497 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS’ 

DROVER SELLERS 

AUSTIN 

AmvnNRY OENNLRAL 

tear sirt 

uqlating u6rJs0tm or 0 l trt0 

homa-rula oity 

thatuhlla~ 

t to the eonqutr6 ror the 

r thr lrflgth of ltq - P rajoot. 

a prlvato 

a to ba 0an&%and. Tim oity 

or the &tak but l xpr%rnr it8 

18 for moh property to br, oen4~rao0 by 

1S it oan be done. Undsr th%ao faet8, 

611 irr aA8’lbP t0 

"(1) Mly the Dop6rtalsnt, or th% oewty, 6otiJg 

6~ behalf OS tae Deg%rEra%at, 68 provide6 in 

kstldo 667i+ii, zeviwd ClvU 3t+tuka, ;L92S, 

ao~uim by puroheu or by oon6siamtkon the ri@t 

of *ay rayuire6 ix4 8 hosua-rule otty sor the eon8truotion oi n 8t8te hl&JwIy? 
498 

"(2) Cen the olty, rrlthar by ordlnanoe, ar by 

etment with the St&a undrr ttu tomaa of Artiok 

&b, l%.eeallg delegate, twA8ter or pcla8 OA to 

tha riighwey ;3%g%artr;Ynt Or the oountj t#otSng ror 

the ~,epartaefit, it% authority to oor&wnn such 

riC;ht of wag'i 

*IO. the sverit auoh ri@t of wr\y oaimot be oondemrmd in 

eithvrr kBrUi4r BUf;(;tt6t6d by the yX’6068ing qU6stion8, theA 

~lrase sdviee is the Governor or TOra8 could ,8(IOUTO 8uoh 

right of way iOr tie18 Depsrtueilt under the provl8Ima or 

irtlole 5240 Of the Havised Civil Statuter, lP2). 88BWlliRg, 

of %OLWRJ%, th%t the GovgrAor la willing to not IA thir 

iLlltUAO(t." 

Atil01% 1175, (Aotr 1YZ.L). V%~AOA'~ Annotated cIVIl statut%a 

0f T%xOr, OAUiMr8t~8 VtWiOU8 EOWW8 Of haPu-rule Oiti.8. Subf? ~fvi8ion~ 16 of said article provider l.n prt a8 ioll~wr: 

"TO heQ8 %S0lU8iV% doorfAiOA, OOAtrOl, EA4 jlWI8- 

dlotion fa, Over aAd under tho pub110 tYtr%%t@, 8v8~um, 

0ll%yr, hi@JA~8 and boulevard%, and publio $rounA8 of 

8uoh oity and to provido for the ImproVeneAt or 8~y 

public 8trmt, alleya, highways, ev%nu%8 or boulevard8 

by paring, raining, gradlAg, filling or othomise ispr~vin~ths %%AW . . a" 

Art. 1.082 (Act8 18751, V. A. C. 8.. providoa ift part C8 

"The oltr OOUAOI~ ahall be lrwe8wd with full pmor 

and authority to grsbc, t3reve1, repair, pars Or otherwise improve any avenue rtreet or alley, or my portion 

thrnor, within the 1dt.r of aaid oity, whonersr, by 8 

;r voto of two-third% Of th% CIld%X?X%A PZ’WBAt, thoy .rruy 

d;. ! d%%n 8UOh iB&WOV%mAt for the pub110 iAtOF%6t$ . . .* 

Art, 1086 (Acts l$oY), V. A. C. EL, provide8 IA it8 entirety 

as P0llow81 

-TOWA%, oltior *Ad vlll$g%n, incorporated under 

either g%ner%l or 8pOi81 law, whloh rtiall eoo%pt th% 

baaefitr of this ohapW&aa h%niA provide& 8h8lt hnV0 

pawar to iaprov% any h&Buay wIthIn th%Ir IktA, by 

rlllkig, &$wXn&, mlsirif;, paving or raPkvIA& the ume 

ln 8 pranont m%M%Z', or by the oOA8trUOtiOA Or r9- 

ccnatruotion of ald%w%lk%, ourbs %A& gutterr, or by 

wldcning, narrowing or etraI&t0AlAg th% @ante, an& to 
499 

aon. 5. C. Greer, paw 3 

eOk%trUOt neaeeeery epptUt%neAO%8 th%r%tO, Lnolud~ 

8eyfBrr and Cra5.m. ‘city,’ WhOA U8%d herein, 8kl8u 

inoluda, all Lacorporetad tOUn8, oitler and vIllag%r, 

and t&~% tam @kighwey* 

BwmU% )tqlcy, uic;3way, 

fittall inotudf~ eny vtreet, 

or ;!ublio plecu or apwm, or 

portion thereof, d%dloat%d to pub110 U%%.* 

iat. 6673 (Acts 1923j, Y. A. i. 2.. provides Ln pert an folLOW81 

nThe Corpai88iOn is authorized to t&k0 Over 8Ad l&.Akin the VQl’iOG8 StQt% iii@,hWy8 iA TUI18, %fib the OOUti08 

