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

Eon. TomA. Crarsn Countr Auditor flohnnan **County Waoo,**  Taxar Dou **Sir8**

of October S, **thl8 depw!** tmsnt or **to you**  iron **Eon.** nnan **County,** Taaa, **part,** a8 **roii0~8t**

rhloh the **8bstraot 16**  roethe mm ot onlq one d&and-t %rahown, whloh 18 the only dofondant the **&ulgment** wa1 **CbooTer** l d againat. 8hould thlr Judgment **bo lndrxod**  

### l galnrt all thr.8 of the defondmtr, in the 

### Nit, or the on8 dofondant only in the reoorerl 08u8WO. .

Hon.

with Tom A. Craven, JM@ 8

m. 8peOia8n l

b8traOt Of TO'out letter rcad8, la part, **. .**  jud@montl

noloaod **a8 r0ii0rn8**  "1, Ilofi Hitoh811, Clark of th8 County Court of YoLonnu~ County, ToXa8, **do** hereby oortlm **that** in **a** oertaln **ruit** pondlly In aald oourt, wherein Soha Doe plalntlfr, and John #mith, T.J. Logo **8nd** BirdI. Wll80n &ra **d8fmd ants,**  Ho. 41Bl. The **8aid plaintiff,**  **toha Do.,**  **reoorcred** Judgment

### l

gainrt

**8aid** drfandant, John Smith + l + l Judgment lien8 lr8 **oreated** purelyby **t&a &at**  **Ute8** oi thi8 rtate and the am0 taking ot a 

### jud&ment by .A* 

### l galnrrt

l Ba dld not oroat a 11811 at oom.aon law. rREQuH OR JtlXLmTS, Sth Edition,Vol. 8, pg 19B7. **A8** a reault, the ststutarmust, **ba** 8triOtlytollowad and by their term8a lfen dOa not 8ri88 until the lud@n8nt 18 properlyabstrootedand lndaxad. t9 **TEX.** JUR. p. 558.

Tar a proper underetandlng of judgmentlien8 **and** th8ir oreation w8 &tiOl88 5441 and SUS of the Rev red i Texar, 19esr the naturo 

### or 8et rorth In full **Citil StCItUt88**  **Ot**

'Arti !MM.- Ibatraotrof fudgmantr. Baoh olerk of a oourt, when the per8qn in **rho80** taTOr a judgment **-8** rendOr8d, hi8 **a&sat,** attornry or 

### l

saigloe,

### l

p Flie8 thsretor, 8hal.l **Mb out,**  oertiw under **hi8 hand**  **and Otfioa**  **8.a. and**  

### dollrerto 8uoh 

### l pplioMt 

### upon the 

### pm-t 0r the rem allowedby liar, anl b8traOt or **ruoh JUd@lG&**  8hOWinB: 1. The name8 oi th8 plaintlti and of the **dafendant** in 8uOh judgnmt. 2. The number OS the 8uit in whlah the **jUd@aOnt -~8**  r8ndered. 3. The **date** whrn 8uoh Judgment wa8 randared. 4. Th8 amo*lnt for rhloh th8 judgmentwar rendered **8nd** tha balanoe **due** ther8on..

Hon. Ton A. Craven, page b

6. Et!trat. Of **inter.8t** 8JSOiriOd ill th8 **lUd&**

**.** "Eaoh just1.eOf the p.aO. 8hall al80 mmk. and deliver **an abrrtraot**  **of any**  jud&nent rendered la hlr oourt In the mm83 herein prorlded,oertlfled **under hi8**  hand..
‘Artlol.s440.- Reoordlng judgmenta. Bach oounty clerk rball keep a well bound book oalled the *JudgmentReoord,* **and** he 8hall immediate1 1~ aathent

