. 

OFFICE OF THE A'ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

NUU9kiAIU4 

-- 

010 5404 of Ve*rraa*r 

the motel nhlelo. 

321 
Bon~rblo 0. 

"1. 

’ “II* 

0. 0ro.r . . . Pago 8 

What prooolon mhoula bo follow04 br 

utd da% evldmmo 8hould be pre8onkd 

to air dojmWam8 by meohm or re 

palrum ha @nab18 him to ml1 and 

mild tit10 00 a motor vehiOl0 oaw lz 

ba ho188 r.mOO&niO OC FO~OiMin'8 

8$a%U8Wy lion? MU& suoh meOhaniO*8 

lien ba raoorded 0s owwr*a title brfore lb oaa bo foreolow&? 

Whoa a lien iu8 been properly rsaordbd 

on a rrrtitioato of tit10 and our r00- 

Or d8 r Or .8tb1 d l aid lien hQ8 AOti bWA 

roprly raloamd, may the deperkmnt 

P Imua a tibb $0 l pumha8er On hi8 853' 

pllertfon rupporti6 by an aifidari) 

aado by B uohwio or garage mn trylng $ 0 lU 8wh mobor rohlole undar a 

mOhanle'8 ltin 

hho prior moor d 

without rWuirin(thrt 

od lien bo proper17 ral*a.*d?" 

IA y’wr ifsa qUO8*iOn you are oosae8zn.& with tha 

rl*uatlon whmro a BoohaAlo or l'O&dl'IWA Wi8h.8 $0 8Rti8tg 

hi8 1 fOl a gainmt a motor rrhlale br ralo Of t)u mm& You 

l akwhat prowduro 8hOuld be follOw.db~ him in 0rd.r for 

tha dapartzmat to b8 able to imue a Certlflorte of Tltla 

in th aameoftho wr8oa mroh88iIU the aam fmm *aid 

ihrnio or ropslrm8i. - 

Artlole 16, # 69 hi the Oorretltubion of Tsxae 

Vi&m8 a8 forlowrr 

'%lO8hanio#, @ZtiraIU and m8terial Pun, Of 

story olaes simM hare a lies upon the buildlag8 ad arkOle8 u&o or npalred by tham for 

the valu8 of fbair labor &na thereoA, or mtbrlal iurnlsal bhoreterl and the Legl8latur8 

dull provide by lrw ior the spoody and l tiioient 

enforoownt of said liena.* 

322 

Arblrle 5608 of the Rorlsed Civil Statutea roe& 

am follerrl 

Vhonover any artiolo, irnglomntl, uterdl 
323 

Honarabla D. 0. 

or rohlolo 

torlr~, or 

orwr . . . PSFO 3 

Shall be n@redwlth 

with labor and without 

labor and mafurnI+ng 

matorlal by a;nj oarponter, m~ohanlo, artlun, 

or othSr workman in th18 State, ruoh oarpmter, 

nuohanlo, arti.Sui, or athor workman Is nutho?- 

1~6 to r*taln 088w810~ of maI artlola, laplSnlSnt, utelu is: or tohlole until the urount 

dua on maa for iepalring br oontraot 8hall ba 

fully paid off and dlaohargSd, IA oaSo nourarnt 

la agroo6 upon by OoAtraot, then aald oarpwtor, 

maohanio, SrtlSSA, or other workAaA shall nbrin 

pO..MdOA of auoh sttiolo, implunSnt, UtSn8il 

or veh1010, until all nasoluble owtomary mad 

ua.ual oon1pen8atIo~ 8hall be peld in full.* 

Artlola 5604 of the RSoIaad Civil StatutSa read8 

a. followrt 

l WhSn po88o881(~1 of any of tb proporky l mbraowl in the praoodlng artiole ham oontinwd 

for sixty day8 SitOr the oharger aooruo, ad tbo 

ohergS 8o due havo not bemn paid, It 8hSfi bS 

the duty of tb parrott 80 holding 8aId proparty to notify th0 owner, if in tha StatS and hi8 

real&rnoa bo known, to ooze forward and pay tho 

OhSrgb8 duo, aad OA hi8 failurv WIthIn the day8 

after 8wh notloe ha8 been glron him to payDai.6 

Oharga8, the -SOAS DO holding said property, 

aftor twSntr dry8 no t1 00 are l uthorlzod to Sell 

8Sid property af~publlo aalo mad apply the proorned to the paymeat of Said ohSrgS8, adi'khall 

pay over thS balanSo to the per8on entitled to 

the aantS. U the owner*a rS#IdanoS I8 beyond 

tb Stata or la unknown, the parson holdtAg 8aId 

~ro~.X'ty 8hSU. AOt ti repuimd to &IV0 auoh AOtloo before prooeedltq to 86l.L” 

