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

AUSTIN



### Honorable Basoom Glles **Land** 

### Comds **s loner**  **Austin, Texss**  

# K y 1, 1939

ter rclLing proper ~r~plloatian to for the 6axYoy, dtun 6%xQ e OSaitht&3lw

rtmmt pzo~isfen6 or 

### dlsotion 5 of *he **above** mentioned aat are as ilollowrl

*Any one dealring to bw ruifof the **ussurveyed** land inolmded in this Aat SLitsituated r1thl.n fin pri;Lerr of a proboing 011 Of &68 ws~ 6h63.1i%bViti 

### the oouuty 

### sarve)ror of the aQIuitJ

ln

### whiahtka**tad** may be sitnated, an appIleat$on for survey d666rtb@3Hon. Bascom'Giles, Xay 1, 1939, Page 2

-. ‘

. 

### the land in such manner as will enable the surveyor to identify it and pay the surveyor a fee of One Dollar ($1.00) for filing and recording said application and also depositwith him 6uoh sum of money a6 will 

### pay for citing the olalmant or olaimants of the land, if any, and the adjoining owners as the tax rolls may dlsolbese the names of snoh claimants or adjoining OWPer6. 

### The surveyor using the Sormsprescribed 

### .bythe General Land OSfloe, &all -lately **send** by rsgietered ill or **hand** to 

### oeoh~olaimanf or adjoin- owner a oltatioa oontalnlng a de6otiption of the land 6ma@tfo k atnve~Od~am:t~xa'dak **ror mtrvey.**  

### The surveyt&allbs~bt@'.and.th6

### Held-~ note6 filed 

### In the Land Offia~~wbthldime'hmt&r&and3wenty (lzo) 

### dap from the ruinga* appU0atfim with the .mtrYepr. ri.thO -6: 

### isSouud’by.;fb oar-‘, ri6610aor to be **pn6UrYa)ad ahd**  **aM#je& .tai** **86lo; W** 

**.** shall value **the** laad and ~~i:tlOo~:$f~;*hbi v&Utiti~- &jj** appl~oMt * m, ~6~&'~.*'!~Md'~op:~~ ~#aie‘~
texm and oondltlans a6 pr06orlbedAy the lti%&&%he re@atSqim for the .aale~of:~aurv~-~Ugd~~ z?Yfg+,. if~the mred :rhtml+ b6 Sq ~the~enol0mny ai ano.~~.~ T::. pemda 0laSal.q it’ in (load

### faith,%w!~wcupisd ~:a6,.a 

### home.byanoth0r'6Mh holdq 

### OT ooriapat.?hallhpn a~ pnroronge ri&t **tar a**  

### ~$eriod **ot dstr** **’ C60)**  

### :daw **%ttar. service**  

### or ditdtioato have 

### the land mrvewed emhi
own applloatloato theaurvemr and @p.u1I, returnof 

### the6ttp

### advaaoedbY -ths~~ril%t..flDD~titit.fOr Oitllthll. and thera~.iir~k$s 

### rightto ikohasd"a6 husk 

## Dtividea, aad in oa6es where 6 siurveyhas ,been

### mde~in accordaaoe

### with Article 582S. BeY%tWd :OlvilSafute6 

### of 1926,and the rield~mte6~r6turnml 

### to the .%6a& Offloepriorto August 

### 10, lSa9, the Oommlsal.oner 

### S.8 authtml6ed and required to examin 

### %ho risl+ n&e6 and lf fouad 

### to be correot amI the land 

### subjeotto,mle, he shall valpb the 6am6 sad give 

### aot%eeof 6uoh ralgation to the ap$i0ant, and 

### In eaaeawhere the 

### field notes had 

### been approved and the .lapdralRed.and th0 eppllaant railed to file hi8 applloation ln thq Lsnd Orrloe 

### 'I

rlor to 

### Augustx6, 192W,,h0 may do a0 Withi% ninety 90) **da-** 

### from thepassa@ or thf6 

### Aot 6a6 ICI

### oelrean 6uard. 

### AL1 applloetloaa to puxwhese, axoept where otherwise prOvlded,.mu6t be filed~in th0 Oeneral Land 0rrloe~wfthi.n

### elxty460) **daya** 

### rrclathadateor the notice 

### or valuation.* ~

We 

### appreclste,as St&ti..&L& 

### ZmW+eT, the+Tihe

### Hon. EaacomGlles,Uloy 1, 193Q8,Feea 9

.J-. 

