-CL-

-- OFFICE OFTHEATTORNEYGENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN

this tranraatioa a* mblgasiollar

part of thhlot, being that part mm Looat&lwithin the Qalreaton Oounty uda w&d1 right-or-~, wan pmhaeed **by** Oal~eston Oounty tram Augtmt Anderrron an4 *iii, by 

### ', deea dOt0a Agril 6, 1908. >Honorable CharlesH. Theobald, Page 2

"This deed recites that Galveston County was purohaaing, for sea wall right-of-way 

### pUrpOl38a

) a strip of land aoross Lot 5, particularly deaorlbodby mete8 and boundm in eooordance with the map of'the sea wall right-or-way adoptedby the Cemml8slonera* Court of 

### oal~eston County, Texas, August 2S, 1902, and reoorded in Book 194, pages 14, Doed Rooords of f&alveston County,Toxae. Tho otjnaldoration was paid out or the ssa 

### wall rund. 'Thebalanoe oi #aid lot, being the north portion thereof was allowad to remain, under the term8 OS eeid dsod, in Auguet Aadamoa and wife.

"It subeaqum.atly

developed, howover, that on the 14th day of February, lQO0, the oity OS Oalveatonhad seoursd a Judgment againstAugust Anderson end.wlis for tax08 duo on mid Lot 9. On the 29th day ot August, 1905, come rive month8 after the purchase ol the south portion of said lot for sea well 

### right-at-way purpomm, Henry Thomar, Sheriff of Oalveatoa mty, 

### oonmyed to GherlasT. Sudawaa, under q@aution olcaeld tax judgment eald Lot 3, for'4 oonaldsratloa of $100.00. ~Thereafter, and apparently for the purpose of ouring the flaw In the tltlo to that part of the Lot purohased by it ior right-Of-Wey purposoe, Galveston County, on the 17th day of Deoenber, 1903,by deed reoo?dad in Book 200, page 136, purohaaed all of 

### 8.3ia Lot 3'rrom CharlesT. Sudeman, for a oonslderatlonoi $125.00 and the assumption of taxes. Thle oonsiderationwas also paid out of funds set aside 

### r0r sea wall purposes.
nIn this last deed from Sudenmn to OalVe6- ton County, there appears no statementwheteoever es to the purposea for whloh that lot wasHonorable Charles ii.Theobald, Page 3

being aoquired and no referanoe to the nap of the sea wall right-of-way or any other language of whatsoevernature tending to oonmot the lot \jlththe see wall.

"In due uourse the Galveston Qounty sea wall was ooastruotad upon the right-or-way
as shorn by themap, and ever slnom 1%~oampletion, the north part of aald Lot 3 has remained vaoent and unuua& by enybody for my purpose. The lot now stands in the name of Oalveston County.w
The oountlss of this Stats derive their authority to sell oounty-ownedreal estate ironithe provisionsof Artlole 1577, R.O.S., 1925. Thie statuts governs the sale gf all countyreal estate exospt lands belonging to the free sohool 

### fund of the oounty. See Logan f, Stephens 

### Gnmty

. (00; A;,p.

1904) 81 S.W. 109 (afflwsd, 33 9.W. 368, 98 Tax.

. Artlols 1677 reeds as follow8: *Sale of roal setete. m The oomaissionera court may, by an orda? to be sotera&on its minutes, appoint e oommlssioaer to aoll and dispose of my real 68fatO of the oounty at public euotlon. The deed of euah adsslonar,made in conformity to suoh 

### orderfor end In behalf of the oounty, duly esknowledged snd proven and reoordsd shall bo suffloient to sonvsy to tho purohassrs all the right, title and interest and 

### estatewhioh the oouutymay have in ana to the preinlaes to be sonveyed. Nothing oontained la this article shall authorize any oOxumlsSlOn8r8 mm to dispose or any laude given, donated or granted to suoh oounty for the purp@%6 of education in any othermamsr than shall be dixeoted by law+*

You will note that this srtlole includQ8 within its soope @Viny

real estate of the oounty" exoe t land8 eoquiredby the oounty for the puX!poso of eduoa ion. eBonorablo CharlesH. Thsobald, Pago 4

Does this broad language of the statute ambreoo lands held in trust by the oounty for 

### a partloular purpose? This questionarises booaueo of the faot that the oonsideratlon for the purohese of Lot 3 was paid out or the sse wall f'und.This 

### ,fund

oo!U#tltutes

a speolal fuad held in trust b,ythe oouaty for the exoluslvopurgoso of oonntruotlng malnteining and purohaslngright-of-ny for tseawall ad i breakwaters. tie Art1018 0836, Vomion*s 

### metatcra Statutes. In the management and handling or this fund, the oommlsslsnera' oourt aots in the oepeaity of a trustas.

