March7, 1957
Hon. Edd B. Keys CpinionNo. W- 48 CountyAttorney Tom Green County Re: Does Section96 of the new Probate San Angelo,Texas Code supersedeand repealArticle 6629,RevisedCivil Statutes,which prohibitedrecordationof any in- strumentafter August 22, 1897, and not in Englishlanguageand related Dear Mr. Keys: question.
Your letterrequestingour opinionrelativeto the captioned matter is as follows:
"The questionis, does Section96 of the new Probate Code which permitsthe reoordanceof the copy of a foreign will and its probatein the deed records of any countywhere real estate,of which dispositionis made by the will, is located,but that no provisionwas made for the translation for the same? Does the said Section96 supersedeand repeal Article 6629R.C.S. which prohibitedrecordationof any in- strumentexecutedafter August 22, 1897, and not in English language7
lurther the questionis, if Section 96 does supersede Article 6629,is i necessaryto have an accompanyingtrans- lation? If so, by what means would the translationbe made and what requirementfor its authenticity?"
Article 6629,Vernon'sCivil Statutesreads as follows:
"No deed, conveyanceor other instrument,whetherre- latingto real or personalproperty,if in any other than the Englishlanguage,shall be admittedto record;provided,that all such instrumentsexecutedprior to the twenty-secondday of August, 1897,may be filed and recordedif accompaniedby a correcttranslationthereof,the accuracyof which is sworn to before some officerauthoriaedto administeroaths. Such translationsshall be recordedwith the original,and if cor- rect shall operateas constructivenoticefrom and after the date of its filing,if the originalbe authenticatedin the manner requiredby l.a~.~ Hon. Edd. B, Keys, page 2 (WW-48)
Section96 of the Texas ProbateCode which became effectiveon January1, 1956, provides:
"When any will or testamentaryinstrumentoonveyingor in any manner disposingof land in this State has been duly probatedaccordingto the laws of any of the United States, or territoriesthereof,or the Districtof Columbia,or of any countryout of the limits of the United States,a copy thereofand of its probatewhich bears the attestation,seal and certificaterequiredby the precedingSection,may be filed and recordedin the deed recordsin any countyof this State in which said real estate is situated,in the same man- ner as deeds and conveyancesare requFredto be recordedunder the laws of this State, and withoutfurtherproof or authenti- cation;providedthat the validityof such a will or testa- mentary instrumentfiled under this Sectionmay be contested in the manner and to the extenthereinafterprovided."
Artiole 6629, V.C.S., is a generalstatutewhich appliesto the filing and recordingof deeds, conveyancesor other instrumentsrelating to eitherreal or personalproperty. Section96 of the probateCode is a specialstatutewhich only appliesto the filing and recordingof wills or othertestamentaryinstruments.
It is a generalrule of statutory constructionthat the enact- ment of a speciallaw will not repeal or supersedea prior act of general characterand application. But an act containingspecificprovisionspre- vails over a prior act which deals with the subjectgenerally. According- ly, both acts will stand and a specificact is treatedas an exceptionto, or qualificationof, a generallav previouslyenacted. Bunt v. Atkinson, 12 S.W.2d L$? (Cool.App.)
You are thereforeadvisedthat it is our opinionthat Section 96 of the probateCode does not repeal or supersedeArticle 6629,V.C.S., which prohibitsthe recordingof instrumentswhich are not in the English Language. Both Section96 of the ProbateCode and Article6629. V.C.S., will stand,,andSection96 of the ProbateCode shouldbe treatedas an exceptionto, or qualificationof, Article6629,V.C.S.