Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN websk;t of pour letter oi June l4# lea01 ironIthio de- &lartment, Thloh la 10+01 . al ApproprlatlonBill Sor thr Blenalnm or 1939~1941. me r000mnexlat10ml of the Bowa et Dlreotore lmluaed, ,wolml, l d0Wled et for l@i$o-40 aBlowtlng to @9,094, I b"df wa8 estlaated that the 0~00~ fee@w0taa oduoe @4,eoo on thebtie Of the mro1 L for the Long ~errlon of 1936-3s ana *ho 8anmer Session or lns8#I Bootorliabey otatea that he 399 Br, iIcwr PI naine7 - mga 8 hod not yet had rufflaient time te ltua 7th e rr e eo o wlendBtioto pMer - mlthlr to m&3 reooiweadatlonaon all cr the item. l@On mction of nootor Yorgaa, reoomled Is7Dr. Apmmorth, the Boml toted to levy tho few am rooonmw&3a by the Board oi Diredora of the ?exar udoq i #o,, one a0irv per bong fh- rlon wmeeterand titty cents per Stun- wr &w~sion term, per student, effect- ive at the beginning oi the Long ses- @ion o? 1930-40. On wtion of Sfmator nlaowrt, seoonded b7 Dootor Ayneo- worth, the Board then empcmred Reol- dent RBiney to ap we and put into operation, after Grth er study, abua- get for the Teras Union for 1939-40;~ *Aa you knm, the aaee of HOrpsrP. Ra.%ne7, ot al, t . Jmea L. Malone, rbioh im now pend- ing in the Court of Oitil A ~lm&r$e over the oolleotfon of thir fee Ki * MalOne IS the 0x07 student who her tiled 8 Rlit or ikxg kind in tbh conneotion tuoept for oopd rho jolaM with Malone in hi. firet tit, vhioh TOI abated l~7 the trial aourt * She foe0 were uni- Sormly oollooted from all etudente for the Tiret l‘eweter of the rohool year l@aQ-40, but all of them uhlch hare not been aoai ed to the Teaam union b;r the ottientr, are ltr11 being held by the Audltm and hare not been made atdlablo for es ndlture by the utiversitg. Nom o? the studen r(Ipaid under a Sororrlprotest, nor did an7 write @protest’on their reooiptr. When reglstmtion for the wooed 8emerter begsn, it had beeOw prett7 &eneral17 known amox the rtudente that the Attorne7 Benoral WI ooate~ that the ~euspeneo statute@ rp rtk:nt”, feer collected from the Unirereltf . BrMsntl that cwaeed eome etudents rho opposed wing 1 heee foea to rrite lo r o m roaeipte, and the CWbOn tihe3.r eo file In our Awlitor*e Offior, teat ,I There are perhape a h Jwnorablo Powr P. Itrine7- Page g lXo suitsha?@ been Pil8d for the ?80 awary af the foes Wd uader pote8t, mah am aro oontem@lated b7 the *rrmpease rtatute*, ArtiOle ?067b, Vr A. 0. 6. IThe Union Board 18 the gmerninf b? oat8bl18hedb7 order of the Board oi egea l to adadnister the afCidP8 of the texar onion. That Board oon8istr OS iire rtudentr, two ox- etudentr, and two fraultq melplera~ Slieor- a= OS the Board or Begents providi for the board and the 8ddd8tIMiOn oi thes exa8 Union 18 tc be fouxklla folum I, pti 3$--21, Regent*8 minutsr, a o8rtifiatl00 bar be& furai8hti you in 60meo lxon with tho litigatIoa no8 pending. 'The Baud of Direotorr of the tera8 Union 18 now eagaged in 0081 to be atabmlttodto the PO arr oompliaace with the order ot referred to aml 8ubreotton 19 0S the 8urrent ap oprf8tioaabill, Althou& we tuwo aot ce- F oetsdare@eath‘oefhe BoaMof D&motor8 of the texarunioa that TO tura aver to them the fees rhiob have been oolleoted,we bntiet- pate that the7 8187meke ouoh l request 810ng with thebudgetwhioh the7 afbmit,baredupon the &mnirSom8 OS arid aubreotiea 19, *la additioa to the queetiona of l&W whiah are ixmolred in the handling 6t rho fees *h&oh have been solleoted ad the lery- fng of the fee8 for the rohool 7ear 1D4041r it ooours to me that there na7 be 