Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

44

OFF\CE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN

a& to another
turo or seoobd

omidoration by third
written i!ay 9,
h6retO of Map 16,

quest for ~1 moomlderation
the fo1lming Btatement 61
e partlaular oltuetion nw

y 6, 1900, Saetion 98 Bl.ooket,
th munty wae awarded by the Et&e
i:. crlsweld at a prlob or '$1.00
a dry geti 0iOwri0c;ti0n.
and relnstatemnt or euoh
IL19lX3,the taouthea5tl/4 of Saotion 78
was, on Bovember 28, 1908, oome ed by Ci. 3.
Criuwsld to B. C. %all8, and ouo1 southesat
l/4 ot Sdd saotion wan pia00a in 0 ecpsrata
aooount la the Land Mfloa.

on July 1, 1927' the male awarlrng the
southeast l/4 oi Saokon 78 WPPCIforrsited
 44

Honor6ble Baeoom Clleo, n3Ce 2

ror non-gagrrent~oridarefit. mr.:ertar, on
cotober 2, 1930 tho uxthmst l/4 of rcotion
76 wu5 awsrded ty the State to I..A* Caner
at a prlo6 0r $10.40 per 5-3-5,under a mfneral
and ~rariEg olaruis?lostian.
On Oototmr 15, 1939, the 84s to.Catey WE&
r0hittd far ncn-payant or i.ilt6l-O5t;aPd ssid
traa% was; put ug Zor rr?leon Jenotry 2, 1940.
A, l!.Sdth ~5 the high bldder et 8uoh sale
with ti bid of $lO.EO p": tore, but elf bid8 wera
releoted by the Zohoo Lend 30~6.

On January 20, 1940, 7zl*tesimllngton, Jr.
m&f a;plioat%on to reinstate 8& aouthenct l/4
of 8bOtiOIt98 under the Ori&Ql 8dla k, I?.1;.
GriPsfld aa% tendorsd the 8%~ oi +$95,15,whiqh
amount 1s eufllalent to rsiast.~“~the eooamt
under that ade, it ths right to mob rolnnetsta-
xmrtteziste.
En this coAAuotioA, *e ~Qmlu3 th3t %lter ;?orlinp
ton, Jr. is ~4'3the log1 ovrller oi 8uoh rfEht.88s were
mned by H. C. wi8 tttthe tfne 0r the 1927 r03eim.
'Lfthis $8 not 80, %+rl*tOn, Of OOUW@, would have 80
right oi reia8tiitcmfmt118he would be,sn 4ntiro stren@m
to the title to thi8 land SlIti
to ettyTi&8 tbsrcin.
?O\rrrt)qtteSt
icS 8SiO&dtiOllthea prOOe6ds 88
r0u0vret
"!I%18OfriO i8 in r608ffi 8f tW0 OptiiOXt8
from your Departnrent.Opinion o-060, doted !Zay
9, 1969, aad-8~;;~lex+ntalopinion, C-780, dated
hold, tn lffa c tt
Say 16, 1939, both of ws'ttloh
*that the mere rQht of rOin8tateacAt without
being exerofsed by kiak* 8 writt.sn rc-,asstfor
reln8tatcmentend peying tha awney into the
treasury a8 required b ArtSole ba&It is not
8ufflOliUt rlcht PI w iIl ~e&Ut8 dl8tat -lit
0r tta orl&.nal rorroltiogcmmr'6 These
opinion8 vmld 5110~ refrutatement in tbt in-
8tanO8 8et out above or &oO per aore ml0
bearing a ;ry grazing ola8sifioation 8~3 would
deprlos the Stat6 of the b&ra?t$t8to be gelned
Hoaorsble Pazoom Clles, Face 3

under a por~~;fEle~relnetntentmt utkter the
L. A. Camf edo, xhloh ‘1988 ior k10.40
per aom 8na 00x-ea siosral olsorlflo.stlon,
%uch or the Fubllo school Land, asnod
by the State at tlm prosent, tits, haer been
j~0baSSd and iorieltad et loart tmxt - the
fir&t snle boari.ncB dry grating ola~slfloa-
tlon and the lster sale beerlnc a mlmral
olasslriostion. To allox relmtatemeat and=
tb? riT8t 8&O would dcrprln the State of sny
niaortalinterest in euoh lnnd, It wculd hato
a mineral reesrvatlon under the later 8d.e.
*Xt has been tha preotloe or thlm oilloo
iormy years to hold that ths laot stale only
wit sutjcct to reinstatenmnt and that an out-
8tatiiAg right of releotatamnt pwoludod 8n
Orir;inairCWre:tiXIgOatairiXW& heri= hl8'8dle
minetoted, &my pople, ln roraer yeaor8,
have boat informed alox thet'lla,by thi8
offloe and haos acqaiemosd in that interpro-
tstlon or tho law.