through whioh said highway8 gaf@.qhall bar f'roe from any 

ooat, tbxpenoe or aupa+'fisfo~~of h2.i h&hways. . . .w 

Art. 6673b (hCt8 1$39), V. A, C. 

88 tQuOW8: 

Y., ~rovId%s In it8 entirety 

“Tb Ststr iii&hW%y Crrmmi#~l~~~ iB hereby &#UUlOPiS%& 

SAd eqcwered, i.~ it8 QisOmtiOA, t0 %Ater iAt o&mtSMt8 Or a 

inoorpor~te r 

M&X%At8 *rIth the tjOV%min& bodi.8 Of 

oItI%8, t6WA8, nA6 Viu8 68, uh8th8r 

bio6rpOr8krd under the horru rule pro1 x S~OAS Of the 

coA8tItutIon b;peoIel charter, or under~the Genersl 

LFlW8, ~rnVI& for the loccltion, r8looetIozr, OOArtruot 011, r%OoA8truOtIon‘ aa.At%A8Ac%, otultrol, 

8U~OrVi8iQA, end HgUl8tiOA Or diY8i$A8ted Skt. hi&hways wIthIxa or through the oorporats limits of 8uah 

lnaorporat8d citio8, tom3 , and vlll&~ee, arid Q@torcrlnlng an4 tlsine the rimp%otlVc liabIlItla6 or 

rW+OAaibiliti@8 of tha yarti88 r~aultitl$ therefrom; 

%t\d auoh lncorpratml aitt%%, towns, and villag%% 6r8 

hemby euthorizad end %fGpouer%d, through the &ov%rplog 

b o dc t0 or suc h a ttI0rtoWR8, , a nd vlu8g 88 to l nter 

into auoh OoAtraOtb or agr%aa%nt8 vith the Stat@ 

Ui&hWtlp ~Off&l.ibSiOA.” 

