Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

_.~.~..__.. . . _ ,~.__ ,./ LJ$- 1 ,.~’ 2 ‘ v--- OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN ?:0ciabecorze2OO~SZ!?t~~ t!Xt COXlfliirZXCtlO~i >;?rOCCXX?- inf:s'0sinstitutocit3 zx?;uSicate ti:?iFintamsts, 32 any, illthe lnr?c? tr?be C'XdWXi&, a:ldS~OOU~C a VrtliCtitle to tha ';tstcupcn WlllChsaid :;i&my is to be constructa8. *?ou ail1 fWI a brief attached ~!lichI trust Will be of so:?e assistanceto you in nrzivin~ at a deliiilteconclusioo in ttlinxlttor." Article 667.&a,Vmon*s hmointod Civil Statutes, authorizes any domiseione,x-~court to acquira any land for rotd, riC;irt-of-?iay purposes; tkber, earth, stma, flmrel or other mteriais, nccwssnry or convenientto +iuyrql to be constructed,rccomtructed, maintaimZ, zi8oned, strai&toned or~ler@iemC, or laud rot exceediy;one hun- dred (100) foot in width for stream bed diversion in oon- neotioa with tho locating,, relooatkg, or cxxtructioa of a deoi@atod ItGe hi$;I??i,sy by the Sate !;f@.:agComisoiofi, the sam -my be acquired by purahase or cocdemation by the oounty com5saion~rs. This statute furthor provides that tho county in which the state hi&my Is located nay . payFor the aame,out.of,thecounty road enA brl&e fun&, or any available oounty,fuud. This stktute further pro- vidcs that in the event of condemation by the county the prooedure shall be the sase as set out in Title 52, ktloles 3264 to 3271; inclusive,RevisetiCivil Statutes of Tex5s, 1925.Q The oase of O*Teofe v. XuIuaspwth County, 25 S. :'!. (26) 625, among other things, holaa that the oormlseioners~~ mwct. condemin& land for the mate Ei#may Cominsion uader Article 6674i1, supra,.dobsnot act L? its o-m bahalf for county road purposss. In the aaso of Cornooh vs. Colorrldo County,.I$? s. :.i.(2~1)470, It was bolt?! that the above ncn- tioned statutes fully autLorizoU the comlsslonem' oourt to aot for the Stcte in a can~ezuatlonprocwedingsfor state hi&Tag purposes. 3.rtiole3271, Vwnonln Annotated Civil Smtutes, a General statute, provides that the Intorest or ri&t In land, either public or pAvat%, that is obtained by condem- -_-__ . . - .-. ,.. ~~-- _ atioa procoedin~s shall not be so construed as to include the foe siq~le estate, except ::heveGh~~.d.~e provided by 13X?. It is stated in Tex. Zur., Vol. 16, p. 02, (refer- rinc to thin statute, .Artiole3271) that this ennctzeat:is for the enmeration of the General rule, obtalnlhg evon'in * the absence O? statute, that ooadrjrJnatio;lof property for a public usa'dives~a its omer of no rirht further than '. is neowssarp for the puxpose for v br) ccy: that conde:mationmy rctti& be rcXriXct to Or& ia the cvcnt that the parties !::ive been u:x?bleto e:z?e aftia?her:!-? fide efforts :?eveb+ea.zsdo by the party sssi~3ed to ac::uiretie l:ad. It fOllo?S timt proceed1qs brou@ prior t3 the :m~rln~of the effort are void, as being prcmaturo. (!:alone vs. City of ':adizxville, 24 9. :y;'. 4.83; '?.att vs. Xudor, 22 3. ':s. 703; .Cle.:antn vs. .?t.;corth5 3. F..3. I. Co., 7 2. :;.(2d) .295.) Tn the caao nf Calvert v. !&ris CountIy, .I,6 ;7. !'. (28) 375, nzong;ot!xr thin.76,it ms heliith3t in condo-~~tnstioo g?ooeedings to obtain land for ri&t-of-v;aypurceses, ouly an easezmit is aoquiroa, cm(?tAl.at such easermat is all ttat the law reo_uirecto be mid for, a~& fuxthcr that C,Revalua of oil ia Condm~cG la& ?ias 30t Rn itm or coxpQnsaticL In th3'cm30 0,” 'TasterCl1 Corp. vs. i:ilber:mL+ County, et al, 30 C. 3. (2d) 43C, xcon$ othi3r t!lin:;3"lt WRS held $hst the comiss.icners'ccurt v,as:;fthoutj?~nis- dictios or Z31LthOAtjr to Cxdc-tn laud for a road, nithout ax&in,;81i&fort to reach agxmmnt rlth land omer rc:;ard- .illC coqmis3tion. It xas further held in this ease that a holder of.tLe vttlld nizeral lcaso and nssi::axnt in aotusl pkynicnl posscsoio~, operhting a r.rcducln:; vx.11sad cooductini;drilliq oyGratiol:n WAS a~ ozmr tiithinthe hi&my aondcmntiorrstatute. Zone of tk;edafinitionn of tie xord Hoxxsrn as fov;odin-Vol. 2, .,.I..'X'. 736, are '3sfollom: wTl;oword lomar' is used in statutes PQ- 1atlnC to aoxlcmation prooeedin~,s, nay be cm- strued to apply to every pe?aom kmvirt;my in- terest in the property to be taken. . . It ez- . braces not ouly tha oiner of the fee, but a tonat for life, and a lessee for years, and any other perscn who has au interest in t!iagroperty Mish v;illbo affected by the aondomstioz.* Considering the above mentioned autLoritiss it would apl>earthat the f311~~~3 to &groe on the exoWt CL’dam- azos to be paid the omms of the laud lo the coatrollin~ . . ’ . - 3reOfnnte for iostitatinzconCexnr,tion proceedin<*s,thez-e- i-ore,if t."aoYn3rs 22d tb3 CO2fZc3.ZlOlT d0 .1c:P66 Upan tb3 .ezouxtof da~x~es th3rc ~:ould. bs co acccesity Por~bri::cin(; ttla suit. i!OiV6Ver, 1~~3 holsers and ninar.21ou:,?ers rnuid naceseerily be omers upon x*&o3sarvice zust be bed r&en thsir riqhts, If my, zust be e&judicatad. ;:'hen no e~ree- aert cen'be reachsa vritbell tho owaers, it beoolnar; noceosxrg that cootkznationbs broqht to seoqre proper title to ttie cor2emor lnoludin;?. all parties who hare an interest in saI.4 lefid. -?greensnt viithoze owner doas not constitute en cgree- z8r.tpriihall ths omwm. Eowver, thare is no ototute thrit .prohibi.ts the condo-mar from acquiring tho interest of osa or more of the omers and proceadinqageinst the other om6rs where there Is s fnilure to elrae on the mount of coLqensstlon anU dn-asp3s. dus such owner. In line %ith the Cslvert csse, supre, xhere e lcene holder or tinersl o-car woult!not be Uaaege& by virtue of EUCh eogilred eesanect, than no aword could be ,suee to tbes an.6they have surfered ao loss. %xmvw, If these prtles vere not given notioa of such proceedingant!m&3 pert&o thorsto it nould naturslly appear that ths condemor would not reoeive a go06 .title. Ye the'& you for- the brief stib2tted.xithyour inquiry. your Trustfng thet the foraeoiae~Zpll~.anev;srs inguiry, we am /rrdoll:'fllie.m hsslstant AE:lh APPROVEDAUG 22, 1941