore, su0h property is not inaluaoa
in the provislona of Artlols 1577.
However, in view of tho feat that ow ooult8 h&v0
stated that the aonmiselonsra~ courts oooupy io rOspsst t0
all county property a trust relation, f&s oontontlon bo-
ocuuestmnmue. Se. LZano bounty v. Knoti (air, App.) 39
S.W. 549; Llano Oounty Y. Johnson (017. App.) a9 S.S. 56.
Another queetlon in regard to the authority of the
oommlsi3lonor8*court to a011 the unn0ea0a portion of Lot B
is raised by Artfolo 6839e, whlah reads es rOu4W81
Honorable Charles H. Thoobald, Page 6
"Grant of sea wall right of way
*Any aouuty wiy donate and grant to the
Sate of Texas or to any elemoaynary instl-
tutlon inaorporated under the laws of the
Stats of Texas and operated without profi8,
but for the benefit of the publie, auah por-
tionr of any ~sawall right oi way aa may have
been heretofore aaqulred br aueh ooumty, anti
by the Commlesionera* Court of auoh tmunty
detxneb proper to be so greeted, and upon-any
mah Oommii+aionera* Court so doterminIng,
the oounty J 61of suoh eouhtp may aonvoy
suoh property %l aaoordanco with the order
of aald Oommisaiom~a~ Cmrt.w
This statute eaaeted as Oh. 144 Aota 1939, Uat
Ieg. p. 308, is the only pzorlaion appear& In Title ll.3
whloh deals with aea wall*, and the qusatlon present8 lt8eJ.r
aa to whether it was the legislative intent that this be the
on~lymethod of diirpoalngof unneeded sea wall right of v
proF=tY.
Counties being tmmponoat parts of the state, have
no powers or dutlea oxoept those whlah are alearly 86 forth
and dofined in the oonstitution and atatutel). lblwar&~OounQf
t. JMning* (Ch. App., 1805) 35 S.W. 58S; 11 Tex. Jur. WS.
Gommiaaioners* oourta have only mah power8 am ax-o expresrly
or inplidly oonferrod upon them by law. cqmiI8lon4wil'
Oourb T. XVallaao,ll8 Tex. 879, 18 5.W. 535; Sauar4 va 1al.b
Qauaty (Oir. App., Almtln, lOat) 846 S.W. 788.
You will note, however, that Art. 683Qa is QW-
Bieaive in itr termah It eoafldes in the ooznaii~~ionor8'
oourt au abdltisnel power in regard to the dieposition of
ma wall right of way3 that is the power to donate It to the
State or certaih tppee of elee5oaynary lhatltutlonrr. W
power to sell land, which oountiee have under the provi8iona
or ktiOl8 1577; doea not include or llriputhe authority to
give it away. Rogers v. Totapklna, (Div.App. 1905) 07 5.8.
;Fi ~ro~9reruae6; Llano County v. Knowles (Cir. App., 18Q5j
. . .
&umrabls Charles Ii. Theobald, Page 6
?!hs emergenoy olauee whish appears in the ori&sl
snaotmant @W Chapter 144, Rots 1929, unmiatskably revssls
the legislative intent to grant the additional power to donats
uuoh laad. We quote the following therefrom:
"The faot that there exists property hereto-
tere aoquired by oounties for sea wall purposes
snd~not now needed for suoh purposes but re-
qulred by the State of Texas and b yllesswsynary
oorporationa oreated by the laws of the State of
Texae for the benefit of the publia, without pro-
fit, an4 in furthesenoe of ohsrltable work, and
the use of said properties for sush purposes is
questioned, an emergency exists." eta.
Another leglalatlve provision whloh is pertinent to
the quaation raised by you, la Chapter 42, Aots or the SWih
Legislature, Regular Seaaion.
