Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Beaonbl~ fobn A. Shcrok
CWmlral DIrtrUt Atkmmy
Raur Oeuut~
Tua#
Ban Aamtoalo,
Attentloaa Mr. 1. J. Oltblager
/A ,v
Doar 8lrt
oopy of letter M-
Fmnk Bau&hea, D&e-
#l, Bexar aoust~,
vikkire lslom herewithcopy of 001 re-
qtmt to you far an 6,pinloa o a a llmilar qubr-
tioll,dated J antmy 88, 194e, and mmr pm to
your oplnloa 150. c)-43TR in aaemr t0 OUT F8-
quart.
Rbnerabla JohmB. slhoek,Pago 2
0 Judge
ve rlmo hand yearcopy of mu opinioa 8e
Vau&aa 6ated mroh OI, 1948.
r.
I wa know of no r wtmr lmterltlea fm the
qw8tlon submitted, o-t that n~opaper le-
eo unto
ltaak that th asB p r em*
a o ur t,
isp a ..-
try on tho quootloBaf the mmerohlp of ia*.
in the oaoo of Rueeeo Ooolrty
vo. OwWoa,
Taxoolloetor,ioropertodtohow lmuthat
mush tioo klended 00 BTueoeo OouatJ. I hrvo
a0 0epy or tk ap4a0n.
"It la JwS@ Vma&mn'r rontontloatht &
la atltlaa tottbrieor,aemlu1oBa uraprp
wato wrwd at hir ior a o tla @ l1 R86trtrmr for
the Baord’oi'liti1 btatlotloouabr tho provl-
liOB O?th 8
1O.t
lo&rmph Of& t.
88-.
8.0.
1 9, (7
0.
8Ub dittOiOB
W now doolro to pawpmad tbroo ~aotloao:
*(a) X0 t&o Jwtloo a? tb Peas., eotin
a. Re~lrtrar far tha BoaPd Of ato f
to 6ollwt
8to~lotlaotocltherlsmd
~oeowborethore 4o no foa f4xed b
law for the owvloa puformod br hL
aI ouoh Ro&lot,rrm*l
“(b) Ia tha *rent it be held that tlm ‘
rw
woo oellootodritheuteutkwitf al
low, ~Ohoul6 tha f*e k mtUXB& to
tho parer, rolrinod W
tIm Juotlaa
af the Peaoo, or pold owr to tha
cowtJ1
"(a) Xo tho Jaotieeof tha PwW uitlt1.d
to tempt aad nteh ioo Mmmst 1F4f-
koa OeBtO ia POySWlt Of -oh ProOf
of death trawalttod by hla to tha
8004`` sooarity Basrd ogoa 8 fora
lubrittedbr oha Board where prori-
eion ha. b4.R ma. sor the so&e1
to nk e lmh payamtt?
soour4tyR o a mI
=A Mb ewww lo reqnwted oa the 9mo-
lubpftted."
tioaro
Honorsble Soha R. Shook, Page 5
The latter of the juatieo of the p..oe ad&roooo&
to you, montlomd in the iirot paraeaph of your l.tt.r,
amittinp, the r0mi part8 read0 am r0ii0w0t
wAttached hereto la a oh.ok in the ma8
0r #LOO tendered to PO by l!r.Ralph 8. Cadwal-
leaer on bahalr or one or hi8 aliento for the
r0110win&purpose:
%aU the 181~ Of the BMCO Of uBW0
one mar .ot.blloh h4. noord of birth br pro-
lentiq4 to that state a eortirloota of tb
l.oo8l mgiatrar of tha Count7of tha 8tato in
whloh tb eroon rroldoo, stat iB lub.t.aro
that auoh ff.giotrar bad viewed 30
t f.dl~ bible,
iB OlW.ilO.P Ol~O~O Or Oth W ltat.d bOtm0BtO
and that auoh Snotrumeato and blblo ooatalnod
fret8 ngardlng the bSr%h oi maid party. Mr.
Cadwalladu promntad to me &w&h dooumantr and
i.aquir&dam to tha rem. I latonrd hlm that
I did not know ofan~ proorrlbod f.. but no
aura that it rortldnot .x.md $1.00 for laoh
proon upon ah0minformation u80 aought.
wlmroupoa ha pnoented the wooooary lnatnt-
mrato ror two people and tan&red thm attaohed
ohaok.
``1.80. %aSorm mo whether OY not I ho-
the rl&ht to oecnpt mash tOn6ar and if so, io
it aoooantmble.w
Rule &3a) Art lolo 447’1, Yeraeat’O AaaWated 0 1~1%
Statut08, aO ~sz@ndeU,AotO 19U. 47th &gi818tW., peg0 788,
0hapt.r 406, providea 4~ part 88 fo~ow0:
". . . .