## EpWZtS,

t3E

### i-iitaessri:

by the 

## naCe6Iiity

of our courts hcvlq to CORstruc it. See ~:lnt.smann v. iicDooald,102 5. Yd.(2)

(uupubli&ed opinion by 

### Supraae Codrt 05 Texes); Crl&ton Y. 

### State (unpublishedopinion by Third Court of CIVIL Appeala).

"e ahell herein refer to the one claitine the land under enolo6ure or 

### oocuple~as e home a6 

### -0ooupaat”.



### Ia oon6tralug

the above 6tsOuta 

### to datersbetimtim ri~u~ohthr000~~$rsy~hMt$O~~~6 tot&land 

### oiiiebvflthout

forfo%tureof hi8

### preferawerfghtOa pur0h660 

### thelumd,

### w 0611 

## l

tt+ntlon

to t&aitmdmntal 

### priac$ple iothm ~O~U~SUC~~OSI

f 8t&UtO6 

### thdbfOyiOmI%W 

### (uyt0 

### h6SwOttf OoMtYuoaend 

### the 8tetuta rlll be 80 interpreted 66 

### to~.preYeat, ntharth8naaube,aforie$ture. plhr aourta are 

### nlmatast-to * doolaF@,ead

### enioroe **iorfeiturm** ii by 

### a ma6onablo lhterpn

### hatloaSha7eg be avoldod. a00 1B Tu, ~Jrr. TOO,seotion4.

There 

### are r00rpo*aible'eou6truatione 0s tho 

### above St&U$e 66 bo the 

### tiruwhoa the **fi.ld** Id06 **&Mt** be SilOa in 

### theuuka oirtaaa6 

### iollmmi

1. o'ithia

50 dry6 

### trap tha 

### 5ate Shat 

### Oitafiolr %a **6orved** 

### -88 t&e ocaupaat.



### WithinlS!O

dry6 

### froxthedate'tlie apgl$aat$on$8 S%lod& & or$+kal appllaant.

S. witbinUO day6 fromttm d6k the OeOtgwb ffi.6 hirapplioatlonfor o mtrv~7.

**Utvr** 

### the **data** 

### altation la 

### umod upoa the 

### oocupant.

The 

## first oon6tructloa, that 161.

### th* Oaorhleh I-@- 

### qulrea the illinsof the field 

### noteeln the Land 

### QNlso WIthin 60 **day6** after l

ervlee of olt6tlcn is, a6 l tnt6d 

### io ;~pttr

letter, th6 oonatruotloa that 

### 7our t&ice hma.plaeedupon the statute. %a~ 

### at&a that 

### this aems to be the only praotloal eoMtr&ction 

### forlshereason that 

### If 

### thooccpgmt la allowed 

### theremmlader 

## or the 

### 180 day period provided for the rir6t appliotnt, or 6 Period or la0 **days** after seniae 0s 

### oltatl~ inuhlohto **rile** 

### field n88eaLn the Larrdoff&se, be ocuzd, if 

### he 6i ae6~lre4, 'defeat 

### the 

### rieht60s tho rtr6o 

### applloantBy not e%la 

### the '*irat

### applioantany time 

### 6iOerearriseof oi8atlerr ulthlathe

### Hon. Easoom Giles,May 1, 1939, Page 4

120 day period allowed to the first applioant to have a surveymade and field notes returned to the Land Ofrioa.

Ke are Unable to agree with this oonetruotion. The 

### statuteprovides that If the area ahould be within tha 8llC1Osl3re

Or another person 8tO., "8Uoh holder 

### or oobupant shall have a prererenoe right ror a period of sixty (so) days after service or citation to have the land sUl?v&yedon his own applloatlon to the 8urveyorn. It ie Botioed that the oooupant may wait for a porlob or 60 daye.after 88nlo8 OS **oltatlon** "to here the land **roneyed** on his own eppllaation 

### W the surveyor*. l'hlrdo88 not state that h8 pmet have 

### the ilsld not88 returned fo 

### theLand Orrloe within the 60 **day ’** **,,** period, but it 1s indfo8t8d that'he nest have the lard '~a%~. " veTed within 60 day8. We b8liere. however, that the 8tetut8' i8 IlOt8W3Oaptib&P Of 

### the muat be nmde~withf&,Q0 daya 

### IdOt OOB8tZ'IlOtiOB that the StUVq 

### % 888 we em to ooB8trge **the'** StetUte es raquirT8h8 .m$ ~.Leud Off100 within 0 day+ of the field note&to the -,. '. ~&beUwo~thet'lt 44 the lad ._ .t,OBtiOB