Art, 6674.11 (~of.8 lY2J, QS axeodad hot8 19351, T. A. 6. S., 

provides 10 it8 antir%ty All fOlhV81 

“i4;hcn%v%r * iu the judgmut ol tns Bt%te ii&hw 

~~~~~&eion, the uacl or aoQ&i#itiOA ot AAJ' land for 

roab, right ol weg puSpoa%a, thbor, earth, eton0, 

grew1 or other natorlal, n%o%oraFy or OMVeai%At 

to soy road to ba construct%d, r%UO~BtrUCt%dr -iatein%d, hlensd, rtmightened Or lm&h~~@d, OX lud 

mt axc%cd~ one hundred (100) fa%t in width tOr 

strwun bed dlveralon I.0 conn%ctIoR *Ith U-A% locetiJV$, 

rclooatIl;e! or rtonrtruotlon of % d%8iS%t%d S&it% 
. 

,// 

Eon. 2. c. Cretw, ?wa b 

IlU&nfax by the State iiighuay Couaiaaioh, the @am may 

be acquired by purohase or oondeanatloh by the County 

Co;Pmieeionerfl court. Trovided thet tha Couhty in which 

the State Ilighway la located my pay for mm out of the 

County aoad and Bridge Fund, or shy available county 

funda. 

-Any Cowiiasionarsq Court la heroby authorized to 

eeaure by purohare or by oonderauatiozr on behalf or the 

&tate of Tsxaa, any nclw or wider riat OS ray or land 

not exceeding one hundred (100) feet in width for 

8treaia bed diversion in oonneotion with We locating, 

relooatlng or ooartruotion of e deslpted Stats 

IilghWy, or lands or lands for material or bofiow pite, 

to be used in the oonatruotlon, reconstruction, or 

walntenanae of State Highwayi and to pay for the aem 

out ,of tae c0w.W hoed and brides Fund, or out of any 

speoial road f’undr or any available oounty funds. The 

State blghway Commioaion shall be charged with the duty 

of furnlrhiue to the County Coindualonem* Court the 

plats or field notes of auoh right of way or land and 

the description of suoh mterials ae mvy be m&rod, 

l rter whioh the Oommiimlonera* Court may, ahd in hereby 

authorinaC to pumheae or oondamn the smi6, w lth title 

to the E&et6 ot Texas, in aeoordanoe with euoh field 

notea. krovided that in the 8vent of oondamzmtion by 

the County the pooedura ohall be tha &am a8 that Mt 

out in Title 32, hrtlclea 3264 to 3271, iaolu8lve, 

tiovised Civil St6tutea of Texiwi, OS 1925. Frovided 

that if the County Cormia~ioners Court of any County in 

whioh euoh right Or way ia, lo the judgment of the 

state ifighway Cti~ion, neoarraory for the oon8truotlon 

of a part OS a denigrated Stats Elghway shall Sail or 

refuoe to 8eeure by puroham or by oohdemhatlon for or 

on behalf of the Stat@ of Toma, euah right of way or 

part thereof, Uaediatsly and aa rpesdlly aa poeelble, 

under said Title 52, Artiolea 3% to 3271, inolueive, 

r5.c.vioed Civil iitetutsa of Texae, of 1925, after belog 

nerved with a copy of an order of the State Highway 

Commiaeslon identifying by field notea, the part of tha 

tii@iway necaasary for the oonstruatlon of auoh deeign&fed state Zlghway end reQue8ting euoh CoUnty COrmaiSsionara Court to eecure aame, then and ih (luoh event 

Eg$lI;t&h ten (10) daya eftsr the servioa of auoh 

mid mate Itighway comission shall divot the 

*tto&y WWIMl OS Texes, to iaetltute oondafanation 
P 

r+” prooaedlnga in t&a MM of the state of Tuxrta, for the 

&:;$ 2 purpose of securing auoh right of w&y. The r&&t of 

ominwt dorprrin to oo~dem 6~y pert of a rl&ht of w&y 

for a State designated highu&y, under the ooAditioA6 

hamin oclt out lo hereby oonfernd on the state kiighwey Comminsio~ end the Juriadiotion for the exeroine 

o f l uob rlgat la hereby OOAfermd oc the County Court 

or TraVlS County. Suoh oondemnatlon prooeedinga shall 

be instituted by the httOrnOy General by fllir;cj 8 stete6UBAt for oonderznation with the COUAty JuQe of Travla 

'I 'I y.s 

Oounty, Teua, and the venue of auOh proo&ediA& ah611 

br in TraVla County, Texas, aAd jurladiotion and authority to appoiAt three (3) dlaintereated rreaholbara 

. 

of Travla County, Texas, as Ctmdaaionrra la hereby 

ooeterrad upon tha CouAty Judge of Travis County, 

Texas, end othorwlae auoh OoAdomatloA shall be ao- 

.I~ oosillng to the prorialon of said Title 52, titiolar 

,:F’;. 3266 to.3271, i~oluaivo, ,'i&vlaad Civil zitetutea of 

TOxaS, or 1925.= 

g 

:,;g Art. 6703 (Aotr 1885), V. A. C. s., yrovldra ia pert aa 

