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### RNET GENERAL,

OFFXAS



### Auguat24, 1949

MP. Ernest Ouinn County Attorney El Paso County El Paso1 Texas Opllllon lo. v-&2
lie: Olarri?iaatioa or * water well drilling outfit an an implerent of husbandry,thelceby exempting it from motor vehiole reglatration,

Dear Sir9

You have asked for the opl~forra. of this **office** on the question of whether a water well d~fllfngoutfft is an Implementof husbandryand therefoaeexempt from motor vehlcle registration

under the terms of Artiole 66750-2, Vernon*e Civil Statutes. AcoordQing to the statementof faots aubmitted, the drillingunit is used solely for the purpose of dpllllngwater wells for lrr4gatlonand farm purposes. The public highwaysare used temporarflg1~ moving the unit from
one drilling site to another,

AxMole 6675a-2,Ve1pnongs Civil Statutes,provides in part: %kwry owner of a motor vehhfcle, trailer or semi-trailer

used or to bs used upon the public highways of this State shall apply each yealp to the State Highway Departmentttiough the County Tax Collectorof the county In which he re8id.s for the registration of each such veh%ole own&
or controlledby him for the ensuing OP ourPent calendaryear OF unexpfredportion thereof;provided that where a pub%fc highway separates larrds under the dominion OF control of tha owner, the operationof a motor vehicale by such owner> hi8 agenta or employees,across such highway rhall not constitutea use of such motor vehicleupon a public highway of this S%ate. Owners of farm tpactors.farm trailers,farm aemf-trailers, and Implement-s

of husbandry,operated or moved temporarilyupon the highways shall not be required to register-

sueh farm traotors, farm trailers, farm se$.-t.sailers, OF implementsof husbandry; * a 0 *Mr. Ernest Guinn, page 2 (v-892)

Article 8278, Se&ion 3(a), **Vornon~s** Penal Code, **provides P** 

"no vehlole ehall exoeed **a** total **outride** width, lnoludlngany lo& thereon8 of ninetysix (96) lnoher, except that the width of a farm tractor shall not exceed nine (9) fret, **and** exoept further,that the limitat1onr as to sire of vehiole stated in this seotlon shall not .applg

to implementsof husbandry# inoludingmachineryused solely for the purpose **of** drillingwater wells, and highway building 

### ant3

malntenanoe

maohlnay 

### temprarily propelledor moved upon the pub110 highways."

husbandry"

The followingdefinitionof 'implements of is found in Artiole 6675a-1,Vernon(a Civil Statuter:
Y(P) *Implements of husbandry9 shall mean farm implements,

maohlnery and tools as used in tilling the sollp but shall not Includeany passenger car or truok."

Ballentinedefines "Implements of Husbandry" a8 follows

8

**“ Any**  fnstrument

used directly in the busineaa of farming>and for no other purpose Is **an** implementof husbandry, Horae rakes9 gang pleas, headers9 threshingmachines,and combinedharvesters are as clearly implementsof husbandryas are hand rakes> single plows, sickles, sredles, **fs;rt**
or an old fashfonedmachine for winnowing. I8 no ground for exoludingan implementfrom the operationof the exemption statutebecause it Is
an Improvement,

and supplant3a farm implement used with less effeotiveneea for the same purpose, Eatate of Klempfi

119 Cal. 41, 39 L,Rd, 340, 50 Pacr. Rep. 1062.

The machine mentionedby you ir an implementOf husbandryunder the p~ovislons of Artlole 827a, Seotlon 3(a), Vernongo Penal Code, and the limitations a8 to the SlsO of vehleles stated in that seotlondo not apply to such a maohine. Suoh ie not oonoluslvebut It Is pereuaalveIn attempting to arrive at **a** deofslon on the questionpresented. The definitionof "implements of husbandry"found in ArtiOle :~JT-I.$ Vernongs Civil Statutes,was added to the **Aot** in *br, Ernest Guinn, page 3. (V-892)

Implementsof huaban&y we TP t tntlon under the proriaionsof Article from r&afia-2. **FOP** the pposes of that Artlole, "implements of husband& 

### are defined in paragraph (P) of Artiole 66Ba-1 as "farm laplowents, machineryand tools as used in tilling the soil, but shall not lnolude any passenger ear or **trunk. ”**  

### We ai=e OS the opinion that the Legislature did not Intend to 

### InaluW and did not in faot Include, within the terms of the deliLegislature Intended that any fnstrmment used direotlj l.n the business of farming,

### and for no other pwpcse, be inoXuded vlthln the terms of the definition. If, as a matter 

### of fact, a machine is used rolely for the purpose of &illlng water wells **for** Irrigation and farm purposes, we oonoluds that suoh a machine is an implement of husbandry within the meanlug of the registration statutea. Such a machine, If It Is operated or moved temporarily upon the highways is exempt from registration under the provisions of Artiole 

### ~67!%-2, V.C.S.

A machine used solely for the purpose of drillingwater wells for irrigationand 

### farm gPrposes is an implement of husbandry under the provisions of Article 6675a-2,Vernonlo Civil Statutes. Suoh a machine whioh is opsrated or moved temporarily upon the hlghVa)1, is exempt from registratfon under the provisions of the statute.

Yours very truly

MTORl'TETGEI?ERALOF!PEXAS