Or the Ld ~tithOitatiOB ho 

### f.18-t=* that after,RB ~OOU@llt 18.88IVOd 8 giv8n a period 08 60,days t?,d8ternine 

### whether he derrire6to parohaw 

### the land. 

### The oooupant i8 olelmlng tLtl8 to the 18nd **end** w8 belleve that .lt#a 

### %he -tite~tloB:of~ .theetetuto 

### to all033

### him a 

### period or 8lxfq daya $0 make an ln-; ~+d8tigEttiOB

aOd **probably** adC8 M inQep~!Jd83&t 85W?VOy'fO.

df#tU’dllb ~~thei-he ~abtri&SlfVomu th6 laod and~thsn46uide'whSth8r 

### ha .&i%&l:' (a)-ptmh888 the **land** &%melf, (b)-OOStO8t the title of tb,Stete, or (0) allm'tho orig~.ep2l~loant'f~~~o~e tbb'$iurohaser'with~ut a ooritedt: A period at .8lxt~

### 6ay8 18 not a unreeaanable the to-aLTow the OOCt@aBt to deold? wh?ah OOUlF80he rill pOr8qP, 88 any deOf8iOB he **might** maoh . v&l1 lnvolv8 expen8e 9 ooneultiag ma attorn8r or e 

### 8turepr, ?T both, a8 well arhpurohase prioe to ba paid to the ?tate for the lend. If he 8hotid decide within the 8iZt7

**‘ dar**  period to purohaae #ihelard and file hi8 applioetion for
a surrey with the DountpSUrvuyor, why should he not then be plaoed In the.eam8 

### poaitlon es the original appl.toant. 

### We
oan 8ee no roa8on for roqulring the oooupant to return field note8 to the Land Qriioe within a 8horter period of time than that required of the original apglioant. The argument edvanoed by you 18 that if thi8 OozWXUot&in iS nOtiplaoed on the 8tafUte, it would allow fhe.oooupaBt to .deprlre the original applfoant of hi8 right to purohase the lend. But woh i8 sot the neoeseary remelt. Let u8 say, f'aFexqle, that th8 rrlginal epplioant.has illed his epplloetiQn with th8 OoWty mrvsycr on runuary 18t. Under tha 8tatrttethe -original spplioant muat have the field note8 

### retqrmd to the LaBd of**Floe wIthin**  **lg0 dsys**  **or,May** lat. Let Us SUDi?Oaathn*,*ha

### 25i

:

.

. i .gq



### Hon. E6scom C.iles, May 1, 1939, Page 5

surveyor issues citatior and fixes AI;:.% 15th as the date for a survey and further suppose that the occupant Is not servedwith citationuntil Yaroh 15th. 

### Under these oonditions, as provided by the etatute, the occupant would hare 60 

### days rrom March 15th, or until May 15th. to hare the land 

### surveyed on his applloatlon,whereas the original applioant 

### must have the field notes in the Land offiC8 by May let. We five this example to 

### show that it la untenable to argue that the oacupant has only 00 day8 within whioh to file f181dB notes 

### in the Land 0irioe 

### ln or&r 

### to preventhir fro- interierlngwith the rights or theoriginal applleanti The es enqple-mayb8 8o8ewhet eztreae, but it 

### 18 pollslbletenderth8, 8tatUt.e.8iBOS EO tfre l=t 

### 18 6Ot 

### iOr 8eNiUe Of th8dttitiOit or for a 6uNey, eraopt that the field note8 musitbe 

### returned. to &he Land 

## orriae dthin 120 d8y8,

The 8tatnte, after 8tetiBg what the~oooupent 

### lai requiredto 

### do, fartlmr 

### provides that 

### by 6ohg oertt&iaqtg, he shall "th8raapOB fir hi8 **right** to puruheee a8 heretiu,,yeTided*. What is m&Wit br the wOrda, 'right TV pumhabe 

### 2x8, **herelh** 

### provided*? **We** believe that it meahe -filinghi8 epplloetion with the **oounty** 88rveyor 

### nlfMn.60 daya fxw &he **date** that he 

### ia **8eIWd** with 

### a aitatian: 

## &.opinion i?o.O+CjS by thl8 Department; dated ltareh6# %999, w.tmld that the ~' .~ 

## riling 0r an eppli~atton 

### for a~nyreywlt&tbA~OMfj 

### 8~pvayr+- iires-thc-right to purohase br taHag the aabeeqaent'atepa 

### reqalmd by the statute. Bee, dlSa, 

### *lgkton v* Etai& fun-. pttbll8hedopfnlon of the 3rd Ootlrfof 

### OlrllAppeal8 aa A?rll '26,lOSO).

xt is our opinion; thsrofom, that the OW.3UpMt 18 not requirea to file fieia not88 In t&4 Iand Offloe wlthfn 60 day8 from th8 date oitation 18 8ensd upen him.

