OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN /Honorable R. A. Barton, Page 2

our lnveetigation of authorities disolosed that

..- - fn a large number of states snob 

### a Jornaer or separare owners 01 separate 

### and distinctparcels of land, in a sing&a cond~emnation prooeeding,is providedfor br 

### statute. Sea hailroad V. Christy, 92 Ill. 339; Barton v. Eleotrlo Railway, 220 Ill. 99; Taooma v. Bonell, 58 lash. 595, 109 P. 60; Friedenwald v. 

### Mayor of Baltimore, 94 lid. 116.



### Other states,like Texas,.donot by 

### statute speoltlaally

prwfde tar the joinderof separateowner8ei separatetract8 oi lend In a single oondematlon preoeedln& The courts in two euoh states, Xa8aaoBusetts and Ohio, 

### wla%eh iOllowthe oommonlew syeite% O? practice, alearly permit 8a0B 

### Joindererea In tha 

### absenoe,oistloh statutory 

### qutbority. See City of Springfield'I. Sleeper, ll6 Mass. 589; Barton T. Wigglesworth,119 Bare. S368~ Qlesy t. Railroad,4 QUO St. 

### 308.

A rsooguizedtextwriter on safnentbmai* atate8 the rule to be aa iollowsr

"Sa the abeenoo 

### of any expresrr~ statatarf prorl~loaLtrould 8eeivtare8t 

### ia ,M%edl8oretlon of the court whether diatinot 

### alalms to? dartwage

by the same work d-1 

### improvement rrhomld be tried aopamtely or togathor". E Lewis on Eminent DomaIn ll5, hation 666.



### In Texa8 the general stat6ties whloh @orem the exerofss of 

### the pewer OS maiaerrt 

### demaia are Artloles 5~664%91, inoluslte, being 

### Title 56, Other titlea rhloh 

### we will not list here prwl%e for the ereroiseof the 

### pewer or eminentdemalnbr epeaifiabodies. By Artiale 6694& it is prorfded that 

### the Hi&war G~ission in the oondaaarihion of laed for highna 

### out ia Title B2. 5 purposes shall foll#w tb proaedure 

### set he faot that this road 

### has been deslgp 

### nated as a highwayby 

### the Highwaydoralseion places these proaeedlngs

within the 

### provisionsof Artlale 8694% Fer 

### the purposeof this dlsauseion,it is neaessaryfor us to exe~%e only three of the artlollss under Title SE.
Among other thhga, 

### Art.lole Se64 provides for anHonorable R. A. Rarton, Paga 3

attempt to agree with the landowner on the amount or damages; appliaation to the oounty judge upon failure to agree on damages; appointment by the county jadee of three special oommissionera to asaess damages; aud esrvloe of notioe on the landownera of the time and plaoe of ths hearing, either personally or by publioatlon. ‘trader Artielk 3265, the Legislature has provided for the method to be rollowed~ 

