923 

0 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY QENERAL OF TEXAS 

4 AUSTIN 

G-C.wUm 

II-anIEollar8bl@ 4aln Rray 

copat Attomoy 

Eunt Lt, 

+oonvslt , !haar 

Dear Sir1 

OOr EDDOuOd Md UOtitiOd th0 
?24 

Eomrablr L~qear Draw, Pago 2 

Jobgo 

“Thlr learr wa8 8Igned only by the Oounty 

and no ordrr appeare of rsoord la the Piauter of the CommIrrIoeerr Court authorlring the 

Oountf Jtadm to sot aa agent ror the comlrdonor8 Oourt In the ruoatlon of 8uah lsaro. The 

Comdrrionerr Cour* did not han notlom or kncml8dgr 0f th8 ui8ka~ or thie purport6d ha8~ Mtll l $te? it had notltiob the lesoor that lt ~003 

raoato the bull-, 

“An ordrr appmrr on the Comfde8ioner8 Court 

Minut88 April 15, 19U aa follm8r . 

“‘ORDER TO PAT R. B. LOVE RXNT OB W.P.A. 

BU~Ir?O: ADZ-~]. 15, A. D. 1941. Motion 

made Or 0. 9. &ll Commle8loner, and 

eeaomled by 3. 0. ~attormon, Comddonar 

that the rental papsent of tlOO.00 par 

aronth ta Rufur B. Lorr for rant oa bulldin& used ror w P A bo ratlrhd as per 

previous manthe uul that warrant 188ua 

and be pal6 to the raid Rufu8 B. l&r8 ia 

the amount of #lOO.OO ror rental oa buIlb 

lng for the month of April and that each 

math’8 rantalr l hU1 be a separatr tranaaatloa and the Ocud88Ion~ra Court 8hall 

auOhorIs8 paymat when &a~.* 

wAt the tlm rooh odor wan pa8sed or eubaequont thoreta the l*esor did not aotity the Cop. 

a lsa lo norr Oourt o ? the lIOtonoe ai said loare 

rIsnu¶ by thm fornor Ootmty Jad40. 

Va Ha.r4h 6, 1943 the le88or appeared brioro 

the Oam&rlonerr Oourtead Umu68asb vlththar 

at that tloa the rdrtenoo of hir purpart& leaem, 

rlgnsd b 

rlonerr E 

Uw former Oounty Judge. ‘ha Oenmlsaurt at that tLu l rprorctly stated to 

lessor that the laaor wu not bln6lng en thhr 

County, for the feaaon that the Oounty Judge, aotlng pertinall~, had ao authority to bind thr Oouaty 

ln suoh a netter, but they told him that from a 

moral 8t8Jldpoiattiieynollld 11k. to helPhi.muntll 

ouah time a8 he ooultl 808ure another tuiMt for 
thobuilbl 

3. 

At that time tlm Oo~mlasionrn 

Oourt paera an oraor a8 rollewra 

"'colnzssIm~ a0ms.m 3RsSIOR MAROE 8, 

1943. Motion radr by f. 0. ~ttoF8o8, 

0dDioIk8F and m0naoa by All0n xarc 

Ma tkumiaafanar that the roatal of 

$lob.OO ~raoadto Rptua B.Lwo for 

xwatal on b&ding teraerlJ oeod by the 

h~Ft&mt of PublLo W&fare 8bap 188Ur 

i8g o??iO# M& oOUAO&str waFehOP#e b 

#tOppOd Md that 80 SO?. ah@&8 188Ur to 

hh ?OF DU'3h~pUqMU~ #??WtiV@ ~FDh 1, 

1943 4th thr p?OViMB tkit th8 COMty piur 

Mr. Lore #50.00 per noath until auah tlm 

a8 he ma rslure or rodi buU&Iw la 110~ 

of the $ I 00.00 per aonth formerly pdd 

Vurauant ta saah OFtleF of the Co~810as~8 

00-t th8 COUty ChFk 188Wd l Warlsnt 

108EOr 00 April 18t in e6OUflt O? f5O.OO. 

m 

g 

able tO 

he county 

Auditor baa refuse& to approro 8uah warrant for tho 

roeaon ha &er not think t.h Ooauty aaa lo&ly 

tho 10saor the l u8l or 950.00 8 math a* 18 protld 3 

ia the ardor or krah 6th quoted a&no. I 8ouM 

like an opiki~n r?oa pa a8 to *heth6F or rOt auher the a b o le l tatd hOt8 &at 0ount.y ir %i~ho 

to h,eSOF 8@F 8Ud UIDUt. 