*Hnoe neither or the above nentlonsb
opinion8 appear ta be conrennos oQln10M
md 8h?e it 3.8 of parewuat importanoe
to
the Stats and to the Iubllo Sahool Fund to
deterrPirU,whether the rl&httoreinstate a
prior rorrsfts4 rale erirtr in 8ltuatlon8
40 8.t out above, I m mJ8peotmlyreqwJst-
lng that you glY6 as a oonfer8noe oplnlan on
the iallowIng qusetlont
-*is the right or rolnetatezaentheld
br L. A. Caeaf 8 *YeBteC right in a
third psrekm whlohwoti pmalude
the T8iA8t@t%tWAt Of t!W Ottle Of the
SlZl/4 of 8800 70, ?U.el b ~the a?+
oord #LImr U&W- t&e OrfdAtt I 8de t0
R. :Z.F,rlsvald?=
 44

.Fnrthcrlmos~l~atlon of the Lund Orrice recorda
dloolooss the teat ttst more than one tillion aeren of
pub110 school lands hve heretofore boon txlae sold cud
txlcc forroitcd, thus plaolw suoh lend In the ocnc eetcgorgr
~1sthe partioular 160 cam6 hlq&crd about b: you lneofrx
irs tho rl$ht of roinat&mwat by ths’orlpJan1 pur.robser
notwlthatnndinlj. c aecond.sels an8 moond forfeiture ia
oonoorned. The roO0l-b Of tht @?EWCd Land @if164 furthor
rerecl that the Cwl~lnJ s&m of seocrsl tiJ.llon corce of
pub110 land h6ve hfsetofore bee.aonce forfeited end euoh
1%&s sold a saocti tht. If, lnthc rutalrt,de rcoond
46145 of euch lantisera forfeited for non-paywnt of intorest
or Srozaothm CuuNocs~all Oz tho6e ecrcral alllloa aaroc
till be lrood ti the 8ame eatsgory es the 160 aaree in-
quired at out by yau with respoot to the ri&t or tha orhi&
nol purchamr to r&&tar-d the ale.lnal male notwlthstand5ag
the second sole.
It la fustbor rhcm by ttm reoordr et the aenerel
LazndOifloe thet in the -et PeJorlty of oses the second
osle,.aftsrthe flrct i&@olture wea EE.~Oby tha Stete a~$
a.hfgher prlao than the flret sub, .&adfhet-the s4oond atile
was often rwrdbwith a tieral ofa8*riflostloa, thuo rOr
to the Stats an iatereot la the mlnar&ls whereus
&ml oolao on n;uohoi the pub110 rohool iends
oierelaeaerra3ero dry greela non&ercl 0i44~1rio4ti~,
without any miacrol rcservat Poa to the Steta.
These fasts are alluded to In order to s&e olcer
the loss whiahwlll neoesserll~be aufisred by tbs Stats
from a hordlmythat tlm rlfht at relnetatmcsnt War c
forfeiture of 6 eeaoad sde dots not bar th4 rl.&t at re-
laststeiwnt under E flrot aale. Tha loss occulting to the
State from such a holding results from the toot thet it
has beea deoidad by the ~4xm3 courtc.that the re5netstelPsnt
ltatuts, Article ES26 A. C. G* 1926, cltts to tkj ior-
ft1tln.g owner, i: r1Lcfit.ao:‘third portlea have not lntor-
osaod, the:rQ.ht of rohtstr~t~~nf et the if?%mFsiOe cad nlth
the eae ~nerel raaervatlor es ~135contained laths orQlnsl
mat to h&i. sec.l&@iolia PQtrOl0m CoI vb ?%lktW, 12%
Tbx. 430, 89 3. 3. (2) 929.
The foro~o4& 1crq$hy atatencnt has boea nede in
ardor to m&e olecr the aaopc and lxtportanccof the guestloa
involved.
 44

Eonorable Besaon Cllea, Pa@ 5

Your inquiry io a4 to Whether or not an ouktondine
rlffht O? relmtoteaont
(that lnoldeat to the eeoond rnle)
Is euoh 8 rQht aa will oporete to bdr the ri@t o? ro-
lastat4laentunder tka flret ml*.
hI?tiOlO EX526, 2.
StatUt4 bore involved, providoa %E ?o

