923
0 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY QENERAL OF TEXAS
4 AUSTIN
G-C.wUm
II-anI-
Eollar8bl@4aln Rray
copat Attomoy
Eunt Lt,
+oonvslt , !haar
Dear Sir1
OOr EDDOuOd Md UOtitiOd th0
?24
Eomrablr L~qear Draw, Pago 2
“Thlr learr wa8 8Igned only by the Oounty
Jobgo and no ordrr appeare of rsoord la the Pia-
uter of the CommIrrIoeerr Court authorlringthe
Oountf Jtadm to sot aa agent ror the comlrdon-
or8 Oourt In the ruoatlon of 8uah lsaro. The
Comdrrionerr Cour* did not han notlom or kncml-
8dgr 0f th8 ui8ka~ or thie purport6d ha8~ M-
tll l$te? it had notltiob the lesoor that lt ~003
raoato the bull-,
“An ordrr appmrr on the Comfde8ioner8 Court
Minut88 April 15, 19U aa follm8r .
“‘ORDER TO PAT R. B. LOVE RXNT OB W.P.A.
BU~Ir?O: ADZ-~]. 15, A. D. 1941. Motion
made Or 0. 9. &ll Commle8loner, and
eeaomled by 3. 0. ~attormon, Comddonar
that the rental papsent of tlOO.00 par
aronthta Rufur B. Lorr for rant oa bulld-
in& used ror w P A bo ratlrhd as per
previous manthe uul that warrant 188ua
and be pal6 to the raid Rufu8 B. l&r8 ia
the amount of #lOO.OO ror rental oa buIlb
lng for the month of April and that each
math’8 rantalr lhU1 be a separatr trana-
aatloa and the Ocud88Ion~ra Court 8hall
auOhorIs8 paymat when &a~.*
wAt the tlm rooh odor wan pa8sed or eubae-
quont thoreta the l*esor did not aotity the Cop.
a lsa lo noOourt
r r o ?th e
lIOtonoe ai said loare
rIsnu¶ by thm fornor Ootmty Jad40.
Va Ha.r4h 6, 1943 the le88or appeared brioro
the Oam&rlonerr Oourtead Umu68asb vlththar
at that tloa the rdrtenoo of hir purpart& leaem,
rlgnsd b Uw former Oounty Judge. ‘ha Oenmls-
rlonerr Eaurt at that tLu lrprorctlystated to
lessor that the laaor wu not bln6lng en thhr
County, for the feaaon that the Oounty Judge, aot-
lng pertinall~,had ao authority to bind thr Oouaty
ln suoh a netter, but they told him that from a
moral 8t8Jldpoiattiieynollld 11k. to helPhi.muntll
ouah time a8 he ooultl808ure another tuiMt for
925
thobuilbl At that time tlm Oo~mlasionrn
Oourt paera
3. an oraor a8 rollewra
"'colnzssIm~ a0ms.m 3RsSIOR MAROE 8,
1943. Motion radr by f. 0. ~ttoF8o8,
0dDioIk8F and m0naoa by All0n xarc
Ma tkumiaafanar that the roatal of
$lob.OO ~raoadto Rptua B.Lwo for
xwatal on b&ding teraerlJ oeod by the
h~Ft&mt of PublLo W&fare 8bap 188Ur
i8g o??iO# M& oOUAO&str waFehOP#e b
#tOppOd Md that 80 SO?. ah@&8 188Ur to
hh ?OF DU'3h~pUqMU~ #??WtiV@ ~FDh 1,
1943 4th thr p?OViMBtkit th8 COMty piur
Mr. Lore #50.00per noath until auah tlm
a8 he ma rslure or rodi buU&Iw la 110~
of the $I00.00 per aonth formerly pdd
Vurauant ta saah OFtleFof the Co~810as~8
00-t th8 COUty ChFk 188Wd l Warlsnt m able tO
108EOr 00 April 18t in e6OUflt O? f5O.OO. ghe county
Auditor baa refuse& to approro 8uah warrant for tho
roeaon ha &er not think t.h Ooauty aaa lo&ly
tho 10saor the lu8lor 950.00 8 math a* 18 protld3
ia the ardor or krah 6th quoted a&no. I 8ouM
like an opiki~n r?oa pa a8 to *heth6F or rOt au-
her the a b o le
ltatd hOt8 &at 0ount.yir %i~ho
to h,eSOF 8@F 8Ud UIDUt.