"It SO We.1 #OttlO& tbt t& 0OWtr m. w 

TbtUO of hi8 Offi i8 aOt U a&Oat U#OWUO6 t0 

oontraot 011 bohlr ot tke oouat~, 1lTotu atrl#- 

pFuaoaeo 6%. Ia th0 ~O#hOt h8hit SO 0+:6-O 

M the Go Uty JUddgl tlto í & F itt0 y l ZO4UtO tk) 

lb *80 OII b0har 0s tbr, oautt l p mu8 ia th0 r ia - 

ItOE Ot the 0OIBEiiDDiOSO~O OOUFt. &F&&i 18, 

sh0a8, 159 9. w. 69 md0 tm l +fa0fi00 to 0+ 

kbllah a ocatreot bindin& dll a oormt7 rpUt h 

a0atab.d ilk the WFitko pHWdi458 Ot tbr~%lFt. 

%&OF tb 8b OlO l t8bOMt Oi f8OtB x thhkit 1. 

alOaF ttsat the ~UF~OFtOd &88. l XUtltd bJth8 

Cstmtr Jt&s, without autkorlty l f tha Comirrriomrs hart, wao aot bind& on the Oouatr un1088 aam was ratiitied by the ~d88iOaOM ~OUFt. 

925 
926 

Ifonorablo Bugrno Bra&y, Pago b 

*Thor* la no *rldaaoo to *upport ratItioatloa 

o? the loaso a8 It #??iFIBatiT~iy appear8 that the 

~OaUd66iOLbrF8 GOUFb in MthOFiZilq the pa 

I” 

at8 Of 

thr mantUy reatcl]. did not kncm that the WE0 bad 

be- OXWOUtad Md DO l Ot8 Of th8 COrmnisalOnar8 

c)InUt 00Uld MObId %O a FatifiontiOa Urha# that 

oo~rt sated with knoulodgo of th8 olroumtanaoa. 

Tha order n&v30 Ap?ll 15, 19W Quoted aborti ah&m 

Ob3aFly that th8 COJ8d8dOUOF8 court was eat1 

under the l seUmptIon that tha rental agroemr 2 

with beeor war a math to month agraeaen$,. \ 

nAaeuni~ than that tho purported writtin 

1SUSS algaed by the COUty Judge was inMId, .$nb 

t&t such leas0 has never bsen ratified by the 

COkZdSSiDIlNXI ODUTt the qUa#tiOu l'eaains ED t.0 

whother or not the order of the CommIssIonerd 

Co\lrt passed oa Earah 8, 1943 and quoted abovr 18 

a valid order and 8ubjaota the aounty to llabllit7 t0 the sum 0s $50.00 per nonth. 

*At th4 tima eoah order we8 patsad Mr. Lota 

was advised that the purported written lease was 

ln'ralld and the ~O!J3dSSiOtlUrS CO'Ut Kere til EatIDfled that suoh purported loasr uee intrlld and 

they told Er. Lore at euoh tim8 that they ware 

pasdng suoh order not boasuar 0s any ldgal llabIlIty on the part of the 0oUrity but be 

wU#ideFed it a moral obll$ntion to sea @I 

use thy 

hat ho 

did not lose an thing, ES be baa aatod In good 

SaIth in aooppt 

5 

the purpoma written \ oa88. 

It ha8 been held a thie regard that tho bardOf p?0hbg that M OrdO? wa# 

alaaIaner8 Oourt rest8 upon p r alatfrt 

SSa4 by t&.h~~!- 

alalal 

right8 thoreuader, @OrdOn ID. Dantoa Oosnt~, Y6 

3@ 737. The COIUI~ OOul& MI be estopped to 8Ot 

Up th0 &43?88I#~ Of t&D WWt Of SuthOrity ia’6akbg 

the OoutFaat 88 th0 OthOF pa?%7 to the agPeex&ant 

18 not In tho altuatlon 0s oaa who ha0 aoted laneoently or without knaledgo oi thr alFUgXLItaE&OaDS 

Cho who deal8 with the o&tr 18 ehia?gOd wtth 

notlao a? FC$UlatiOll# oreatod by the Leglalakre. 