"I? say portion of ths laterrjston any ma14
should not be palC ttran due, the, &nd eh%U be
subject to rorteltum by the Co-~l~slon4r eater-
lac on tho wrepper oontalning.the paper4 lL%ad
For?elttd*, or words 0;‘sldlsr kzport, wlth the
Bste of euoh wtion end eign it c?flalel.ly, and
thereupon the lane aad all paymanta ahall to for-
tolted to the Stato, an4 the laada shall te o?-
fered ror l%le on a subsoqnent 6.h data. In
nay ok60 whore land6 hare been forteft4d to the
Stste for the non-pcrgaento? Interest, the pur-
oheeere or th~lr vendserr,nay here their ololms
.reinet.%~cdon their wlttta roquwt by paying
into the Treesurf the full mwuat $ labrest d\a
on euah aleim up to the dsts of relnatattmtnt,
rovided that no rlEht6 o? third t6rBon8 MY hare
nteneneac In ll auah oases the llnl
obll~utloaa nad &mltlos rha d ther&gboiomo
44 binding 818lf 00 fOr?OitUlW bed 6VBT oaaurred.
I? cay purohmer shall dl4, hi6 hslr6 or lee%1
reprorentatlrss rhall bar4 oae par In rhUh
to make peymmt-attor the fir8t d4y a? Nmomter
atrt after ruch derth. Xothlng ln this artlale
ahall ln<it the State from inrtltutlag such
14g41 prooeedinge a% my b4 a4oesksry to enforut
such rorfelture,OF to reoover the full amunt
o? the intsrtst en? euoh pemltlcs ea map be due
the Ststc at the tl?Joeuch ?orfslture occurred or
to proteot any other right to euoh 1anb.w (Under-
aoorlng ours).
The 4afmbr to four question depend6 up0n tha
oonstruatloa4nd e?Sect to be given to that pmtloa of
E?OnOrsb& Baeom Cllee, Pa@ 6

mtlcle 8326 whioh provides for reinstatement
or rorrelted
rol.oaa~rovlUed that no rtihts ol thirdP r&Km8 nay hmo
intervenf+d.n If,dor ths r00t dtuatlonyou havep-e-
-rut, tho oufstandlng rlphtof rolnatu:ermnt,
holdby tb seoomlpuruherer, L. A. Oasey, is sn “inter-
veeabq right” ae assat by Article 6:26, tbon suoh right
~51.1oprsrate88 a bar t3 B rc~ostatamsnt or tht? first s~10.
Y not, the tlrst e>la la subjr.otto relrmtatezwmt.
In Cal? Frobuntlon Coxtpny 0* State, EZl z, ;:.124
(ait 0f aror hr.), the son mtOnl0 COW or CIP~ A~~~EIS
in rcierrirq:, to the %itcneninr. rlchts’ provilieiz for la
Artiole 5326 stated that by such len,p~go the LeElslature
monat %uah rights of third parties BLP. oonstitute a present
orlatw bar to relnststament - 8~1sxlatfrgre8t~~dright,
snroroonbleat th@ tim, by the party miw Such r1Cht.w
Eowcver, an analysis of tho hota involved in that awe
dlsalosesthat the moon& ~18 whloh was there 01aiasIto bc
a bar to the rkht of relnstatemnt ol'therirat o's10ww 8
sale nado upon or;n<loaof ssttlemsnt, whloh cotiltion
had not been performd, hrther, the oeoszzd puroheanr hsb
eotuallg abandona& the 1snC findmds knowa hir; abrndoment
to th0 tend Oawal8sloner. In 8uohofrcuawtano:‘sho r@ht-
0r rrinnatement exhted in ravoror tlm seoond purohiaser,
aa his feflur6 to oolaply w;tththe eettlezmataondltlon oi
hir purahaas wholly imalldoted the rale to h&n and put en
endto his rlphtsin the land. Thle oonolualoa km tiflrmad
intbe opinion 19 the culr oaaoe Tbererere, as ao right
0r ro%xueditraperlrt adated in furor or the 000-a purohciser,
him eals bay* been *oldal, tbsre ~8s no lntermalng right
whloh would’operate to bar e r8l.natato~ntof tb¶ flmt mle
to hml. In maklny.B rimllngaad oomlarion whioh WNB at?-
oeaearyto raaaoh the tomlt arrived et by tho Court OS Cloll
kppeiiis,la cif v. State oxme, 6upr8, the Court at pa*
134 of the report el@fioantly mndo thio statement with
reageot to tbs oharaoter of thz right ~8 roiPstatem%nt oxned
by 0 rorrelt~ puruha8att
*It %a true,also, as held in Levless v.
xrlght, that the State of Texas at tbot time WOO
in+este& with the title to the lend, aad the rQht
 44