Section 1 of this aot reads as followe:
"BB IT ENMTED BYTHELF#ISLATWRE OF TYiX
S'lWl!X
OF TZU3: That no aorporation, person or
aeaooiation of pereons, shall be granted or
exeroiee any rights, privileges or frahohises
ror the oonstruotion or operation of any rail-
way, whether by steam, eleotrio, eable horse
or other powex, non shell any 6or radon,
person or aseooiatlon of persons r e granted
any right, leaaehold, privilege or frMahlse
for any purpose, or purposes other thsn a
public walk, public driveway or pub110 park,
along or upon or aaroaa ,any part OS that
tract of lend situate in the oity and county
of Galveston, in this State, whloh waa ao-
qulred by aaid oounty or aosuuieaioners*court
thereof for eeawsll purposes under the auth-
ority of ah Aot passed at the first aalled
seeaion of the twenty-aeventh Legislature of
the State of Texae and approved by the Gove-
nor September 7th. 1901, entitled 'AXIaat to
glvs erfeat to Seotlon VII Artlole P, of
~:@m,Oonntltutlon, author&g all oounties
and cities bordering on the ooaat of the
Gulf of Yen160 to eonetruat aeawalls md
Honorable Charles ,9.Theobald, Page 7
breakwaters, to fame bonda therefor, aad
levy a tax for the payment thereof; and to
further provide for the oonatruotion and
maintbnanoe of said works, and payment 0s
said bond6 by sale or rent of lands re-
olaimed fram the sea, or otherwlse ao-
q&s6 for bresl&iter purpoaes,l and it
shall also be ud.awful to allow the pea-
session, use or oooupanoy in any manor
whatever of any part or ssid traat or
land for sny plrpoas whatever other than
a publia wslk, public drivemy or plbllo
park aud any aotlon upon the psrt of the
oota& oom5.salonera~ oourt or Calveaton
Omnty, nor any other court or body, OT
0rfloidL or ortioial8, in attem tsa oontra-
rentlon of this Ast shall be POf d and of
no 0sre0t.*
ibder the faote submitted by you, the narth por-
tion OS Lot B wa6 not aoqulred for @es wsli p.arposss. By
its own tsms this aat is reatriotod to lands aoqutred Sap:
ma wall puTposes, and w0tia not,'thererors, apply da sny
land not aoquirsd for suoh purposes, unleessws srs prs-
pare4 to deolars that all land aoquired with Soawsll Funds
must neoeassrily assume that utatw.
Artlole 90 0s the Psnal me provldss that nmsys
realized from the sale or land aoqulred for asa usU pup
posss' shall be deposited in the soa wall fund, thus I.&W-
entially lending sup ort to our oonstruetion of ahpptsr @,
A0t8 1929 and of Art4 018 68a9a. Thls provlslon ef the
Penal Oode reads3
“Art. 90. DIviERYIONOF SEAWiLL MONIEP.
Lul runda, revewe -6 moneys aorirsa fram
the ssla of the bonds authorissd by law to
pay the indebtedness l.noW?redIn establish-
lng locating,ero&ln& oonstruoting,
fee-'
ten&g, atrsqthening, ma.intsinlngor keep-
ing in repair or otherwln l.mpraringan7
saawsll or breskwstar, and to improve, ma%B-
tsin ana beautify any boulevsry ereotsd ig
371
Eonorable oharles Ii. Theobald, Pago 0
commotion thsrerrith, and all funda. rweunm~
and monem &wind from the aale or rent or
reolaimod or other lands aequired by law and
rrom addltlonal use6 or suoh works as auth-
orized by law, shall be depositedwith ths
oounty or olty treasurer, as the ease may
be, and shall.be held In trtmt exolulr1~l.y
for the oonrtruotlonand maintenanoe or mth
wall.8and breakwaters lnoluding the purohaso
f th ;tght r therefor; and all rnonsyr
~~iraedriso~-~h~~s~ss~e~t and levy or tax.8
as aforesaid are deolared to be a trust fund
for the payment or intereat and pxinaipal 0r
auoh bon&, and the use or diversion of'@ioh
moneys ror any other urpoee whatever la hezrc
by prohibited and a vfolation of this Arti6le
shall oonstitute a mlsapplioationai pabllo
money, and the person 80 offending shall be
iahed am provided in Artial.ef36ra
RaphacJl8supplied.)
v"
It Is therefore the opinion of thle KW~partmont
end, you are ao advised, that the oomaissionera'oourt of
Galveston Oounty~haeauthority to dlepose of the exoesu
portion of Lot 9, being the north port&on
under the provlsloneot Artlole 1599 (R.&S.
A oontrary view of this question
OFiiliOx: written by R. 3. Gray, AWbiatant Attorney UUIOr&,
dated June 8, 1998. Mr. Gray held that the Artiolo 6889a,
rrupra,asta out the odly method Of dispositionOf lltObs8
sea wall right of way and that, therefore tha ormmi8~lon-
era* court may not eell suoh land by o~&yi.ag rLth ArtiOl*
1577 (8 0 inion, in80rar as it ia in ow.fliat
wlth*ti%*o~nafon, f s hereby expressly over-ruled.
Trusting that we have fully anmver:sdyour inquiry,
we are
Your0 very truly
ATTC’RKEYG?B?ZN OB TFZAS