Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1944 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Hooorabls Jesse Janes State Treasurer AuBtin, Taxes Dear Mr. Jemset LitateTrees he above subjeot of ,theCounty C 81ent0r g3,ss hart aa state era tiowavailable idon that the en- uw3 mm-iOlsnc y payment es ord8rau’; 80 mQe ie the State Treae- rcrpozwibilityto the heimi ex or any other& that might ap- pear in the rutursV* The following krticlem of the RevlseQ Civil 3tatutan are psr*fnentr -Article 965%. men funds 0r an estate iuAos been *id to the State Treasurer, any heir, Qsvlsee or legatee of such estate, or their assignees, or any of them, may recover the portion of such funQs to w:~ichhe or tkay wogld have baen entit3.eQ.w Honorable Jesse James - "hx%iQlS 3665. The person claiming such fun&s shall institute his sult ttersfor, by p;,titionfiled in the county court of the aounty in w%icb the ss- tate Was adoiuiatered,a&ainst the State Treasurer, Setting forth the petiticner*s right to such funds, ant? the acount clclxacdby hh.- "Artlcls 9654. Upon the filing of such ;Iatition, the Clark sbdl lsaw a oitrrtion for the County Attor- fieYof the County or the Cistrlot ht,torneyof the &is- trict ti.anwar and reprcssnt the int0rsst of the State in Such suit, antIIt shall bs tno duty ot such C0UIItyor riiStriQtAttqrnsy to do 8s." "Prticls 6666. 'Rhoprosssdingsin mah suit shall bs gorarnsd by ths rules ror othsr oivil Suits1 and shsuld the ylaitilf'flstsblish his .' ‘. :c: +4:’ ,:t: $l.j. IB'ithrsspwt to ths vsl.tdityof suoh judgasnt, fn- volrlng as It does, a suit in #&s COIlotyCourt to TeOeTQr ths 8~ of $S,85&.95, wb beg to advise that the statuts authoriz- ing the county Court to sxsroiso ~urisdlctlonhas boonupheld by thr aqmsme Court sines ah Sarly day. Ih Dodson v. Worthem, 8t8to Trsssurcr, 46 8. ,U., 888, Justim Ply, writing the oplnlon for the Co.Wt oi Clril,A.p- .peals.said: ** * *+fn utiole BE11 (rhieh 8 Mund und.s title ~91, to estates ofdec'3deDt8, it 18 relating provided that when the tund8 belonging tQ as 88- state have nct,bsen claiard by heirs, mQ him besn pid to the state treasurer by wdu oi the oouato judge, that any hairy,dsrises, Qr ls&xats~Qf ths decedent *~laiaing such runds, or any portion thorn- or, shall institute his milt thrrsfor, by petltioa riled in the oounty court o? the county is which tha estate was a&s.Iclsterod, against the txeasurar of tne mite, satti& rorth tiiapstitiossrSsrl$ht to suoh funcs, and the amount claimed by hibe' It 1s E'Jriorable Jeaae Jomae - r~aga5 bVideAtly contaapletedby this Btatuta tket the %:.itin question can ha brought in the cwnty t! urt r?&ardleSs of the amount, e,Ad the etntate ie conatitutfonal, in aas8 the amount should be less tlan ;,POOoi-more than $1,000, only on the growid that the county court ha6 obtained Juria- diction of the estate S.ythe administration,and that the suit 1s a mettar ;Isrtaia!ng to such ad- micistration. In this case the suit ia for $1,7%lG?.Q, a.,Isatter in exoesa of tha j;lr:\adla- tion of the county oourt except on the @wnd mntioned, that it 3.85 mattar pertaf:A,ng to en estate. iTehave found no ceee in thlm 8tata di- rsctlg in point, but in the case oi heaeurer v. Wygali, 46 Tsx. 447. suit use institutedin ths county oourt for tundr belongiag to an em- tate, amountIng to over #50,000, ,and,although thb Potter of jtiiedietlanwas not disour8e6,wa muat presume it ~4x114have been aotioed had them been in the minds af WAS .oourt,any.questloga& tr, jux$adiotien. bhen the same oaae was agaia be- fore tha supreme oourt (51 Ter. (Bgl),it w6 held that ,a Judgmant In favor of other holm was m* ,!.