## TEE ATE%SNEY 

## GENES OIF TEXAS

Msy 13,~

1948

Hon. R, V. Rayford Count Auditor E Rusk ouuty Hendereon,Texas opinion No. v-575 I Re: The procedure

“tobe followedby the County Clerk when requested to furnish certlified copies of lettem testamentar$,lettelrs of guard.la@shZp,

and thellke.

. . Dear Sir:‘.Reference is made to your recent request which reada, in part, as foll’ows~ “Thb Cknty Clepk of thli OoMty,has asked~me to”writeyou for an opinion or ruling on the titter oi’Letters‘Test~amentary, Letters of Administr&ion.and Letters of tiardlanshlp;In probatematterca.
. . ‘Row as to Article 3405, in order to istiue{Other Letters’: mu&we have proof of loss, or can as many original letters be fs~sued to the person who has qualified as hcmay desire? Letters are nooded in aorne madters quite olton - suah Su p&me&s of oil royalties,eta., cashingOovermiont bonds, all veteransmatters,- eta. Can this be done - or 6812

lettqrs

~bo lspuod at the request of suoh a pompany m gfiegcy, aoting in behalf:

~oi. tho pqrgqn w&y hy’qpalifled.

. “In giving hs”yotrr &nlon, we,“wouldspeolfioallylike,to know **if** it **is lrregUl8r**  to reoord,

In the ProbateMinutes a.oopy of Letters issued to a qualifiedparson, and then henceforth to issue certified copies of suoh letters, front the rceoord. .Or,,upon request of any person or agency actlag In behalf of the qualifiedpamon, shall o~iglnal lettersbe Issued aa they areHon. R. V. Rayford;page 2 (V-575)

needed? 'Or, would it be more in line with the meaning of the Statutes for the Clerk to %,ssae and deliver originalletter8 upon' qualification,

.notingthe,

same on the ProbateDocket, and then issue Certlflcates stating that letter8were Issued upon 3uc.h

and such.adate, and thatthe admini.strat'ion

'is"&111 In full force,. :~ .~.: and.@fect?"'
I:. at&ion ,2rIi

of Article V of the St.&e Cc&tltu- ,ti&,.~~?vldes,,

ii, pa+, as follows:
"T&o &all be **elected** for each c;dunty,

by the qualifiedvoters, a coun-~
~ ty olerk,'whoshall hold his offloe for two years, who shall be olerk of the County and Commf~3foner31 Court3 and recorder of the oounty,whose duties, porqni@tee and feea.o#' offtoq shall bq,presbtilbea

bp' the'L&g;Lsbature,.

. : .? A+Aolss 34@ and 3402, V. C: 9. ,; are as follows: ; -.

.“Ait.i3SO& ,~Clirk 3hall‘laaue,letil'.

.,: tins,: _: Y&onever'ali

exeoutor or admltistxator has beti@

quslifloa:ia,,tbe.~er.ri- ',, qulrti.by. law, the,.@lolrk of.the oourt gi%nting:the,&etters testatin$prg.

or of admlhistratloashall ,fixW$if$-tih issue and deliver the fetters"60 suah,.oxeou$or or adminlbt~&tbii;l~~..

. ,; ~,,,1 .~ ,.,_-,. ,: ,..

. +t 9, ‘.34oi i :, “ ’

tit cops*&& ~lettens::-. j

. ,.:, *""$&ii&~ ~~&tcrmon~s&',&'oi ,a-s-,, ,:

I, ; tration"fjhbl1

'bd6, pdptlfloateof the olerk OS the ,.~90ct':g~aat,lng..the.'sa~, .attosted'.by

., the sea+,a&..ssah

cotirt,, andstating .that

:-... suoh 6xe+;o? o?.a@$nieWatar,-ss' the oaso may be~,asi,~~~p,qaall4~~ +sisuch aa Tthe. ~' law req~ceb,.,:tfie,,.date ef,,.suaff

qualif&oation:‘: and tJiq

n@e qe #+e,.zge,o,espqdi, .: ,O~_, .!~~. i'! I .,*:2: '.; ~: -. :: I .~,:',. a.', .;:,..I,:: 7' :-' .:, '. ., : ._. .