### in assessingthe damages. q’he proaedure to be followed in appealing from damages and oompensatlon assessed by the 

### emwissloners is provided in 

### Artlale3266.



### OUT courtshave often **pointed** 

### oat that s&as tke powet of om%nsntdomsla le **in** 

### derogation**ot** 

### the aoma rl&t, statuteswaiah govern Its areroise,ara to bs atrlot3j eoawtrasd and are not to be extended beFond 

### theirplain provlsiQns. Van Ya~kenburgh v. Ford (Giv. App. Galrestan, 

### lSl8), 209 8. W. SO4j aifimed (Gwma.App. Sea. %, 192X), 22B 8. 1. 

### 3.941

XaIarerbeklma

T. &lo 109 Tex. 106, 204 8.W. use fl8l8); Oi3@ f. ztexar

## aowntr feir. 

### 4p. M95). 23 B.W.


### :2- &a, al88, 2 Dill on Bukisipalt?orporat1oa8, 5ao.

Prooedur%l8tetut68 

### or thl# nature ara seldom 80 mmprehuaat+e aa to rssolrs e+ey questionthat say arisu in regard **to** 

### their applirrattcm, and it oftmi bemaea aeeeasery to 

### rseort to othar aathorityto **dettmalme** mathr8 Rat speoifioally aavers& **by tihem.** 

ConQemnatloa 

### preoeedlng8**Pabar Title**  **8,2, in**  

### thalr earl7 phases spafar as drtermluat,ion of the landowner*e damagua is ~onoernud, 

### bear i&1%&t 

### rerramblanoe **to** trfal 0r 

### otbar 68uilel.After rafiure to agree oa **daamges**

### the untlrepraowdzSg8 PM **&errfad** 

### oa bafe~a a faot-finding,

quasi-Jwdiaial **bodr** eonalsting,



### of ttuee aommiemloneru, 

### who hear erlaenoe 

### and asasss the damages.

The werds *plaintffP aad %lefemlantw at thin stage 

### oan ba ased only in an **auaommtmand** 

### liberalseasa, for the 

### plaintlihceompla3m 

### or nothlng,i and the defendantdeafes aa past or thraataaed wrong,but both partiasare astora, ohs to aaquire title, 

### the other to @et as larga compansation 

### as he aan. 15 Am. Zw.r. 96S. Sea. 520.
Hnmwaus deelsione 

### have ~aa~~analo~lee to pro-Honorable 

### R. A. Barton, Page 4

acedings In our courts and have daolared that this special tribunal is governed by ths ordbnary rules of 

### law and 

### equity controlling the trial of oausea. 

### and Taxae Railroad (Cir. Jones 

### v. Xlssouri, 

### Kansas Ap 

### 357, atf. (Comm.App., 1930 lp ., Dallas 1929) 14 S. W. (2d)



### y. Railroad (Clr.App., 24 S. W. (26) 366; Davidson 1902! 57 S. W. 1093~2$o~~~~ z;,,, Small (MT. App. F‘t. Worth, 1930) 2S S, vi. rsfuaed.

Lfbaral rule5 or 

### joinderanaoanaedBy ear oeurta apply with 

### *pa@ ig%m ta them trtbugala. Ibaoe, 

### t&a attea&tat atnra 

### plaoad by ear oourta on eroidanoe 

### af multipllsit~ of aq&W must ba otiaaidarad.In ardor **to are&d**  rultipl:oitJ 

### or suits. 

### our reurtrshare allowadlitiganta great latitude in'Mltrw 

## dirrerm demand8 * a 

### al UZP **suit,** 

### and **ire'quaqtlTr,** diatlaat 

### *au386hmwo baan p 

# &d

to be joined vhaa aueh jolade* was not 

### Miapaaaabla. 1 Tar,JW,. ,487,

,800. 91. Bae also 9 196, 11 SC 1. lB&$ Craddook7. Geodria,aor f. Cmr, 7S mx. 4 hr. 

### 678181

Hert%-

authorityiOr tlrs **aeatamplatod** 

### jeiadar,tn wiaw at tiha re0t that 

### aoadamti?r-plaIntIff Urf$f#S the am 6p00iri6 ri&t 

### cr&eat eaoh evaav bet we amtd net rely **ox6lealte~** 

### en thslr geaeraloeatrxt~

*&fnarily whara,oo~aolidatien ef oauaea is pax**mltted,** 

### joiad%rvi oaaaeaaamet 

### be obje&l~~abh, aad tlati 

### la aspoolallytma vhan ooluellaatioa **is** 

### panrittad**deapfte** 

### pretaat ef *as 

### of *ha litiganta,

In a mms%%t 6aaa deoldedby tha Wmaia6f06 of 

### A~paala,appellPant*a sxoaptionto 

### the oenae2idatlon a? 

### aererrldiatlnotactionsagalaat earerslseparateewaara or 

### separateand 

### distisat traotaet land was evwruLed. Uilliaaa 

### 6t al 1. Headarson00-t Leres 

### 1955 3 reremeat Dfstriot iQe.3 

### (Ccnnm. Appp. Sea. 38, 90 9. **81.** 

### %d, as. uhilo lb is 

### tree that tha oourt aitedArtiola 7995,whioh SpeolriOally 

### provides rep 

### aazoh oonaolidatlen, 

### 'wabellerat&a rollewWg laaguagebl Taatlos Short la auffiolently bread to OQY~F 

### oonaolldatlm sad joiader 

### la ~tihar ooridmatlea proooediqga, and 

### that It is, at laaat, Indioativeei the 

### attitudeOf the 

### presentaeurtirHonorable B. A. Esrton, Page 5

"The trial judge, In the exercise of his dlsoretion, oonaolldated the suits. The mite were tried bafors the court without a jury and there Is nothing in this reoord to show that any harm hes been done the litigant by aonsolidatlng these suite. This holding is in line with the rule announoed 