,'~ :. follow&r 

.d ,p? ". . .said (oommirrioaara*) uourt ehall ~SSUPU 

&Ad have oontrol or the 8tWrtS and alleys in all 

oltlaa end lnoorpenkd toner in noes whloh, h&v& 

%O dOfPOt0 (de faOt0) WliUi~i ~OVUrAfMlAt b the 

aotlve diao&argr of the& pfffOi.al dutiesea 

The oaao of G&bbert 'I* City of mowAuood,'~~g%~#. (2d) 

344, t't a%., (Cit. 

alt of error 

A p., k;a6tlaAd, opl~ien by Jue?Am Funderburk, 

refused Y , was a suit brought by Orbbecf et al to 

noover for poraonal Ltjurier 66 a rasult of alleged negU&ence 

of defeaduit city of Brownwood, a hosue rule oily. Gabbort, a& 

employoo of Banner Gmaev3riaa 0ttamptirg to get into a truok 

of &La csnployar, atoppad at A&&t On 6 Qtste hi&hv?&y tn the 

City of Brownwood, stepped into t&r open u~&u&rdad &Ad of a 

oulvert whloh had beeA ocumtruoted by tha Stats'Bighwoy Dsp&rtm&At and fell several feet, nuataini~g injur%o&. XeAoe, t&la 

0866 raised the quest&n for deoiaion whether wider the pleadlogs and the unoontroverted evlderroe the City of Brownwood 

h&d jq.r$adiotlon of tns partlouler aeotion of tie titate Hl@m&~ 

within St& 1ipJLts where tae aooldont ooaurred. Mother w&y of 

rtating the Question it raised for doalalors is whethim the 

transfer of juriediotion Over State RifEPlrsga in a oounty 

from the County CO~~&&~OAW&~ court of euoh oounty to the 

State Kighwey C~RUJU~~~A Bffeoted likewise a treA6f6r of the 

furiadiotlon of the oitis6 eAO toWA iA EWO& OOwty over State 

highways in euoh oitiea and towns to'the state !li@iw&y Co6miaalo~O 

Juetice PuAderburk wrote et great 1snGth di&Oua6i~~ and reQOAOiling 
$fJIJ. I). c. DJ.-F, pow 6 

the above quoted atetutee and 4lattoguiahing many daoiaiona. 

~muauoh aa hi8 lengt& declrlon la raadfly available. we dsem 

it unAeoeaaary to quota it. BuSSioe it to bay that he held the 

city of Srownwood liable for itc tort by first dater~r,ir,g era 

holCin6 thet the City of WOWAWOO~ had i~:~CiUsfl~ Qo@,nlon 

oontrol ma iuriediotion 1~. UWR, over and under the yub lo 

stresta, 0v4nu4a. 011 y ‘$ * an ]ipJi.&& 3 0 f t&e oity acQ that $hot&~ 

tl;ro I.&.alaturc could have tranalerred ~urisdlation of cftlea an& 

‘forma over var%to~~Ler hl&hrsaya therein to the tttate iiip,hway Daportrant. AeVbrthel80b It Arlthilr oxvrerbfhl nor Lamliod cay 

tntentfon to do so. ‘tic! point8 out th t St i t1 Q. 1 

operated to tmmbfer the Soker J”UP:%offione~s 

that 

ht. 6473 

OOUAtibR bAd/Or COUAt$’ (%lUAibbiOAlrr6’ ciOlUt8 OVaI? UtbtCi highwaga within oouty limita to tha Stats iii&way Comalaalo~, 

oitFaQ; &bbfne v. &%8StOAcl COUAty, ll4 Ter. 345, 268 3.w. 915, 

and other caaca. IA this ~O~WO~~OA he Starthor btatear 

*Z&ore rffaotlra than Art&&e 6673br as indiaating 

Legislative oonatruotion of ~rtiole 6673, is Al’tlola 

66&n, l uthorircLng oosuniaelonwa* oourta at county 

exponae, but only as acants of the Etato fifgbray 

2epartsent, to oondam laodo and mnteriala Soor 

'OOARtFUOtiOA, PBOOAl)trUOtiOA, Or -intOAaAM Ot 

stat6 kil.&waya.' rfll it be oontendad that thla 

WlpOWW8 OOUAtJ’ OOi7&bb~OA@3Xb’ OOuttb t0 OOAdOSC 

1aAda bad Jabtcrialb in the oitp lmtb Of 6A 

imorg3oratad olty or town for stats highway purpoaoa? May aliouLd the power bs exerolaad at 

oounty oxpmae rather than city or town expanse? 

The oo~olualoA see818 to u8 to be ineeoapabla 

thet the effaot of Artiole 6673 web to ooafrr upon 

the Btste iii&hWny DfQtWbWAt OA4 the fOrEiOr juribdiotiOA of oouoty OOidbb,ioAer~’ OOUTtb, wnioh, 

althou@ ~JI terma broad snou&h to inolude tbs formtir 

JtCiRdiCtiOA Of Olti4a end tOWAs, ai6 not d0 aOb iOr 

the very same rebaa~n they WON. oat inaluded I& t&b 

jurladlation of oountg o~n~~isal~n~r~* court8 which 

eeid article treraferrad to the lilghway i)eperkWnt.? 

tie atatoa in effect, oitiag tiupreere Court suthorlrlea, that 

tha ccuzmisalonora' Court tas n8vw hcd furiadiction to OpA up e 

hiaway v&thin the oorwrate llaita of e city; timt aubh right 

ir solely one of looal eelf -~:OVWAlWAt for the oity to axeraiw 

and apeekr of possible dire and Erave ooA0equaA040 to the city 

Wd its citizens should the ;itate ~~Iighway J6pttrtaent a0 80. 
503 

~fon. I). C. Crser, page 7 