& ..I.~:I.~:;;:;t,~,:*````~:er,~:La*,l~*o::``~ i::~:``:,rrrri``ii,~i``*:i;``~'::i;!;!': .Il;i:;:,;;::;I;I <~.~,,, .'...i that a proceeding like the one we are aonslder~ing ia one in rem, in wtioh the partlerrclaiming the eatate should have intervened'tht*tis to sap, it a8 a oontinuetionof the fxbdkiietmtian of a5 es- $e$b,of ridah the oou5ty etmrt had jurisdiatfon. . Yena are thersfora reo setfully sdvimed that the 5otmty Court OS El Paso County had jur!ediction to reader ths $udgmeat IA rav0r of the plaintiffs,and It remains only to he EWIII whethar or not the order found in suah judgment direotiag the ,dsfendaat, State Treasurer, to pay said ju@vmnt to Lom.l~ & Kirk- land, attorneys oY reocrd for plaintiffa, i8 sufficientto author- ize you to make paymant dirsctly to %uoh attorneys* We have oarsfully uamlnsdzthe authorLtlsewith respeot to thie question. There Is nmah uacttrteintyin the law 6s to thirr point. Of oour8e, aucfiatto.rneymay be olothsd with ruch power in or he may otherwise have such power the contract of am;soyuient., conferred ~pon him. MI hnve nothing to show that such actual author- ity has beer;conrarred ul;onati:orneyafor plaintiffs in thi8 in- stance. Honorable Jeasi Jamerr- z;agcl 4 W4 note the order of the Judge ir "that tho amount hereitartsrawarded and 8st rorth, bs paid to Loomi & Klrlc- land, attorney8 0r record ror plOintfrr8, who fm authilri88d to alga receipt8 thoreror on rooeipt or name from the damd- a nt l* It18 our 0p15105, howsver , this language add8 noth- t;: *+p the legal 8rrOOt 0r Onciml the judgmmt ror the lain- f Suab matter vma not an !I68~ for the court ts dseem:ns, and tlk order ltaali a8 ruoh has no binding SOECO. Grd8rs naQo bsyoad the i88u~8 before the court are not for adjudioation. The ylalntlfi8and their &ttorney8 wera, OS oour88, not adrelc 86ry prtls8. P.wthrrmom, it lppean the application upbnnhich tha ,Jtidgment'hcm under oonsidwatlon ua8 rendsrsd w8a1ill8d orlglnrrlly en IMe:-mbor b, 192#, and tha Judgwnt rendered ;8.& daadAu&a8t SI5,1944.. Them are ten ditierent 18in- Whether ot not theacl plaintlrfs am stl f1 llr- in& is not ;hown. metlmr @r not they or any or th8m have horeiorors a8nignd 8aaoh udgant 18 not 8hown. The lap86 6s i:l;~-:,,,:~,,iv?i,;i.,ir.a.;,, &~u:.i*``````~<``@!~ iI~,*,&@@p~*~i~)3sh..:b,h* .,.*.",**Q*",p@o 'i'. 2 olte8 thrt'depo8l0lonr rim raad and oral testlmonf heard baa boon wmmal& In riow OS all the iact 8urounQing thlr sltuatlon, it i8'mr ~pif1185, a ndwe 80 ldvtso, that you should sot pay the Judgm8nt to the 8ttoreeya for the plaintirfs. Thrlr luthsr- ity to make 8uoh eollrotlo5 may la Saot exid)t, but the matter hnet made to appear wiiah ruSSloimnt olesrity an to authorisa you toe make papont. FO 8qa8t that you iakr pa&mat of t&o /uthpoat by rsgular tremmmsr*~ warranta mdrflY;ah& ;pb&rFz;r&- plaintfflluin tim 8mou5t8, reqm8 mlt the86 lrarrrnts to the Clerk OS the &nt~ C&t oi El Pa80 County at BJ Pa&b, andorelng upon oaoh ouoh warrant the Judg- ment in payment for rhiah it 18 lmuod. very truly your8 APPROVFiD DIE 18, X014 ATTORNES omw OF TNxA3 /a/ Carl,* C. h8hl.v FlR8T A33~3TMT ATTORIHT OXlti=A& m m-gpiw AlTRcXND OPINIOll COMMI~B BY /$/ 0. P;. B., CHAIRMAlI