Tharefora in the instant oalo tho laaaor was 

eharged with the knorledgo that the purport66 

written lea80 e%WUt@d by iiho OoUnty Judge, aOting personally, war lnm.lld, 11 Corpue Juris page 

640. 
Was order o? the Ooadasioasm or UarQh 8 

1943 1x1 ay oplnlon ir barned upon no valid oon&ration in law. Thl8 rtatmmt ie based on the hot 

that Ibe raata rhow that all parties understood 

that at the tiam m&oh order ua8 passed that the 

County was not logally bound to pay the l t1pulat.d 

rent after Maroh 1, l943* the data the bulldiq: 

was teeated, and this ?ayasnt to the lessor would 

in raet mount to no nor* than a girt 0r )50.00 

l aonth, and the Oomlrrioners Oourt oannot donate 

County property or tundr. Llvio Oountg tn. JohnIOIL, %I SW pa 56. 

*In the order or Maroh 8 the lessor bound 

himeli to do nothing, and In r0tur11 thsreror, 

the County wae to pay him $50.00 a nonth. In 

Wstrat-Callahan VII. Y.K.ST., 209 3X 775, Subaoquent Appeal, 233 St7 160, It was held that a 

promleo by a oarrier to pay a blah for uhioh it 

wan not liable, not in the war ot a 0001pro~Ue, 

war without consideration and thcreior not blndIng upon the dsisadaot. The polltion of the par 

ties in the instant oaae s&ma to me to bc oory 

muoh like that In the last olted ease In that the 

order or the Coorairslonsrr Court or !Saroh 8 is 

a pro&se by the Coamisaionera Court to pay a 

01al.n for whloh It was not liable irnd not in the 

way of a QOBplvlalf#o. 

Under the racts aa stated It Is my opinion 

that the County Auditor should r&me to approve 

any warrants Ierued under aPthorItp of the order 

or the Comtistalonerr Oourt o? Earoh 8 quotul aborr. 

*I ~111 appreolak oplnlon ma you on the 

atwo aubjeot as soon ea poreible. . . ." 

Conreranoe Oplaioa Ho. O-3099 of tbie dqmrtuait addrrssed to ESonorable J, M. Alloa, County Auditor of Bent County, Taxas, hold6 that the oomirrIonera* oourt k-iii@ authorltr 

to rent a bulldlng in ahlob to #tore rood and riot&i 

alshad br the Pederal (rorcrnment tar dietributlon to 

“fn%<s. 

This opinion also holda that the oa8alsoIonsrr~ aourt ha8 

authorltg to rent offla~ epaoe for old egc psnalon investigators, the E. P. A. +nd other Federal Govsrnmrnt pmjeots, 
928 

&aorabla hyi.. Brady, Pqo 6 

ii auoh pmjarta are lag 

ii8r to tha pnwloymd 

.ml.ae huewith a .om 

Natloaa 96 97 98 and 99, Countlea, 11 Tuar 

nwl~prudanae, pa800 633-i-S-6-7-8-9 *lid 40, ra.6 in prrt 

8s r0iiwa~ 

l -0rd~ 0r oOa4Ot0 0s 

or l gnumnt made by a oounty 

oaly ii mad. umlu the .PI 

thos4Cy or a rmolutlw or order duly parsod at 

a rsrtlw or tbs oonml8rlonerr~ oourt azid entered 

upon the alnate* or aaoh rs*t*. fr in a *nit 

in~0i~ing UI kmbpd 00nb808, th0 p&i~a rail8 

tn aver that an order wa. p.a.sd by thr eo&- 

dOnUS' OoUrt rsbodJrily the $ON Of th. OtwitrWb, 

tha pleadlag lm babjoot te 6 gwral demuzez. 

No rights oan b. aopulwl as against tlm ooant 

by l g r wia ~ntwith a th. 1~dltiQu.l. eo.ipo.iag t L 

aomalraionua~ oourt. The numbarr of the o 

am not agmta with n.ner.l authority to bl 

publioi they am pabllo oifloi.1. who h.ta be.? 

ranted oartaln powers whloh mat br auraloed 

L thr way preoorlbed by tha statute. 

. 

-The Wdm or protlal that an ordoz waa 

pnara6 by the oumai8aioaoro~ 00-t rrrta upon 8 

p&I&Iii olelmlng ri&ta bhueundu. 