Wador hrtlole 68Q4, aupra, the meohanlo or ropafrDPSA, by 0omp1 ing 61th rooedun outlined thenln, may sell 

the motor ve hi 010 to ma P 18fy hi8 lien. 

8ootlon ab of the aertlfloata of Tit10 Aot oodl- 

?ied am ArtIole 1436-l of Yor~on*a Annotated Penal dodS, 

ap 

P 

lies to such a 8itUStiOn a8 outlined Sad provider a8 

so lOW81 
Honorabl. D. C. Oreor . . . Peg. 4 

;..i8~~~05$i?& tr;i~td+-- 

wWhenavr the own rshl & a motor to 010 

r.nS orrod J eDera oiiT?Ta~aZiGi Tiiher- 

‘itono., a*tlr* or b.qu.at~~uptoy, ~rdoolror- 

. 

the holrr St law and 8QOOiiiOStiOtI by ths hairs 

88 to in Who@* nam. fb oertIfIo.ts shall laaue), 

or order orbIllaf8el. frm the offloer tackIn& th. ju4IoIal aal., exoept hopiever, that 

whom fonoloaure la had under the tom. of a 

11.~ ths arrIdavit of the person, firm, aaaooIat!on or oorporation or authorized ag.at of 

the faoi of ropor8.r~aion and dIreatIfun oi'tltls 

Jm aooordaaoe’wlth tha tars of tha llan, ahall 

b. auffloIent to authorize the lssumoa of a new 

oertlfloate OS title In the nazne of the puroheaIn line with tha above Quoted portion of the Certif1o.t. of Title Aot, you aro advlaod that In the sltuation you Inquire about, If the ceobanlo or repairxxan files 

an affIdarIt with your dapartz~ent setting out tha faota of 

tha oroation of hi8 lion and the dlvestl.tura of tltlo by 

reason thoroof In rooordano. with the law, you are thezubl authorize& to Iasu. a OartifIoate o? Title ia the new 

of the puroha8.r et auoh 881. held by Said nmohanlo or ropalraan. 

fn your aeooad cueatlon you are oonosrned with 

thm altuatlon whsr. an aifidsvit, a. Is dlaoussed in thy 

pr6vlour Queetlon, is furnishad your departmmt but It Sppeers that the department hae Iaaued e Cortlfloata of 
Homrsbls b. a. uurr . . . Pe#J s 

Tltl. en thm IIan motor tehl~le, whlah aertiflaat~ lndlauto8 thab a lien has basn propwly noted on suoh CertlfiO8Qe Of Title ?sra ISSU& YOU 1nqUira Whether th8 

departmat may isrus a oertifl08ce 0r Title t0 the pulp 

eM8er from t$s meahanlo OF ~aragwnaa without raqul.rin& 

that the prlOr.noted lien be properly released. Tour ptob 

lsr requlr8a 8 dstsmlnatlon or the priority bstwssn the 

meohkmia or gar8gomaa18 lion and the oontraot 1Ias pnrlOU8 notodr 

V0thi.n ln thlr title shall be aonntnad 

or wa38lb8ra 8 as la any manner lmpelr 

"r 

or a$- 

Seotlng'the right of psrtls8 to areclto Ions by 

8peaial oonarftot or agrss33nt. nor shell ft la 

any msnner affsat or impair otbor liens arl8lng 

at o~axnon law or in equity, or by any 8tetu88 

or thi8 ststa or any other lien not troats4 of 

uwler this t&s.* ,, 

prlar to 1926 them wus a aonfl1at bstwsen the 

various Courts of Civil ALp9eals 5x1 this etsta oa ths qurrtloa of priority between a oontrsot ~llsn properly reoords4 