Artlolo 6838 roads 

### aarollOws:
*Ou8t0dw0 

### 0s fund8 *r "A3.l funds, revenues and wmys add from the sals of the bonds haroia authorlssd and frar the sale or rent of raolahed or othsx lands ao

### qulrea unaor this tltlo and rrom l adltienol

uaw 

### 0s acridwork&as herein authorissd, shau be 

### acpoaltedwith the county or olty twoasurer, a8 the casenay be, end shell be held ti tmet ur- ~ olusl~oly for the oonetruoblon and malntonsnoe 0s 

### eeawalle

and breakwaters, inoiuaing ths puroheme of the right of way therefor. All monsys dorlved from tho aasessmsnt 

### and lsvy of tams 

### aa aforosald 

### am deollared to be a trust fun6 for the payment of interest and principal of bonds to be issued under 

### thistltlo.'
It might be urged that under the prorfslori8 of thl8 statute, the property eoqulrodwith roe wall fund8 beaama truet property, and, theretore, su0h property is not inaluaoa in the provislona of Artlols 1577.

However, in view of tho feat that ow ooult8 h&v0 stated that the aonmiselonsra~ courts oooupy io rOspsst t0 all county property a trust 

### relation,f&s oontontlonboocuues tmnmue. Se. LZano bounty v. Knoti (air,App.) 39 S.W. 549; Llano Oounty Y. Johnson (017. App.) a9 S.S. 56.

Another queetlon in regard to the authority of the oommlsi3lonor8* court 

### to a011 the 

### unn0ea0a portion of 

### Lot B is raised by Artfolo 6839e, whlah reads es 

### rOu4W81Honorable Charles H. Thoobald, Page 6

"Grant of sea wall right of way *Any aouutywiy donate and grant to the Sate of Texas or to any elemoaynary instltutlon inaorporatedunder the laws of the Stats of Texas and operated without profi8, but for the benefit of the publie, auah portionr of any ~sawall right oi way aa mayhave 

### beenheretofore aaqulred br aueh ooumty, anti by the Commlesionera*Court of auoh tmunty detxneb proper to be so greeted, and upon-any mah Oommii+aionera* Court so doterminIng, the oounty J

%l 61of suoh eouhtpmay aonvoy suoh property aaoordanco with the order of aald 

### Oommisaiom~a~ Cmrt.w
This statute eaaeted as Oh. 144 Aota 1939, Uat Ieg. p. 308, is the only pzorlaion appear& In Title ll.3 whloh deals with aea wall*, and the qusatlon present8 lt8eJ.r aa to whether it was the legislative intent that this be the on~ly method of 

### diirpoalng of unneededseawall right of v proF=tY. Countiesbeing tmmponoatparts 

### of the state, have no powers or dutlea oxoept those whlah are alearly 86 forth and dofined in the oonstitution and atatutel). lblwar&~ OounQf t. JMning* (Ch. App., 1805) 35 S.W. 58S; 11 Tex. Jur. WS. Gommiaaioners*oourta have only mah power8 am ax-o expresrly or inplidly oonferrod upon them by law. cqmiI8lon4wil' Oourb T. XVallaao, ll8 Tex. 879, 

### 18 5.W.535; Sauar4va 1al.b Qauaty (Oir.App., Almtln, lOat) 846 S.W. 788.

You will note, however, that Art. 683Qa is QWBieaive in itr termah It eoafldes in the ooznaii~~ionor8' oourt au abdltisnel power in regard to the dieposition of ma wall 

### rightof way3 that is the power to donate It to the State or certaih tppee of elee5oaynary lhatltutlonrr.W power to sell land, which oountieehave under the provi8iona 

### or ktiOl8 1577; doea not include or llripu the authority to give it 

### away. Rogers v. Totapklna,

### (Div. App. 1905) 07 5.8. 

### ;Fi ~ro~9reruae6; Llano County v. Knowles (Cir.App., 18Q5j

. . .&umrabls Charles Ii. Theobald, Page 6

?!hs emergenoy olauee whish appears in the ori&sl snaotmant @W Chapter 144, Rots 1929, unmiatskably revssls the legislative intent to grant the additional power to donats uuoh laad. We quote the following therefrom:

"The faot that there exists property heretotere aoquired by oountiesfor sea wall purposes snd~not now needed for suoh purposesbut requlred by the State of Texas and 

### by l lesswsynary oorporationa oreated by the laws of the State of Texae for the benefit of the publia,without profit, an4 in furthesenoe of ohsrltable work, and the use of said properties for sush purposes is questioned, an emergency exists." eta.
Another leglalatlve provisionwhloh is pertinent to the quaation raised by you, la Chapter 42, Aots 

### or the SWih Legislature,Regular Seaaion.

Section 1 of this aot reads as followe:

"BB IT ENMTED BYTHELF#ISLATWRE OF TYiX S'lWl!X OF TZU3: That no aorporation,person or aeaooiation of pereons, shall be granted or exeroiee any rights, privileges or frahohises ror the oonstruotion or operation of any railway, whether by steam, eleotrio, eable horse or other powex, non shell any 6or radon, 

