WILL WILSON 

AXTORNEY GENERAL 

Honotigb&q-~Robert H. c81dwe13, Jr. 

County Attorney '. 

Denttin County ~’ 

Denton, Texas .,. . . ., 

Opinion NO’.~ ~11-850 

Re: ~Whether Denton County 

,6an cqpve’y certain, real 

property for. valuable’ 

c?nsideration directly 

without following aavertieement procedure 

of Art. 1577, ‘?,A.C.S. 

:: Your :ieqqest. for .our opinion. a8 to- fhe me.thid which 

may~b;e ‘fPllotied.by Dentdn Ccknty ln’c&reyUg certaln.kal 

property.reado In part 80 follows: 

: i “On Maroli 15; .i960, PFioej ,DanleX, Governor : 

oi’ the z3tate; 8otlng fireu8nt t0 AW.ole, 6673a, 

V.S.C.S.;, .oonveyed a ,tpkot of 2.06 aoreo of land 

ttiDenton County, Tex8e: Thle land wae orl&nally 

aoqulreil by the, County wlthtiut cost to the State, 

and the~title ‘was put in the State of Texas. It 

Wnow abandoned right-of-way. The ad,jolnlng and 

abutting owner to thie 2.06 aore traot is a single 

Indl~Wual, and the County now deairee-to convey 

ttiti: property ‘to this adjoining owner for a valuable oonslderatlon, which la aotually the exchange 

or oonveyanoe of’ oertain properWee of hls,to the 

county,. ~ror road purpoees. 

“My ‘we&ion then, ia: Can the .County now 

convey this 2.06 acre6 directly to the adJoIning 

a~#$ abutting owner, for the valuable oonslderation, 

or muot ire go through the alternative prooedure provided Wider Article 1577, 80 amended, of advertlaement and pub110 auction. 

Artlole 1577, V.A.C.S., aii amendkd Acts 1953, 53rd 

Leg.,.p; 447, oh, 133,‘provldes for Bale of any real estate of 

the county bjy pub110 auotion wlth~ apeclfio advertle~ing requirements . The Aot 8lso etates:, 
_ _ - 

.1 . 

Ron. Robert I-I. Caldwell, Jr., page 2 (~~-850) 

.' Provided, however, that where 

abandoned right-oft-way Property Is no longer 

n&eded:for hlghyay or,road purposes and the 

county decides to sell said right-of-way property, It shall be sold with the following 

prlorltlea: (1) to abutting or adjoining landowners; ~(2) to the orlglnal grantors, his heirs 

orassigns of the original tract from whence 

said right-of-way was conveyed; or (3) at public auction a8 provided above. a 0 .I' 

Under.the facts you have stated, there Is no constltutional problem raised. Attorney General Opinion S-93 (1953) 

held that the part of Art. 1577, as amended, which grants prloritles of purchase.to certain persons to purchase real estate 

from a county is valid $nsofati,as It purports to cover abandoned 

hlghway,right-of-way conveyed by .the State to,a county. 

Art. '1577;as amended, sets up priorities by which 

abandoned highway right-of-way can,be sold. This statute requires a public auqtlon with specific advertlslq requirements 

only.ln.ease euch real e&tate 1s not to be sold (1) to abutting 

or adjolnlnglandowners;" 

heirs or assigns:. . ." 

or ."(2) to the cirlglnal grantors, his 

i I 

It Is our o$lnlon that abandoned highway right-of-way 

,conveye,d @y:'the',Statgo. a c~ounty .$n~,accordance with Article : 

.6673a;.V.A;C.S;,.may.be sold to tin &butting or'adjoining,landowner pursuant tb Article L577~~as amended, ,V.A.C.S.,~wlthout 

following thoae~ provisions of sald.statute which provlde'for advertisement and:publlc apctlcjn. 

SUMMARY 

A&ndoned highway right-of-way conveyed by 

then State~to Denton County may be sold to en 

abutting or adjoining landowner without following 

the p~vialona in Art. 1577, V.A~.C.S., providing 

for advertisement and public ~auctlon. 

: . 

Your0 very tiuly, 

: 

'.. WILLWILSON 

Attorney General of Texas 

‘.. 

JAO:bh . . 
Ron. Robert H. Caldwell, Jr., page 3~ OJW-850) 

APPROVED: 

OPINIONCOMMITT.EE 

w. v. Geppert, ChalrWW 

Jack Goodman 

R. V. Loftin, Jr. 

Phocion Park 

Iola B. WilCox 

REVIEWED FOR THE ATTOFW+GENERAL 

BY: 

Leonard Paesmore