Ronoreble Beaoom Cl&e, Pam 7

t&m 0r the trsmfer to Lewis, And that was a oeetod
%yht whioh no 8tstuk or UOt of the Land Coomisslomr
aould take away f'rozhim.* (Uaderaoor~ oura)
Thus, it is fcmd that the Court In Gulf Production
00. v. State expreeslf held that t&w right ot reinstatmzmt
owned by B ftn-feltingpurchaser la a vested rlfiht.
In Cruzaa v4 Edker 119 Tex. 189, 26 3. v. (2)
906, the Supreme Court la &s&La& the 9ntarvonI~ right&n
tment br Artiolo 5326 at&e& thsf auoh righta &ust be
*?elfd arlstent aad leplly snforeeuble when uittsn re-
quest for rciastatmmt Ir toads. . .* Rowever, tb only
guortlon determined by the Court me whether or not the
right8 or 8 ~rmlttea whosa pmnlt to prospot r0r 03.3
oad gas bob been 00noelca an;:. fortsited, was an inteneniag
rl@t within the zeanlng of ArtlOT, 6326. The Court held
that the r&hta of the iorteltily oil e&l gas pfmaltttse
did not bar a reiaatatemat of first ssla made eubasquentto
the r0mitt4mk 0r the oil and ~5s permit..

The U~UZ~S oam 58 dlstin@lsbnbU horn @be ~Itaetlon
presmtca by your rer,uestin this ro otc the OIL arkagao
permIttao La the Camzen O&W had no fT ,ht ot reinmtatemont
after rorreiture of hlo plait for foilura to begIn develop
mentwithinthe tLpb rhtd by rtatute, All 0r hi8 rigbtll
eadod oompletel~and tUmW with forfeiture of hi8 psnnlt,
rad woh r&hk were a& mbjoot to refartatesant. i%wwe,
onderthe feats relate& by you,the seoomlpuroharerCaser,
by vIxtue at Artiola 5326, dOc6.hev.e the rQht to rskatate
hlr forfeited 8ale. This r&lit, ln 0uJ.fPro5uotlon Co. Yb
State, eugira,was rtated to br a Vested ri&ht.'
In Free18 v, aelkar, l20 To& 291, 29 S. a. (2)
62T, l% was held that the r&ht aoaming irons mom tU%ng
or an opplloatlonto prospeat for.oil aad gas with the County
Clerk did not tmWitUt4 fmO& ai IntWVeJAhg right a0 ~56
Bet!& by ArtiOle 8224. Prsotlaallytba acme lazgua$e es la
round la the Gulf oaae end the Cnmm 083~ suprae 11~8wed
by the oourt Indetlnfn& the oharaoter of rhht mant by tha
torn "Inteenenlngrl&t" in Artiole 6326. Am
in Praels v. valker, the oterefil%w of an appFe*LaetiQn*dtd
not cloerlee to a te6ted rlgbt la tba applimat bHause the
Luud Ctwonlrsloaer was m~tcd by rtatute~withEOP(I discretion
In dotqmiWng whether CA not to iasuuea pemalt in tbe went
un rpplfoatloa roi- pm-alt #houla later be mea rpitht&s
tina coadsnlo~er.
 Y.5 rh4 no oerct other thpn cur v. 3t3:0, 61zp6,
in whloh thbr6 has bean 4lscu8s!:c:
the .:ueatlon or ta&t&r
or not ths rlqht of rofastotcmenttaatls~ drtlale 63&6 ooa-
8tltutca cn snforoeable rested riqht. In ~1st~o: thr rmt
that tbs &~~r=emoCourt haa tdoe elta: PI* amovcl the
culr ve i;tatts
docimioa we real omzstrnlnod to r0ii0r: fbe
lcnp~ce in euohdcals!on %-hlohOolda t&a’:the rlcht or
ralnsteta~nt ls a rew.cd ri&t.

You m-5, therorore, advised that,la OUY oplnltn,
the rkht or reinatazcment arlstla~ ln favor ol:the reoon.5
purchaser (here 3. A. fximy) is aa tnforocable,rcrtsd
rQhtwith?nthe mmilng of the hove quoted drclolon, end
that euah ri&t or relnstatezxmt, 80 lox~ee it ia out-
otandlry;,1s an einte.-vsnimgright” within t!aemrnln(; af
Artlob 5326, vihioh Op8:at-W to bsr 8 Teioatetownt, & the
rest rorfel~sd abale.

