### 923

0 **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **QENERAL** OF **TEXAS**
**4 AUSTIN** 

**G-C.wUm II-anI** 



### Eollar8bl@

4aln Rray copat Attomoy Eunt Lt, +oonvslt , !haar Dear Sir1

OOr EDDOuOd Md UOtitiOd th0

### ?24

Eomrablr L~qear Draw, Pago 2



### Jobgo“Thlr learrwa8 8Igned only by the Oounty and no ordrr appeare of rsoord la the Piauter of the CommIrrIoeerr Court authorlringthe 

### 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 purport6dha8~ 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 .
“‘ORDERTO 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 rentalpapsent of tlOO.00par aronth ta Rufur B. Lorr 

### for rant oa bulld

### in& 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.OOror 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. alsalonorr

Oourt o?the

l IOtonoe ai said loare rIsnu¶ by thm fornor Ootmty Jad40.
**Va Ha.r4h** **6,** 

### 1943 the le88or appeared brioro the Oam&rlonerr 

### Oourtead Umu68asbvlththar at that tloa the rdrtenoo of hir purpart& leaem, rlgnsd b rlonerrE Uw former Oounty Judge. ‘ha Oenmlsaurt at that tLu l rprorctly

stated to lessor that the laaorwu 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 oraora8 rollewra
"'colnzssIm~ a0ms.m 3RsSIORMAROE 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 

### PublLoW&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, 

### 19434th thr p?OViMB tkit th8 COMty piur 

### Mr. Lore #50.00

per noath untilauah tlm a8 he ma rslure or rodi 

### buU&Iw la 110~ of the $ 00.00per aonthformerly 

### pdd

I

Vurauant ta saah OFtleFof 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 

### 8uahwarrant 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 ab ole

l tatd hOt8 &at 0ount.yir %i~ho to h,eSOF 8@F8Ud 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 GoUty JUddgoí l tlt&Fity

t0lZO4UtO tk) lb*80 OII b0har 0s tbr, oautt l pmu8 iath0

ria- ItOE 

### Ot the 0OIBEiiDDiOSO~O OOUFt. &F&&i 18, sh0a8, 

### 159 9. w.69md0 tm l +fa0fi00

to 0+ kbllah a ocatreot bindin& dll a oormt7rpUt h a0atab.d ilkthe WFitko pHWdi458 Ot tbr~%lFt. 

### %&OF tb 8bOlO l t8bOMt Oi f8OtB x thhkit 1. alOaF ttsatthe ~UF~OFtOd &88. l XUtltd 

### bJth8 **Cstmtr** Jt&s, without autkorlty l f tha Comir

### rriomrs hart, wao aot 

### bind& on the 

### Oouatrun1088 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 kncmthat the **WE0** bad be- OXWOUtad Md DO lOt8 Of th8 COrmnisalOnar8 c)InUt 00Uld **MObId** %Oa **FatifiontiOa Urha#**  **that** oo~rt **sated** with knoulodgoof th8 olroumtanaoa. Tha order n&v30

Ap?ll 15, 

### 19W Quotedaborti ah&m Ob3aFly that **th8** COJ8d8dOUOF8 court was eat1 under the 

### l

seUmptIonthat tha rentalagroemr 2 with beeor war a math to month agraeaen$,. \ nAaeuni~ than that tho purportedwrittin 1SUSS algaed by the COUty Judge was inMId, .$nb t&t such leas0 has never bsen ratifiedby 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 quotedabovr 18 **a** valid order and 8ubjaota the aounty to llabllit7 

### t0 the sum **0s** 

### $50.00per nonth.
*At th4 tima eoah order we8 patsadMr. Lota was advised that the purportedwritten lease was ln'ralld

and the ~O!J3dSSiOtlUrS CO'Ut Kere til **EatID** fled 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$ntionto sea @I use thy hat ho did not lose an thing, ES be baa aatod In good SaIth in aooppt5 the purpoma written \oa88. It **ha8** been held a thie regard that tho bardOf p?0hbg that M OrdO? wa# alaaIaner8Oourt **rest8** upon p alatfrt r SSa4 by t&.h~~!-

