Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

.. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS I AUSTIN em&w c. MANN I 6 rnolln a.*mIL &be~‘d 1 c $y Bonorable Adam 8. Johnron Eracutin Dlroetor Stat@ Gcrpastiacmt of Publio Welfare Aultfn, T-8 mar Sir t r8que6tlng tixoopinion a stated wattor. Your letter se that a reoipient ent1y, knowingly, person? * 1L** seotloa ll (a) of Artlale WC%l, Ternon* mno- tat& clrll Statut66, resd6 a6 foll~z -(a) If, on the death of any reoipient o? ths &la A&S AEEiEtIUiO@or aid, it is fOU&Idthat 'oaonblo Addu 8. T&noon, pago L ho WOE po600660d of pro rty or lnoomo In ax- 0888 of the taount prot r ded in Sootion 2 or this Aot, the total anmutt of the aoolatanog granto6 in 0x0888 of that to whioh tho roolplrntwas by ~;wo;~titlsd may bo roootsred by the Comalooion 0 AOOiOtUtOOa ~ofOITOd 06 olain, tO- gothor w th sir (6) par "JI cant intorut thoroon and all oooto lnourrcld from th8 utat6 of the dOOO#i66d~ tho CoariEOion shall inOtitut6 the noouoary poooodl 6 t0 SOOOTOr 6aOh OlIAim666 tho amunt roootoro “8 8heU bo paid into th6 Old Ago kool8taaoo luod, one-halt (4) ai outi amount rhall bo paid omt to tho mlted Statu Roarury ia ouoh muumz PO the Soelal 806urlby Aet 166~ro- quka.* dootlon 36(a of Article b@b (o), Pomon~o &mot&t- ld Cltll Btatutoo, seaa6 as followor "8.0. a, Whoover obt6lno or attempts to obtain, or aids or abet8 any poroon to obtain, by 119ano of a wiltully iolos ltatsment or rop- rooontatlon or by lmpor8on~tlon, or by other traudulont moono: "1. a86i8tOftO0,8OX'dOOO, Or tFOllttltOIlt to whlah ho i6 not l ntltlod; "8‘ a86iOttitlO0,60171006, or troataont gpeat6r than that to *Ioh h6 i6 jwtly OntitlOd; 93. or w%th into& to dotraud, aid8 or abet6 in buying,.of in d16~04My of tho Way roportl of a roolplentof asoiotano6 3 thout e ho ooluoot 0r the stats Doportmont,or whoarot tlolatoo80Otion 30 of this A4t, shall bo dOOmQd dullty of a mi84omoano?,and, upon oonrlotlon theroo?, rh0l.l b e fino d my lnm nc itmo r o th a n One Hun&rod ($100.00) DOllnro or b6 lmpr16onod for not la66 than llx (6) mOnth6, aor aoro thaa two (2) yearn, or bo both 60 flaed and inprlooned.* while section 11 (a) of Artlois6843-1, Yomon?* Annotated Civil Statutes, prorib only for th* rooorory Oi 149 mrto~m0 ~5 a. ~~~~~~~ paso 3 a6OOtO fW8 t& SOtatS Of I dO8OUd pOrOOl3 l&On it :O d18 SoWred that luOh poreon has raooiwd OM Ago ~66iotanoo ia ~0068 of the omotmt ho R8 lxttitlod to by law wo bolls@ that A simple lotion for moao~ had and noal will 110 at the inrtanoo ot t&o St&to Doputm%nt of Ppblio uoliare to rooowr ir010 a llvlng poroon ~0816tan08 when ho has "iraudu- hltly, kItOWiB&~, sad i&OiItfOtI~~ aonooaled &6OOt6 Or CO- 80~~888 rhioh, ii krrornto the Deputaont at the time of la?ootigetion,would ham made ths l pp&leaat lnoliglb1o.r AS ltatod ia volume 69, mu8 Jurlop?uaonoo, at page 136; *AD artion ror nonor ha4 aad nootwd will lfewlmb ane prmon hu mother by fraud, dbro80, tion, extortion or taking 4aAu aq#Mtal rule the aotion ni11110 to r8OOWr mnay paid M dOr l &Et&O Of f66t, It boln& oonrldorod unoonroionablo that aono~ so paid should be dotalnod tmn tho pa the othorhandmonoyteluatarily aiotako or fraub or lew, without with knowlodgo of all the taot8 oonnot bo ro- oowrod haok In anr 8ort of a do n,lithor at law or in lqulty.m m presume thmt ouoh artion will bo takea ia ao- oorduroo wlth the prooedure rotidad in utiolo 964644 (a), ~OtliOa’8 Aanotetod Civil Sta? utu. %i8 88NOlI roads fn port a8 follows, vh~owr It is round, by lnwotlgation of the looaladmlnirtrativo~~J@JIo;~or othorwloo, that ~6OiOtMO~ h60 bm &Wlttd t0 Anf arIOt% rho io not oll&blo thoroior, th8 Rx8OutP?o Dl- rootor shall lmtodlatolf order ruoh a8OiOtRnOO tormbatod at& 8hiL1 furnloh a OOpy O? 8uah OrdOr to th e lp p llo ut and a 044~9~ to the looal ldPaisl*- tratlto a$onoy, and from rush OrdOr the ap ff;gt shall han the right to a~poal to the Coam! * Utd WhOn A68iEtMOO to MJ PrOOn bar km tog- mlnatod, no furtb, payments shall k mdo to luoh person until the ~oa?d l,hall bar* dotormlmd OILappealthat 8uOh pa?~~ti be roN*d** KS oall to JOUFattoatlon the isot that Sootlon 36 ,) of Artlola 696(o), ~ornon~o knaotatod Civil Btrtutoo, .. Honorable Adam R. JOhnmxA, gag8 4 m&k86 it a mi6d8m8atwr for onyono to obtain asoi6taao8 fraud~ontly, and of Oour68, the DOpattment maytake ap- pro date stopa to the and that such misdemeanors may be puns8h8d. It ia thoroior8 th8 opinion of thir department and you are r86p8OtiUuy advised that Whem a,reeipient of old age asristance has fraudtisntly, kaowingl~ and inten- tionally ooneealed assets or resouro8o whioh, ii knovm to th8 D8 rtmsnt at the time oi imestlgation, would bars nmdr tr8 applioant Ineligible, but due t0 :th8 OOno8e]S8nt, the applioant ha8 drarm as6i6tanoo,'or8ra Oonsiderablo p8riOd Of ti?itO, th8 stat8 DOpaI%L8nt Of FUbliO Wellare SEW reoover baok from suah reoipfon$ such 66SiStanoe in an ao- tion for lnonayhad and reoeived. yours very truly ATTORNEYGRhTRALOF 'EXM FIEST ASSTSTANT ATTCRNXY GENNE&b.L Walter p.eKOoh ASsiEtallt