The next oon6trnotloB, that 18 that the tfeld note8 mu8t be returned within 120 d8y8 from the date the epplioetion is 

### filed by the original eppliaant, 18 not, in Ouropinion, aorreot. In the rirt3tplace, me oen 800 ILQreason, a8 alreeay stated, why the oocupant 8hOuld here less time to file field 

### notes In the Land Off108 than th.atgiven to the original applioant. The 

### occupant haa, e8 alr'kedyevresaed by 

### U8, 60 

## day8 after the service 0r oltetlon In whlo.$to 

## rile an application
ror a surrey. Ii the 

### original appiioant 18 given 120 day8 after the date of the tiling of the epplioation with the 8tlrTeyor to ffi8 rieia notes in th8~Land orfiee, we 898 no reason 

### w4 the 8~~3ne

length of tine should not be given to the oooupant.

### Hon. Easoom Giles,Kay 1, 1939, Pace 6

In short, it Gppears to be the Intention of th8 stetute that the applicant to purchase is all=aed 120 days from the dete or the filing 

### Or his applicationwithin which to rii8 field natea in the Land Office.

i;'e b8lfeY8 thet the third construction, that is, tha field notesmust be filed in the Land Officewithin **120** 

### day8
rrom the 

### date the oocupant 

### rilesMS appllostlon, **18 the**  

### oorreot one. Our reasons for this view have already been **expreesed.**



### If, however,we are mistaken in holdlnp. that the oooupant he8 120 

### day8 rrom the date of the **ruing or**  hi8 eppli**oetion** within whloh to 1lle field note8 In th& Lwxd Qtiioe, then
we a6k what 

### 18 the time llmlt? U the time llult 

### 18not 180 **day8** icolneither the date of the epplloetion,by the orlglnel 1 applloaat or thd date of the flllug OS the oooupant'4 4pplleaflon, and If we er8 oorreot In our oontenttonthet the 60 d4~~8rl4d 18 only the time limit **ror** flllng the 8ppll48tlon, anilnot **th6** 

### return or the Slela note8 to th6 Land gffloe, tlmn th6 8tatqte 

### doe8 Bot fix W time limit wh8tever tor the retu.rBat field l

notes to the Lend 

### .OSflee. fn 8uoh oace, 

### thefoorth'aorurtruation would be the proper oonrtruotion, that 

### 18 thqfleld 

### @ok8 taey be filed within a reesoMb~4 time 

### after o~t48lon 18 **8erred** upon the OoougeBt. 

### Thl8 oonrrtruotlon 18 

### boine out **by** the reoent Wkpubll8h4d daol8lon 

### Or the 8rd 00~1% 0?+0lvir Ap 

### ea8e of 

### Crlghton y. State, mmdered dn 

### AprilBd, agil8in 8hO foso, :PI **that** aa8e the oourt had tier oorulderation th8 que?tlon.Ot 

### the tlae 

### for tlllng lu the L8n&~~fflae the field netea.onder aa 

### a l$.eetioB $0 lee84 

### underSeOblOn’Sof the 88me A4t **under** 44Wld4ra $ 1 14a. 

### g~;p~Bdoea not 8tete

### Aha timewithinwhloh-fieldnotesatmb .'

The eotttetttlon 

### 11(18 **Md4** that the **plW181OtUt oi**  

### 8eotloni OS the eat 

### pertainln&to 

### the purohase of land, 

### whleh require8 flsld n4~48 

### to be filedwlthln120 dq8 

### from thedate ~Ae&~llaatlon wa8 illed with the oouuty 8urvemr. rrhottld

The oour't,however, rejeoted this 

### OeBteBtiOB4Bd held that ;iBOe 848tiOB 8 or.the 

### 6OtWe88ibBt With XVtOWOet0 theitime of flllBg 

### field note8 in th4~Iand Offioe, 

### th6proviclio~8 of Seotlon 6 would not be read into Seotlcm 8. The omrt 

### 8eidr

_

Wile moh oan ba eald from 

### the **8tandpofnt of**  policy In 

### euppotior 

### Orlghtonf8 third oontentlon.to the effect that the 120-day pr4vlelon-in Seo. 6 should be read into Sea. 8 of the 1931 Act, vm do not find 8By 

