Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS Bonorable Varvln Hall Fire Insuranoo Commleaionsr Board 0r Inruranoe CommIs~loner8 Austin, Texas Dear Sir: This wIl1 aoknowl May 9, 1940, in nhloh you 6 l&e upon #OVWl que0t10nr t esrential to here est o understanding of the fa daltlonr are aa no authoritf prevent hasardous uoh Inapeotions Is soli been oaued upon, iB sx-oSfIoIo Statr Fire as State Fire Earshal, hate author- the eleotrloal wiring In houlrrs under f your anmer III in the afflrmetirr, do I, as State Fire ?:arshal, have the authority to condamn suoh wiring If same Is found unrafe and oaue the removal, or oorreotlon, thereof? "(5) Can I prohibit the power oompanlas from furnishing eleotriolty to such unsafe rirlng? . - 734 Honorable i’arvln IIall, Pag4 g “(4) If your an8w.r to tha foregoing qu44tionr are In the afflrmatlro, my I appoint a dsputy fully quallfl4U, to eot in my plaoe and stead In making those InepootIon8t “(8) If your amwsr to proporltlon numbor 4 18 in the afflrnatlvo, do f have tha authority to allow the deputy reasonable aolapenaatlon for tsar- Vi008 l-OndOred in makin6 ths inirpOOtiOl28’) “(6) Do I ha~4 the authority to aase84 and 001140t, from thr prop4rtl owner or aontnotor, a reasonable fee for making ruoh Inapootlonr? “(I) If I do hare the authority to a84488 and oolleat suoh fe4, will It bs legal to allow the deputy to oollsot and retain for hi8 mn ~44 4uoh foes as oompsnsatlon for his aorvIoo8?R ArtiOl4 4897 of the R41ised CIvIl~Statute4 of Toxa4, 1925, tloalr with the authority and duty of th4 Stat4 Flro Ear- 8hAl. It 181 RThs Stat4 Fir4 Farehal I4 heraby authorlaed to snter at any fine any building8 or premIm8 where fire oaourred or Is In pro&rem, or any plaoo oontIguou8 thereto, for the purpoar of la- reetigat Ing the oau84, origin ana olr4um8tau448 or such fire. The Stat4 Flro Marshal, upon oom- plaint of any poraon, shall, at all rsaaouable hours; for ths purporo of erazalnatlon, lntor Into and upon all building8 and prem18eo within thlr State, and It #hall br hi4 duty to lnto r upon u&d make.or oau8o to bs ontored upon and -do, at q tins, a thorough oramlnatlon of meroantlle, menu- faoturing and pub110 buildinga, and all plaors of pub110 amuasmnt or whers pub110 gathering8 am hold, together wi th the preEI84s belonging thereto. Khener4r ho shall find .anp building or other strua- turs which for want of repair or by reason, of age or dllapidatsd condition, or whloh for any oaueo is liable to fire, an6 whloh Is 80 situate& a8 to sndangor other building4 or property, or ir 40 oooupiod that fir4 would endanger person4 or pro- perty thoreln, and whenever he shall Slnd.an Im- . proper or dangerous arrangcmmnt of atov48, ranger, furnaoe8 or other heating appllano48 of any kind whateoavsr, inoludlng ohlmnepr, fluea and pipa with yhloh the 8am may be ‘oonnootod, or dan@roue - . 735 Honorable ianin Hall, Page 3 arrangement Or lighting lyBta8 Or dOtio48, or daqgorow storag4 of 4xp~o8iVO8, oompouad8, potro- loum, garolino, k8rOBOn4, dangerous ohemioalr, vogotable produoti, ashoe, ocrabu#tible, lnfle8!mable and rerure matorialr, or other rondltlonr which aax be dangerour In ohanotrr, or liable to cau8e or promoto rim, or oreate conditions dangerour to firemen or oocupants, ho shall ardor the 8am4 to be nmwed or remedied, and suoh ordrr shell be forthwith ooa- plied with by the oooupant or ownrr of auoh buIldln( or premirer, and ths Stat4 Flro Kar8hal is horobr luthorlrrd, whrn necerrary, to apply to a aourt o? oompetrnt jurirdiotion for the nooo88ary writs or orairs to enforoe thr 9rorIsion8 0s fhI8 art1010 and in ruoh oa#e ho shall not be roquIr4d to give bond." Artlole 4882a, of the RevIre Civil Statutea,& Toxar, as amendedby Aat8 OS 1987, 40th Loglrlatun,, pago 3ti, Chapter eZ4, para, 8, prorider In part: " . . ..The autler horetoforr plaoed upon )nd the powers and privileges hsrrtofore exorolsod by the Ststr ltlro Farehal ars now to bs plaosd upon and lxrroleed and enjoyed by the Flro Incurrmoe &IUQ~~- #loner. w Roforrlng again to Artlole 4S97, rupra, fra whloh, a8 4x 0rri0i0 firs marshal, you aaquln