### by the decisions that It la tha publio pelioy of 

### this state to avoid a multiplloit~ 

### of aulta~w

A starther

indloatleathat our oenrts do net ragaxd the Iclinsnt D0aal.a 6tatatsa as beisg inflaxlbla 

### and all-inolaaito,

is 

### tho fellewinglangusga 

### in Davidsonf. Bailxead,aumt

*J&may atataa 

### thu right to make 

### eppeam 0k&166646 

### parthi %a oettSorred br atatuta.~ WIQ it aagu fe us that **this right**  

### mriata **ln** the **a&-** 

### nenoe or apaaialprevision,end is a nuouaoa~ fnoidaa$to the **right** 

## to oendema,fer 

## it neul4 be idle ~to oqUer 

### the pmmr to 

### omsUamnaad at tha 66mo tira 60 restriot a rf%pt as 

### to dear thu 

### &allread Cs a fu&gsentrhfshwould pmteot ita 

### pssaeaeienand pr&eet it qgainet 

### a dot&lo ru

### ow~s~; aad our atetut-ue 

### gevurnhg the praoeedisg **wInan** 

### thu **ebjeot 00**  **be** laoeq)iiahad is **ceruidarad** are 

### ralz1.y

auaoaptible of tha oonrrtraatioa we hare plaae4 epen thu.* Approa&iing 

### tha problem trm anethw ax@., lat 

### ma take 

### into aeoowt the fast that a mejeritf, ii **aet** 

### all, of the landownerssited **by** 

### pablloation nilX net appear **at the**  hearing fox! **eaaussaiant of**  dsmagaa 

### and ooapeaaatlea, aad 

### that thuywill 

### tall to appeal from tha desisle~a or tha ma

### mlseienerawithin the wquiatto ten days 

### pmvidod .iaArtiolo 3266. 

### Such owners 

### would soquiw the atatwa of 

### derondaata against rhea a default 

### jad6auathad been taken, ahmu upon the expiration 

### of that time, the ooanty jadgs 

### ia reqaimd to 

### szoE; deQiSiO6 0r the oemmissio3ers 

### se a 

### judgmentOS

Binolalr T. City or Dallas (Qir. 

### App. Uaee, 445 S. W/(&d) 465. 1OSlL),



### Cn appeal,or in any 

### other dirsot preotleUiag, 660Honorable R. A. Barton, Page 6

allgfng that service Is suffioient, the appellants wowld be entitled to have, the declsfon set aside or reversed only If they oould show fundamenttil 

### arror or harm and io=-T* Fennesa t. First X?atIonal Bank (Clr. App., 1923) 256 S. J4. 6341 Fenstermaker v'. City of San Antonio (Glt. App. 1926) sff. (0omm. App. Seo. B, 1927) 290 5. V. 532. 3ut mIsjoInder of oausea or parties doea not constitute fundenental error; it la not reached bT generel demurrer; on the oontrary, It must 

### ba raised by a plea In a&atement, whloh Is qsited It not urged In 1ImIne. Bactoa v. Barmers' 

### State Bspli

t@mm. App., ;FeO. A, 1985) 276 6. It 177 

### an8 ea8aa aft&l therein.

Thus, oven t&cm& it shwld 

### be.hei#ibit tba prepor 

### pzoceburelmolu~ssa .sepaPa+e.hearIng ti to eaoh separate traot, the right to soah,a hclariag Is .nIred " if mot pres4Med at t&s praper *Ms. **ton t, Pamam* &ate 'Btbnk,8apM.



### 'It Is 01ir

eoneluaIan,tikerefoxe, that In Teuu a joinaer, in a 8ingle 6Qnbmnatios 

### proessbIng,~f separak ewaers af separate 

### and dI@tlnet 

## tractsof land is 

### pmmlmsibl.. TrustFag that tti6 opinion ~~111ful&r snswsr rour 

### question,and that rm will (~13 upoa as It 

### a~ addItIona inr-ti0n ia m&reQ. lid a~b

A~PROVFDOcT 2% 1939

h,*w ATTORNEY GIGNERALOF TEXAR