Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

705 OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY. GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN limrorable ree B. @'ebb - Page 2 thtWefOP6, the mnt ai $OO@O.M) by the P. D. I. C. conpletely dlscha~ges its in- surance liability. Vlth this, the tounty officials do not agree. *A list of all aooouuts 5nvolred Is attached hereto and mde a pwt hereof. The names of the several aecosnts are the ttame as appear on t&e bankbooks andthe reoords aitheC~u&yTrsaauver. Each OP these Docounts was arrrribd separately, and on a separate sheet by ths bank, also by the respective County oftiolals. This list Indicates which aocouuts rere carried by the Chnty Treqtrer, snd *blah were carried by the Tax AssessOr-COllectOr. lDM s th ea umfq Inuty8a mnltlt c a r- rle$ by the Qamty Treasuv'O.v,0~ aavried by the 28x AssessOrZolleetor, hsld in tt’ust or Othemiws, enjOy sudi aatual separate owners&k+ as to entitle it to separate Simarazme wader the terms 0f the P.D. I. Q. ActF Some the 8go the writer had secaslop to investS- gate the qtmstion presented By Jomr lettm, ant%atier date of lkr%h 20,~ZB22, as compel f0r t&e Paak%ug Co?miosfeuer, he advised t&at ~ffioe~ as POllorar Wr. B&reary (fmmsr Btmldq Corn- tiseioner) bupzirsd of the Redkwal De- podt Insurance Corpemtien as followst *VKndly inlorm us by return alr- nuil the pmteetion af?OrdOd eauh polifi- eal subdivik&m aoe0unt POr 00gxt;y tnnds. Ror instame, we are a coppty depository faP Bell couwy, rexes, and rariotis road districts and mmmm seh~oal distriats in said county, aad it is our umderetzm%iq that each sepmate nnlt, seh001~dlstriet, or road distrfet amount is ptwteetsd up to $6000.00.* @The IQeoutlve Assistant to the fZomp- troller of Curmmey replied by wire, as follovs$ mmwable Joe E. Vebb - Page S Bouorahle doe E. Webb - l?a.ge 4 tion dlstriots sod the like are legal entitles eligible in all respects to have and to Claim the proteotien of the iusuranoe given by the Federal Deposit Insurauce Corporation. Vhere such legal entity ans a deposft aecmuut and the fact of ownership appears from the bauk*s books, there can be no doubt of its right to the Insurance thereof to the mariraun amount of the inairidual aocouut. hnother lustauce of such right, very closely ak3.u to, if not identloal nith the above, is the ease of an account by one depositor in trust for suother person or specific use. The Cipcn.itCourt of Appeals* opluionabme cited dlseusses especially this latter @am? of the problem. This well-reasoned opinion sakes clear that f%u%b on deposits in banks, representlug a trust, held In fact or in lav for a definite purpose, snd uot rith- in the general control of the deposifov, are deposits for the account of the cestui qne trustent amI not those of the actual depositor , entltled ux&er the Federal Eeservt~ Act to the insurance afforded by the Federal De- posit Iusuranae Corporation to the e amount for in- dividual accounts. The principles aunounaedinfhatdeoialon are oontrolllng of the questions propoun%ed by you. The essence of those principles is that the real ovuer of the account, whether it be a peliticel subd%visiou of the State or county, or a benefl&ary of a trust; aud where that ownership appears frem the bauk*s books, each such separate legal entity or trustee, as the ease my be, iS entitled t0 the siaXix~?IXIimur~e UpOn its or his account- These priuciples, vhen rightly applied, vi11 answer your inquiries above set forth. It would serve no useful purpose to elaborate upon suoh prinel- pies to the point of cousldering the various respective funds listed and appended to your letter of Inquiry. As County Attorney you are quite familiar ulth these funds and their esaot status as to real ovnerehip, and are likewise capable of determinlng each of them in the light of this opinion, especially the cas5dy Opinion, SIonorablfsJoe 33. Webb - Page 19 wb.iah appears t0 be the latest eXpOSitiO?I Of the law upon this question. WC have assumed, as stated by you in your let- ter, that *each of the accounts was carried seprately and on a sepsratc sheet by the bank." Trusting that this sill hate answered your In- quiries satlsfsctorilg, re are Yours very truly ATL'LTOBlaY GBmRAL OF 'IlmAs /e APPROVEDI"EB 15, 1940 ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS