Honor&h John 0. Rahwger 

L?ounty AttQTne7 

Pay*ttm amnt7 

keango, %xaD 

lottr~ of Deormbsr 

Pconbw 16. 1940 

t?ll, Deplirtnat 

for th8 00a or 

d 0rf 0r a dr 

azd lvJ10oat1ag 

narlae to the rkdenning u&d reloomtlon or the 

highrays am being uadrrtakmn by the oommisrianers* court rotlng 

caaar ArfLal. 6874n Qi Yemen's Annotated Lx111 strtutsa, a8 ths 

agent or the 8trte %ighvmy Coma:rslon: and in aaqulrlng the neotsaary rord bed for ths mv and wider hlghvay, lt vi11 be neo- 

+soary that both .A’ and l B* poles bet removed and plaoed In new 

aaeltloas. 
Xonorablo John 0. Mmbuqf.r, page e 

It 19 the a0at.nt10n o? Fyett. CQuntJ thnt the 

OOd or reaovlng ma nloo~t~ both .A' and "W poles 00 

a8 not to ~ntrrfsre with the new hlghua7 should be bbrne 

b7 tha 4140tr~0 ofp3mier In qurstloa. This oontsntion is 

supported by the tens of rrbnohI888 granted by the ommlsrloners~ oourt to saoh of the respeotlr. oomomles. ‘. 

to: 

The oae to the Ueneral aomwn7 grants it tb? right’ 

l i l * ereot, oonstnrot, nrlatain, extend& r4a.w end 

opwat. a system of vorh, pales, tirss, onblea, Ianaar&@ouul conduLte end till neossssry snd poosr appRrstu9 ma bpp.rt.Mn0.9 vlttlin thm llrIt9 ot the 

oouat7*0f Feyltt. l l * mad for snld purpos.8 td enter upon or belar aoti use ths hIghwa78, publ;ro roads, 

street8. 411479 and other jmblIo aream under the 

oontrol or )url9bIotlen 0,r the County a? Fayette l l l * 

.'. , 

- 

. '. 

'Sn' the .t.*ii At 0f.r bsiOQP.6 n90.*'.9ry on :- 

_' . . . 

aoo0unt of the r9loo9tIoa or re-locstlag of so7 

hlghwy or uublio road to remove so7 ~014s or 

other squlpmitt u3ioh 1m7 hats been loaatsd on 

suoh hlgtntq or xbllo road by the Uraatee, it8 

s~o0ea80m ma assIgns, wiser the klght, ponsr 

and l uth3Plty herem grnntsd’~ the Grsnt..,~.-It8 : 

9u000990r9 and a991gn9, ~9hsli;v;l.n 90 Instruoteb 

la vrltlng by tha County Ccum~sslansrs~ Court.05 

Fa79tt. County, Texss, or ths dul7 suthorlzed 

County Engineer, movt ruoh polss or other equip-‘. 

sent to suoh nsw loortloa sloop the rr1ooPt.d . . : 

ctfid ro-routed hIgtws7 or pub110 rosa as 9~7 bs. 

designated b7 the Count7GommlssIone~~ Court of 

?974tte County, T~x*s.~ 

Thb rrbaohi94 to the eoopsrstlve Is llksvlse oo-sxtenslw with the oount7 limits aawl grants the right to, 

** l l o o nstmo t, er eo t, arintrla nnd op 

erste l leotrlo trsosmlsslon sad dirtrlbutlon 

lInss, and 9x1 asoeasaay and usual&tsoh%ents 

end sppurtenmoss slang, Roross, otor end under 

and on the streets, lanss, hIghnays, publlo roads, 

bridgea anQ.othsr WblIo places In this CoUnt7* * l ' 
-. . 

Ronorarblo John 0. Xwbu~8.t. page 3 ' 

: 

vith the vrov190 that, 

l * l l tbs oourt r499rv4. the right to osnct 

th@ c~¶9910~4~ Or l & QXWOIft0 Ct dlWBt th4 : 

olaoss Where said ~ol99 9hsU be set in his rerg9otlve preolnot, snd should raid road ever be 

. . 

*Idsnod or Sor any other reason It shall bsoos~ : 

nsosssmy to remov* said poles, osmo shsll be done 

with&n thirty dys aftar vrltten notloe. Said uovIng 4hsll bo don. at the .xp.a@. or Taxettr XlOOtrlo 

oooperatlt4 mad nrut In euoh oanner 99 to be 89 

little in the wa7 of the meld road as praotlosl.~ 

Our rust oonosra ia the valUlIt7 0r this. rr8nohi944 

rlth rasQ9ot to the right-or-way slang, ot4r or ~ora99 daslgnatud stat4 hi@wsys. It 10 our vluw tbat the oourt 19 laolclng In 

suoh l uthorlt7. 

A8 h&s been regeatud 90 mmy tins8 the p6pler~ ot the 

oommIs.Ione~sg oouti. are Umited to those ex~r$ssly grt.nte4 br 

Con8tltutlon UP statute, -or acI9Ing thersrrom by n4048ssr?, tipllcd ion, Cosml9rion4r9~ Court t. IcAllaoe, 1S 9.K (2da) 5S3. 

As &n admInIstratlv8 agenoy oi tha state lt 1s a oourt of delegotsd povwa. Mvrr4ia County t. Jennings, 33 9.9. 535. This la 

important to bur pre99ot Inqulr7. 

If the oommIs9ion4r9g oourt ever h9d general Jurlsdlotion and osntrol over state hlghvays as dI9tIngulshsd from 

oounty roads, thrt genersl jurlsdlotlon va8 withdraw& Srom the 

court by an hot of thu 39th Lsglslature (Aots 1925, 9. 75, et 

seq.) orsatlng a St&u HIgbra7 CommI9slon and, :nvesting It with 

tttt authcrity to take ov4r and malntsln *the varlour Ststu 

Hlghvsys In Texas. Robins T. LImtston9 County (C.C.A.) 258 S.X. 

315; Cunnln hsm v. Koons (GA) 35 S.V. (2d) 781; Hall V. Yllbarger Co. 'f C.C.A.) 87 9.W. (26) lC41, afrlrmud (Coa. oi 213.1 

55 S.Y. (213) 797; Esim +. Bean, 121 Tsx. 355 48 9.z. cd esi* 

Al9und9r *. Singleton (C.C.A.) SO S.W. (2d3) $93; Sttrtu Rlghvay' 

C-mmlssilon t. Dallas County (C.C.A.) 110 3.k. (2d!a) 255. %C also 

Artlolu 6675, Yurnon~s Anryatatsd CIril Statutes, end snnotatlons 

thureun$ur.. 

Certainly sInor 192s and :crhros uYtn before the oommlssioner9~ oourt has burn vltbout authority or control oY4r 

dssIgnat#tI state hlghveys. It r0lht9 that the oomml9alon9r9' 

oourt of Fnyettu County bed no nuthorlty ta grant a trp.nchi@O 

ror tbs ~ermlselvs user or the right-or-way or a dssi8nstud 

et&a highvsy for ths ril~~olng or ulcotrU p0188 sn3 VIP8 tbsrson. 
. ‘. 

802. 

, .- Ooaorablo John Q. NaPburger, sage 4 

VhIlo the deolslon ‘8 from a SoreIgn JUrletllotlon, 

the oplalon or the Oupreae Court of North Dakota In Morton 

Count7 *. Hughoe Elaotrlo Coa:aaz, 53 B.9. 742, 299 li.W. 108, 

ie peoullarlJ l x~roeeIre or the parer of a Texae oosaieeIonere~ 

oourt . There la dleoueeIng a l lmilar l ltuatloa the oourt l eId: 

wlEhere lo, In our oplnlon, no queetloa but thet 

the highway lo ooatrorere7 10 a (etato hlghry@ withIn the oeaalag of the tern am adlard Ia cheptrr 141, 

ml8 1919. The beage md apronohms thereto were wlut 

18 ooamoal7 deaomlnated a tederal aid proajeot, conetruoted under the dlreotloa ena l upenlelon of the l tate highurn7 o o nleelo n. l l l 

We are entirely eetlefIed thet the hlghme7 I6 

ooatroVere7 fell@ withla the prorlaoe or Seotion 2, 

Chapter 141, Law8 1919; and 18 vltbla the oontrol 

and eupeawleloa or *he State +ghwe7 Coamleeloa to 

;et;;eat and for the purpoeeti preeerlbrd by thet 

It neoeeserI17 r0ii0w8, theretore, that 

euoh hi&a7 Ie not one @under the oere end ewerrlelon’ of the board of oount7 ooealeeIonere~ bf 

Xorton County and thet thet board ham no power to 

grant a rlgbt of we7 for an eleotrk power tranealaelon line oter or along meld hIghve7 under Sea. 

6441 C. L. &9lS ae mends&b7 Chapter l&i, Lava 1926. 

*The etate ham oontrol over Its hi&aye, and 

a county hae no paver to grant right of wa7’orIrllegee 

over or upon thea to :ubllo eenloe ooqoret lone;. unleer euoh power hem been delegrtcd to it b 

lelature (13 Puling Came Law, pp. 171, 172 1 , 

the Legend 

l o rar as we. crm aeoertaln the Leglelnturi hre not 1 

delegate4 to the board of oount7 o:mslerloaere the 

power to grant much ri:.ht of way UPOQ state hlshua7e. 

, It doer not hollow, hovever, that the stats hlghwrt 

ooa~lerlon ham power to pent euoh right of way. The 

1 state hlgkway Corelesion Is a gooerezental ngenot 

or .the etate, ana poeeeerse euoh powers, and ewh 

powcre onl7, am are ranferred upon lt b? law.’ 

Thle poeltlon is not wIthout suwort lo Tsxae; In 2l 

Pa80 Elcotrlo ComenT V. Lasper (C.C.A. 1931) 42 S.H. (26) 953, rcvsrsed en other grounde, 60 S.Y. (2d) 187, ths court held that a 

oom4leeUxiefe’ court se without eutfiorit7 to give an oleatrla 

t 

os!manr the right to obatruot a road b7 ereotlng a power pole 

vlthln the right o? way. Cfi home Cestnt Plaster Co. v. Pfierican 

Ceztnt Plaster Co. 

I 

(C.C. A.,13141 157 3.v. 183; Rouston L1ghtmg 

i 
, 

. . 

lfoaorable John 0. Warburgor, page 8 

mu mver company 1. Pleda (C.C.A. 1939) 126.S.V. (?6) 467; 

Eooan t. Clark (C.C.,. 1920 f 214 S.Y. 607, writ mr. ._ . 

LIkewIse, tble Sa9wtaw1t ham pm~louel7 &ed PW 

the ldentloal queetloa. In Oplaloa %o. O-1606 we hold thst thb 

eommleeIoaere~ baurt he6 no authorIt7.to r a nt l.fraaohIee to 

the Central Pouer ma Ltght carpmy r0r t t e count7 0r Bmwat@r. 

To th b l e8o eiitot 18 Oplalon go. O-W74 regadlag Polk oolpnm. 

ILTtheraore, apol7Iag the l aae rule under ellghtl7 4lrrsnnt 

olrouaetanoee we heid In oplalon Zio. O-2442 t&t thb power to 

great a irmahire right to a trlephcne ocapeay le non-sriatent 

la a ooamleeIonere~. 0oau-t. 

, 

The result iollove that the frenohIee right the-emaleelonen’ oourt atteepte4 to graat.to eabh utIllt7 .le aoa-exlatent insofar 6s thr right-of-m7 along a beelgneted l %te 

.hlghray 18 ooooeroea. The franohleor therefore o&mot be our 

gllldb. Ii the rIght.Oi eIt&r the geaerhl oompan7 or the ooop 

eratIre to maintain W plea along the right-Of-uy of a dee- 

‘anate state bIghva7 1s to be ruetaIno4 we must look eleemhen. 

?&r to thr eneotaeat of hrtlale 1456 ln 1911, tha 

oourt bald \n the onee ot Jaokeonvll?~ 100 and itlbotrlo Cmpaa7 

1. Homes (&CA. 1911) 134 S.3. 379, ther t?le aalatenanoe oi eleatrio poles a.cd wlree morose a hIghne7 vlthout proper author, 

hatLoo 1s a an~eaasa aa4 an nahsful ob~trnotloa. The ooart 

eai4(lt 

'The toetlaon~ lndioatsd that she street or road 

Into wbloh the tire hrd fallen we outeI4e at the oarporate Units of the town of Jco~sonrlllt, but that lt 

u&e a publla hlghua7. It we al60 ehawa thht sp~lla.ntsr 

nlree had been strong aoroee the rord vlthout authorlt7 

having bean obtelned for that purpore iron enyoae. ff 

this La true, then the appellant Me maIataI@Ing a nuIeanae and was reeponeIble abeolutely, and ulthout referenoo 

. to negllgenoe, ror whaterer InJurler were oaueed 

7 

the 

aaIateaeaoe of euoh en obetmotIoo. (oltlng oeeee 

The pleolng of poles and wlrte upon a pub110 highway for 

the pnrpoee of furnIahIng light to private ~reone Is 

not one-of the uses ror uhloh hlgbwaye are eetabllehed 

ana the right to do 86 must be aoq;llrea from the proper 

authorltlee. h9U~d 03 PO%. PO% 6 %a. See oaaee last 

oltsb. me pub110 here e rlgbt to a free and naob8truoted neta of the blghwaye 05 the country. Xa knav of no 

better llluetr~tloa of tbs demagee likely to result from 

hanglag wIrea ,over publlo roads than thef whloh la 
. 

Ronoreblo John 0. wuburser, pIge g 

furnished 131 the taotr a? thla 0888. ihat such 

8 maMOO Pa In l8w an obmtmatloa can hardly be 

quaationak~ 

207 S.V. 9:k 

Smnto ?a' Tom-Site Co. v. #onall (C.C.A. 19~) 

Thla la the ganaral rula. WcQIllan on MunIolpml Corpor8tloM tea ea.) 8 1746, Qota 49 Vol. 4, pp. 643, 

644; 25 hm. Jur. 621 and l uthorItie8 oitad. 

ghortl~ thawtiter Art. 1436 ot.tha Ra~iaad CIYU 

Statutaa Vaa ornoted. This utlole provIdaet 

'8uoh oorporatlon ahall hare thg right a&.:~- 

er to 

. 

antar upon, oonaam -a ap.-mprlata the lurda, 

rI#at-of-my, saramanta and propartf of l y-parson 

or oorporatlon, fmtl shall hare the right to snot 

Ita llnam war and ~oroa8 any pub110 rord, raIlroad, 

railrod right-of-way, Lntarurban raIlroad, l traot 

~railro8il oanal or atnam in thI8 State, pn~ atraot 

or all,,jol any llloorporatad ortt cr toun Iu thla 

State rlth the oonaent. and under tht- dlreotloa o? 

tha gotaming body OF aoak+ olty or toun. &oh lInea 

ahall be. oonetruotad upon aultabla polea. In tha " J 

“moat dpprovad amnar and ma~atalned rt a halght above tbo.ground OS at laaat twenty-two feat: or 

. . olgaa . miy be.plaoml under the ground, be tha OX- 

.IganoIaa OS the oasa may raqulre.n .’ .T ., ’ 

I, :* .; 

.: 

It l hould'ba notad~thrt.th~a~~~Iole mtithorla~r th. . 

emotlbn of 1Inaa and pole8 m and bcroaa and not *along* 

pub110 roach. &la point wea raieaa but found not naoaaarq 

for dacla~on In tha oaae oi falla v. Texas UtllItlaa Uo. (C.C.A.) 115 P.W. t2u1.1233, urlt ~laslsreil. Us oell’thla 

to your attention, but llkewlae find it unnaosrasry for our 

odInIon.. Pa &all trart tba general oowany aa Hghtfull7 

*along. tha pub110 right-of-may. 

The oooparetIve'y&aenta a dlfiarant oroblaa. ha 

at&ted, ue aaswa that t&Is ooqmny 1s Incorporeted under the 

provlalona oi Art1018 1528b of the,-R.C.91 (VcrnonOs). Among 

. . othar power8 ruoh com-,enIaa may: 

ì. * l coq ulm, own, hold, use, 8~8~0188. * l * 

frsnohiaam, rlghtn, prlrlleges, lioanaaa, rlghta OS 

xay, an3 casements moemary, useful or ap~ro~ri*te.n 
. . 

Honorable John C. Marburger, nags 7 

Rouhara In the aot a r e l uoh oapenlea 

pcnara proaIded general oomp8nIaa under Artlolo 

not for Saotloa SS of the Aot we ebould rea4 In 

nusaratad In Artlola lS38 as addItlon81 w-ra, 

38 ~rorI~aa tht: 

given tery. 

153s.. * 

the powers ebut Section 

*This hot I8 oomplato In Itaa~t and shall 

ba oontrolling. The pro~laioaa OS my other law 

or this State exoapt &a ororIaa& ln thla hot, 

shall not at& to a oorpktlon org8aItad, or 

la p~OOO8~f~~O~~IZ8tIoa, tinder thI8 Aot.. .!. 

Coa~aqurntly, the oasa ior the ooaparatlve oomtiy 

la not as l tr o nima ) the onae for the ganarml oomw. If the 

oounty ahouid pravmll over tba latter, oartalnly It ahorild 

over the formar. Ye shell look upon t&a rights of althor 

oompeay $0 tilataln wIrea en6 $olea aaloagn the right oi w 

of a daalgnmtad state highway ae doubtful, but ehell prooaad 

uyma the theory that both are rlghtfull~ there. 

Tha quaatlon Insoier as *A* pclsa are oonoarnad hea 

thus nerrowrd to thla, Uoon whom roots the legal duty to ramove aleotrlo pouar polee u?oa the right-of-nmy of a daalgaate atate hlghwy there by rlrtua of a paxmlasira IWW or 

frenoblaa from the Laglalature7 16 tbat duty lnouebant won 

e oouaty oommIaclIonera~ oourt when It sots as the agent of 

the Stats pursuant to Art. 8574n oi Vamcn~a Annotstad CIrIl . 

Statutes, or, on the oontrary door, the duty 11s with the utlllty to remove the polae at Its ovn emenra vhan tba Stats daaIrsa to wlddea or relooats ona of Its hl@avayr? 

Looking et the nroblar even in its moat fevdzebla 

aenect with rawaot to the utility coqmles, still auoh oompanics would aeaa to hnva the burden to remove. Ti?a plaolng 

of aleotrio poles end vlree u>on a hi&way rlaht-of-wr) la a 

aoaclnl end excs?tlonel use of the hIghway. It ir not one of 

the uaaa for wbloh highways are ertabUshad. Jac~aonv~lla Ice 

and zle0tr10 co. v. woe.es, supra. The right to Aaca alaotrlo 

cclaa <hhera suet aprlng from the qovarsign -- dlreotly or othervlaa by Legleletlve grant. When the utility has rocepted the 

sovarelgn’a benwolenoa by >laolng poles u?on the hlghvey end 

thereby ooaqlstad the irenohIa8, it dorms ao upon eertaln condltioar ix&lad in the franchlee. Cne ai these is tbt the ??lea 

aix~ll be nlaosd won the hlgh?rnr In eaoh msnner no to OBUE~ 

ths least burden to the greater and zrkcarg rights of the 

trmeling wblla. Aaother Se, that vhsn the ~89 ~~~11 intarfere with an?t.her gubllo use to vhlob ths ststs may se* fit 

to devote the way tha utiUty shall reeve the struatureo to 

coniorm to the new WSJ. 

c 
m6. l 

. 

: 

. 

. 

: 
. . 

Ponorsble John C. Mrrbu~er, page 9 

. 

l me ear oosnmy ate not l o q ulrany a l ~eolflo 

loostloa la the l trootr; Lt vs8 oootent bath the 

6enorsl.rlght to use thro; snd when lt locsted lts 

??lpem lt wsa at the ~lsk thst they ml&t; be, rt 

103ie rutulv time, di0t~b0a. mhon tbo rtstm oight 

resuln for a neoorrrry pub&lo use thst chsn~r8:ln 

loistfoa br mad;.* 

oroblrr sriding bsfcre thn Suqmue 

Undrrwm *. Fullur, l ugrr) the Cmtrt 

*The City of T-pa wes. therefore, not authorized to burden mar with the 008s of ramor~ ml 

reqlnoiq ot the water pfges, ges plaesr, trlcgnoh, 

telephone en6 @leotrio light pier, Wsins. or cmdults or rsllnsf tnokr that might nrossrmily hsre 

been fnturfimd with llr lay%- l euer a ln ttm l treat(l.g 

Xa Semntnn GM rnd Ywtrr Coapny T. Sormton (Fa. 

5;io. 1908) 214 Pa. 533, 64 Ml. 94, tba aaurt said: 

mrt in tbb rsrranable dlrorsblon 0r ttl* nunicl281 wttmr~t~sr that detrnlnre thw extant OS 

ctmngee la tb streeta zsqrireb to =?tet wblio 

neoeseltler: and to thls gbnngo, ubstsvcr lt my 

bs, abort oicn sbrogatlon or snnullaont oi the 

oor9sny’s right to aa;ntaia ltr rpto!a of pipes 

la the pub110 l tr setthr a , obmmn~ wst aonta 

gt ita m c o 4038 e l &?JnJJ.’ (Undtrroorlng ours) 

X0 County Court of Vyamtng Couat;l v. Xklte, 79 2. Vn. 

473, 91 9.2. 350, L.&A. 131?C’, HO, the oounty c5smlsalonsrr 

vsru enga& ln rlcsning and Lopwv:ng tbr hl~hmaya and had as- 

-need ths rercrrl of ourtrla tslo$onr Me& ?he court teatoe 

tke poblea nnd aolutlon se follower 

*Cne riumrtlon preranted ia, %on whom 

rotis tke lsgrl 3utp to. rtmcve thr t&mbona 

polar +nd wirer? Palstor 18 a wnlclpsl oornoretion, a ~avernnentol qenoy. entrusted 

with ths duty of 1008tmg. bu2lding. 8nd malntslnlng tbr publio hl$bu*ya of tha cou?rtT. 
Honorable Jobn C. Warburger, psqo 10 

Rsspondentr, ownmrm of the telephone lin44, 

are enea3e4 in the pub116 ret-vice on4 are occupylng & wrtlon of the n;bllo d&t-of-ray 

with t?eLr lines, by virtue of a frrnchlse 

granted pur4unnt to legtrlatlve tuthorlty 

tit",: county court to their ?rcdecerrors in 

: 

Tbe right of the pcblLo la thr highway 

ior tie purpo8* 0r trmel S.n the onllnmry males 

18 a WlmarY ad fundrmental&ght, and is no% llaltt3 to that portion only OS th4 rtght-or-way heretorore trsvelad. Rs4pondantr b3rt b aermlmslve 

and eubotiinmte right only, uhloh exi4tr only 40 

lmg as It 4oes not IntsrSsre with the -Mz~ary 

and auperlor right of the trarel%ng publla. Suoh. 

r?rl.esry rl;;ht to oocwy any end all prrtr or the 

right-or-ray for the pwpose of a roaduay~neoercltrily Upllea ths ri&t to widen and l %s?rore tbe trtrelcd 

oortion of the road, whenever It bsooaer neasrnarj 

for the bclttsr 4ecomodstlon cr th* mblia. Thl4 

or:nolpl4 ~84 not oontrotert4d in tb4 arguineat. 

St it ~44 oontendsd thEt the poles Aid not lntsrfere with trs.vel in ths rodway, an6 that, being In 

WI? -a!y only 7f th¶ nork 0r lzi~rorlng the highway, 

It %-as tkortrore the duty either oi the oountr oourt 

0r 9f tb+Lr oontrrotorr to rmm t!3m in s cbreru2 

amrier, fit thetr 3yn cxpen44. Tbls lr osrt8fnly not 

the law.* 

Se ~190 rnnotrtloa L.A.A. 191770, 3. 353, et seq. 

Thla aeo?e:on vaa noteU with a~?roval %n Dakota Central T418phODe %?n&rmp v. sbipman c0DstPU0t10D.60~ (3.D. 1928) 

4u3r8. Rere the oourt noted that the last ease relied to 4omo 

extent upon a etatute rcqulrlng removal, but held th4t the 

4tatute vna %crelp dsolaratory of the coaaon law. 

Xe believe that this also 14 tks rule In Texas. 

In Xourtpn and Texor C4ntral Fnllvsy 30. v. City of Dellar, 

93 Tex.'zS9, 84 9.x i343, 70 LA..&. SO, our 3qzsras Court 

held Ln a rosevhat analogoiim situation that the City Of ikllar 

sqht oro?srly require thr rallrosd in question to rmo+is’l ita 

tl-ao’I.9 and fcoll *.tie~ an3 tha grading tkerzof et ?ointl interseating c1t.p etreeta 90 24 to conform to the grsds ar ru& 

strocts. Sz.srking of thin von~r In the Ctt3. t’ne Cozrt sold: 
. . 

. 

. 

Ronorablr John 0. Xarborger, page 11 

‘St la merely the exwolae oi the power 

l ubJeot to uhloh all .peraons uee the pub110 

hlghwaya for their own aurpoaea to 80 regulatr 

auah uaea to aeoure the rrghta therein of the 

people genera21y, snd proteot them In tha safe. 

and oonvenlent enJoyBent thereof. The pouer 

exlata at all the8 ln thr leglalatwe and lr! 

thoae laferlor gorernaentalbodle4 to vho8 

St may be properly oommltted, and lta prcwr 

exemlae a4 unreatrlotecl by the acre pawlout 

stistenam of propwty rlght8. 

,* l * In thla 0~49, the rtrrrta are Already eatabllah4d -- ?rop4rly, we mat aasume -- 

aoroaa the rellraad, and there la no effort to 

apply the pow4r of enlnent domain. The axlatlng 

oroa4lng*, as the olty oontend8, are 80 aanger0~8 to life tna 80 moonvenlent to travel*8 to 

requlre that the pro3084d ohang44 b4 made.' 

At mother-point tba court aala: 

'That oomvenaetlon ?a not requl:ed to be 

made for ruoh lam8 aa la ocoaploned by the pro? 

gr exerolre ci the 3011~4 power has &ready been 

rtatti. It 18 equally trur that thr m2im0n 

ol auoh 1088 la not 8 taking without due ~roo4aa 

of law. The exartlon or ths poller power ~$08 

8ubJeota lying wlthln its aoope, in a propf anb 

lawrul manner, la dus proaeaa of law.* 

. 

Sor an additlonnl ratton the Commla8ioneras Court 

say require the renoral of ths ‘A* pole8 In quratlon. Artlcle 784 of the Penal Code ?rohlbltr the obatmctlnn of a 

aubllo hlghnay. A8 polntml out ln the Saokaonrllle case, aup 

r4, the erection pi Tower pol4r along 4 gubllc high- ln 

such a wey aa to lnoommode the publlo la a manaor and -an obatruotion. Artiole 788 M the penal cod4 enJoln8 u>on the 

oomala410n4ra1 oourt the duty of rcgulatln~ 4nd ?rovlding for 

the reahal of suoh obatructlona. 

For the rea4ona given and under ths aut5orltl48 olt& 

It ia the oplnlon or t314 dsqartnsnt en3 you ar4 advlaed thet 

the Comn14410nere1 Court of Fayette Count7, Taxes, nay require 

the general coqany and the elv3trfo oooperatirs to rsmre from 

the rlghtao:-way of a dtalgn4ted atrK4 highweT at their expenee 
. 

Honorable John 0. MthUrger, 985e 12 

eleotrio power poles and liner plaoed there by ther whea ouoh 

reaotal beooaer neoerrary by re8aon o? the Mdening and relocntlon of the hi5hvay kn queeflm. 

ThIe la not the oaee with reweot to the *3* gales. 

k‘e have polnted out that the transm'.erlon lines and pole8 which 

.we here dealgnated .B* polee are now lawfull.~ 011 and &orose 

nrivete groptrt;l by vlrtue OS sareaents granted the respeotire 

?ower oomvaales by orlvato lm4 ounere. That there emeaents 

are properv rights vhloh oan not be r93ro9rIated Sor the nob110 use vlthout oompeneatlon la well e8tabltsh& SectIon 17, 

ht. 1, Constitution OS Texas; City OS Fort Korth '1. Southwestern Jell Telephone Co+may, 20 Ped.(2d) 972, re-hearlag 

denled, 81 r'ed. (2d) 1016. 

Thla rule bar also been handed down by the Supreme 

Court of the United State@. In Panhandle Samtern Ploe Line 

Comanv t. the State Hlghvry CommleeIon of Kafiear, 294 U.S. 

313, 55 9. Ct. S&.79 L.Bd. 1090, the rnoto were that the 

pipellna oomxn7'e llne8 uere all located on lte om vlghtof-way, saouretl rroa landomers, ‘and none ot the lines werip 

looatsd along, 00 or aoroe8 any pretlouely sxlstlng etste 

huhnm?. The 9Ighmy Comalsrion, IealrIng to widen and relocate tb:q hIghmy ln question, aoqulreil rlghti-or-ray lor 

hlghv$y lm$)rs+crent from ret lendovnerm but 613 not obtoln 

the oonrent of the plpellne ooaty~n7 to oroas or 00~~97 its 

right-or-way. 

The hlgkwa7 lngrovemsnt neoeteltated certain ohangea 

in the pi9ellnt company lines. In tom Inatanoem it war neoesmary that the plpellnnr be lowered and enoased. In other 

Instanoer St Van nsoersuy that the glpeline and telephone 

1:ne be removed to ths outer edge oi the right-or-wa7 nrvlp 

acquired by the Blghw~y Commioelon. Howettr, none OS thn 

ohanper would have required the pipeline ompan7 to aoqulre 

any new or addltlonal right@-or-wa7. The Court, amaking 

tkrouzh Xr. Justloe Ho%e)nolda, bela that notvlthatandin5 

th8 ttCm8 Or a statute 5l~In5 the Ri5hway ~o~sl8alOn thr rl&t 

to rtqulre the rtabvsl or the piotllnea at the ex%mse or the 

4pelln'e oom?anf, the State oould oonrtltutlWall7 sxsro~os 

BO euoh oowtr. It held that, 

*If carried lnt:, eritot, Ike ohalltngalorQtr 

of thr oonrlsglon would result In taking >rfvate 

poptrty ror ;lu?mo use.* 

, 
-. . 

. 

Boaorrrble John C. narburger, gage 1S 

. . 

The ootirt aaha*lreil that a grit-tn rwht-nf--u-r 

I8 an easement und it lnnd that oannot be 

--- --- -w “y 

use wlthout oomentation. 

taken Sor cub110 

We have htrttdar0 held in 8Ooordanoe wlth the Lyle 

thus established 37 the Sumerr Court of the Ualtea Sttter.‘lfin 

Q-Salon JO. 0-227s w rteted thrt, 

Vbe ~1st rhmlag the looatlon OS the rlgatof-ua7 fOr the 013 highua7, ttm right-of- ior 

tin ?ouer lint mml the right O: ~37 of the new 

hQZwy, s2a-o tht tst per l:nr dV,not orom 

nr 643 c-war t2e arlglml c’g9w97, but *en th9 

new highway VJI ozmzuot?% t?.e right-or-m7 tor 

the 66a6 arosted tts rlg3t-or-w3y 3f the pawtr . 

llae or utillt7 coe~any, nBoe*sltetirtg the r6- 

soval oi a few mice of the power lice elocg the 

#ides OS the MY highway, l lro th* utlllt7 oolpan7 

was requlrrd to tse higher -mles la crottlng the 

h%&my am1 ereot certala 

tbp weatlonM drcurgs6. 

00m3nn~ van aat mquircd to *vcur: 327 rl”.ltlonal 

right-of-xq.ior tbe rbsre reztlm+S YW~OSH. . 

*In tltw oi the for*gola5 authorltlcs, yw 

are tto~ot?c.lly r3rlrsd tbctt it lr t'fie ooIaI.>o 

cr t&is de?,rrt;rer.t trot tz:e ooucty 1s iitm~ to 

the crrli St:tc8 ritlllty CS-AB~ for tll rwonrbla Sl~QCttO ntoberrrlly lnourrt~ by srld oO8- 

;3n7 2.3~ the tm705ts cr0rt5aia.a 

C~.cse~xmtly, lt !a the odl.nIoo or this dtaartotnt 

arid fou b-8 A~le3d that tnsoiar 89 '3. ulree awl yoles are 

omoem&, mu la-u?ull7 oa an8 aoroae wlrate lm6r b7 virtue . 

of eastmsnts from the lam? mrmrt, Fayette Cow&q ~111 be llable to the utlllties in qlO%tiQB tar the oott of removing. 

and reloantla~ euob poles nvi vires en3 nay not In .pooeedlng 

urder hrtlolt 83742n to aoqclre new r&Me-or-way SOr a ulder 

tnC ~zlaoottd h!ghmy reeve cr lamgo aso:! rt-rcoturet wlthout 

b: ?urcheea or oxldrenatloa aeying Jst OQm~tBSBtkJB to the 

utll:tlcs, .mnbre 3K tbt caEsaenta.