Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF - AUSTIN or. Gw J. Gtraoar, Director Qao Utila.i.eeDivision Bailroad Conmloeion or Terss MrJtsn, %aa8 Dear sir: , b yootlr iettcrr 0r oat0 your requeet ror eale to the CLtp 0r Palaoloe, Texas should the City 0r Palaaloe aaqulre a dfetr~butlonsyetem to eerve itiarerlidimte. “The above deskbed bperations were begun about Deosmber Xl, 1940, an8 rrlnaethat time several bemade have been made ot Paltef Oil aa G.56C0111pan~ to file with the Raimaa Com- mlsslon or Texae the quarterly reports required ot gae pipe llno operators by article 6080, Be- ylfied Cltil Dtatutea, 1985. .cPi;.> t I&. Gue J. Strauee, page Z ! ..' ". “The Railroad Codraion or Rxaa haa pre- : roribea a form o? annual report for suoh oparatwa, a8 provided ror in Artiole 6056, liwised Civil Statuter, 1926, ma d6Wna8 hate been made of - thi8 oompany to rii6 suab anaaal report8 rtth the Gow&3e~00. Vhe C0mpan.Jooatenao that it i8 not a utlllt~ and that It 18 beyond the power or tbm Leglrlatare 0r Texar to olaerlry it aa rush; aad it haa, there- tore, reXuse to ffle the report8 requfred by drti- ole 6060 and the order of th8 .CoPniaaioa 6ntcrea und& Article 6056, It baa ale0 refueed to per the &rose reoelpta tax68 $evled by article 6060. "* ** You pmpouad the question: "'Plea86adds6 u8 at pur earliest oonveniencs (1) whether or not it 18 your opinion that Paltsr Oil ah6 Oar company is a gai utility a.8defined by Artiale 6060, (fi) ii it i8 anbject to t&e re- port8 tuia tare8 preecrlbe(l by Artlola 6060, et16(3) ha8 the CoarnlSEiiOn authori.ty to require the Oompany to rile the imaual raport ptisori,bea by the COIDIP~~- sion under Artiole 60567" We have asoertalaedfrom the Searetaryof .Statethat Paltes 011 an6 Oa8 CO~QM is a Texas oorporatioa,bsvlag aa its 0hn8e "to ertabJ 8b Ma Mblt.dQ an oil bWhae88 with purpoose. authorityto oontraotior the lease and purohaae ot the right to prorpeot ror; develop aad.we aoal and other mlnaral8, petro- loam -awl-8; also the right to erect, bail4 and ovm all avow- aary oil take oare ~aadgipse neceaaaryfor tba operation of the basine88 o8 the aaw. Subdiriafon37 0r mtiole 1302, Veraon*s Annotated Civil Statutes. The pertlneat etatrrtes ore iirtlales6050, SO66 a06 6060, V. A.C.S., WhiOh are as rOilOW8: “Art. 6050. Olaoaiflaartian *The tean *gu8 utility* an4 ‘publio utilltp’ or futility,’au uaeC it3t&is subdirfrion,waw anb inclubem persoda, eompaaies anb private uor- poretfoas, their lcseeee, truatecrs, 3na reoelvers, owaing, tmm.ging, oparating, le3aing or oontrolling within tiia t;tateconywells, pi;lelime, plant, property, equipsent, Snoilitg, fronohioe, license or pernlt ror sithsr one or nkoreof the following kind6 or ~wlnesat uaaa . ‘* Owning or operating or managing a pips . line for the treasportutionor oarrfage of natural ga8, whether SOT pub110 hire or not, if any pax3 of the right of way for said 111~ ha8 been aaquired, or m4 hereefter be aoquirea by the exerolae or the d&it 0r eminent a0iianl or If e+fU line or any part thereor ie la14 upon, over or under anp publl~ me4 or highway of thla State, or street or alley of any muniolpallty,or the right of way of any railroad or other public utility; lnclwiing also anf natural -8 u%ilit~ authorized by llzw to sxeiciae the right 0r eminent 4om~1n. (1st * *s *Art. 6056. Operator's reports "The Coti8eion may require of all persona or oorporatfonsopera.t;lng, owning 0s contmlliag auoh gar.pipe llnee auorn reporta of the total qunntitfes 0r gae dietrOuted by suah pipe line8 and of that held by them in storage; an4 aleo of their aouroe OS oupply, the awabcr of well8 fcon which they draw their eupply, the an&at of pree- awe malntaineb,a.124 the mount end oharaoter and de6OriptiOri 0r the e,quipaentemployed, and rue& other matters pertaining to the butdneffr af the Commisalonmay seem pertinent.W %r. Qua J. istrausa, page 4 I *Art. 6060. ut 1llt.pt&X "Xver7 gas utility subjeot to ths lffovlslonU or this subdlrlsionoa or ber0re the first day of '~JanaQryand quarterly thereafter,shall file with the Qo;rmissiona ststsaent,duly verified ua true and oorrsot by the president, troaeurer or general manager if a oox~j~~nyor corporntion. or by ,the owner or one oi them if an individualor co-partnership, showing the gross rsoelpta 0r such utility r0r the quarter next preceding or for suoh portion of edd quarterly period as such utility mey hsvs been oon- duotlng any busl~eso, and at such tirzer shall pay i.ntothe State Treasury at Austin a scra equal to one-fourth of one $er oeLt of the gross lnco:m re- . f om.all buelnoss done by it within t&la oelv.rsd Stata.du ng said quarter." 1Er In pu Opinion MO. O-352!4a, the orlglnal~ofwhloh you huve in your,.b