Opinion ID: 1763371
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Reporting and Delivery

Text: Section 117.002, as amended, requires any funds, except cash bail bonds, deposited under Chapter 117 and presumed abandoned to be reported and delivered by the clerk without further action by any court. TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE § 117.002. According to the court of appeals, the amendment excluding cash bail bonds from section 117.002's automatic reporting and delivery requirement facially appears to say that such bonds are not subject to being delivered or reported to the comptroller without a court order. See 970 S.W.2d at 151. The court of appeals held that cash bail bonds need not be delivered to the comptroller unless the court in which the funds were deposited so orders, but concluded that requiring a court order for the clerk to report what is being held would thwart the legislative purpose with regard to the handling of abandoned property and lead to an absurd result. Id. Consequently, the court of appeals held that a court order is not necessary to trigger a holder's duty to report cash bail bonds. Although we agree with this result, we do not agree with the court of appeals' conclusion that, because the statute was amended to exclude cash bail bonds from automatic reporting and delivery, court action was then required to trigger these duties. The 1997 amendment simply removed cash bail bonds from the automatic reporting and delivery requirements of section 117.002. Therefore, we must look elsewhere to determine a holder's duties with respect to those funds. Section 74.101(a) of the Property Code requires a holder to report property that is presumed abandoned: Each holder who on June 30 holds property that is presumed abandoned under Chapter 72, 73, or 75 ... shall file a report of that property on or before the following November 1. TEX. PROP.CODE § 74.101(a) (emphasis added). We are aware of no statutes that restrict or conflict with a clerk's duty under section 74.101(a) to annually report cash bail bonds that are presumed abandoned. Accordingly, we hold that the clerk must comply with the annual reporting requirements of section 74.101(a). With respect to delivery, we are faced with the same apparent conflict that existed before section 117.002 was enacted. Section 74.301(a) of the Property Code requires a holder to deliver abandoned property to the comptroller along with the report required by section 74.101. See TEX. PROP.CODE § 74.301(a). Article 17.02 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, however, provides that cash bail bonds shall only be released upon order of the court. See TEX.CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 17.02. It is this apparent conflict that we must resolve. Section 74.301 of the Property Code is a general provision that requires a holder to deliver abandoned property to the comptroller. See TEX. PROP.CODE § 74.301. Article 17.02 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, on the other hand, relates specifically to the release of cash bail bonds deposited in the courts' registry. See TEX.CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 17.02. If a general provision conflicts with a special provision, they should be construed, if possible, so that effect is given to both. See TEX. GOV'T CODE § 311.026(a). When one statute deals with a subject in comprehensive terms, like section 74.301(a) of the Property Code, and another deals with a portion of the same subject in a more particular way, like article 17.02 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the specific will prevail. See TEX. GOV'T CODE § 311.026(b). Because article 17.02 speaks specifically to the release of cash bail bonds, it controls over the more general Property Code provisions regarding delivery of abandoned property. Accordingly, we hold that the clerk has no duty to deliver abandoned cash bail bonds until the court in the underlying criminal prosecution has ordered their release. Who, then, may petition the court for the abandoned bonds' release? The court of appeals concluded that the State, at any time following the expiration of the dormancy period, either before or after receipt of the report, may petition the court that entered the final judgment in the underlying criminal prosecution to order the funds delivered to the comptroller. 970 S.W.2d at 151 (emphasis added). Although no specific statute directly addresses the issue, the court of appeals' holding comports with the general statutory scheme that places ultimate responsibility for enforcing the abandoned property provisions with the comptroller. For example, Chapter 74 of the Property Code contains an entire subchapter empowering the comptroller to enforce the reporting and delivery of abandoned funds. See TEX. PROP.CODE §§ 74.701-710. In particular, the Legislature has given the comptroller the authority to examine the records of any holder to determine whether required reports have been made, and to sue to compel holders to deliver or report abandoned property. See TEX. PROP.CODE §§ 74.702, 74.709. Once property is presumed abandoned, the comptroller assumes responsibility for it and essentially steps into the shoes of the absent owner. See State v. Texas Elec. Serv. Co., 488 S.W.2d 878, 881 (Tex.Civ.App.Fort Worth 1972, no writ). Given the nature of the comptroller's powers and responsibilities, we agree that the comptroller is the proper party to seek court orders releasing cash bail bonds that are presumed abandoned.