Court Opinion

ID: 4146230
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-18 04:05:50.693672+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:34:21.882682
License: Public Domain

OFFICE    OF   THE   ATTORNEY      GENERAL     OF    TEXAS
                            AUSTIN

                                                February         U,   1@30

Hon. Edgar 3. Payne
County Attorney
Hookley County
Levelland,  Texar
3ear Sir:

                                               etter   of    January

                                      dlaoretlon, suoh
                                      r county buainear?m

                        norable J. J. Striokland,        dated April
                       t oplaloa Mr. Looasy 8aidt

        no one should be allowad, or petitted,              to
        oacupy It eroept the publlo offlolala           named
        ia the mtatute..
             Thea the oplnloa altes the va r io wltatute8,
rhloh    hare been retained  In the same anbstantlal  tO?m
.

    Hon. Mgar     E.. Payno, T6bnury     las, 1939, Page &

    lnun;;$la6t    oodlfioation.   and   states   hi6 oonol~6~~~~

                 Ve do not think, therefore,    that aa
          authority   sxl6ts in the oou6ty o~i66ioner6
          6ourt to oontraot for the rental of any of-
          tlo66,   or offloe   6psoe. In the oourt houso,
          and no p er so n,  lxuept the offloer8 named 1s
          the rtatute, oaa alair the right to o6oupr
          any room6 or spa06 therein free of rest, or
          othenime.
                The sheriff     of the oounty would hare
          the right to instltut6     a suit lo the MM
          o f the oounty to lr io ta nyOo o up entfr a
          the oourthoxse not authorlred to Oooup7 the
          66me, sinoe he 16 the legal outstodlan of
          the oourt house a8 provided in Art1016 8393
          (nor Art. 6872 Rawle C. 3. 19251, subjeot to
          6u6h regulations     as the cOm!dssiOnOr6 Court
          nay proaoribo......"      arport and Opinions,
          Attorney General, 1914-1916, p. !M8.
               Se do not find that the exaot qu66tlXarehall,   supra,,
oould b6 relied upon to ohange the general rule, sup-
ported by tha great wel&ht of authority     a6 statsd In
the follorl~   1ancuciFe of Zorpiis Jurle 115 C. J. 537):

             *In aooordanoe    with the general rule
       heretofore   stated that oounty boarde or
       oounty oourte have ao powers other than
       those oonfsrred expressly or by nQOQ66Up
       lmpllOatlon,   ruoh oourtr or board6 havo
       no pawer to rent or to lease property       or
       tranohiees   owed   by the oounty in the
       6b66nO6 ot statutory authority      60 to dOen
       (S6e luthoritIe6    olted   under this text)

           We find no OOZlStitUt~Ona~ or statutory authorl-
ty la Texas for tha renting of odloe6 in 6ourthou6e6.
In our opinion the only spaos the ~omxIssIoner6~   Court
would be luthorl6ed to rent or laa6a would b that olear-
17 not needed for oounty bu6ine68, and then only for
purrpor66 senlng       pub110 oonrenlenoe     or n60666It7.
                                       .
Hon. Zdgar 6. Fayne,      February 25,   1939, Page 4

             You   are therefore raspeotrully   advlaea      that
your question      io answered in the negative.

          ;.e wiaf; to thank you ror the splendid brlef
submitted,  and to expres8 our regret at the unatoilable
delay in ana*ierLg you boosuse of the press of mob
bualnssa or thio Depart&sent.

                                      Very   truly   your8

                                               Jamln modal1
                                                   Xmlatant