OFFICE OFTHE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF **TEXAS**



### Bonorable Varvln Hall Fire Insuranoo Commleaionsr Board 

### 0rInruranoe CommIs~loner8 

### Austin, Texas

Dear 

### Sir:

This wIl1 aoknowl May9, 1940, in nhloh you 6 l&e upon #OVWlque0t10nr t esrential to here est o understanding of the **fa**

daltlonr **are** 

### aa **no** 

### authoritf prevent hasardous
uoh Inapeotions Is soli been oaued upon, **iB** 

### sx-oSfIoIo Statr Fire

**as** 

### State Fire Earshal, hate 

### authorthe eleotrloal wiring In houlrrs under



### f your anmer III in the afflrmetirr, do I, as State Fire ?:arshal, have the authority to condamn suoh wiring If same Is found 

### unrafeand oaue the removal, or oorreotlon, thereof? "(5) CanI prohibit the power 

### oompanlas from furnishing eleotriolty to such 

### unsafe rirlng?. - 

## 734

Honorable i’arvln IIall, Pag4 g

“(4) If your an8w.r to tha foregoing qu44tionr are In the afflrmatlro, my I appoint a dsputy fully quallfl4U, to eot in myplaoe and **stead** In making those InepootIon8t

“(8) If **your** amwsr to proporltlon numbor 4 18 in the afflrnatlvo, do f have tha authority to allow the deputy reasonable aolapenaatlon for tsarVi008 l-OndOredin makin6 ths inirpOOtiOl28 ’)

“(6) DoI ha~4 the authority to aase84 and 001140t, from thr prop4rtl owner 

### or aontnotor, a reasonable fee for making ruoh Inapootlonr?

**“ (I)**  If I **do hare**  the **authority to**  a84488 and oolleat suoh 

### fe4,will It bs legal to allow the deputy to oollsot and retain for hi8 mn ~44 4uoh foes as oompsnsatlon for 

### his aorvIoo8?R
**ArtiOl4** 4897 of the **R41ised** CIvIl~Statute4 of Toxa4, 1925, tloalr with the authority and duty of th4 Stat4 Flro Ear8hAl. It 181

RThsStat4 Fir4 Farehal I4 heraby authorlaed to snter at any fine 

### any building8 or premIm8 where fire oaourred or Is In pro&rem, 

### or any plaoo oontIguou8 thereto, 

### for the purpoar of lareetigat Ing the oau84, origin 

### anaolr4um8tau448 

### orsuch **fire. The**  Stat4 Flro Marshal, upon oomplaint of any poraon, shall, at all rsaaouable hours; for ths purporo of erazalnatlon, l ntor Into 

### and upon all building8 and prem18eo within thlr State, and It #hall br hi4 duty to l ntor upon u&d **make.or oau8o**  **to** bs ontored upon and -do, at q tins, a thorough 

### oramlnatlon of meroantlle, menufaoturing and pub110 buildinga, 

### andall plaors of pub110 amuasmnt i or whers pub110 gathering8 am hold, together wth the preEI84s belonging thereto. Khener4r ho shall find .anpbuilding or other strua**turs** which for want of repair or by reason, of age or dllapidatsd condition, or whloh for any 

### oaueo is liable to fire, an6whloh Is 

### 80situate& a8 to sndangor other building4 

### or property, 

### or ir 40 oooupiod that fir4 would endanger person4 or property thoreln, andwhenever he shall 

### Slnd.an Im-

. proper or dangerous arrangcmmnt of atov48, ranger, furnaoe8 or other heating appllano48 of any kind whateoavsr, inoludlng ohlmnepr, fluea and pipa with yhloh the 8am maybe ‘oonnootod, or **dan@roue**- . 

## 735

Honorable ianin 

### Hall, Page 3
arrangement Or lighting 

### l **yBta8** Or **dOtio48,** or daqgorow **storag4 of**  **4xp~o8iVO8,** 

### oompouad8, **potro** loum, garolino, **k8rOBOn4,** dangerous ohemioalr, vogotable produoti, ashoe, ocrabu#tible, lnfle8!mable and rerure matorialr, **or** other rondltlonr which aax be dangerour In ohanotrr, 

### or liable to cau8e or promoto rim, or **oreate** 

### conditions dangerour to 

### firemen or oocupants, ho shall **ardor** the 

### 8am4to be nmwed or remedied, and suoh ordrr shell be forthwith ooa

### plied with by the 

### oooupant or ownrr of auoh buIldln(

or 

### premirer,and ths Stat4 Flro Kar8hal is horobr 

### l uthorlrrd, whrn 

### necerrary, to apply to a

### aourt o? oompetrnt jurirdiotion for the nooo88ary writs 

### or orairs toenforoe thr 9rorIsion8 

### 0s fhI8 art1010 and in ruoh oa#e ho shall not be roquIr4d to give bond." Artlole 4882a, of the RevIre Civil **Statutea,&** Toxar, **as amended** **by Aat8**  OS 1987, 40th Loglrlatun,, pago 3ti, Chapter eZ4, 

### para, 8, prorider In part:

"

**. .** **..The autler**  horetoforr plaoed upon )nd 

### the powers and privileges hsrrtofore exorolsod by the Ststr ltlro Farehal ars nowto bs plaosd upon and l xrroleed and enjoyed by the Flro Incurrmoe &IUQ~~- #loner. w Roforrlng again to Artlole 4S97, rupra, 

