OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

HooorablsJesse Janes State Treasurer AuBtin, Taxes
Dear Mr. Jemset

Litate Trees

he above subjeot

of ,the County C

81ent 0r g3,ss hart aa state

era tiow available idon that the enuw3 mm-iOlsnc y payment es ord8rau’; 80 mQe ie the State Treaercrpozwibility

to the heimi ex or any other& that might appear in the rutursV*

The followingkrticlem of the RevlseQ Civil 3tatutan are psr*fnentr

-Article 965%. men funds 0r an estate iuAos been *id to the State Treasurer, any heir, Qsvlsee or legatee of such estate,or their assignees, or any of them,may recoverthe portion of such funQs to w:~ich

he or tkay wogld have baen entit3.eQ.wHonorableJesse James -

"hx%iQlS 3665. The person claimingsuch fun&s shall institutehis sult ttersfor,by p;,tition filed in the county court of the aounty in w%icb the sstate Was adoiuiatered, a&ainst the State Treasurer, Setting forth the petiticner*s ant?the acount clclxacd by hh.- right to such funds,

"Artlcls9654. the Clark sbdl Upon the filing of such ;Iatition, lsaw a oitrrtion for the CountyAttorfieY of the County or the Cistrlotht,torney of the &istrict ti.

anwar and reprcssnt the int0rsstof the State in Such suit, antI It shall bs tno duty ot such C0UIIty or riiStriQt

Attqrnsy to do 8s."

"Prticls6666. 'Rho prosssdingsin mah suit shall bs gorarnsdby ths rules ror othsr oivil Suits1 and shsuld the ylaitilf'f l stsblishhis .'

‘

. :c: +4:’ ,:t:$l.j.
IB'ith rsspwt to ths vsl.tdity of suoh judgasnt,fnvolrlngas It does, a suit in #&s COIloty Court 

## to TeOeTQr ths 8~ of $S,85&.95, wb beg to advise that the statutsauthorizing the county Court to sxsroiso~urisdlctlon has boonupheld by thr aqmsme Court sines ah Sarlyday.

Ih Dodson v. Worthem, 8t8to Trsssurcr, 46 8. ,U., 888, Justim Ply, writing the oplnlon for the Co.Wt oi Clril,A.p- .peals.

said: ** * *+ fn utiole BE11 (rhieh 8 Mund und.s title ~91, relating to estates 3 ofdec' deDt8, it 18 provided that when the tund8 belongingtQ as 88- statehave nct,bsenclaiardby heirs,mQ him besn pid to the state treasurerby wdu oi the oouato judge, that any hairy, dsrises, Qr ls&xats~ Qf ths decedent *~laiaingsuch runds, or 

### any portion thornor, 

### shall institutehis milt thrrsfor,by petltioa riled in the oounty court o? the county is which tha estatewas a&s.Iclsterod, against the txeasurarof tne mite, satti& rorth tiia pstitiossrSs

rl$ht to suoh funcs,and the amount claimedby hibe' It 1sE'Jriorable Jeaae Jomae - r~aga 5

bVideAtly contaapleted by this Btatuta tket the %:.itin question can ha brought in the cwnty t!urt r?&ardleSs of the amount, e,Ad the etntate ie conatitutfonal, in aas8 the amount should be less tlan ;,POO

oi- more than $1,000, only on the growid that the county court ha6 obtainedJuriadiction of the estate S.y the administration, and that the suit 1s a mettar ;Isrtaia!ng to such admicistration. In this case the suit ia for $1,7%lG?.Q,

a. ,Isatter

in exoesa of tha j;lr:\adlation of the county oourt except on the @wnd mntioned, that it 3.8 5 mattar pertaf:A,ng to en estate. iTe

have found no ceee in thlm 8tata dirsctlg in point, but in the case oi heaeurer v. Wygali, 46 Tsx. 447. suit use institutedin ths county oourt for tundr belongiagto an emtate, amountIngto over #50,000, ,and, although thb Potter of jtiiedietlan was not disour8e6, wa muat presume it ~4x114 have been aotioed had them been in the minds af WAS .oourt ,any.questlog

a& tr, jux$adiotien. bhen the same oaae was agaia before tha supreme oourt (51 Ter. (Bgl), it w6 held that ,aJudgmantIn favor of 

### otherholm 

### was m* ,!.& ..I.~:I.~:;;:;t,~,:*~~~~~:er,~:La*,l~*o::~~~ i::~:~~:,rrrri~~ii,~i~~*:i;~~~'::i;!;!': .Il;i:;:,;;::;I;I:?i;I;i,'.i::,,

<~.~,,, .'...i::i:;.&..: that a proceedinglike the one we are aonslder~ing ia one in rem, in wtioh the partlerr claiming the eatate should have intervened'tht*t is to sap, it a8 a oontinuetionof the fxbdkiietmtian of a5 es- $e$b,ofridah the oou5ty etmrt had jurisdiatfon.

