**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**
AUSTIN February U, 1@30
Hon. **Edgar** 3. Payne County **Attorney Hookley**  County Levelland, Texar 3ear Sir:

**etter of**  January

dlaoretlon, suoh r county buainear?m

norable J. J. Striokland, dated April t oplaloa Mr. Looasy **8aidt**

no one should be allowad, or petitted, to oacupy It eroept the publlo offlolala **named** ia the mtatute.. Thea the oplnloa altes the variowl tatute8, rhloh hare been **retained** In the same anbstantlal tO?m.

Hon. Mgar E.. Payno, T6bnury las, 1939, Page &

lnun;;$la6t oodlfioation. **and** states hi6 oonol~6~~~~

Ve do not think, therefore, that aa authority sxl6ts in the oou6ty o~i66ioner6 6ourt to oontraot for the rental of anyoftlo66, or offloe 6psoe. In the oourt houso, andno person,

l xuept the offloer8named 1s the rtatute, oaa alairthe right to o6oupr any room6 or spa06 therein free of rest, or othenime. The sheriff of the oounty would hare the right to instltut6 a suit lo the MM ofthe **oounty** tol riot any Oo oupent

fra the oourthoxse not authorlred to **Oooup7 the**  66me, sinoe he 16 the legal outstodlan of the oourt house a8 provided in Art1016 8393 (nor Art. 6872 R. C. 3. 19251, subjeot to 6u6hregulations as the cOm!dssiOnOr6Court nay proaoribo......" arport and Opinions, Attorney **General,** 1914-1916, p. !M8. Se do **not** find that the exaot qu66tl<mhere Iarolred has been judlolally d6t6rslinod in aay tf the reported Seoislon6. .:a do knowthe Cg~I66ionc~' Court6 6r6 llmlted to powers **oonferred** expr666ly by th6 Constitutlon and atetute8, or neoeesarlly impllod tkar,fBD1. Blpnd **V. err,**  **90 T6x.**  **492;** Van **Roaeab6r8 v.**  **Lowtt, 173**  **su SOS;**  **Edwards County**  **TO**Jonulng6, 33s SBS,andman, other oaae6.

In th6 reoont oaee ot hd6on v. %rrbll, 118 SW(2nd) 621 (Kaoo Clr. App.,nit dlai666dd), the 6ourt held the notion of the OotUItyi%m~i66iOner6' F%artof crs7son County in pamltting an individual to mintala a olgr and oold drink stand in aa unu66dalouvr 1~the rotund6 of the 6ourthou66 for a stlpul~ted r66t61, 6u6h prlrilege to be terrinabls **at** th6 *Ill Of tb6 m, m6 dl6eretlon6ry, did not rioaate the oon6tltutl~l ptml6106 forbidding the granting Of patUitie6 irr pub116 f-do, where the exeroise Of the privilege vOv.i4not aa- the county any expnle aad would afford o eotwsnleaoe to those traa8aotlagbu6lne68 16the 6orefbou6a, 

### a ad the oounty 

### l

p pear od

tobe mOelTi%

l Ub~tiallyHon. Mgu 6. Payne, **Tebruary 25,**  1939, Page 3

the ralus OS the prlvIleg6 granted. The oourt did not pa66 upon the question of the roatiag or leasing of **otfioe** spaoe **but** olearly draws a diotinotion a6 to offiOe6. The opinion oont6ln6 the followln~ languclm:

"Of oourme,w reoognlze that If the **~1861oner6 ’**  **Court** should **16ase for**  the purpose6 ladioated spaoe that VBS **needed** for oouaty oftloers or other **purpose6 or**  should **grant** a leae6 for 6uoh a tire a6 to **r6a6066b1~ interfere**  with the right of the oourt to regulate the **use** cf the oourhouae, or should materially interfere with the u66 of the oourthouse a6 a whole for ths purpon for rhioh It 16 **intended,** uld oourt might thereby **exoosd** It6 juriediotion or there might b6 a ole6r abuse Of d16oratioa, la whloh event the dIEtriOt oourt la the l s6rol60 of It6 SUFelTi6Ory power6 would havs **a** rI!-ht to intervea6.W

Ia view of the quoted **16Il@lSg0** employed, wa do not believe the etieot of ilod6on v. Xarehall, supra,, oould b6 relied upon to ohange the general rule, supported by tha great wel&ht of authority a6 statsd In the follorl~ 1ancuciFe of Zorpiis Jurle 115 C. J. 537):

*In aooordanoe with the general rule heretofore **stated** that oounty boarde or oounty oourte have ao powers other than those oonfsrred expressly or by nQOQ66Up lmpllOatlon, ruoh oourtr or board6 havo no pawer to rent or to lease property or tranohiees owed by the oounty in the 6b66nO6 ot statutory authority 60 to dOen (S6e l uthoritIe6 olted under this text)

We find no **OOZlStitUt~Ona~** or statutory authorlty la Texas for tha renting of odloe6 in 6ourthou6e6. In our opinion the only spaos the ~omxIssIoner6~ Court would be l

uthorl6ed to rent or laa6a would b that olear17 not needed for oounty bu6ine68, and then only for purrpor66 senlng pub110 oonrenlenoe or n60666It7.

.Hon. Zdgar 6. Fayne, February 25, 1939, Page 4

You are therefore raspeotrully advlaea that your question io answered in the negative.

;.e wiaf; to thank you 

### ror the splendid brlef **submitted,** and to expres8 our regret at the unatoilable delay in ana*ierLg you **boosuse of**  the press of mob **bualnssa** or thio Depart&sent. Very truly your8

Jamlnmodal1 Xmlatant