OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
kfarch31, 1939
Xr. J. F. Bryan
County r:.ttoIney
Bmzorie County
An&1etor!,Texas
attar to 8lwPiff sohnsoa
whether or not eizsoe
oted In tw.s oounty ywl
to IupOutxdoattle in the
here are no feness along the hlgh-
oad; that is, the landowner's proper-
ty Is not fenoed off I’POJJI
tha highway and
there fe nothing to keep his oattle irem going
from hia land on to the highway.
-YQU want to know if, when ialsuoh a *aEm
Mr. J. F. Bryan, Maroh 31, 1939, Page 2
where the ownur IS not having his oattle
herded but the cattle are not on the high-
way, tbat you could go on the owner's land
and Impound the cattle. It is my opinion
that you oould not do this."
'Healsh to express our appreolatlon for the
able brief whictiyou submitted to ua. This exoallent
brief has aided us greatly In passing upon this quegtion.
Artlolc 6965, Revised Civil Statutes of Tezae reada am
rollows:
?‘fi. any stook %arbi.ddoa to ‘mm a$ -Jar-
aball antei.~.thsinoloH6 landr;‘or &all,
without being herded,.~fobi'aboutt"the'reslUsnoo,
lots or oultitated lkixide~ofany persuiiother
tha# the owuer of sluh #took wlthout his eon-
ml6, in-any oouaty OP embalt~alon In WhiOh
the p~ovloloneof thl8 ohaptar harQ bsooae
operet2re in tha auumr .prorided, In this ol+p-
tar, the owner, laseoo, or pereon in lawful
poeassslon of suoh l8nds nay islpetmdmob
atook and detain the 8am until his fee8 and
all damages woasionod by Bald 8toek’~ pdd
to bimr provided that a0 aalma shall be
Xr..J. ? . Eryan, Xaroh 31, 1939, Page 3
impounded except as provided in the preoed-
Ing article, unless they have entered upon
the inclosed lands CT be found roaming about
the resldcnoe, lots or clrltlretedlhnd of
n1:other,bmi, whenever any stock Is impound-
ed, notice thereof shall be given to the
owner, If lzown, and such owner shell be
entitled to thefr postx9f5slcm
upon payment or
reeseand damages."
."
Artlols 6938.3e~loqd 01~5.1Statutes of Tsxas,
mad8 as iollowst
.wIfiany&ok .X?rbIdd&'to~runat Lar*
shall enter the lnolomed lands, or shall
without being h6rd6d;rwa &out the rs&
danoe, lots or oultlvats&Land.~ofsny parson,
other -&artthe owner.oi.auoh,tt&okrithoub '
.hIa oonssnt, In anf ootsity~~or;%iEdi~~~io%:~
In whloh the provIsIons.irl fhis rubdI~aIo@
ha- beoime operatIM In thq.miunerprovldd
In the prsaediry artlolss, the ounsr, &msoa.
or persoa'~In l6wfQl ~posm8aslonof soah haar:
sky Impound said stosk.and,ds%aInthe s&i6
until hItiises and all dimages.~ooaslonsd~~b$~
aaid stbok.arspaId~.to.Umi ~~o.anlmal8~WaZl
bitImpouaaeauQless alo li6v6entema .ttpon ~.
L.'
:
~theinalossd land8‘~ i
q!& $l .be fouql awmI~
ibout the rssidenoe, O'i, Or ultlvatmd: '. ..
land of doother; a&d wainsvsrany~stosk~$8 :
is&sounded notlde thereiN shaX1 at onoe bs ..~
.glvento the ownsr. if Snam, and snoli~:omsr
shall bs sntitled to,$he$r pqs8e8s~o%opbll
p6)msn.tof.r688 6na .mgw.* ~.:.
Art1016 1369, Penal cod& of Tszas, ,x6668am
tollow6t
"Wboe~e~ ~shallrilfully turn out or 1
oausa to bs'turnedout on land not his own
or and& his oontrol ok rilfully fa'llor r8-
rums to keep up any stook, prohibitedby law
rroq running at largs In any,oouaty or riub-
~XlvIsIonof any oounty in whioh the atoak.
3dr. J. Y. Eryen, J.Xarch31, 1939, Page 4
lsw !~a bv:.nadcgted, or wilfully allow Such
stcok tc trespass upon the land of another
in suoi:count::or subdivision thereof, or
wilfullg permit tc run at large any stook
of his own, or of which he is the agent or
or which he hss the aontrol, and not per-
mitted to run at large In any county or aub-
division of any county In which the atook
law has been adcpted, shall be fined not
less than five nor more than fiity dollars.*
Artiole 1370, Psnal Oode of Texas re,ads
f0llCWSt
Wh&+ar 8ballkno&ly'pirmlt any her-
sea, males, jacks, .jqm$ts, ana oattle to .
'km at.&arge in any territqry.inthis State. !, _
whw-4 *Itaplvvisions~.~t&e lrlreor thti
State bqa been adopted.prohlbltine arty er .
suahaalmals fro~~ruan%n&atlarigesh&ll.ba ~.
tine4 not less than,five.normore than two. -
huMFed ,$ollars.* ... : ...y..
T&e Ju.rita~~dei&, Vd. 59, +z& 2369;~&~..‘8S .
read8 as followat
'In ti,
territory in w&h the .X& Ms.
bean’.duly adopted, th@lsnQ owner 1s ,gu,l.lty
',
oi no fault or negll(pmom in foiling te%enao
lgdhst the animals wh$eh are ftirblb&en .to :
roam ths:oountyat will. The ounerd~of auoh
sh&jc must'keespthe ssme oonflnad at their..
pefll;~dlss they will be held liable to aa-
oount for.the damages ti,lahw~ba ~lnflloted
on ~thelrneighbors by .suohanlmale.*
.I
lZi&@*se La*, page 1146, reaae .lspart a8
follollst
The Right of the State to kaaet.1e@211;A
")I',
.
Er. J. P. Bryan, Harch 31, 1939, Page 5
latlon prohibiting animals from running at
large and providing for the teEin up and
impcundlng thereof when so fount, Is unques-
tionably a legitimate exerciac of the poliae
power desll;nedto proteot the public at large
in the use and enjoyment of the publia streets."
Corpus Jur?s, Vol. 3, pago El, Lea. 61.2,
reads as follows:
%I animal cm.the land or it8 owner or
on the land of another:,
w&at-herwith or with-
out the nuimsLon'eSthe lattar 1.snot at
-49 lx ass the statuttiso provldea.*~
Oorpw Jurl~Seoumlum, Val.J,pagelesB, nag8
l i011ows:::
nAnlh~ on the laid of their orme* am3
not at.large.-
Corpus Jtirlm,Vol. 3, page 186, Sea.-653,
reads in.part au follows:
the atatut?tw
Thenwrore, y0.q.ars'rsspeotfullyadvfsa$ that
it is the .~plnlonof .tblsDe#artment that errlong ar
atook re~inad on the owner's own property, theWwould
not be running at large, .norwould the .sherlfSthen
then, nor would the 'qor then
hare the.rfght to ,$.mpound
be guilty of orimlnal violation of the stoak lnws.
WJFtAW