I tile and thrreinreoord all **oated abstraot8**  of judgment Rropmw en presentedto him for reoord, noting therein the day and hour of auoh reoord. Be shall at the sbme tim enter it upcn the alphabetloalindex to suoh judgmentrecord, ahowlng the nanm of eaoh plaintlifand oi each defendant in the judgment,and the number of the pwo of the book upon whloh the **abstraot is**  reoorded. **a8** 8hall leave a **8pC.** at the **r00t.0r** 88Oh 8uoh abatraot for the entry **0s** oredit and 8atirfaotlon0s **suoh** judgment, and **rhall** enter the Pame when proparlyah~wn.~
**A8 8tated**  **in** CITIZENS **STATE** BANK OF CLfiRIENDA, IOXA f8. DEL-TXX IiJVE.?lWNT CO. (Cl+.App.) lZ?i **S.W.** (a) **450:** 'The objeot Of the **rtatutor~** prooeedlng for abstraotof judgment **and** reoordrtlonthereofia to put rubsequentpUFOh.8aZ8or enoumbrano8sabf properw aought to be oharged on notloo of the lien thereby or8at.d”. ha stated in BURNETT **~8~** COCKSHAlT,ET AL, tl **S.W. 950,**  **B CGA**  **so4:**

“Wiil. the ind8xb 18 **aad**

**. n.O.88ur**  8t.p ti ths oreatlon of the lien, and whllo a aub8tantlaloomplianoewith the 8tatutorydireotlon o.nnot be dirFbn8.d with by the OOUXt8,then 18 no re80onwhy the purpo.8 **0s** thore requlre-.

Hon. Tom A. Craven, page 4

nam+~~+~~~~~~~r~~~~hora~

nex w-8 ats'z'ii6r'fiinTIiill~ u the law **provider,** the purpose 18 8ub88tr.d**and** the **rtatut.8** 8houldnot bo **oon8trued 80**  teohnioal17 a8 **to** imp088unueoe8aary diffiOultib8upon the jud@.nt oredltor **8..kin~** to 8bOur. 118X&8 **on** the property **of** hi8 **4ebtor.*** (Undor8oorin(r OUT8.1

see alw BRADLEYvs. JANJSlW;93 3.U. 506 at page SO8.

Artlole 5448, Retlsed Clrll iZatut.8,supra, provide8that the Clerk shall *'enter It upon the alphabet1081 Index to suoh judgment reoord, showin& th8 nam or eaoh glalntiffand of eaoh def -- ._-

_- -m- - endant In the juagraont

l l l ” (unacrsoorlngOI3r8.) --

We are main17 conocrnadwlth a proper oonetruotion 0r th18 portionof Art1018 5UR, in **answering** your question,and we notice at the outset that the **8tOtUt.8** (Artlol.85447 and 5418) them8blv.8both provide In haeo rerbae that the namer 0s eaoh FlaiAtifrand **or** eG6 W tendant in the judment must **be** indexed and not the names **0r** eaoh 38mirr and 8aOh defendant in the 8ult.

From the euthoritiei in thi8 rtate it 18 quita olear that an abstraot of judgment 18 not admlsslble In erldenoeto ahow a lien olalmed under it, ~1188s the proper indexing0r the **abstraot** 

### arrirnatirely app8arr.
CORBETTv. RXW OD, (Clr. Ap .) S8 S.N. SSO; mxTEAKx? f. HILL (CIT.App. 179 S.W. 5s9; P LEONARDv. BU?CRD LBR. CO. (Cir.Rpp.) 181 S.V. 797. ad we knor al8o thr,t the ~2’0r1810n Ot 

### hrtiol. S448 rbqulring the olerk to eater upon the alphabetloal Index the naam of l

r;oh plalntlff **and of**  eaoh defendantha8 been held mandatoq.
~ARAXTT ZPATZ BASK f. XARIOH CC;Wl'T NATICCAL BARK (Civ.App.) 293 3.1. 2181 **BAliTON** V. PARXS, (Cir. App.) 127 3.1. (26) s76.Hon. **Tom A.**  Craven, **pagr 5** 

OULLEXTQIN CO. 18. OLIVER, RI AL, 78 Texan 186 14 3.X. 4S1, 18 a 18adln8 0888 in **thfr rtate**  **In** whloh the Supreme Court of TeX88 h.8 hmad.4down it8 **lnterpretatlon** 0s the **statute8** go+ernlng judgment **11~~58.** In th8t oaae **jud**Y nt had been rendered agalnet the lndlTldu818 Ooolpo8

ng the partnerahlpOf Mltohelland **soruggr** . The abotr8ot wa8 indexed only under thr letter %. under the partn8r8hiQnameand th. oourt held thl8 to **b8** ~8urrioiaat, rayingr

nphe languageOf the **.t.tUtb IS**  Olear, and it8 FUrpOt Obf1OuI. Th8 1od8x to 8uoh judge aent reoord shall **be** 