. Yenaare thersfora reo setfully sdvimed that the 5otmty Court OS El Paso County had ! jur ediction to reader ths $udgmeat
IA rav0r of the plaintiffs,and It remains only to he EWIII whethar or not the order found in suah judgmentdireotiagthe ,dsfendaat,

State Treasurer,to pay said ju@vmnt to Lom.l~ & Kirkland, attorneysoY reocrd for plaintiffa,i8 sufficientto authorize you to make paymant dirsctly to %uoh attorneys*

We have oarsfullyuamlnsdzthe authorLtlsewith respeot to thie question. There Is nmah uacttrteinty in the law 6s to thirr point. Of oour8e, aucfi atto.rney

may be olothsdwith ruch power in the contractof am;soyuient., or he may otherwisehave such power conferred~pon him. MI hnve nothing to show that suchactual authority has beer;

conrarredul;on

ati:orneya

for plaintiffsin thi8 instance.HonorableJeasi Jamerr - z;agcl 4

W4 note the order of the Judge ir "that tho amount hereitartsrawarded and 8st rorth, bs paid to Loomi & Klrlcland, attorney8 0r record ror plOintfrr8, who fm authilri88d to alga receipt8 thoreror on rooeipt or name from the damdant l * It 18 our 0p15105, howsver , this language add8 notht;: *+p the legal 8rrOOt 0r the f !I Onciml judgmmt ror the lainSuab matter vma not an 68~ for the court ts ds and tlk order ltaali a8 ruohhas no binding SOECO. eem:ns, Grd8rsnaQo bsyoad the i88u~8 **before** the court are not for adjudioation. The ylalntlfi8and their &ttorney8 wera, OS oour88, not **adrelc** 86ry prtls8.

P.wthrrmom, it l ppean the applicationupbnnhich tha ,Jtidgment'hcm under oonsidwatlon ua8 rendsrsdw8a1ill8d orlglnrrlly en IMe:-mbor b, 192#, and tha Judgwnt rendered ;8.& daadAu&a8t SI5, 1944.. Them are ten ditierent Whether ot not theaclplaintlrfs am in& is not ;hown. stlf18in1 llr**metlmr @r**  not they or any or th8m have horeiorors a8nignd 8aaoh udgant 18 not 8hown. The lap86 6s i:l;~-:,,,:~,,iv?i,;i.,ir.a.;,,

&~u:.i*~~~~~~~<~~@!~ iI ~,*,&@@p~*~i~)3sh..:b,h* .,.*.",**Q*",p@o

'i'. 2 olte8 thrt'depo8l0lonr rim raad and oral testlmonf heard baa boon wmmal&

In riow OS all the iact 8urounQing thlr sltuatlon, 

### it i8'mr ~pif1185,and we 80 l

**dvtso,** that you should sot pay the Judgm8ntto the 8ttoreeya for the plaintirfs. Thrlr luthsrity to make 8uoh eollrotlo5 may la Saot exid)t,**but** the matter hnet made to appear wiiahruSSloimnt olesrity an **to** authorisa you toe make papont.

FO8qa8t that you iakr pa&mat of t&o /uthpoat **by** rsgular tremmmsr*~ **warranta** mdrflY;ah& ;pb&rFz;r&- plaintffllu

in tim 8mou5t8,reqm8 mlt the86 lrarrrnts to the Clerk OS the &nt~ C&t oi El Pa80 County at BJ Pa&b, andorelng upon oaoh ouohwarrant the Judgment in payment for rhiah it 18 lmuod.

very truly your8
APPROVFiD DIE 18, X014 ATTORNESomw OF TNxA3 /a/ Carl,* C. h8hl.v FlR8T A33~3TMT ATTORIHT OXlti=A& m m-gpiw
AlTRcXNDOPINIOll COMMI~B BY /$/ 0. P;. B., CHAIRMAlI