**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 



## Bonor&10

0. s. Arnold Copnty

**Attorney, Cob**  Cbuaty Rdert be, T%maS

bar 8irl

**TOW lattir,or**  **30** 

### th%

## opinion-of thSr**departme** 

### inrradsasiollmr, I

Preatioeand lds%%mthat oo%duregavaraiag enlad ao4rebturnil ewofRule 101, 104 all aitatione m?md,
a aapr oi plafntlff*s

aa pur opinloa ou, ia WJxltihe? atioas in auifs for delinquent xeo%eUto a dsfemiant residing y where nuoh **suit** ie **filed,** 

### should edbya oopy oi glnln0fit'a ptttltloa **to** 

### beU%llrero4

to t&adsfendant

witho true oopy09 theGitatiolr.%a

Rules 13, 101, 106 and 107 of the **T&s Ru3eS**  of
**ciw** Pr0f3a0re **EXB 68**  **~O~~OWSS** 

### 1’76

"These rules aha3l'~Vex-n the pmCedWe **in** the jwtioe, **oaunby,** dbtrict an4 appellateBonorable 0. S. Arnold, page 2

oourte of the State of Texas in all actions of a civil nature, with suoh exaeptions as my : be her&miter ateted. Xhsre sAy statute iA effsot immediately prior to September 1, 

### 1941, presorlbed a rule of prooadure in luneoy, guardianship, or estates of decedents, or any other probate proceedings in the oounty oourt diffsrlug frm these rules, suoh stetute shall apply. All statutes In 4ff40t 1ameUlatelp prior to September 

### 1, 1941,preaoriblng rules of procedure 1x1bond or reooguizenoa forfeitures in Orhiin?31 oases are hereby OOAtiAUtd iA 4ff4Ct as ru&es of **prouedure** govumi.ng such 44~44, but **where** such statutss prusoaibua Ao rulsa of 

### proosdura ln snoh oases, these rulas shall apply. All etstutes in eff+t Lmediately prior to September 

### 1, 194l;preaoribingrulesof prooe

### dure in tax suiteaza hersby oo~tinuud 

### %II sffsot
as raJ4e of procedure govsrning suoh oases, 

### butwhere such statutes 

### presoribedJIO rules of prooedure In such ceoes, them rules shsll sPPlY l l 

### YRule101..The 

### oitatiogahallbe styled *The Stats of Texm' and- shall 

### ,bsdi_r?et?d to ths **defendant** and shall command him to.appsar and **aginur** 

### thsplaintiff~s,pstltlon at or before-10ofolook~a.~. of the~Monday

next altarthe expirationof 20 days frola 

### thedets of servioe thereof, stating the place of holding the oourt. 

### It shallstate th8~dateof the filingof the p4titiOA, itr file numbor and style of ths easu, and the dats of lesuanoe of the oltetlon be signed and sealed by the olerk, end shell be aaooupanied by 

### a oopy of plaintifr~a petition. The oitatlon shall further direct that if **it** be not served within 90 days efter date of its lesuenoe, it shall be returned unserved. The party fillng any pleading upon which-oltation 1s to be **bud** shall furnish the olerk with a auffioient number of oopfes thereof for ~44 in serving the parties to be served, and when the c0pl44 are 80 furnlahed the olerk shall makeno charge thsrefor.”Honorabls G, S. Arnold, pa,-a 

### 3

Wlls 106,

“Cnlea8 it otherwise dlreots, the oltatlon shell be served by the offtoer delivering to each defendant, in person, a true copy of th4 Oitation tith the d-jte of delivery endoraod thereon end with s oopy of ths petition attached ther eto~.


### "Rule107. The return of th4 **off5car axsou+~**  ing th4 oitatfon shall be indorssd on or attachea 

## to the -6; It ahall atets when the oltation 

### was servedand **the mer**  **of 44rf544,**  **and ahall**  asrtlfy that a trus oo~y of, thd citation with tha aocompeny5ng oopy oft **t&s** petition was dellvsrod to the **defend** ant, and ba signed by h5mofi5054lly, Y&entha 

### altatlonhasnot been served, ths return shall show 

### thedlligenoaused **by the**  

### oiflosrto **sreouta ths**  same and thr 

### oausaof iallureto exsouta 

### It, and **whsra** the **Qafendant** 

### la tobe found, if ha 

### oanasoertain. No Qsfault judgment shall be granted In any **oaus4** until tha oltation, with tha **otfioor~s** return thsreon, shall hate bsan on file with the olerk oi the **court** ten days, **4xolualra** of the day oi filing and **ths** day oi judgm4nt.R ’

Artiole 732811, Varnon’s 

### AnnotatedCivil Statutes, is 4 specific statute relating **to** iorns and oertatn proosdure in delinquent tar suits. This department held in Opinion No. 

### 0-39&SA&at Artiole 7328-l is still in toroe and effect and said statute has not been repealed or amended

### by the new **Rulss** of ?raotioe and Frocsdure in civil actions promulgated **by** the Supreme Court of this State.”

In order to answer your question it is neoessary to consider Articles 7328-l and 7345b, of Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes of Texes, and the effect of ’ the Texas Rules of Civil 

### procedureupon these statutes.

Heretorore this depart&ant has rendered an opinion (??o. 

### O-&2l,fja) discussing at length the form OS cltations in delinquent tax suits, the rstarns oi suoh citations, etc. In that Opinion (:To. 0-&2&5a) a copy of which is 

### enclosed herzivith,

it is Shttt?d

**Zin;OJlg**

**Oth6T** 

### t?iilL~S:

,

.’ H&&able G. 9. Arnold, page I

” vsincs there wsre two speoilio statutes (irkhe 732C-1, Section 5 and Article 7345-S Seation 3, aupra..: governing cltetions in tax suits in forae 8116efisat lmsdiately prior

‘to Septmber 1, 19/l, the original date whan ths Texas Rules of Civil Prooadure became effeotive, we think that it is dou’rtful that the 

### TexaeRules of Civil procedurs are appliaable generally to aitations in tax suite.

. .a However said opinion does not speolfically psss on the question.4 presented by you, The appellate oourts of this Stats, **in.3ofar** as we have b&m able to d&reins, have not passed upon the question undsr oonslderatlon, Aftar 

### carefullycbnsidsrlngthetor&oing statutesand ths Texas Rules of Civil Prooedure we doubt that it is neoassery for oitatlona to be aaaompaniad by a oopy of plaintiff ’s petition when such citations are direatsd to defendants residing in the aounty where suoh suits are filed. Bowuver,
, until our courts have deolded the question It Is our oplnlon, that as a mntter of preoaution the 

### ofta%ionsshould 

### be aooompanied by 

### a oopp of plalntifils petition whsn suah oitatlocs are diraated to defendants residing in the county where the suits ara filed. Very truly yours

ATTORBEY G??lEBALOFTFXAS

y wuk Ardell Alliam

Assistant