### l lphabetloal, aad rhall show the name of eaoh pl8lnti~fand Of eaoh defendant In the judgment,**and** the number of the paga In the **bi-ok** upon aHoh the abatraot Is reoorded. RevisedClril 2tatutt8,Artlola 3158. Thir mean8 that ecoh name must appear in the index in it8 alphabetioalorder. The evident objeot le that pereon searohlngfor raoord8, In **order** to di.OOT8r the .rl~t.ac. 0r judgment 11058,ma7 hare the peons 0s asoertalnlry whether mob lion8 exist or not, with pro:.ptno88 and certainty. In t:ils oase a third peraon, dealingwith 3orugg8,who had no knowledge of the FlUtiOUhT judgiaent, would hat. **been** oompelledto exaaine th8 entire **reoord** In ordar to hare asosrtalnedthat the abdtraot had been reoorded. It 1s evident,we think, that ln thlr partloularthe 8tatute ha8 not been oomplied with, either llterall7 or in rubetano... On the other hand, la GLAdSCGCQ[ 18. PIRCE, 9R Tax. RIl, 47 S.F. 965, rsodlfylng 4S **8.W.** 415, the oaae W.8 diNi888d as to one member Of the pmtner8hlQ On 80- OfXnt of non-serrloe,and it me held that slnoe the

wr- raiiindifidual, hi8 aam. wa8 propulr ant did not arreot the diaIPis8.d partymFa8
omitted rrom the Index.

In Y9OMTRLIR~. COODT (CO~U.App.) 59 9-W. (Rd) 819, air. **(CIT.** A;Q.) 39 8.n'.(I?d) 8sS, Char. R. COOlEb.8 had **raoorared** a jumant in the d18triot oourt OS Jonsa Counq aganst 0.~. **coody** ror debt, and a881nst saidCooUf and 0110 U-8. J.T. Qoorgr for foreolosuroof a vendor*8 lien. No personal Judgment wa8 rendered in raror or Coomber against th8 defendant,Mr. J.T. Oaorge, but Lirs.

Oeorge reoorered judgmentagalnather oo-deisndant,O.R. Goody, by reason of his oroaa aotioa againsther, and the orrioerr or the oourt recovered Judgmentagainst the reapeotlreparties ror oosts inourredby them.

**We** believe the raota In your h~thetloal **oase** are analogousto those presentedin the YoOlothlln oaao and the sole questionbefore the oourt therewas whether or not the property of Ccodywas chargedwith the judgment lien by reason or the iallure to index the abetmot oi Judeent alphabetloally lc the lnameor L:rs.Oeoree.

The Court held Wet IIO Judgxzent

lienwas oreat06 and speaking through Shcrt, J., prl **siding** Judge **of.** SeotionB of’

the Co~isslon of Appeals,said: Tlowerer, the articles lnrolrsdhere are b449 and 5446, and it a:penrs that according to **the** prorlslonaor Article 5449 the olerk of a oourt,upon an aFrllc?tlon havingbeen made, shallnake out, cert.lQ,and deliver to the applioant **an abstraot**  **or** Judgmentshoring fire **dlrrereat** things, the flr8t of w%lOh 18 that the abstraot shallTo= zs EeTla- ‘fTTrs **and** not~nZiG FOX Tii43Zrsn +r antr,FiT~~~-~~, Ifthsre serersl.w4hnnamerntm nJd&UU, ii.&has k~ ansaL mm rh japea 4hafQaQfm- After tbir’has**been** done, and this instrument**hsn** been handed **to** the **olork,** wuhere

lt is soaght to oreatm a lien, then,aooordlng **to** Artlole 5448, mm u m &,U rrotxrU etloated abstract&

cuired Ln sr&z U arm 4hp gbpbbbet~oal&&a 3Qnvnp--,m*Ba* olUtiprWntb ilk&l.2 and the number of the **gape** in the **bi;ok** upon whioh the abstraot is recorded. In otherHon. **Tom** A. Cratsn, page 9