### personor aseooiatlon of persons e granted r any right, leaaehold, privilege or frMahlse for any purpose, or purposes other thsn a publicwalk, public driveway or pub110 park, along or upon or aaroaa ,anypart OS that tract of lend situate in the oity and county of Galveston, in this State, whloh waa aoqulred by aaid oounty or aosuuieaioners* court thereof for eeawsll purposes under the authority of ah Aot passed at the first aalled seeaion of the twenty-aeventhLegislature of the State of Texae and approved by the Govenor September 7th. 1901, entitled 'AXI aat to glvs erfeat to Seotlon VII Artlole P, of ~:@m,Oonntltutlon, author&g all oounties and cities bordering on the ooaat of the Gulf of Yen160 to eonetruat aeawalls **md**Honorable Charles ,9.Theobald, Page 7

breakwaters, to fame bonda therefor,aad levy a tax for the payment thereof; and to further provide for the oonatruotionand maintbnanoe of saidworks, and payment 0s said bond6 by sale or rent of lands reolaimed fram the sea, or otherwlse aoq&s6 for bresl&iter purpoaes,l 

### and it shall also be ud.awful to allow the peasession, use or oooupanoy in any manor whatever of any part or 

### ssidtraat or 

### landfor 

### sny plrpoaswhatever other than a publia wslk, public drivemy or plbllo park aud any aotlon upon the psrt of the oota& oom5.salonera~ oourt 

### or Calveaton Omnty, nor any other court or 

### body,OT 0rfloidL or ortioial8, in attem 

### tsa oontrarentlon of this Ast shall be PO d f andof no 0sre0t.* ibder the faote submittedby you, the narth portion OS Lot B wa6 not aoqulred for @es wsli p.arposss. 

### By its own tsms this aat is reatriotodto lands aoqutred Sap: ma wall puTposes, and w0tia not,'thererors, apply da sny land not aoquirsd for suoh purposes, unleess ws srs prspare4 to deolars that all land aoquired with Soawsll Funds must neoeassrily assume that utatw.

Artlole 90 

### 0s the Psnal me provldss that nmsys realized

### from the sale or land aoqulred for 

### asa usU pup posss'shall be deposited in the soa wall fund, thus I.&Wentially lending sup ort to our oonstruetionof ahpptsr @, A0t8 1929 and of Art 018 68a9a. Thls provlslon ef the 4 Penal Oode reads3



### “Art.90. DIviERYION OF SEAWiLL MONIEP. Lul runda, revewe 

### -6 moneys 

### aorirsa fram the ssla of the bonds authorissdby law to pay the indebtedness l.noW?red In establish

### lng locating,

ero&ln& oonstruoting, fee-' ten&g, atrsqthening, ma.intsinlng or 

### keeping in repair or otherwln l.mpraring an7 saawsll or breskwstar, and to improve,ma%Btsin 

### ana beautify any boulevsry 

### ereotsdig

## 371

Eonorable oharlesIi.Theobald, Pago 0



### commotion thsrerrith, and all funda. rweunm~ andmonem&wind from 

### the aaleor 

### rent or reolaimod 

### or otherlandsaequiredby law and rrom addltlonal use6 

### or suoh works as auth

### orizedby law, shallbe depositedwith ths oountyor oltytreasurer,as theeasemay be, and shall.

be held In 

### trtmtexolulr1~l.y for the 

### oonrtruotlon andmaintenanoeor mth wall.8 and breakwaters lnoluding 

### the purohaso f th ;tghtr therefor;

### and allrnonsyr ~~iraedriso~-~h~~s~ss~e~t and levy or tax.8 as aforesaidaredeolaredtobe a trustfund for thepaymentor intereat 

### andpxinaipal0r auohbon&, and 

### theuse or diversion 

### of' @ioh moneysror any other urpoeewhateverla hezrc by prohibited and a vfolation of 

### thisArti6le 

### shalloonstituteamlsapplioation ai pabllo 

### money, and 

### theperson80 offendingshallbe

v" iahed am provided in Artial.ef36ra 

### RaphacJl8

supplied.)
It Is thereforethe opinion 

### of thleKW~partmont end,youare ao advised,thatthe oomaissionera' oourtof GalvestonOounty~haeauthorityto dlepose 

### of theexoesu portionofLot 9, being thenorthport&on under 

### theprovlsloneot Artlole1599 (R.&S.

A 

### oontraryviewof thisquestion OFiiliOx: written 

### by R. 3. 

### Gray,AWbiatant Attorney UUIOr&, dated June 8, 1998. 

### Mr. Grayheld that 

### theArtiolo6889a, rrupra, 

### astaout the odlymethodOf 

### dispositionOf 

### lltObs8 seawallrightof way and that,therefore tha ormmi8~lon

### era* courtmay not eell suohlandby o~&yi.ag rLthArtiOl* 1577 (8 0 

### wlth*ti%*o~nafon,finion, in80rar as it ia in ow.fliat 

### s herebyexpresslyover-ruled. 

### Trustingthatwe have fullyanmver:sd your inquiry, we are

Your0 very truly


### ATTC’RKEY

G?B?ZN OB 

### TFZAS