StatUtes OOnfOrdng right OS WliACWlt dO,,,RiA must be stristly 

S&lowed end atrlotlyH~;;le~rued in Savor of owner of property 

aought to be taken. 

s. x. (2d) 797. 

. Kllbargar County, Comm. App., 55 

Fight of eminent domain must be exercised fn 

aaoordanoe with strlat prlnolplea governing right. State v. 

~lller, Clv. App., 92 S.??. (26) 107’3. The law having provided 

* apeclflc fom of prooedure Sor aoqulrlng property for street 

purpose8, any other method not so authorlced oar.not be upheld. 

city of Dallas v. Bergtleld, Clv. App., 245 S. K. 749; Coolays 

aonstltutlonal Llmltatlone 8th Fa.., vol. I, p. 138. 

In Adams v. Rookwall County, Texas, Comm. App., 1926, 

280 s. :y. 759, Juatloe Nickels held, that Rookwall County dlb not 

bare the Power to oondemn lands for road purposes wlth,ln the 

corporate limits of the town of Royse. 

By virtue OS the holdings and reasoning in Oabbert v. City 

of Brownwood espeolally, and the hOldlAgS and maeoniq generally 

in other oases olted, we answar your Question No. one in the ’ 

negative. 

To answer ysur aeoond question, 

20 colpas Ju-ris pp., 545-546: 

we puotl3 from seotiog 33, 

Vhem the laglslatura dela’gatss tha right to 

exaralae the power OS eminent domain the grantee of 

the power oannot surrender, transfer, or redelegate 

the same to another unless expressly authorized by 

the statute oonferrlxig the power. . .* 

The text is supported by the Texas base of ~:atkine v. Hopkins 

L COtMy, Civ. kpp.. 72 6. W. 872. 

question No. TWO in the negative. 

Therefore, we answer your 

NOW in regard t0 your third question, Art. 5240 (A&s 1903) 

provides as follows: 

Vhen any land shall be required by the State 

for any charaater of public use, the Oovernor la 

authorlaed to puroh~ase sala land, or the right to 

the use thereof, Sor suah purpose; or, falling to 

agree with the owner on the prloe therefor, such 

land may be condemned for such pub110 use in the 

name of this State. TJpon the dlreotlon of the 

Governor, prooeeain,@e shall be instituted against 

the owner of the land by the Attorney ceneral or 

under his dire&ion by the dletrlot or county attorney. Should the award of damages in the opinion 
I: i.i 1. 

504 

of the Covernor be ex~essl~e. euoh award ahall not 

be p~ld but tbe Ztata shall pay the oosts oE the 

proceedlnqs and no rurther eotlon abell be t&w.” 

~rtiole 1107, v..k.C.2., ,providee in pert aa r0ii0w8: 

“2s lncorporat,ed olty. or town ahell have the 

rlc,ht of eminent domain to oondemn private property for 

either of the following purposerr 

“1. To open, ohawe or wlden any pub110 street, 

avenue or alley. . . .* 

Art1016 1202, V.A.C.S., pmrldrr in part as follows: 

u?Wbjeot ts the tenan hereof, the governlq body 

or a city may lay out, open, eatabllsh, widen, rtraifihten, 

or extend any highway within its limits, and puPohss6, 

oondemn, and take property thenfor. . . .* 

Art1016 1203, V.A.C.S., provides ln part a8 follower 

*Cities may purchase by axreement wlth the owner any 

property, all or part or which in the opfnlon 0r the governlnq body la neoesaary for tha naklng ot lmprote!uuItr 

under the terms hereof, an6 pay for 8~ Out Or any fund8 

ersllable. . . .* 

%c here bean unable to tlnd any authorities oonstrulng the 

powra or the crovernor under Art. 8240. Rowever, we oonolude that 

Arts. 1175, 1082, 1086, 1107(l), 1.202, and 1203, supra, are to be 

oonstrued in para materla and as giving oltler exolual+o domlinlon, 

oontrol, right to purchaee rights at way, and rl#it of eminent domain and jurladlotton ovar publia mtroetm and highways within *he 

sorporate limits of home rule oltlea. The Legislature hating enaoted 

$crneral statute9 making a general provlslon r0r all oasee (a6 ror 

example, all hlghwqya In ell Counties) and having furthar anaated 

atatutca aakins special prwlelona for a partlotiar oatae or class 

(as ior example, highways in citlea anll towns) the former yields and 

the letter prevalla, lneorar aa the particular oaes or olaea ia oonQerned . Sabbert va. City or ‘LrownWoQ, aupra. 

~thersfore anmwer your third ‘question in the negative.