tJtJiJ
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TILXAt3
AUSTIN
Bonorablo Basooa Oilor
Oommirrion*r,06wrdl Lead Offire
Auesin, Texar
Daar air1
qwti0n Or 7eo8n0y
8 it aan4atory uader
0omal*s~0ner 6ppobt
l rtuvry were not made would the
rppliorntbo injured fn aBy way
tlgstioa on the gueation of a
*hn
ia tsr b ig a tio
o foertala
a lg~Uo4tfonr
to lea10 al~egrd v~eanb 1~14 rim tn thir or-
rh by tffttm of EIouu Bill. 0 rwr*lr that
ml4 aQQliortlonr on their faoo purport to eater
only land8 whloh ha& been prarfoual~ pat&ate4
Wit3
lionorabla
Baacom (3lla8,Pegs g
by the 8tsta.
"InV~Stlpitl0nOf other applloatloaa
ravrels that the Rooorda and maps of this
ofrio ab8OlutW nagativa the lr i8t8a o0 r~
a vlaano~ SO Irr as this oifloa is ooaaarssd'.
*In olther of the lnatanOea above
tioaed tha dsoirioa OS this oirlor ooti% Et
aad would not ba lafluaaoad by a sunay madr
011 the 61’0tt~Id, 8la08 ow Reoordr show *hat ao
raoenor la poaaiblb.
"Tha lppliaaats thezuelrea am not de-
8lrou8 of parlag ror a Sur?S~ lanlaraona ia
newrtiary to preaorra their rights in future
litigationoa the question of taOaaO~, and it
is the intention 0r this otfioe.to h8vr l
8urvsr mada in arory oaaa wham tha applioant
SO ~eairo8.*
The queitioaa submIttad by you nsaeseitatian
oxaaimtioa 02 ChapSar 871, hots 1031, VarnOa's Annotated
Qi+fi Statutes,Artiola 64810, as amendad br Eooaa Bill
9, Aots 1939, 46th La~islatura.
Prior to tha amandmant of Cbaptar gP1, bats
1931, by Eoosa Bill 9, Aotr 1939, thara was no provision
in tha law rrquirln ths Land Coamlssloaarto appoint a
rarveyor upon tha tfllng of an epplloatloa to purohese
or laasr allsgad raoant land. Under th6 1931 Aot prior
to its aaandmantby House Bill 9, the sppllcantwea
ohargad with tha raaponaibIlit~of having a auroay mada
by the oounty surreyor .$xXtha oounty la whioh the land
was aituatsd or br a lioenaed land aurr6yar and the appll-
oant was further ohargad with the reaponaiblllt~of hava
ilald notaa returned to the General Land Offlo and fibd
with tha Land Oomalsaioner ior his approval or rajaotlon.
House Bill 9, howrtar, olaarly undertekorto
&akki, (IOOmprshanalraamentiant o? Ssatloa 8 Of tha 1031
Aat, is that flouaoBill 9 prasoribae deflnltalr and in
detail tha prooodurs to ba tollowad by tha Lead Commiaaionar
in aaoartainlngwhathar or not a r a o a nalotuallY
y axiats
011the grouad and la aofifying intareatad part108 or amh
praaeealags.