"It SO We.1 #OttlO& tbt t& 0OWtr m. w
TbtUO of hi8 Offi i8 aOt U a&Oat U#OWUO6 t0
oontraot 011bohlr ot tke oouat~, 1lTotu atrl#-
pFuaoaeo 6%. Ia th0 ~O#hOt SO 0+:6-Oh8hit
M th e
Go Uty
JUddg
ltlt&
o ’ F ity
t0lZO4UtO tk)
lb *80
OII
b0har 0stbr, oautt lp mu8 ia th 0
r ia -
ItOE Ot the 0OIBEiiDDiOSO~OOOUFt. &F&&i 18,
sh0a8, 159 9. w.69 md0 tm l+fa0fi00to 0+
kbllah a ocatreot bindin& dll a oormt7 rpUt h
a0atab.d ilk the WFitko pHWdi458 Ot tbr~%lFt.
%&OF tb 8b OlO lt8bOMt Oi f8OtB x thhkit 1.
alOaF ttsatthe ~UF~OFtOd &88. lXUtltd bJth8
Cstmtr Jt&s, without autkorlty lf tha Comir-
rriomrs hart, wao aot bind& on the Oouatrun-
1088 aam was ratiitiedby the ~d88iOaOM ~OUFt.
926
IfonorabloBugrno Bra&y, Pago b
*Thor* la no *rldaaoo to *upport ratItioatloa
o? the loaso a8 It #??iFIBatiT~iy appear8 that the
~OaUd66iOLbrF8GOUFb in MthOFiZilq the pa at8 Of
thr mantUy reatcl]. did not kncmthat the I”WE0 bad
be- OXWOUtad Md DO lOt8 Of th8 COrmnisalOnar8
c)InUt 00Uld MObId %O a FatifiontiOa Urha# that
oo~rt sated with knoulodgo of th8 olroumtanaoa.
Tha order n&v30Ap?ll 15, 19W Quoted abortiah&m
Ob3aFly that th8 COJ8d8dOUOF8 court was eat1
under the lseUmptIon that tha rental agroemr2
with beeor war a math to month agraeaen$,.
\
nAaeuni~ than that tho purportedwrittin
1SUSS algaed by the COUty Judge was inMId, .$nb
t&t such leas0 has never bsen ratified by the
COkZdSSiDIlNXI ODUTt the qUa#tiOu l'eaainsED t.0
whother or not the order of the CommIssIonerd
Co\lrtpassed oa Earah 8, 1943 and quoted abovr 18
a valid order and 8ubjaota the aounty to llabll-
it7 t0 the sum 0s $50.00per nonth.
th4 tima eoah order we8 patsad Mr. Lota
*At
was advised that the purportedwritten lease was
ln'ralldand the ~O!J3dSSiOtlUrS CO'Ut Kere til EatID-
fled that suoh purported loasr uee intrlld and
they told Er. Lore at euoh tim8 that they ware
pasdng suoh order not boasuar 0s any ldgal lla-
bIlIty on the part of the 0oUritybut be use thy
wU#ideFed it a moral obll$ntion to sea@Ihat ho
did not lose an thing, ES be baa aatod In good
SaIth in aooppt the purpoma written \oa88.
It ha8 been held 5 a thie regard that tho bard-
Of p?0hbg that M OrdO? wa# SSa4 by t&.h~~!-
alaaIaner8 Oourt rest8 upon pralatfrt alalal
right8 thoreuader, @OrdOn ID. Dantoa Oosnt~, Y6
3@ 737. The COIUI~ OOul& MI be estopped to 8Ot
Up th0 &43?88I#~ Of t&D WWt Of SuthOrity ia’6akbg
the OoutFaat 88 th0 OthOF pa?%7 to the agPeex&ant
18 not In tho altuatlon 0s oaa who ha0 aoted lane-
oently or without knaledgo oi thr alFUgXLItaE&OaDS
Cho who deal8 with the o&tr 18 ehia?gOdwtth
notlao a? FC$UlatiOll# oreatod by the Leglalakre.