word8, 

### the Judgmentlien glron **by** plaintirr in a judgment is purr4 a statutom one, and a person who asserts that ho hns suoh a lien must show that eaoh and l req **requirement** or the statute has been followed in order that he shall establishthe existenceor suoh Ilen.* (Undersoorlng ours).
Lrr SiIRkT VS. TRUST C‘Y.: Alrr GT TEXAS, ET AI. (CCA 19S4) 69 S.U. (2d) 835, writ reruaed, ths l bstraot or judgmentFepared by the oounty olerkwas indexsd only in the nasies or the plalotirrsand defendants appetrlag in the abvtraotand was not isdexsd ln the mum of eaoh derendant apyearlng in the Judgmant. Them vas no personalreoc;rery for debt by the Flalntifiagainst the defendantswhose names were omitted from the abstraot,but **the** Judgmmt **did** deorcs a recovery br plaiatlrts or all the costs or the case againstoae or the defendants**not naLled**  In **the abotraot:**  **an&** likewise t.?other detendantwhose name did not sppear in the abstraotvts deorsed s raoovcry of all oosts inourredby him against **tha plaiotirr** 

**.**

The **oourt** quotedwith aprrorel the language above quoted ln LfoOlothlln VS. Ctody, suprs, and held that the abstract **and** Index did not crette a valid judgsent Ilon. Sea, also, in **acoord** SZIREY ii% AL fs. TRr ,T **CGxi~AKt OF**  TEXAS (CCA 193b) 98 **5.8.** (2df 24s.

In BARTON vs. PARXS,127 Y.U. (Ed) 37b (CCA 1939) a Judgmenthad been **rendered** In favor of Lmlso L. Parks against Y. H. IEaddox, John J. Burke,Cerl TZ. Barker, and saoh 0r thsaa

ror (10,S40.00,with 10% interest **and** oost or court, and ror a ioreolosureor liens against certain propetlss against all of suoh defendantsand the defendant John **Bredanus.** Ilo personalJudgment vas rendare againstBredamus.

The nameor JohnBradems was omitted rrcm the sbstraot of **judgment** filed **and** his name was net entered upon ths alphabetloal lnder to such Judgmentreoord 88 reoulred br law. The eourt quotedwith aptroral ths otae or malothlln ~6. Ocody, supra, **and** Shlrey **vs. Trust**  **Com pany**  **ot Texas,**  supra, and held that the abstraot and

# . .z

Hon. Tom A. Craven page 0

index did not oreate a ralld judgmentsgalnst the proparty of la. H. Kaddox for the solo reason that the abstract and Index Omitted the name of John Bredems.



### In OUAMNTY STAT2 **BANK**

### GP DONNA vs. EAFlIC2-JcOt!xTY RATIONAL BANK **(CCA** 1927) 293 3.W. 248, the abstraot or Judgmentvau alphabstloall~indexed in the name or each deiendantagainstwhom Judgmentwas taken,but was not alphsbetloall~Indexed In the name0 f aaJ plaintlit.

Thr oourt aald: *The statute (Art. 5446) prOvidea that the olerk shall reoord all abstractsor Judgment illed in his oftloa ior that mrwzm. and ahall alao at the same time enter thekb~~~act *; the alphabeticalindex to suoh Judment rej ffi$nbkj%e judgmentand t e number

h n e r etoh plalntffi-andor Faog’ o”?e Z e h ~“~e~~n,ae~~~?hi~~~~~:~t kdr!; ooastr& to man that the names of eao& to the $&p

-eETb~dXnZ??-aiX XZZn #= ant

_ -- inthe lad& In alphabetloalorder.

. CLIVZR, 96 TRXAS 162. 14 3.X. must appear GIN coxi$NY vs 451. The trial court having round that the Judgment *was 

### not

l lphabstloall~Indexed In the 11-6 ot any plaIntirr*,the statutory requlrement was not met, the registrationwas ratally 49r40tire 

### i **and** the Judgmentlien was not lffeot

### uatsa .a Undsrsoorillg ours).
In 5A.R ARTONLOLOAN I TRUST CCEPAHYVS. 3kVIS, 236 5. U. b13 (CCA 1921) two defendants

### namesvere omitted from the abstract and Index, and althoughno money Judgment was reoovered a lisn was roreolosed against them and the oourt held **thet** the abstractand indexwere Insurtlolentto oreate a lien.

