I
379
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
--=k!tz ‘G
1 I
I?onoreblo DeKltt Oreer
State Hlghwey EI@neer
Austin, Texar
Dear sir8
On June 14, 1940
pr4a4aersor in ofSit ior this departzent
on the r0iioring qucstionr
‘!Xoul& the State na aoquirea by
by the State or
ight 0r way a66a
lease It ror
ion 0r oil 8na
dedication, prescription or the puro,h.ase 0r a mer4 sclsseent r0r
road way purpo44r only as set out in our Opinion X0. 0-Ssil, a
oopy of r?Aah is attaahed hereto.
Ho authority h4o bean granted to any on4 to 10444 a
highway right-or-way for ttr de*slopr,snt 0r oil and gar a2a it
lm aoubtrul Ii ruah autl:orlty hsa besn granted whether dny
Eonordble i%?Itt SrWr, page 8
arllllng operations oould be pen%Itted cn a right-of-Way
80 long 4s It la being u3ed for rosa or hlgMay pur;osas.Ses
Doone, et al ve. Clr;rk, et al, 214 5. ‘Y. 607,. and our o>in-
Ion Fo. 0-d.
The requset ror en a?lnlm Cues not ;artloul~rly
rerer to rlgbts-ot-my which h:arr he133 amdcn4a ror hlt:Lwaps
anrl road purposes as aid t?.e request on &Ioh Oylnlcn tTo. O-521
xas baaed, but me wish to point cut t:.ot i.+tlcle !367Ja, Per-
eon*s Axmotated Texas Statutoa, prorlfies that the State !?lgh-
way Ccmniisalon my recozsend to t!:e Covcmcr. the sale 0r ay
rlght-or-wny no longer needed rot suoh hIgh=ay ktr needed for
u6e or oltleens aS a maa, remmend to the Copsrnor the tair
eza reaecnable value or suah land, and That the Soverncr Eay
lxeoute a proger deed of oonveyehce of’saze, where the laud
on which the rlght-or-way Is located Is awns& In fee simple
by the State. It further provides thet t3e httorhsy General
shall approve all transfers under the Aot. It Is our opinion
that the deed and uoaveyanoe a.e&tI@nad la sail! statute ~ea&s
an cutright oonvegance of all of the State’s Interest as the
r0110ting language 13 used:
VomeyIhg all of t?.c state’s rlt;ht, titls
and Interest In said land so aoqulred..
and for the further reascn that the policy of tr:e legislature
htzsabe411 to make speeliio nnd dcflnlte rrovlslons wherein any
Eeyzrtzent of the govermnent la allowed to lease land for dc-
v010pcm or 011 0d aha.
It lo our opinion t>slt with respect to abendcned roads
wh9reIn the State ms t.!ic hn,a In 038 sti~yls that it cannot be
leabed by the State Highway Coz+Asaion for oil end gas purposes
but can only be sold unCer the provisions of the above statute
ana should It be desirable for the Yighxay Cumlsslon to lease
the abandoned rights-of-my no cwned in ice slz?ple by the State
for 011 ena gas purposes It ~111 be necessary r0r tSs Leglsla-
turs to speolrically grant sue+, mthcrity,
Very truly yours