Tharefora in the instant oalo tho laaaor was
eharged with the knorledgo that the purport66
written lea80 e%WUt@d by iihoOoUnty Judge, aOt-
ing personally,war lnm.lld, 11 Corpue Juris page
640.
Was order o? the Ooadasioasm or UarQh 8
1943 1x1 ay oplnlon ir barned upon no valid oon&r-
ation in law. Thl8 rtatmmt ie based on the hot
that Ibe raata rhow that all parties understood
that at the tiam m&oh order ua8 passed that the
County was not logally bound to pay the lt1pulat.d
rent after Maroh 1, l943* the data the bulldiq:
was teeated, and this ?ayasnt to the lessor would
in raet mount to no nor* than a girt 0r )50.00
l aonth, and the Oomlrrioners Oourt oannot donate
County property or tundr. Llvio Oountg tn. John-
IOIL, %I SW pa 56.
*In the order or Maroh 8 the lessor bound
himeli to do nothing, and In r0tur11thsreror,
the County wae to pay him $50.00 a nonth. In
Wstrat-Callahan VII.Y.K.ST., 209 3X 775, Subao-
quent Appeal, 233 St7160, It was held that a
promleo by a oarrier to pay a blah for uhioh it
wan not liable, not in the war ot a 0001pro~Ue,
war without considerationand thcreior not blnd-
Ing upon the dsisadaot. The polltion of the par
ties in the instant oaae s&ma to me to bc oory
muoh like that In the last olted ease In that the
order or the CoorairslonsrrCourt or !Saroh8 is
a pro&se by the Coamisaionera Court to pay a
01al.nfor whloh It was not liable irnd not in the
way of a QOBplvlalf#o.
Under the racts aa stated It Is my opinion
that the County Auditor should r&me to approve
any warrants Ierued under aPthorItp of the order
or the ComtistalonerrOourt o? Earoh 8 quotul aborr.
*I ~111 appreolak oplnlon ma you on the
atwo aubjeot as soon ea poreible. . . ."
Conreranoe Oplaioa Ho. O-3099 of tbie dqmrtuait ad-
drrssed to ESonorableJ, M. Alloa, County Auditor of Bent Coun-
ty, Taxas, hold6 that the oomirrIonera* oourt k-iii@
authorltr
to rent a bulldlng in ahlob to #tore rood and riot&i
alshad br the Pederal (rorcrnment tar dietributlon to “fn%<s.
This opinion also holda that the oa8alsoIonsrr~ aourt ha8
authorltg to rent offla~ epaoe for old egc psnalon investi-
gators, the E. P. A. +nd other Federal Govsrnmrnt pmjeots,
928
&aorabla hyi.. Brady, Pqo 6
ii auoh pmjarta are lag
ii8r to tha pnwloymd
.ml.ae huewith a .om
Natloaa 96 97 98 and 99, Countlea,11 Tuar
nwl~prudanae, pa800 633-i-S-6-7-8-9 *lid 40, ra.6 in prrt
8s r0iiwa~
l-0rd~ 0r oOa4Ot0 0s
o r lgnumnt made by a oounty
oaly ii mad. umlu the .PI
thos4Cy or a rmolutlw or order duly parsod at
a rsrtlw or tbs oonml8rlonerr~ oourt azid entered
upon the or aaoh rs*t*.
alnate* fr in a *nit
in~0i~ing UI kmbpd 00nb808, th0 p&i~a rail8
tn aver that an order wa. p.a.sd by thr eo&-
dOnUS' OoUrt rsbodJrily the $ON Of th. OtwitrWb,
tha pleadlag lm babjoot te 6 gwral demuzez.
No rights oan b. aopulwl as against tlm ooant
by lg r wia ~nta
with th. 1~dltiQu.l. eo.ipo.iag t L
aomalraionua~ oourt. The numbarrof the o
am not agmta with n.ner.l authority to bl
publioi they am pabllo oifloi.1. who h.ta be.?
ranted oartaln powers whloh mat br auraloed
L thr way preoorlbed by tha statute.
.
-The Wdm or protlal that an ordoz waa
pnara6 by the oumai8aioaoro~ 00-t rrrta upon 8
p&I&Iii olelmlng ri&ta bhueundu.