The oaption of Xmas8 Bill 0 5.npart proridaa as
followrI
** l * daaarlblng and prorid ior pro-
tern and oonditioaa ioh taoanai@a
. . .I pm-
zonora'cleBasoornGilsa, Page 3
aoriblngproaedum t0 be follOwed by Con-
alaaioner in inatanoaa wh4r4 vaasnoiaa are
iii44 upon; providing r0r rindiaga by the
Commlaaloner~l l l a
section 1 (a) or Bouao Bill 9 definer *vaoanoy*
a0 rollowa:
*~~aOMOy~when USSd in this bat, 'Jams an
ama uaaurv4yrd 8ohaollaad not in 00nili0t
of
On the ground with laUda prerlou8ly titled, awarded,
Or aold, rhloh has aot basn listed on the reaordo
of theima Offlo as * lahool lanaa and *hioh 0s
the dot0 OS tha filing was naithar,.aubjeotto a8
earlfar SUbSistfry rpplloationtq purohaaa or
1048s by a 41800terer or~olalnantnor lwolrad
la panding lit,igatlonbrought by t&e State to
moover the sama.~
Seotioa 1 (0) Of Roar0 Bill 0 protidaa that aa
applioant to purohaae or laa8a a raaaaay shall file written
applioation ln duplloata to purahaaa or losee with tha
oouaty surveyor of the oounty In whloh any part or the land
is situated, luoh appliaation to state the ~ma8 aud ad-
dresser oi all owaera or olalmaata of any intareat la tha
land or any lasses adjolulng, orrrlappiug or lnoludiag the
land olaInad to be raoant, as aaoertslnadfrom the raoorda
of ths Gsnaral Land Oirioe, the County Clark's Otfioa, and
the tsx rolls 0r the aounty in nhioh the hia la situated;
that the applioation shall alao etato the name and addresses
of any and all persona knou~ to applloaht to be aaasrtlng
any rQht in Said land. under auoh atatuta, tha County
Surveyor la rsqulmd to matikthe data of the i1lIx.qoi euoh
applioatioagpon both Ooplra of the appllO4tiOn~aPd to
return oaa aopy thrraof to tha applioaati the aPPliOant is
required,within lo days aiter t&e date of filing with tha
surreyor OS the ooUIit~,to tile his oopy themor rlth the
-6 C~laaioner~ tha Conrnlaslonar i8 raquirad to 8atiiY
tha applioant .of the aatlmtad OOSt Of proo44din5~ Mder
tha applloatioa, and wlthla thirty days aftar tha data of
guoh notloo the appllaant la rqa.lred to make a dapoalt
with tha Go~iaalonar to oovar *the mat of all work uhiah
668
Bonorabla BasooniGilas, Peer 4
MY be n*oa=m'Y in order to ~oomplywith the raqtrsst
oontainad in ruoh e~plioa~ion.=
S*otion 1 (01 thaa providataas rollow~a
-on filin6 of any suoh appllo~tlonwith
the ~~seioner aad u IIthe making or the ra-'
qUi=d d*pOSit a6 pro0rdad for hara~ aa OQ~..
alrsionar 6i-1611
rorthuith oausa a noti44 of
int#ntiQn 60 ‘8UPVOy to be mailed to all persona
named in the amlioatiolr 66 lntaraatadparson*,
and at tha e4dra6ea6 given therein, ui& to the
Attorney General or Texas. The notloa6 ehall be
da~osltad ln tha Poat Offioa at Austin, f4u16, st
la+ tan (10) d*ya rior to the 4ati iti for
the beginning or saaE aurvaf.
"Thd C066~18~10nar shall appoint s rurvayor
to make 8 sunay la eooordrmoawith the notloa.
Suoh surveyor sh4ll ba a surveyor. lloaanad by
the Stef4, or the COudiy Surveyor or the Count
io uhiah the land or a pert tharaoi 18 situetai ,
The rear and expanse8 to be pcridror suoh uork
shall be suoh as my be fired b law, or, ii aot
so rixad, than mob ss the CcmnIssionar and tha
s.urvayormay agree upon, but not in lx o a 6sof suoh
as my be reasonable for the work parionned, all
o? whioh shell be paid by applicant.
*A written report 0r the survay w$th fi4ia
notes dasoribiag the land and tha li.na6end oor-
nars so surveyad~ togetherwith a plat showing tha
restits or 6uoh aurvay shall be filed in the Gan-
are1 l,andorrloe within ona hundred and twenty
(iao) 4676 rrom the riling 0r the 6pplioatlon,
ulaaa tha time be extended by the COmni6siOna~ fOr
goad aausa rhown, whloh sh811 ha rtatad in wrltlfJ6
and filad 88 a part ot the racrord42 the Rro4aadi436,
but #uoh.xtanSloa shall not 6XOO6d 6iXtY (60) 66pn.
ma report shall.rtata the n6m46 ssb tba P06t-off144
e~breaS48 0r all person8 in po6aasslon0r the lad
dasoribgd In the applioation, and Of an ParaOJJa
~$~;~t# 8UZW4yOr t0 hata Or oleb -Y wJr-
aby j.ntarastadparty may at his Own
lrpeo6a i&a any surveying to be door 66 ha d4am.s
dasirabla.’
669
Honorable Basoom GilaS, Page 6
Seotion 1 (0) further provide6 that:
"VilthlnSixty dfy?-a