Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN -C.- -- assessor skall note In a book the nam of'suah person rho refused to list or to swear; and in every aace when any person required to list property Sor taxation has been sboent or unable froa slclcness to list the earno, the tax astaassorshall note In a book such iaot, together dttt the name of suoh person." Artiols 7193 ot the Rerlsod civil ::,totutes maiceait the duty of the Tax Assessor to @$~taIn the -tint and ~131~4 of pro- perty not assesmtl under thd prorIaionoOS Artlole 7192: "In all oesea or failure to obtain a statemutt ot Peal an& pereonal proparty fro16any aaume, the aases8or ot taxes shall aaoertain the emount end value of suok property and asaecs the 8-e as be belietem to ti the true and lull value tbawoi; and au& aase6wmt &all bc as valid and binding a8 iirsuob propqrty had bean rendered by the proper owner thereof." yrom the above quoted statute, It ia olear that.thela&- lattam has mode It the d,utyof the Tax hsaessor to d~temlns an&a+ ;eirtain the amount and value ol.all personal property Ia bia oounty '&n&to fme that the mm3 la aEee6sed for t-8. It Is a oar&Ual prlnoipls of law that whom a duty Is piaaed upon an ofrioeT, h6 la .rlsoglean tha sow& and authority to do that rhlah Is noaessary for the psrfows.nae or that duty. See the oaaee of'!P~rrell i. Sparb, .US z. a. 5108 Speooer v. Calveston,86 Tex. 884; Calm.v# ,puown, 90 1. x5.319. It Is neoersary that the Tax Ass~saor haye the power to 60 on pastures to oount oattls in order for kIm to be able to wmertaln the aniouutand value or sala aettlo. To ho14 otherw%ae,muld bo to form h&m to raly solely upon the word ot the taxpayer. It is doubt- ful If under euah a motho4 taxes would bs assessed squally and ualformly. The duty of a Tax Assessor in assessingproporty*rssdie- ousrcd In the aaae of Republio fneuranos Compazy v. Righlanb 3srk bat. Sob. Iiist.oi Dallas County, 67 S. F. (24) 627. The a&urt stated &I fO11OW8: -The quoted artiole (7193), ariaartialss 7205 and 7218, elvs to the am1~880r tbe authority to list an8 value property not rendpred by the ovmer and ploacothe 6am upon tliaunrendersaroll. *In the event the list tanao&d by'a taxpayer omita property rbiob be owm, the a&L)eBsorIs by tbn8e artialele authorized to list an&.ralue the omitted property and plaae tbclsam upon the mm?endered roll." 37:; aon. rho. a. ShepQard, Peg4 3 artlole 71S5 eonaarnathe tulng of lir48tock In county 1tclepastun and provide8 a8 rollowe: "All penone, aomp4nl4a and oorporatlon8 owning peeturog in tbia State whloh lie on oounty boa%derioa shsli be required to list for a88ea8ment, ell liva8tock of every kind owned by them in said pa8turGs in the aevorel oountiea in wblch luo b pastures ore sitPate&, liatin& in each oounty luoh portion oi raid 8took aa the lend In ruoh county 10 of the whole pasture. All ,~raona, oompparrieaend corporationa ornine any kind OS llreetookin pasturenot thalr own shall list 88id lirr8tock in the 8everal oounti40 in rbioh 8uch pasture8 are aituatod in the same manner; cad In both eaaea the tax upon aoah livestock ~ball be peid to the tax eel- leotor or the several oountloa ia whlob auoh liveatook la liatedand aeaeaaed.m It 1~ the opinion ot thia Departme+ thaw t$) pnf~able pmoadww for the aa8aaammt of cattle ln luah 0oofmtr1104 paOtar40 m&l& batohavothe oollootcr of both oft& uountlea lnrbioh nib peatare10 loeatedor their. dapotlaatomther enter upon arid pm- *rty r0r tlm purpo88 al aounting the eattla loaated thenoa. Be&dleea oi whether the dove lg $ ea ted prooedure10 iellewed or not, it 10 the opialwk of this Department that a Tu Aaaaaaor baa the right to oauut oat*10 8itu8t44 011 patur4a whloh ara eitherwholly or in part loartodin hi8 aortnty. Your0 wry truly