your power of inv48tQp tlon, It appsars that your right8 and duties may be lla88IfIo4 Into three BUbdI+IBiOn# as r0iitm: 1. You are authorized "to ontor at anl tImo any build- ing or premiers whors fire ooourr4a or 18 In progrorr, or uy plaoe-oontIguou# thereto, for the purpose of lnrertlgatlng the oauso, origin and oIraum8tano48 of 8uoh fire." a. You shall *upon oomvlalnt 0s eny Demon . . . . at all r4asonablo hour8 for the DUrDOIe of 4xamlnatIon. enter Into and upon all buildings and pr~mlisr within thi8 Staio...." (Vndereoorlng oura) 5. It IS your duty to ontsr into and upon all Wmemui- tile manufaoturlng and pub110 buildIng8, and all plaool Of publio aE!lU84S4Ut, or where pub110 gatherings are hold, together with the pr4mIaee belonging thereto a for the purpo#s of 4xamlna- tlon to detennlno ths oondltionr with rerpeot to firs hasardr. Sk.36- Honorable Marvin Rail, Page 4 Sumuksrlzlng the84 arbitrary 8UbdiVi8iO~8, it 8ppearr that you nay into and Upon th4 proporti48 outor derorIbe4 In Seotlonr 1 and 3 theroof at will for luah In- lpeOtiOB8 as you doom neoesaar~ and prOp4rj that a8 a Beo488- ary prer8ptirIte to your right to enter Into and upon tho proportirr mentIonod In 8ubdIileIon 8 herrof you must h#ve a oomplalnt mad4 to you by 80344 94r8on as to th6 probable no84 for an In#p4otIon. Wobellero that ths prlvato rerldenoea involved In the lnotant inquiry ?a11 within this seoond 8ubdIvI#Ioa. QUlE3TIOl'J 190. I Subjeot to th8 limitation hsrelnrbors dlaouaae4 we ln#w8r your rlrrt questlon In the lfflrmativo. QvJwrI0N NO. 11 Artlole 4891, supra, furthor provider that whenever YOU W,...ahall find . . ..dangsrou# arrang4lnOnt or liehthg ryr- tan8 or 44rloea.... Shall Order the 8fm4 r4Eiov~ or r48mdied . . . . * The word *or* undersoored In the quotation hereinabove lppo8ra to bo an error Of tho printOr aa the word *‘of” 18 U88d In the original aot. Your BoOOn qurstion 18 an8wer4d in the lfflrmatlve. QVESTIONNO. III Artlole 4097, eupra, rurther provIae8 that after you bp’l8 found a dangerour oonditlon and h4v4 ordsnd the #ame swm01- ed or romsdiod "BUOh order ahall bo forthwith 00~11pliOd with bt the oooupant or ownor of suoh building or p~mlmea, an&tho Btato Fir4 Harabal IS hor4by authorlsed, when n40888ary. to apply to a oourt or oompotont jurls4lotIon for the nooerawy writ8 or order8 to enforoe the provi8ion# Of this sot....* Without 9a88ix Upon the 8944ifiO qUO#tiOn Of whethor Or IlOt th4 oompany undsrtaklng to furnlah powor #haul& be mado 4 partf to th8 rult, it may be OffeOtIT8ly prohibIt8d SrCUBfurniBhIli& luOh power by an Injunotlon dlrooted at the owner of th4 pn- nIro# prohibiting him from pexmlttlng a oonnsotlon bsIng made until the WLBaf4 oondition has boon mm4aied. QvEsTIoNs NOS. IV AND v Artlolo 4898 of the Revised Cl~ll Statute8 prwlder In part8 "If ror any reason the State Fire Yarahal I# 737 Honorable Marvin Hall, Pago S ! ; unable to mak8 ant nqulnd lnreatlgstlon in per, 80x1, ho aer dmrlgnate thm fin aer8hal of rwh oit]r or town or 80~8 other oultable person to aot ior hlmi and 8uOh peroon rhell have the 8am0 author- ity l8 is hrreln glrrn the Stat8 Fire Marrhal with rsrer8non to.th8 pertlouler matt8r to be int88tl- @ied by him and rhell rooelre ruoh 0~1 lnntlon for hi8 8on7jow am tho Btnto f~um~noo Ecaml88lon meylllcm...." Your fourth quo8tlon Is emwend in thr lr r lr ma tlr e, Tour fifth qw8tlon 18 llk8rise enmnd Lo the lrrlmmtlro rubjeot or eotw8e to lll llmltetlon8 oontelnra in tha p6rdnent rtatut88 end the gOzmre1 ap roprletlon bu. WOhave mead0 no lnve8tlgc4tlon or en? do not GrnSTIORsNos. VI, Am Yxx Artlolo 48(l'e, supra, authorize8 you to lm8e88 and oolleot re68 end fix en808 rr0m one roqusstlng en lnrO*tlgation or l r,in but l ill lp gent rreroh of the 8tatutor retoalm a tote1 laok or euthorlty v88tad in you to l 88688 en6 oolleot r008 end lxpon888 tor th6 kind and ohareotor of lnv88tlgatlon whloh vm era her8 oonrldrrlng. Haarlng no ruoh authority', it 1s lp p a r - Ont that you oannot author180 mm8 lgent b do that rhloh rou oonnot do. Tour quertlonr No8. 6 and 7 ere both enowered In thr nO6atlro. Your8 very truly