Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN gonorrblo It.5. Yosoly to three que8- mltriot at- eta and isnrked with the law rswd- bs bound to par- ala ofmtraat . aala ooritraot as a whole bo o notloe siren on $eptaabar U, 1939, the Dl*trfot Attommy tollowul 416 "Eoaorable Distriot Attorney county ,Taxas - *Dear Sir; You are hereby notified to eolleat tuoo due the all the dslin~uent Indo-02a 30h001 mtdih. In tho uvent you em not in posltlon to cramply with this aatioo ploaoe give uu your walmr of any right you hnvo to oollaot su8u in 0raerthat we say -10~ other.attornoya. copyof the niatriot attorney'ewnlver, dated oo- tobor 10, 192, ude ln rwyome ti, .ihc' natioe ~~lb.mJoa "Ootober 16, iOJ9 'Board ol Truattecw indoyen&&. SoLoo Dlstrlot # TuxaB Attention la. , i-(dardary "centlemnlt xn rlew of t11f3 faot that your aaarfl has madz~ unanbuou requeate to LLO that it la your deslra to oentraotwith awe legal $irm Sortho 001100t14n of tho dolkiqu*at taxou au8 your e&o01 clrrtriot, and in view of the Saot fwther that you hare put Ias on ncjtlcufor thlrtf day8 lo ccmgllanoo with t&a lawa of ths State aSTexas with ragarC to uuoh m&tar, I tvlndyou herewith z&outhis l&ter which will oanatituto ny walvar of the rl@t to irake such 00UootloM. Toura v arp truly, In our opinion, uader the cirouss%nnooa, the above naiveis Is euffiolent to mtura the authority of the Boara 0r Prwteea to mater into a proper oontraot ior the aollootlon 0r a0lbpa tama. sliap vc. ii1130 county, 96 s. s. (2) 537. The ccntraot aonlalna.the rollcmLnd povlslone and none othsr with r6npot to the ~eoont’party*e obliga- tions and oompansatlon and the term 0r ths bontmat: I. . . t0 003.ht 6x1 aeiin~wnt taxes, panalty and intorest dw aaid alutrlat for aXl yaara up to and tncludlnn$ tha year 1940. -It ia ~ssd that said attorney shall be paid l&$ ot all the delinquent taxe7a, penalty aud lntsruet collacted or paid to sal6 distrlot ror 8ny 0r'said ysera durin(j the urlrtshco or said agraamont acoordlng to ltu erreottve d&8o as herelxmftor uhwm, and as and .when said terse are collooted without further aotlon of the board. The orfcatire date& of this eL-"emant shall bs as foU.o~$r ,Au to the year 10.33 and ali prior yrrars on thiu date. "Ac to the ytvar 19E~9 on Baroh lat. 194% 418 Eonorabl6 P. 0. ~osalf. Pago 4 -Aa to the year 1340 on btaroh let, 1941. Vhloaa extanded by the mutual agroment 0r the partlea, this agreeasnt 0h0ii tan&m0 ant bo d DO i'urthm fores or rtfeot on L&rob lut, l94&" t&&r Ar8icla 7343 Rwlaed civil Satutu, in the oano of Bell tee bianaflokl Lrrdo dent sahool DiatrIot, UQ Se il. (8) 629, the Sujmaa Co ur?