8ow legal questions imolred~ It oeew that the fee8 dght be coosiderod tolunt8ry pfiyment.8~wbioh the Dnirereit7 would hato no authority to re- turn to the 8tudeatr even though the fe# 81StS~~fYnall7be held rold . Therefore, I aaavor to tho following quee '1. If the Board ofPJreotor8 oi th. roxar Union ehould 0011 upon the Auditcr o? the UatrerritJ Of t’erlt8 to make Wa%lablO fOP expenditure, under its control rad ubjeot to EomMblO EemW. PI Rainey - Page4 12 older, the ia mhiah have been oolloetod lud8d by him for the iir#t #Ow#ter of year 193040~ would it be hi8 duty '2. If th8 Board Of bir8OtOPS Of t&O textam Paion8h0uiaaall u 0 fh8 budltor to make arailable for expe nap0tare under its eon- trol and 8ubjeOt to it8 OI'dOr,the fee8 H&h ha+8 been oolleoted aM impounledby him for the SeOOad #SlB38t8P, would it be hi8 duff ti do 80) ‘3. If your answer to ~08tiOll NO. 2 18 in the affirmative,should he inolude all of the seoond sewoter fees a& a01 hold bp U, or should he rot&a thorn8psid uad8r p&'otOSt, even though no suit ha8 been filed for their recwer7t %. ti YOul OpiniOXl doe@ 8ubaeOtiOn 19 of the ourrent appropriat~onrbill require that the Board of Regents levy s Texa8 Union We, or 18 it rithin the di#Orotim Of tbS Board Of Ro- gontr 68 to whether or not thef 1ev 8-l' ZbO CBS8 Of BOSlSPPl-108Itf4inqf3tti V89 akEE38 L. Utxloae,deoided b7 our Court of ~1~11 Appeals for the Third 8U~erPehldfOi~ DiSfriC't OXI- ti,lo(o, illVOlV8d the TSlidity Of StUd9Ilt fS88 WOOlUIt TOus UlliOn,md that oourt reversed the &@nent of the trial oourt end rendered the Oauae ia favor Of the appellant,upon the ground that the payment and recovew of mmb fees oam, mithln the wope Of &tiele lOafi Of ~eMOag8 &Wb9d Ciril 8tstuter. *Bee. 1. Any parson, firm or eorp~ation who ma7be required to ~tofhehedof any departmad of the Stat0 QWernwnt any OCOupa- tion, gr088 reoeipt, frcrrrohi8e, license or other &wirilOge t8x or f80, and who beli8Ye8 or contends that tho aam0 18 unlawful and that ouch publio offiaial 18 aot lwfully entitled to de&u-d or oolleot the maw shall, awerthe- ~onmabl8 iioximPI Rainey - Page 6 fO88 be l'S@MdtO pS7 OuOhroPunta8 SUOh publh oPfiain1 alurged with the oolleotion thereof arrfdeem to be due the State, anI 8rmll be OI3titiSato aoaom suoh papcent with 8 writton protest, mee"J tiag out iu117 mad la detail eaoh aml every gtwund or reaeoa why it 18 OOntfWi5d that atlobdemand 18 anlbW- fw or uaauthoriced. *See. 2. Upon the payment Of SUCh tluee or fear, 8~OOZQRlUiSd b7 SUOh written protect, $he taxp~pr shall hsT0 nlnoty(So)days from said date Within ThiCh to file Suit iOr the reaooery thereof Zn sny court of competent juriediotionin Trade bounty, Texae, and none other. 0uoh suit shall be brought against the pub110 offiolal chsrgod rith the duty of oolleoting 8uah tax or fee@, the State Treaeurer and the Attorney Genersl. The Issues to be determined In euch emit ahall be otij thOee lU'i#illgoat Of t&e grounds or reasons set forth in 8x023witton protest 8s or1&inslly tiled. The rightof BP&k%1 ehafl8XiSt SO iZl OthOl' 08808 prorided by law. Provided, however, rhere a olssa s&Ion 18 brought by any taxpayer all othor tSXpS7WS belonging to the Olaea s5i I'e~O~ sented in lnloh0168S action who haTe properly ~oteeted SO herein jC’OTid8d shall not be re- quired to file 8epal'ateBuitS but shall be en- titled to and gorerned by the deci8ion render- f$iillPUoh 01asS 8otiOn. *Bee, 3. It ehall be the duty of euah bile offiolal to transndt dally to the State easurer all money eo rooeired itf with Q do- tailed