an6 s xoohmla18 or rspairman~a lien. For that reason the 

Su9re!ns aod of Texas grented writ ot error in the oass 

of COHEERCUL CRXDIT CMPART 7. B3OS!i 2E4 B.W. @ll. In 

thst ease the Coamleslon of Appeals, fn sn 09iaiOn written 

by Juetlss spsr, reviaweb the aonetftutional prarfsloa 

end 8tatote8 quoted prerlously and held thst the oontract 

lion, wtiah was properly rsaordsd prior to the tin oi 

areertlon or the msohsnla*s lien, was entitled to priority 

over said moohanlo~8 ll*ar The court oonoludsd es followat 

"'#ha it 18 rambe& that tt;e Conetftu- 

*ion asolsrs8 no priorit that the rtatutoa nowhsm undortako to 8ay tP at the wohanlo's llsn 

i8 ma rlor to all others, snd that artlale.Zi671 

(6iOl~d~alsre8 a 8avl.q of liens areatsd bt spesial sontraot than i8 no doubt that the ~sneral 

rule of "not& of aontraat 8hOIiM 9mtai f sad 

that the holdor of s Ohrttsl motignge who h;s 

beon dll&anb to protoot his rights and ha8 dons 

all that the law dmmadOd of him IA order t0 pre- 
: 326 

Bon#sblO D. 0. (IloOr . . . Page 6 

8orW the fZU1tD Or h18 oontraot should be 

fully protootsd. m aurhaalo who fUrniDhO8 

ratbrls~ or p*rfom labor in-tb repair8 

Oi s%hiole thus mortgaged d0~8 ma rolantarlly, and with full knfmlodm in law o? 

th a lx lst 

right* of 

mort&a.pr :and the oonrequent 

nutr’%a*o, and ‘Ii ha euf- 

~X'8t10S8 by Duah OOndUOt ii i8 h$D OWE 

ft ws8.a lytter oi ohofos upon h18 

pert io do ths work, aad ha sssusmd the 

risk of loring his h3r@ when ha Ontared into the e@attaet.v’ Wllron I. DonaldDoa, 181 ' 

081. 8 IM P. 405, 4% L.B.A. Sz1, 64 Aar 39. 

Rap. lJ,yOited ia Awsioaa !&p Foundor ti. 1. 

flaho18, ~8upra. 

vo thsrrrore rsooaunsn4 that th6 

oi the trial aourt snd o? the Court 

Appoal.8 bs reformad 80 68 to dsores plalntilff 

in error*8 shsttol mortga(za lien to k atlgerlor to defendant 2s error*8 maohanla*s lien, 

and ontltlsd to priority payment ?rm the proatto of ma10 upon iOl(l(l108~S~~ 

fn ttm eabvo quobsd cmem the Bupraxw Court deflaitely l rtabltihod the priority of ths oontraot lien and 

held that ths holUmr ot the oontreat llan was l atltl8d to 

a priority paymsnt fron the proossd8 ot sale upoa the fom0108~. 

In the osas of TIJ.BI[B ID FAXSON, 299 3.1. 669 by 

tha Austin db~rt OS Oitil A9pmls, Wit Of .rX-or diD&Sed b,y the Suprmra Oourt, the aourt adogtsd the l azma rule 

OAd Stt3tOd Q@ fO~htSl 

wAppollm$a ploadod that mortgagor Wate?8 

left the t ruok with BuBon-Oaboea Go:ipany, on 

July 19, 19e3, in a nul-down ooxMltioa and ior 

rqalxr that waters abandoned the truok and 

Burta n-J aboon Coapaay a016 16 oa November lS, 

19W, to ass Modraw, tram whom l ppOllUZt8 bought 

tho truok for $180, in 8atisiaetion ei tha 

storqa and laborert8 lien thereon; aad th8t 

the lSborsrt8 lion ttm8 aoquirdl was l U& Wr lOr 

to that of sppalleO's prior reOOrded mtQmge. 
Iionorable D. 0. Orear . . . Pqe 7 

This q ur 8t:1o n 8 derinitdy l ettlad agalnet epprllent'e oontontlon by the aa80 o? Oommerolal 

Oredit 00. vr Bronn (Tex. Corn. App.) a34 S.W. 