8. . . .
ma y
lot thiwu$h an lg m tl wirrlra by itI wd tb --
oantraat. 6hur mad. by l da !
bl.ndia(l u n the ooattty. d tp%?&o Y %$ho
aoatraot rt i. aersrraaryto rtra that tha .grW-
sent la on. whloh tha want 8.. lothorim+d to a&a,
o? that tha cow&Q’, with kau.& . ai tha t@N
of t&r egreament, ratlfld it a3 Or It w m60b
k
92!3
Bonorabla Eugana Brady, Pago 7’
or the alroumatactaa8,and that tha other party to
the alleged oontraol,hrr inooaontly plaood hiaudi
in a altuatlonwhloh will oaosr hln loss la oaae
tha contraot’lsnot auatained, it may be soneluded
that the oounty 18 bound tbmoby. Thr ratlrlOa-
tlon or estoppl mat be bared upon aotlon on t&e
part br the oomulaaionera*oourt. But, whllo tha
oounty doubt1888 la bound by a row]. ordu or tha
aourt, auah order 10 not nmmmary to mtIflo8tlea.
Ratlrloetlonor a aontraot to psuohaar ohattalr la
held to be ahovn by th8 i8Ot that a varrant war
drawn, llthoqgh no bill bi orla ~88 -or -do, aad
a0 order -tared La the mlatitoaor tha aomla8le
us’ oourt aabowinq tha ml..
=A oontmot whloh th8 wmm18Jonor8t oo\trOIr
ahwa to have ha4 urthori ty to meke my k bbdL(
by rlrtua of aubaeqoait lOt# ai the OourtI ad i
oonraraely, the 06urt a8anot bind tha wmty wftb
nspaot to a oontruot whloh It was not urtherisd
to Rake* . . .
tracitwhioh la Ulo&xtl ln that it has not
In oonioxmityvlth the abn8tItutlonor atatutea,
llablllty is bald to etiat, also; by rmlon of aa
Eenorob1.sE-an. Era4y, Pa&. 8
iqliad aontraot to ly th. r.a8onabla v.Ur or
th e b a nsfit wh io h tIl
OoMty My Ra+r feoolvad.
Tha oounty may mt be bald lkbla upon UL kpllad
oont?aat or qua8tw aaruit unlr68 the aaodaaion-
Ora' OWArt -8 lut&orisod to lpake th oontraat
Artlola 3, Sootloa 52, of our Stats Constitution,
prorldaa in part am rollor.:
ma Zagialatura akll her. no power to eu-
thorfaa an aounty. . , *to len4 it8 credit or to
ermt pub1I0 mon.y or thing of value In aid or,
or to any IndIrIdual,aasoolatlon or oorporatlon
nhatroerer. . . .*
Na quota fT.iptha asa. of Llano County et al. v.
Johnsen et al., 29 S. E. 56, tdtmd by you in your lmttrr)
a8 fOiiOV8l
Tha eondaalonar8* oourt or t& owaty
The 1SaSe signed by the aounty judgr IS olmarly
lmralld .nb not binding on the SoUnty. tierXaS auoh o.n.u-
thorlzed lease mar mtlfled by tha @oaoi.sJ,oarr8~ oourt
under t&0 fSO~8 6tat.d In your letter. The ordrr 0r MaaMh
your l.tt.r, mfhOt8
8, 1943, ehowtaIJ.I that the buIldi%
on maid dato was no longrr used by the rojaotm tor vhloh
the oounty paid e rental. On lEaroh6, P943, th0 owarr of
thr bull&S~ ha6 no rrli4 rids wainst the oountr by roanon
of th6 oountr hdm*r unauthorfrrd 18asr-a lams ~w8r rati-
luma a&art eo unt~,01ew~ mounts k, I don8tlon which
18 prohibited by our State Cocutitotlon.
It i8 thrmfor* our opiaion under the foot8 rtatod
that you be*0 00rTo0tl~ uml*red the quertlon. w* iL80 rink&
to em888 OUT4pprwfdfoa for rour lXOdl8nt bri8r In th18
mifM8?r
Wm. J. Fanning
A88f8tSUlt