X6 rosllze, end bars rraakly rte"ue, tk.t *om
dotit exleto an to the oorifmta6~s ai this holS$ag In vtiw
of the broth languisfeused in the,ebove oito& 005e0 ln
b6rin:nc: t&e aharaoter af rl&t naeersary to oonstltute
pa lntervani~ ri&t 40 that tena io used la t&e 8tstuto.
It hss long bocn e We ct the Attorney Geoeml'a Dapart-
ateat,hcwmw, tbstuhen doubtful quaotloao lv~ presented
to this Cepertmnt with roepeat to the rights OS the atnte
ln tts publie lu~d~, cuoh doubtful ~ue&lons shalL ba
detonzlnec by thle aepartmat la favor or the ateta. Thir
rule, ea.2tb m+dson uhloh form ltn br#ti 81.0well
otateb in en opinion oi thl8 dopertment vdtten ln 1932
by then kaslstant Attorney Gcmwal R,.‘,. Yarborou~,
Opinioas of Attorney Genaritl,,X93+32, peg6 ZZO. Go QM.O
framthet oplnloa a8 follu~G1
wl%ls rule ha0 b0cmfollow0d ems sinob
the etkinlstratioaoi th0 EoaoraOle C. ?J,Cum-
ton a0 Attorney t&nor61 snd lo mcst brlefl
atated in an o~lnlon wr tttea bf the Boonorab L
E. I’. Smith, former Aosi~.faat Attorney Geaertl,
oatf, spyrmed by thoXonmotle Ohlef Yastloo
Oureton, then Attorney Gancwel. Tb 6tntemnt
lo es follov~sr
*If t&c atee man the nlaaral.ela
may be of 1lttU
thl8land, Buoh ovmsrshlp
Eonorable Da~coa tllos, 3ac.e9

or fTmst value, but ii YO advise thet thla
ownership be aurrondsred on the st-ts or
ieote-Qresentsd and our advlae rhoold be
wrou& our error ocn never tm otzrdotsd,
mhcrsas if our ad~loo not to.surrcnder the
rk,hts or tha staitu1s wrcag, tho vaaeues
or 33. Clboon oen hsta ou: er:oroorrcotsd
by proper lo& prooeed%ngs.
*Yn 811 00ntrorcrclcs liwolv* the
r1Ght.e or th0 seute, it la the duty end
1lkoMlsc the polloy of tha Attorney c-an-
eral’s Ceiartmntto aeolde all substilntlal
doubts 1x1favor of the State for the raaaom
Just rentlonod.~~
se feel that the foregoing 1s c wholesome rule
an< thct it properly may be here a;plled, It we hold that
8 flmt sale my be rolnstrxted, not\:lthztcndinE.
the otitlrp
rlpht0r relnfstatcncnt in fever oi B, seoond purohasor, the
will possibly never be se.t:lodby on opinion of the
r,~uottloa
Suprene Court. On the other bend, ii tic hold that the right
or rolnstetsnont of a ‘scoond purohsse bars the tilnsteteaoat
or the rlrst purchase, the ~tmst%o~ osn be tasted on mn&amua
prooeedlnge In the Eupruso Court, awl e dlrcot jtilolal es-
oertalmrwnt 0~11.thus be obtained.
Further, plaroe1 botraE.
to Givegreet Weight to the
0dr0m degartmmtal 0olLatructlonwhioh the Oeneral Land
orrice h86 p,ioento this 8tatute ror mny yrtmb. This Ir
c mttor which Clrectly involves the ed&nlstratlon of the
atrzdru of the LanC Off100 ati a long Bettlad preotlco tml
c0nstruotlon cX the Lam?? Of.?ios 0Oollot2?nlqe mattor~ xh:hloh
ft ia ohnrgec!to rcdmlnlstershould not be werturmd by
this departxaantunleos the construotion enc! practloe of the
Lana Otrlae in cleerly wroe, Thla we do not ria to be- the
ORG8*

Aeoordin~ly, O\lr OpiQiOaiTO&O-780 and oar 611pp18-
mental opinloa of L%y lb, 1939, both adOrssscd to you, are
upon reooneti~rretlon\plth3rm.m,and you are nm otlvisod thot,
in our opinion; the outatandlnf rleht of relnstatumnt o:md-
by L. A. ca~cy, tha seooad purohasar of the
is a bnr to tka rsinstetmicnt of the torfeito2
13, 1940 Yours Y&y-truly
u .p.&J
ATTl,RlT,W G-tiYNFRAT. ,-,I? TTiX1S