Xe take notloa oi the **oaees** oi **VGN** STEINVS. TRSLLR, 23 .3. **W.** 1049 **(CCA** 1693) and BLUK m AL Vs. KiZYySSR **(COA** leQ4). 26 3. F. bbl, whloh rollows 

### thb Trexler oars and awns to be authorityior the proposltlonthat a substantial oompllanoewith the statutes Is sufrlolentand. . 4

Hon. Tom A Craven, **page 9** 
that an abatraot that Is oorrcotlrindexed 1n respeot ot one of severalderendonts createsa lien agtlust & **property.**

Vie believe that this line of oeses in so far as the point here l-mlved is cononrnedwus render’ed obsoleteby the oourt in YoOlothlInvs. C5od7, supra, when it said:

The opinion of the oose of Blum ~(1. Keyser, supra,is In partial ocnfliotwith the opinion in this ease, tnd to the extent that It 1s in oonrllot it should be overruled. In that OOBO the oourt held that it WCS not nsoessary to plaoe the nme on the indirect lndox. To that extent +h’e

thin;: the opIr.1~~

of the court in that oa3e Is erroneous.* The statutesprovide tCfit t&e names ci e:kob plelr~tlft

and of c~.ch

defendant 13 the JuQment shall **be** Indexed,and not the names of eaoh I:laIntlff **and** of e-:ch

defendant in the 

### suit, and these n-es must be 1rAexedproperly **to** oreatea lien.
NYK, iiT

AL vs. ZCiDY, 70 Taxes 434, e S.0;‘. 606; N=, 2,T

AL ~8. CT,lBBLb

70 TCX(LS

458, e 3.\y.

60f; LioDANIEL.

ET AL vs. KILN%. **(CCA** 19291 19 3.X. (24) 42s; aft. 3 preno Co&t-36 3.w. **i24)** 992, 120. Texas 160; CCfXK VS. CGNCULST, (Clr.App.) 2 S.W. (2d) 992, l r r. (c ot1 141.

**~pp.1** 13 s.w. 

### (24) 346; 3ECbiITYWTIOML BICJX OF WIC!iiTAFALLS Vi. ALLiBd(CIT. **A~p.1** 261 S.7?. 1059.
We believe that the yrrbpar test for the County Clerk to app17 In all crises is, the names of the plelntiffa and the 4etecdGnts appeorlngcn the rtce or the

Ii a rarty is whown as a plalntIrfor t de- **#%%%n** the

_

Judgm ent “1s name should be lndoxed. Th’e take it that **Rich** the **abetraot oi**  Judgmentiorm submltted the on17 derenatnt acpearlngupon the race or ths judgmentwas JO% Szlth. In such ease, oalp tho nems or John Doe, ~ltlntlff,and John Smith, defendant **need** be IndexedAD reoulred **by** Artlole 54M, RsElsedCi~ll. . . P

**Hon.** Tom **A. Clark,**  **page 10** 

satuter, b!oClothlln va. COOQ, wqra. Con8oquontl~, r0U are rerpeotSul1~ l drlrad and it 18 the opinion of tbie department thst under Artlcl8 5448, Rerlred Clrll Ytatute8, the Count7 **Clerk of**  **Mo** L~IWAO COUnt7, 8hOuld elltibr upon the elphabetIOa1 Index to hi8 judgmsllt reoord the nime of laoh plaintiif and or caoh Urfendant appafulng upon the iaoe of a Judgmnt, in order to efiectuata a judgment Urn.

YOreOter, it IS the OpiniOn Of thie department that it 1s the **duty** of the count7 olerk to enter In alphabetical or&w the nam of eeoh plaIntlit and of caoh defendant appearing upon the face of a judgment 

### (inorder to create e Judgment lien) althougb no Fersonal judgment for debt has been rendered againat ouoh plaintiff or derendant (a judgmmt in rem for foroolosure being miffcirnt); and even thoiiijhmc or117Judgment rendered aplalnat any party to the juament 18 for torts.
Yours very truly

**JDS/ob**

APPROVE3CCT **23, 1939**  

# 4zLzhf2.G

ATTOFUiEY

GEHERAL OF TXXiY.3