list of all thoee reaitt& samom anb he ehdll inform the gtate Treasurer in uriting that euoh wney ta(ipfifa under protest a8 herolnsbore Forided. A depeit receipt &all be iseued by the Qomptroller for the deilg to- tol, of such remlttanoes from eaoh departmentI and the oashier of the Treasury Department ah811 keep a ao8h book to be oalled ~Buspenee Cseh Book,' in which to enter euah deposit reoeipts. Upon the reoeipt of ouoh wnsy by the Btato TrescrurerIt shall be hi8 duty erd h8 IS herebyrUw&md to i8madbtOu ti fort& with pleoe the sami ln Mate dep08ftorio8bear- bg iatOls8tS.n the lulb nmm8r u aq other fundodtb.etakro SUah b9~8it8ri.8 at Treasurer,~hallf~rther boro+o&te CrllO- Oat0 -tOWl' iat8FOSt f8 8U%8d 011 8UOh i\uabr uad to oreaM tat. aammt t4mrad to mob w- BSl,4886lUltIlBt~ th8 St&US .f 8U.hEI.w E f~f~~tW'Bdn.d ~Sh#MiSl wed. @see. 4. thhetimamlrithinth0 ar ia the avant it firwl SUah ruit tlut thhe StlW 8q potion Mmroof, rata interest State, thoamA in that eventit 8bsll be the ant7 of the mat. Trea8urer to trander muoh money fromthe looouat to the proper 8~apxm8 fun& of the Stetoby pluing the portion thore- Of belonging t0 tbO BktO in SUQB lbtl b lb8 fSetrm6e Of a de&I.SftI)8rI%tr mOn NO I;dO- ~dtWSi'rolltOl'tU'MLIt8 WOi88Ued,thef atmll be S~%toa~d ia tb8 0a8h book, and the 0parluat0mhfo.h wah PoaeJ 18 SO tram- .Fpdd Sh.llb. FOObl'ff SM&t& Umrmith. Ia the *rent, haeve t&t #titt@ brought ~auohtu or vi& the time sml within thhewanerE"J eMiaabw8 prodded, cad it ba tltallyd@taW that8UdrmOn8~ SO p8idb7 auoh taxpapr,, or any part thareof, was un- laufullj aewaded by muah publie offioial and that th0 801y) bel.Z&S t8 OUohttimfOr, t?lSIk and in th8t ffent it Oh811 be the aat of the otate Prea8mertoroSmd m0b ammat, together with the pro rata iatore8t earned therooa, to 8UOh taXpcYOP w fb. 188l&ZI0.Of a rspund TOW CPnt,thO SW t0be iSWed in 8. to #ori@@ &ad to ba mea for’ asking OUOh re p"ti8, to be #~1sb~&O8igmtd @t&Xbfuad~~aXitS' Md SUab VMMlltS ShSlt be WittSB ud b7 the Ooaiptroll8r am% 8CWtOr81@8d b7 Stat0 Treasurer and oharged 8grinrt the ma- pnae aaoount, aa heroin8bwopn%dedr ud 8hall then be returned to the Comptroller a& aOiiT8Md by him to the Per8OM entitled to noeivo the maw.@ #Uoh f 008 l%&i~e?k?% ~t%?jr?~~~i%~~ fullJaadinbtail Habrab it 18 OOntUha that SUoh aWUbd tutlawful or unbuthor- t0 be dOtW8dMd in aloh ant7 #OS8 ti8izq Out of the Ln raeh Tritt8a pOtO#t s8 Itw&llfurthorbo reeathstla up Went ths amlt. (roe. 8) The writfag by the student mob foes u II the Pooeipt Uhd the asrbon OOpiOS Of llafL protest9 aould not in eventbe omrrtrued to be won a T th the 8tatUtO nfb#tMtirl aomplisnoo"p: k86XUstOl7 ObWO requLring the ltatem8nt of the po~n88 of illogal- laer of Ruthorit affe0ting the ~Ol~8OtiO~ Of the tee. PO that, all euoh Tee8 heretofore oolleotea from 8tUaMt8 radar t&OOfreUWtMOSSStded b7 ;fOUShOUiab8 dealt with in the USUa1 OOW8. without to auah On- dOr#eBMt upon the reeeiptr, axalam th M protest vhat- ever hsd beaa psde. b Other?TOM@, it vi11 be fh0 &If of thQ uai78r8it7 Auaitar, upoa PO eat of the texar u&m Bof&, ta wke a+ailiblo sll muah p"de8 oollooted ior fe39- , MS, TO bOliW8, ~03'8 7OW qU88fiOM 1, # Aada. subreotian (10)of the gonoml pwl83on8 of Bau8. Bill Ho. I&U, the A PO tion Billtar Inatitu- tioaa of Ki@M' Lssra for OUrreBt bieauinm, 18 SO fO11OVSC *The Bo4rd et legeats of the University of Texas IS herely 6Uthwi88d t0 lovr a 00~ lOOI lto b ent $ 08a Otto eXe8ed f h aDOllV L$l) par student tar oaab 8m3ster of the ~O88iOtlsrldnot to exasad Piif7 Cents