.,. - -

Hon. R. V. Rayfprd, page 3 (V-575)

Article 4133, V. C. 3., pr.ovide.3 that:
,., ‘When ‘9p&Bon appointed guard& tii~ qualifieda3 guch, py~taking the oath ‘and giving the bond required by law,~ the clerk shall issue to him a certificateunder seal, at,at@g the,

fact of 3uoh appointmentand quallfloa~$bn

and date ‘thereof;

which cer- : tlfloate shall conatlfuteletters of g-c dltish5.p,~

and be evidenceY$ the aMthorlt!y .ofsuch person to act as;guardlan.
: A*tlcles 3494 .ani.i 3495, V. C. S., provge as foll’ows

: UArt..

3404. “When two **or** more persons qualify a3 executops or adalnlstrator3,,~ letters ,3hail be ls‘aued

t6 each of the? ao paltfyips. i:
‘Art. 34’05. “Whe* J.etters’

.have been aestroyea OF’. :;; lost,, the clerk may is.sne other ledtiter ~: in their stead, which shall have the same $‘?rc.,e and effe’ct

a.3$he or.lg+nal

letters.”

-’ ~. :, : ,, there :are

no stat&e3 deali& with” letter3 df gua+.anshlp, Article .~ : 4108, Ti.

C. S., provider ,tQat:\ ‘.

,. ‘i’ “~e~~pPovlslon3, ru&?B and regulat5ons. which. govern estates of decedents shall,. &&ply to and goverb. such gusrdlanship@,uhenev~er

the. sati, are applicable .~

i’ and ,not~

lnoona$stent

Iwithany.

proglsion ‘, * of thin t+txe. By vLrtue of the above statute,what we hav,e to say in tiegard

to letterp of’

admitistration

and testamentary la also applicable to letter3 of guardlanships.
It 13 apphrent from the c~n3titutlonalprovlslon~ quo~ted

above that the County Cle,rk mtly perform only :vLibse

dutias w+h are,

lmpoaed,,

upon h&m by law. ‘I The statutesdo not authorlee t2he c,OUntg~ ClerkHon. R. V. Rayford,page 4 (V-5'15)

to record letter3 of admlnlatratl~n, testamentaryor gUardfanBhip. Neither 13 there any authoritywhereby the county Clerk may issue euch letters :to ssy person other than those who have qualifiedas administrator, executor or.

guardlan,accordlng to law, ~If; however, .suohletters have been lost or destroyed,provision is made under Artlole 3405, supra, for'the issuance of other letter3 In their stead. Although thlzd person3may deIpsnd and the County Clerk may issue a certificateof the transcriptof the reoord of any estate, upon paying the required fee, such persons are not entitledto reoelve letters of admlnistratlon, testamentaryor guardianship. Article 3295, V. C. S., provides, In part, as follow3: "The'olerkbf the bounty oouri shall keep a record book to he btyledi *Judgecs Probate Docket,' and enter therein: “4. A minute of all ord&, judgments, dearees.::and proceedingshadWIn the estatej-swlth.the date thereof. .~ -'Its Is ipparent from'& ~foregolng provIsion that after a person has been duly appointed admlnlstratar, executor or guardian, and has taken the oath and given bona, It Is .mandatory that the Cou+y Clerk issue proper letters to suoh person.

The performanceof apoh duty **by** the County Clark Is Incidentalto an&a part bf the prodeedLng8~ mentioned in the above Artlc&e. This belnej tru+, we believe the statute oontemplatBsthat the ounty Clerk should enter-in the Probate Dboket the date, and the name of the person to whom suoh letters wero Issued.

that: Artlole 3930, V. C. S., provibes, in part,

"Clerksof the oounty Court shall rooelve the following fees:

. . . .~.~. "Eaah bertlflcateto any faot or :facta .eon&ned in the reoords of his oifl60, with certificateand seal, when not otherwis:5rgI'tided forHon. R. V. Rayford, page 5 (V-575)

opinion, letter3 Therefore,In view of the foregoing, It Is our

that the County Clerk may make a certificatethat of administration, testamentaryor guardianship have been Issued In such estate or guardianships, the date of such issuance and the name of the persons to whom they were issued. SUMMARY

The original letters of adminlstratlon, testamentaryor guardianship must be lost or destroyedbefore the County Clerk may Issue other letters. Article 3405, v. c. s. The County Clerk may not reoord In the probate minute3 a copy of letters of admlnistratlon,

testamentaryor guardlanahlps. Neither Is he authorleedH;;e;~%e suoh.lettersto third persona. , after such letter3 have been Issued to the proper pergons, the County Clerk may then Issue a certificateof suoh fact3 which may appear of reoora. Articles 3295 and 3930, V. C. S. Youiv very truly, ATTORNIXCENRRALOF TEXAS

BA:mw 

## By /q%.-KcL Bruce Allen Assistant