Wll,,whioh hold8 that 8 moohenio'e or laborer*8 

lien for repairing an l uSmmbll8 in his poeeor8iOIl i8 UOt 8llp@riOr t0 8 &WiOr re(liSterCMi IlUXtgega on the automobllo. Redamen v. Wewnom, 109 

lbxr 478, 8ll S.W. od6 Almriowl, eta., 00. T* 

Blohol8, 110 'hr. 4, i3 14 8.W: 301." 

The Tourkana Court of Olvll Appeal8 In the oaeo 

of 08RERAL MOTOR8 ACCEPTANCE CORP. v. YERRZTT, 16 8,W.(2d) 

296, rtateb a8 follow8~ 

"That rgeerasnt apparently reoognlzee the 

dootrlne l nnounoed by our 8uprm.o Co ur t th a t l 

prior properly reooraad ohattel mortgage on l r801181 property 18 euporlor to 8 meohanlo*e 1 lp on 

breed upon l ubbeoquently mado repair8 to the praperty. Oommerolrl Credit 00. v. Brown (Tex. Oom. 

APP. erU S.W. 9111 Vllb~lg v. hlron (Ter. Oiv. 

APP* 898 8.W. 669.' 

Pi@ oall your attention, howemr, to the oaae of 

YRITZ MOTOR OWPANX v. OABERT, U i3.W. (Zd) 72, writ of 

error dlemlcleod by the Suprosa Oourt. In that oaee the 

Yort Worth Ooart of Otvll Appoalr held that the oontraob 

mortgagee had waived lte prlorlty over the meohanio'e lien 

by lmplledly agreeing to the repairs being mado to the 

motor rehlolw. The oourt et&s4 a8 followers 

Whllo the Frltx Motor Company did not In 

sxproee tam8 agree that a lien might aria@ in 

Oebertfr rarer for repair6 

ia 

yet it knew that 

the repair8 to be mabe wou enhence the reluw 

of the property1 it aleo knew that ~.;hen the repaira were ilnlahed, Prlngle ?iight not be able 

to pay ior them, end thst In that event a &t&tutory lien in favor ot Oebert would fmlfm. If 

the repelre had Soen made upon the order OS the 

Fritz Hotor Company, olanrly, it would be in no 

poeitloo to deny the priority of Cabert*8 lien 

over the mortgage lien: and we ofan psraslve no 

reason why the BUN legal result would not tollow from the plaiatlf?*# authorization of the 
328 

Honoreblm D. 0. moor ,.. Page (I 

repairs thrmgh Prlngle." 

Baaed u90n the above 0aee8, you are 8dViSd that 

where an l ??IdSVIt of a meoh8nIo or mpalrmn is eubmltted t0 your d@partntMt rOqUS8ti~ that ~SrtitiOStS O?Tltle 

bo ltmuod in the name of a guroh88er at a sale oonduoted 

by hiato l atI8?y hi8 118n and where th8 raoorar 0r your 

dqmrtrmnt show that a oertltioate has bean I38ued prevlouely on the l a!w motor rehlolo, wkloh oertit~oat8 oontainti not*d thereon a valid oontraot lien, that your depsrtwnt 18 not authorized t0 iSSUe 8 OertifiO8te Of Title 

ln the nam8 O? th. purohaeor at the Sah OOnaUOted by tho 

msoheni0 or re aIrman, 

?urnleMd 8 P 

un1088, at the 8441~0 tti, you am 

re ease of the oontraot lien noted upon the 

first Oortl?Ioate o? Title. You are further advIsed that 

ln ouz oplnton awn iI th0 meohanIo*e atriaevit asserted 

that the holder o? the oamtrsot and prior lien h8d w8lved 

his priority YOU would not bo justified i.n issuing a Cartlrio8to 0r lltle to tho purohaser st tho moohenI0 or r* 

pairnun' aale. We bolievo that beton your department 

would bo ruthorleed to reOOgnlz0 the priority of a meohanlo's lion, above that of a preriouely noted oontraot lion, 

It would be neoorrary that you be furnished with a final 

judgment of a romt o? law 80 dooreeing suoh a priority. 

wo trust that tho toregolna iul1.p aavle~r you in 

thlr matter. 

?OUrS very truly 

ATTORN6Y C=AL OF,TEIA3 

Etirob