Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1957 )

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.
Section96 of the probateCode does not repeal
or supersedeArticle 6629,V.C.S. which pro-
hibitsthe recordingof instrumentswhich sre
not in the English language. Both Section96
of the ProbateCode and Article 6629,V.C.S.,
Hon. Edd. B. Keys, page 3 (W- 48)
will stand,and Section96 of the ProbateCode
should be treatedas an exceptionto, or quali-
ficationof, Article 6629,V.C.S. Bunt e.
J&&~Q& I2 S.W.2d I.42(Cm. App.)
Yours very truly,
WILL WIISON
AttorneyGeneral of Texas
Assistant
APPROVED:
OPINIONC@!MI!PTEE
H. Grady Chandler,Chairman
WVG:gs