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

### 3@ 737. The COIUI~ OOul& MI be estoppedto 8Ot **Up** th0 **&43?88I#~ Of**  **t&D WWt**  **Of SuthOrity**  **ia ’** **6akbg** the OoutFaat88 th0 OthOF pa?%7 to the agPeex&ant 18 not In tho altuatlon0s oaa who ha0 aoted 

### laneoently or without knaledgo oi thr alFUgXLItaE&OaDS 

### Chowho deal8with the o&tr **18** ehia?gOd wtth notlao a? FC$UlatiOll# oreatod by the Leglalakre. Tharefora in the **instant** oalo tho laaaorwas ehargedwith 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 1x1ay 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 orderua8 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 lessorwould 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 SWpa 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 St7160, 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 considerationand thcreiornot blndIng upon the dsisadaot. The polltionof 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 aPthorItpof 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.

. . ."
ConreranoeOplaioa Ho. O-3099 of tbie dqmrtuait addrrssed to ESonorable J, M. Alloa, CountyAuditor 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 FederalGovsrnmrnt 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 azidentered 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 Ofth. OtwitrWb, tha pleadlag lm babjoot te 6 gwral demuzez. No rights oan b. aopulwl as against tlm ooant **by** l grwia~nta

**with** 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 oartalnpowers whloh mat br auraloed L thr way preoorlbed by tha statute.

. -The Wdm 

### or protlal that an ordozwaa pnara6 by the 

### oumai8aioaoro~ 00-t rrrta upon 8 p&I&Iii olelmlngri&ta bhueundu.
8.

. . .

may l ot thiwu$h an l

gmtl da! wirrlra by itI wd tb - - oantraat. 6hur mad. by l bl.ndia(l u n the ooattty. d tp%?&o %$ho Y aoatraot t i. aersrraary to rtra that tha .grWr sent la on. whloh tha want 8.. l othorim+dto a&a, o? that tha cow&Q’,with kau.&

. ai tha t@N 3 of t&r egreament, ratlfld it a Or It w m60bk 

### 92!3

Bonorabla Eugana Brady, Pago 7 ’

or the alroumatactaa8, and that tha other party to the alleged oontraol, hrr inooaontlyplaood

### 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 oountydoubt1888 la bound by a row]. ordu or tha aourt, auah order 10 not nmmmary to mtIflo8tlea. Ratlrloetlonor a aontraot to psuohaarohattalrla held to be ahovn by th8 i8Ot that a varrant war drawn, 

## l

lthoqghno 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\trOIr 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, llabllltyis bald to etiat, also; by rmlon of aaEenorob1.s E-an. Era4y, Pa&. 8

iqliad aontraot to l y th. r.a8onablav.Ur or the bansfit whioh t l I OoMty My Ra+r feoolvad. Tha oountymay mt be bald lkbla upon UL kpllad oont?aator qua8tw 

## aaruitunlr68 the aaodaaionOra' OWArt -8 l

ut&orisod to lpake th oontraat

Artlola 3, Sootloa 52, of our Stats Constitution, prorldaain 

## part am rollor.:

ma Zagialaturaakll her. no power to euthorfaaanI aounty.

. , *to len4 it8 credit or to ermt pub1 0 mon.y or thing of value In aid 

### or, or to any IndIrIdual, aasoolatlonor 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 signedby 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 oountypaid e rental. On lEaroh 6, P rojaotm tor vhloh 943, th0 owarr ofthr 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**  eount~, **01ew~** mounts k, I don8tlonwhich 18 prohibited by our State Cocutitotlon.

It i8 thrmfor* our opiaionunder the foot8 rtatod that you be*0 00rTo0tl~uml*red the quertlon. w* iL80 rink& to em888 OUT4pprwfdfoa for rour l XOdl8nt bri8r In th18 

### mifM8?r

**Wm. J.**  **Fanning A88f8tSUlt**