8. . . . 

ma y lot thiwu$h an l gmt l 

da ! 

wirrlra by itI wd tb - - 

oantraat. 6hur mad. by l 

bl.ndia(l u n the ooattty. d tp%?&o Y %$ho 

aoatraot r t i. aersrraary to rtra that tha .grWsent la on. whloh tha want 8.. l othorim+d to a&a, 

o? that tha cow&Q’, with kau.& . ai tha t@N 

of t&r egreament, ratlfld it a 3 Or It w m60b 
k 

92!3 

Bonorabla Eugana Brady, Pago 7’ 

or the alroumatactaa8, and that tha other party to 

the alleged oontraol, hrr inooaontly plaood hiaudi 

in a altuatlon whloh will oaosr hln loss la oaae 

tha contraot’ls not auatained, it may be soneluded 

that the oounty 18 bound tbmoby. Thr ratlrlOatlon or estoppl mat be bared upon aotlon on t&e 

part br the oomulaaionera* oourt. But, whllo tha 

oounty doubt1888 la bound by a row]. ordu or tha 

aourt, auah order 10 not nmmmary to mtIflo8tlea. 

Ratlrloetlon or a aontraot to psuohaar ohattalr la 

held to be ahovn by th8 i8Ot that a varrant war 

drawn, l lthoqgh no bill bi orla ~88 -or -do, aad 

a0 order -tared La the mlatitoa or tha aomla8le 

us’ oourt aabowinq tha ml.. 

=A oontmot whloh th8 wmm18Jonor8t oo\trO Ir 

ahwa to have ha4 urthori ty to meke my k bbdL( 

by rlrtua of aubaeqoait l Ot# ai the OourtI ad i 

oonraraely, the 06urt a8anot bind tha wmty wftb 

nspaot to a oontruot whloh It was not urtherisd 

to Rake* . . . 

tracit whioh la Ulo&xtl ln that it has not 

In oonioxmity vlth the abn8tItutlon or atatutea, 

llablllty is bald to etiat, also; by rmlon of aa 
Eenorob1.s E-an. Era4y, Pa&. 8 

iqliad aontraot to l y th. r.a8onabla v.Ur or 

the b a nsfit wh io h t I l OoMty My Ra+r feoolvad. 

Tha oounty may mt be bald lkbla upon UL kpllad 

oont?aat or qua8tw aaruit unlr68 the aaodaaionOra' OWArt -8 l ut&orisod to lpake th oontraat 

Artlola 3, Sootloa 52, of our Stats Constitution, 

prorldaa in part am rollor.: 

ma Zagialatura akll her. no power to euthorfaa an 

I 

aounty. . , *to len4 it8 credit or to 

ermt pub1 0 mon.y or thing of value In aid or, 

or to any IndIrIdual, aasoolatlon or oorporatlon 

nhatroerer. . . .* 

Na quota fT.ip tha asa. of Llano County et al. v. 

Johnsen et al., 29 S. E. 56, tdtmd by you in your lmttrr) 

a8 fOiiOV8l 

Tha eondaalonar8* oourt or t& owaty 

The 1SaSe signed by the aounty judgr IS olmarly 

lmralld .nb not binding on the SoUnty. tier XaS auoh o.n.uthorlzed lease mar mtlfled by tha @oaoi.sJ,oarr8~ oourt 

under t&0 fSO~8 6tat.d In your letter. The ordrr 0r MaaMh 

8, 1943, ehowta IJ.I your l.tt.r, mfhOt8 that the buIldi% 

on maid dato was no longrr used by the 

the oounty paid e rental. On lEaroh 6, P 

rojaotm tor vhloh 

943, th0 owarr of 
thr bull&S~ ha6 no rrli4 rids wainst the oountr by roanon 

of th6 oountr hdm*r unauthorfrrd 18asr-a lams ~w8r ratil uma a&art eo unt~, 01ew~ mounts k, I don8tlon which 

18 prohibited by our State Cocutitotlon. 

It i8 thrmfor* our opiaion under the foot8 rtatod 

that you be*0 00rTo0tl~ uml*red the quertlon. w* iL80 rink& 

to em888 OUT 4pprwfdfoa for rour l XOdl8nt bri8r In th18 

mifM8?r 

Wm. J. Fanning 

A88f8tSUlt