@held. that &tlcloa ?33S, Old1 Statutu, and %3Sa, V4mon*a Civil Statutea are applloabla to In& dent lobool dIstrIot8 aaept aa to the requFrePmt tha r 8ha oontraota thoroln 8uthorirod s bo apprwod by the Gomptrollor and th8 Attorney Con- . ‘Sha Board of Tmatoea ai ul irrd02mOd a&m01 ah- triat my undoubtedly sator into ooatracta with attomoys of tho lmmo oounty ror tin Oollutlon of dolinquont taxes, poaaltioa d i&west for a peroeatago OS the amount ool- ~00 srar0aing i&$ lB prwlabd in tbb coatraob. ittctea, m- t101w 7336, 0336n and 9345, suprat Bell V8* bunmflold InIndependentSalmol District, mqra. ThO brief ftlrnish~d us aoae not touch upon the om dlftloultquostlon whiah It soens to us la 5nvol~o6. Are the prwialona or the aontraot with refermoe to the Length of its tern vdlld ana proper’, W ha00 heretofore exprosaed tSa opinion that the comissioa~ss* oswt of B oounty~oarmot make a contract pith an attornsy unCar ;rrticlo 7335 r0r it pried extending beyond the tirp131 srrlOe Of the iadivi~&iSr OOmrgo~ingthe ooc6s..lenionors~ court. 04?w) o-289. i?rotnthe la8tsr opIn- ion we qlotea "In 14 .&wrioan iurlsprudcmoe, 810, tho fol- lowing la siaidr . ~b3 aatnkr8 0r a =te;f county*cLlniesIaaers oamot, oontraot in reierenoe to matters whdh am pnroonkl to thslr~suoosaaom. Thw, a oontrnct by whloh a board of ooUnty 0ocaalmIonera attarrrpteto eanpliaya legal aaviaar for a period of three yewa, to ommnoethrea mnths in tha futursmd 419 E-able E. 0. SkmeAy, Pago 5 a fto rth o tlsm ?o r th elleotlsn o f a p%rooa to rfii the raoanoy eaau3ed by the expiration ti the-farm of otiioe or-0 Eamb3r of tha boar&, thetera of %qloymat extuwi& ov%r a porlod dur~ whloh all the swabers of the board a8 oonstituted at the tiara of the oontreot will retire thereiron un- ~oy~c%-eloa~e&, ir ageinet publlo . . . This aeezs to ba the law in T8xas , whloh 18 exprassed ln 11 Tax. Jur., 631, as follow%ns ‘OrUaa214, oontraoto m&r by a ooa- miirslonsrs~ court my not be repudlatrd 8Wely bewiuae Lbr, ~eOnn%l or t&8 body ha8 eubsoguantly ohancfed. It is only wh%re the %iqAoymmt by 0. oomis%lm%re' oourt is pcrrsonal ad c~riddntial, a0 In the cauo oi aa attarney, that it ir h&A thst one aornePis8loner%’court ha8 ae m%r to bind iQ auaco~~.’ “Thlolaat c$oted etnt’aat ts bassdoa tho only Taran 008% im th@ eubjoot, the oaso of Gulf Bltuuthio co. Y. mm%%%oounEy, ll 3. G. (Zii) 30s. uhlehmy%t *It la only where ths aaplopnt by a ooml~olc.m,nerr~ oourt is prsm31 ctrrd Oonii&e::tial, a6 in th8 OMSB of an attCW- ney that it is held that on% oomlsslon- 3r3 1 oourt oannot bina its suooosaors.* "The oo-ixt deoislone in most ol the oohsr stats8 that W8 havb) found hold that Ofi% eorsai%sion%rs' uourt ounnot bind ito 8u008880r8 on paraonal oontraotia. Curtby county v. azlth, 5Q xan, 330 32 Pa0. 30 (art- ploywnt of county prlntar) Prank& Uau.nty v* Wanok, 9 oh10 0. C. 301 (employzen l oi aourtS~~8e janitor): tillikttn V. ‘&;;ar County, l4Az,lll. XiS, J;: N. 2. 483 (e5qaopent or poi%:.uae aqwintemi~ni)~ Board rrp hZUili83iOXl3Z3 V. t-ayl.or 123 Lud. I@, 23 w. 2. Tii8 (.3rap1oynrrsat of attorney 18 and #lll%tt I* ml.houn county, 217 ala. 587, 117 so. 3u (tunplowiuIt ol attorney). 