G
0 The State of Texas
P
Y OFFIOE OF '&E ATl!Oi?XW
GlTSFSALOF %7EX&8
AlaRtin
.Gtwal& c. Llann
P.ttorneyC8ne-ral
Honorable %orge P. Htison
County Attorne:o.v
Sonm Comtg
hmon, Texas
Dcaj*Sir :
.~ :
i..
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: Dow the oounty eurveyor
beoaae entItled tO~?sw or
ewat1Qxlfor oapgiling.
~XL notollfor tlq .fmmlta-~
&lonsrs*.a- wer ** -:-.,
:
fast& rtakido'
Your recezitrequest for nr opinion of this ae-
yrtment on the above stated gusstl6n ,hssbeen rboelml.
,.,.
~.,
.j
~,
We quote frcm your letter as follows:
-Dow the Count; Surveyof:be&ma entitled
.to few or oompeG~tlQu fQr oon@.lng field nderi
for the oonndsslonersoourt? tithe instant 0180
theCounty Surveyor oompllsd field nobee~taaaon-
the bonntlariecr.of.
tiolidatiia@ the l&lwa.y-
Sohtml Dlhrl~t #2l andMb~fiars Soho J’Ji8t;rlot
#loo into one oaablneackawoilsdlool Metrlot,
and nuw, ha presents the comissioners oourt with
ablllforsaiaserrlow.
‘Wnder Artidle 5283 R. C. Sh the 0-3
faunlohodthe surveyor an affioo~in the oour6
house and pays his utilitiesfor ~saldofflas.
Ilhder Art. 3944 R. C. 5. the mmty aamos-
' or lrr~entitledto oertoin fees for seai rem-
aerea, but Is he entitled to such tees irokathe
county comlsslonarz court for the ahwe mention-
& typo of work, or other work done for them.
Eonorable (;eorgeP. Iiu&wn, &age .2 r:
"It,appqareto me that he gives t&e ooqntp i
nothing in return for office and benefit6 glwm
him by the cmnty, but wants to oharGe onuntya
~tea for all vsorkdone for it.
T cannot find any further law on t?& point
ad the Lou&y Zudge :;ouidlike an opinion on
the above questIonsrromyour departmnt."
The statutes (&ticle 5283 to 5298) proTIde for ..
t!:eelection ,of 9 CaUltg surveyor ii: ea'chcounty and specl-
f:-.$l;~
.dutics 0" th~~~inouq&ent~.o~t:iis:opi~ce, Zt~.l.sstate<.: .:
:.:,:. ‘..
Y..- .,
~.~',trs6...ctasat.'iiP::~~:ba..~..:~~~;l'~.Tcr;-,.:3j~~:-~."~.~: "::.‘,"
ow 'kt-&li&t k&tory thk'dtitim df these. offlcern hay&bean,
to a considerable extent, under the aireotlon of the Cam-
missioner of the General iand Offloe,and'the.~orkin tha
fiald ha8 genomlly been dono by the degutlearn~
” Ccma%y~&ur-
~. ‘.*
veyora, .undh, the abcm ~me&igned-at&u OS, .:are reqe:.%o
keep records of 'surveya,oertifted oopiaa-ofwh%oh.ma$ be
IntroOuceU In eVl&ms In legel,@woeedlagst The mrveyor
must plot all anrveysupon the 9~p of his Ooiu!tyam3 trenemlt
sketdaeg ana flela notw,thereot to the Lqml Wmlsaioner.
30 zap is free to public Inspection. A.ff&J.ure .,w.the,part
of the county surveyor to aorreat 6iiaretUn. field notea la
punishableas en offense. The fees that may be reoelvod by
a county surmyor'hare been fixed by statute, omtlalf3539L.4
and 5280.) Texw Juti~enoe, Volume 34~,pages 42-3.
After a. o+reful~seamh of the Statuteawo have
been unable to find any statute leskingit the duty of the
oounty aurvo or to oomg@e the above mentioned field notes.
lyeltherdp54 e.~,etatutw foes for .oountymrreyara
jtrovltllng
lroride fees ,Soreuah sarvloes as above gnentloned.It ratlet
go kept in FL&IOthat.atatutespr8S&.bing fees for pub110
ofrlcers are strletly oon&rued~ and henoe a right to feea
may.not rest in $@.ioatlon. HoCalla V. City of R0Uklale,
2.46S. is+654. &I ortloermay pot olalm or reqeln, any mm&y
tithoqt a l&w authorit- him to do so, and olslirlgfA%lng
the amount to~whloh he is entitled. (Texas ~h&qu't@enue,
Volume 34, page 521r km& authwitles olted thereLri.l
,Aa there la no duty imposeC upon the oounty sur-
veyor to compile the above !nentionedtlelclnotes and no fee
prcvl.dM! for such services, r~epectiullp answer the above
VI:"
Eoncrable George P. fiudson,
slgs 3
stated questionas tollowsr Artloles 27&ana 27J$, Ve+&*s
.AnnotntedCitil Statutes require the oomlssloners~ oourt
to ~ivc the ,luteeand bounds of each oomon sohool dietriot
and desl(pate the 8am carefullyby g1vd.n~the whole surveys
and Terts oi surveyswith acreage of whole surveys and ap-
prmimte acreage of parts of surveys in each district, end
the county tier‘-is required to carefully reoord the aape.
Xoaever, as above stated there is no duty imposed upon the
cmhtg scr-eyortq co@le said field notes and there is no
statutory fee provided for suchservices x!lenreriomed by
beoause or his orfloiel ohamotsr, he ataM as deny non-
orriclal persons, ana what they may lawfully do he may do,
e?d cofitraqtsthey may make and enforce he may make and +A-
force. (Morrisv. Pasling, 15 S. W. 227) If the t%u&ssloners*
Court requested the aounty surveyor to ye-form WiWabovs men-
tioned sex-does, and he performed them, he is entitleU to a
reasonablecompensationror the Bane, and oan reeooverfor
suohservlaes perronred onrsquaatorths oo&eslonsrs' oourt.
Trusting that the romgoingray anfswerii
your In-
quiry, we ax-8
YguLg‘qv tntly
ATTOBNYI G!YEEAl;OF TEXAS
By/s/ @dell W%.lLSa#
Ard4ll.~liUalM
AWLM Aesistaut