### warrant ror suoh oonstruc&n in the **ALot** Itnell, whloh expresser the legl8letlve intent. All

### 8tetOa la Short
**v ’** 

**.** 

### Carter, **ebovet**

### ~lon. I!awom Glle?, 1-ey1, 1929, i.sro7

*Thus It 

### is zi2psrent tbzt the ik?tis a aomprehennivu sktute, cuthorizing the sale end the leesInE **for** 

### alnemls of **till unsold**  

### publia sahool land bott **eurvayed** 

### snd unsurveyed, and presarlblng the te.ms and aondltjons of sales and leases. It. is a atatuta aomFlete in itself, eroept that by 

### refsrenoe it incorporatessoae of the pravisione of the Revised Civil Itstutea.'

*The om.iaolonin Seo. 8 of a tlao 

### linit inwhlsh to f%lo ilsld notea in tho Laa6 Off100 8nd it8 aoltml~n In Seo. 6 cannot **be** lntorpret8d **a8 otlmr**  thoa uollberat8. It ir h0ral.yto bo aoM6lvo4 that 

### in a matter 

### of thin

### hportaneothe legislattuu would have left it0 **intontlan** to 8uraioe 0s ooa~ootu~o when it **would** hato **been** M a&p10 to lnoludo **a** & imt .a 2300. 8, ii it8 porpo80 h0d b0m to do 80. *b8ent a 8takd,t%m8 -forrUti the.rieId not08 -tha goaord Tdo 18 that.8 raa8omblo tiae undm eli the 

### olxvmwtanoos

of tho partloular oaae will **be** impl10d.~

We are not lntenU%ng to hold that Seation 6 6008 not 

## rir a 

## timrmalt fbrthe 

## ru* or tield aok im tilt0 und OHleo, but merely 8tate 

### thot if we are wrong 

### in our eon8tTUOtiCM that the oooupant h88 120 day8 fmathe da* of tha fan Of hi8 applio8tion, wh%oh appl%OiIti~-~8t be ffi@d rlthln 60 day8 

### fx'om the **dato** 

### or tho 8it8tiOrA, 

### thant&or the r\rle 8t0t8d 

### ill

the, 0880 Of 

### Crightoat. 8tot0, 

### it %8 Otiy 1 qtle8tiOa **of whothar**  

### the **ffleld** 

### note8 are $ilotl in the land Oftloowithin **a** 

### ro86onable tlmo aftor tiling **by** tho oooupaat 

## or applloatlon for a marvoy.

fn 

### tho

## oitaation wlth whlah yen am ooafrontrd,
moo 8tato that tbo iield llOh8 

### wore 

## ril0d ia the Lula Offlae within w5 **day8** 

### rma tho bate the **oitatSon** ~88 8ervul upon th8 ooonp8nt. Thl8, then, mot8 the raqulremeat8 

## 0r 0~ opialoa, a8 Pet oat abtme, if the **ooaupant** 

### ille8hi8 applloation 

### with the anneyeT wlthin 8irt.ydayo of the date tbst eftation m8 oorved upon hh.



### In vieworwhetwe #ii-& mid and al80 in 

### viewor the deol8lon in the oaae of Orlghton v. State, it l8 not necessary for us to hold whet&or field n&es must **bo illed**  

### within 120 day8 from the 

### dsto OS 

### the 8ppliOlatiOSl of the oboapant. tieare leaving that quoetion undatermined. We are merely holdinp that 

## ii the rield notes am 

### rued **by the**  

## OOOUpant within 120 day8 

### rrtmthe 

## ad0 oi the filing 

## 0r h;l8Era. ZssconiCiles, Key 1, 1939, itfe 8 W...,~,.

**fAp$liChtiOIi,** they 

### are flle5 xlthln 

### suf:lclentthe.



### In this 

### opinion,WQ are 

### not,of ooufsa,attempting to pa8s upon the ~ueetion ae to Aother the oooupzat xentloned by you Is entitled to aeoura e loaae In prefarenoa to tk~ orl&xal a~plloant. There ore feat ques%lone to be dotenalnad, auah 

### as whether 

### the tire&

### 18 in thu enoloeura of the oocupant olaimlng it, whothor the olair 

### 18 in good faith, or whether 

### tholand %R000qpfod 88 **a &U**  **by hh,**  **Or whothor**  **ha** 

### &8 '$roporly ntSUM6 to th0 **?h8t** ~#iOUAt 

### th0 8W **8dvanood ior**  oitatloa.

Your0 very arally