### fra whloh, a8 4x 

### 0rri0i0firs marshal, you aaquln your 

### power of **inv48tQp** tlon, It appsars that your right8 and duties maybe l la88IfIo4 

### Into three BUbdI+IBiOn# **as** 

### r0iitm:

1. Youare authorized "to ontor at anl tImo any building or premiers whors fire **ooourr4a** or **18** 

### In **progrorr, or**  **uy** plaoe-oontIguou# thereto, for the purpose of 

### lnrertlgatlng the oauso, origin and oIraum8tano48 of 

### 8uohfire."

a. You shall *upon oomvlalnt 0s eny 

### Demon .... at all r4asonablo hour8 **for** the DUrDOIeof 4xamlnatIon. enter 

### Into and upon all buildings and pr~mlisr within thi8 Staio...." (Vndereoorlng oura)

5. It IS your duty to ontsr **into** and upon all Wmemuitile manufaoturlng and pub110 buildIng8, and all plaool Of publio **aE!lU84S4Ut,** or where pub110 gatherings are hold, together with the pr4mIaee belonging thereto afor the purpo#s of 

### 4xamlnatlon to detennlno ths oondltionr with rerpeot to firs hasardr.

## Sk.36
-

Honorable Marvin Rail, Page 4

Sumuksrlzlng the84 arbitrary **8UbdiVi8iO~8, it**  **8ppearr** that you nay outor into **and** Uponth4 **proporti48** 

### derorIbe4 In Seotlonr 1and 3 theroof at will for l 

### uah Inl peOtiOB8 **as** you doomneoesaar~ and prOp4rj that a8 a Beo488- ary prer8ptirIte to **your** right to enter Into and **upon** tho **proportirr** mentIonod In 8ubdIileIon 8herrof you must h#ve a oomplalnt mad4to you **by 80344**  94r8on as to th6 probable no84 for an In#p4otIon.

**Wo** bellero that ths prlvato rerldenoea involved In the lnotant inquiry ?a11 within this seoond 8ubdIvI#Ioa. QUlE3TIOl'J

190.I Subjeot to th8 limitation hsrelnrbors **dlaouaae4** we l n#w8r your rlrrt questlon In the l fflrmativo. QvJwrI0N NO. 11 Artlole 4891, supra, furthor provider that whenever YOUW,...ahall find 

### tan8 or 44rloea.... ....dangsrou# arrang4lnOnt or liehthg ryr**Shall Order**  the **8fm4 r4Eiov~**  or r48mdied

**. .** **. .** ***** **The word**  *or* undersoored In **the quotation**  hereinabove l ppo8ra to bo an error Oftho printOr aa the word *‘of ” **18 U88d**  In the original aot. **Your BoOOn**  qurstion **18** an8wer4d in the l fflrmatlve. QVESTION NO.III Artlole 4097, **eupra,** rurther provIae8 that after you **bp ’** **l8** found a dangerour oonditlon and **h4v4** 

### ordsnd the #ameswm01- 

### ed or 

### romsdiod"BUOh

### orderahall bo forthwith **00~11pliOd** with 

### bt the oooupant or ownor of suoh building or p~mlmea, an&tho Btato Fir4 Harabal IS hor4by authorlsed, when n40888ary. to apply to **a** oourt or oompotont jurls4lotIon **for** the nooerawy writ8 or order8 to enforoe the provi8ion# Ofthis **sot....*** Without 9a88ix **Upon** the 8944ifiO **qUO#tiOn** Of

### whethor **Or IlOt**  th4 oompany undsrtaklng to furnlah powor #haul& be mado4 **partf** to th8 rult, it maybe OffeOtIT8ly prohibIt8d SrCUB furniBhIli& l uOh power by an Injunotlon dlrooted at the owner of th4 pnnIro# prohibiting him from pexmlttlng a oonnsotlon bsIng made until the WLBaf4oondition has boon 

### mm4aied. QvEsTIoNs NOS.IVANDv Artlolo 4898 of the Revised Cl~ll Statute8 prwlder In part8 "If ror any reason the State Fire Yarahal I#

## 737

Honorable Marvin Hall, **Pago**S ! ; unable to mak8 ant nqulnd 

### lnreatlgstlon in per,

80x1,ho aer dmrlgnate thmfin aer8hal of rwh **oit]r** or town or 80~8other oultable person to aot ior hlmi and 8uOhperoon rhell have the 8am0 **author** ity l8 is hrreln glrrn the Stat8 Fire 

### Marrhalwith rsrer8nonto.th8 pertlouler matt8r to be int88tl- **@ied by**  **him and** rhell 

### rooelre ruoh 0~1 l nntlon for hi8 **8on7jow** am tho 

### Btnto f~um~noo Ecaml88lon mey l llcm...." Your fourth quo8tlon 

### Isemwend in thr l r rlrmatlre, Tour fifth qw8tlon 18 llk8rise enmnd Lothe l rrlmmtlro rubjeot or eotw8e 

### to l ll llmltetlon8 

### oontelnra in **tha** p6rdnent **rtatut88** 

### endthe gOzmre1 

### ap roprletlon bu. WO have mead0no lnve8tlgc4tlon 

### or en? do not



### GrnSTIORs

Nos. VI, AmYxx Artlolo 48(l'e, supra, authorize8 you to lm8e88

### and oolleot **re68** end fixen808 

### rr0mone roqusstlng en lnrO*tlgation 

### or l 

### r,in but l 

### lp

ill gent rreroh of the **8tatutor retoalm**  

### atote1 laok 

### or euthorlty v88tad 

### in youto l88688

### en6 oolleot r008 end l xpon888 tor 

### th6kind and 

### ohareotor of lnv88tlgatlon whloh vm 

### eraher8 oonrldrrlng. Haarlngno ruoh authority', it 1s l p par- Ont thatyou oannot author180 mm8 l **gent b**  **do that**  rhloh rou oonnot do. Tour quertlonr No8. 6and 7

### ere both 

### enoweredIn thr nO6atlro.



### Your8verytruly