420 -A t&x coUeotor-crttorney wuld nomd taot, patience and dlllgmoe, and 0. couiisslonsra* oourt3coulC ha*0 *very lnoentiva to want 8 mn with those gialitlas. In short, m&i oormle- eibn%rs* oourt shop10 be ontltled to cake lte own Eontracts touohl~ on tJ.mmttor. wi?urthbmwr6~ the n8w4 electad county At- tornoy bu3 rl&ts whloh we do not bolleve urn be ovarlooked. .iUtial8 7232, ii%Vh%d 5tatutOS, ~oVld%S for the oanty attorney to represent the Stats and OoUnty in 8Uftl9 for dolinr;wnt Wxao and ~l'OVi&eS fees for 8UOb servlaes. "The oounty attommy sfaa elected with the undarswn6ln~ that the above vuult be 8 2-t OS for par- his ilutl%e cind that hs uoulr: km &+(Lii: r0rang the mke. '218 CCI not bstliorm a 01oainiJ ednfnlstration of a aoiml~alonora* oourt, based upon a waiver sigmd by an outping oounty at- torney, can deprLva the ine~&ng county attorney of vol.Lablo r&&s. these ~184, M do not bellevo tha County orin bo thus deprived of any chance of having 'the newly alacted ooumy attommy ;ierromn these sarvh33 at lees.aoot than *ho attornsy- oa&motor will parforzz t&t 09~0.~ It cl&t ba t;uentlsned that rJ;a above holtiin; waa not uemt to prevent. a contmoticg atszrnsy froiii aonolud~ suits filed wl%hLn tD3 MI'Z oi of'fic~ ol' *LLS oo&i&mlonsrs, t2.6 aontract SG ;;rovirtln&. TDe trustee8 of lndopon~ent scksol ei3tricta haYe over-lasping tariis. 1st least in 5x23 inda~sn6ellt eosoo1 &is? frLot3 t& eleottons or rgril, 194c ~ilc 1641, would artsot a &orlty OS t&c trmtG*e. IE others tkio wulC not bo true. at, in all B'.ic?. distrlcte them woul:. tc. an elsctim or e&o- ticns afhwtln~ ens or wre ktmbars of tie board 0r truetecls. i8 rinc no 0~88 in gold. iwwar, it Is sspgnrant that.the grlnclples go~erni~ oomisul~ners* oourta ln the mt- ti;r8x3 a,splloatL3 to i=1deysr;dsrrt3uLicol C.istricts at 3mO point. ,ia Co not rqpri. the cuunty tittsmcty's sitilatlon as boltxg 00 i.spLrtdnt ln th3 ants0 of ths school district a5 fn th6 0630 Of tit'36lOWlty. 288 Artialara 73;?6, 7332 and 42; In Y1k.w YSW stmrp, 118 3. 'i;.(2) 774, it -8 be16 th4t prior to enaotm3nt 0rutiOit3 27DOa Vernon*s g~vllStatUt80, (anti at I tlnw3 when tie statt G 08 w*re ailmt 88 to 10ngth oi t*Eaa a6 to whU3Jhtubohorst ecui- traots oould bu naba) a teacthor’r amtract oould sot be ~46~ r0r a 104pr period than 0110 year. EOWIVO~, the groua& upon whioh that ~~lnfcm uaa bairadlendor the aam Or iittb+ YOhe in a6 QWStiOXibQrOP4USa ifs think the most mamneble view, an4 the one mst llkdy to be ado?ttad by the oourts, IS that owoh aon- traots with attorneys twinnot,be cads b? an lndsper.dent ~ohool cllstrfat cr0at46 uxcw general ltiw r0r a tern eat- tending bayon thb time when in th8 or6lnary owir84 0r eleetlcn t:apsrscnncl 0r ii caJorlty isf ihti b0nti or trustesa r&hat bs chzngec?. Tibia shuul& not be interpreted to lapmob a prsv:;tl.ca u:Liah nil@ bz oon~o1~:44 ln auoh Q emtraot 0utLorizlx tm con0 :;;sivn of w:ts filed prior to SUOh time. Iho aboY@ rmswors YOU :iMBtl.;RLI as defin,iesly 08 me am able to arrsw4r tswu on thr raa3 ;glven, Ii the g&.raat 1s prop3rsJ f3xec~tw.t an8 if in mb owim3 0r ~leot:on 133s bw 9 mjcrlty or the tmurci of trirfltedis OGtC8 up r0r aleotfon 6dring tS4 t-amiof the occtraot, in our opinicn it io 8 valid one. Gig axprorrs no 0piniol.J rirbto th4 mi~ay a arfdatiYwotl6 0r BUYr2b3adg ~hi0i~idfhrr prty ail&t hmreii tie othar 8k~~ld brtich suoh a txmtra0t.