"That each 10081 re&lotrar oh811 IM paid
th. .UPLor Fiftr (50) O.nto ror *aOh birth and
death 0Ortirioato propetl~and oompletely aada
out ana regiotored with h&i, and aornotl7 ra-
oorasd ana promptly roturwd br &la to th.
State Bureau of Vital Stntlti00, a@ r0qUiOd
by this Aot, URUOO OUOhWe.1 8’B@.$Ot~r .hSll
Eonorable John R. Slwok, Fag. 4
b. stating ao Registrar Of Birth8 end Doatb in
an lnoorporated afty where the oompenastioa of
the Rogiatror is oth.rwirr.riad br city Qrdi-
041108b
*. . . .*
Tb 188t 80nt8n0. in #ub..Otlon (0) Of motion 19
Artiolo b9lf!8,V.rnon~o Annotated Citil Statute., apply,iog
to oouotl80 h8rlng a population In axoe80 or 0.8 hundred end
BiWty 8boumand inhabitanta aooordixig to tb last pr...din(l
Fbduel Oewua med. a. follomoi
*In oouatioo whore tb oamml8alonua~ aour
dekalw to plaoo the $aotloe8 or the poaao on
a 8alary basis tb juetioo Of the pseoo .h.lL r.-
o.ir. in addition themto, all fe.., oou.nl..i~no,
or payment0 ror prforniog murisgw ouemonloo
and for aotlng 80 reqglotrar for the4Board or Vi-
tal s8at4otloo and wbsa aotiug m ax 0fric40 no-
tary publlo.*
whuo juatfaeo 0r the pasob are oompemaCedoa an
lnaual aalarl baa5.8, ouoh jtmti.80 of the p08oO 8r. authorlmd
to oolleot end rataln ?..a (whioh are author&red and provided
by law) ror sot4aq etanglotraro for the Board of Vital St.-
tiotioo, in addition to their annual BdlOrie8, whioh h8r. boon
?I..6 by th. ~is.ion.ra* oaurt. In 8o~lf.noo with th. Off-
lo.ra Salary Law. IJI oonnsotion with the forogolng w dlrvot
four attsntion to our opinion Ho. O-/Z25 and 8801006 a eopr
or tim maw h4rewlth.
Th. abor. matloned OpinlOn d080 not h01d that
jurtio.0 0r the psao. aotlng al reg4otraro for the Board of
Wt.1 Statietioaare outhorltod to eoll.ot snd r8t.i~ fee8
where th.zy io no r00 rird or .uthorlmd by law ror the s.rv-
i008 8njoS.n.doa thm b7 statut8 ana parotid by thaa as suoh
Zooal mgietraro.
31th r.f.mnoe to your rirot quest4on, it io 11811
88t8b11sh.d that em offloer my not olai~z or retain w money
without a law au8horiring him to do .oI end ol.erL9 fir*
the amount to whioh h. i. antlt1.d. To entitle an OffiO*r
Iiolwrsbl*;TobnR. Shook, 'Pa@ 3
to T~OOiVefees cr o~n~&Isai~na,the reobipt thereof mt
haV0 bOOA FT0Vid.d for and the aaount fixad by law and he
must her* priorwed the servlcea ror ~tioh oompnsati0n haa
bwn oertiried. Ao.otflaer la not entitied to any OoXIpen-
Setfou in addftiGn to that whioh haa been fIxed by l&w for
the prformsnae of the duties OS his ofiioe, even thou&
the oompanaation SO firad is uareaaonablo or inadequate.
80 may ba rsqulred by law to perform 8~oIfLa sorviaea or
diaaharue addition& dutiaa for whiah no aompruetlou 1s
provided. The obllaation to perform auoh eervhwe la im-
posed a8 an iaoldent to tin orfloe, end the offiaer bJr hla
8eOeptan6e theroof la doomedto hv6 en&aged to have par-
fommd without ooapenution.
tham zr there is no 8pe0if10
statutory authority providing for the payment of fees, It
bee been ropeetedly held that publio offiorra are not per-
fitted to oollsat teoa unleea the same era provldod~for by
law and the aaount for deolared by lsn. (Texas Jurinprudonoe,
Vol. 34, pp. 311, ss?P,3318 Benrord la. Roblnsonn,234 Zi.#.
807i Duoloa va, Bsrrla County, Z96 ii.3.4174 %&alla vs. City
or Rookdale 866 a.'#.6941 State vs. l&ark,87 Texas, 3071Coebp County Cattle Compel VE MoDotitt, 281 S.ii. 293)
fa view or the toregoin~, we respeetrully lna we x
your fIrat qmation aa stated abwe, in the nagativ0.
i;enow ooneider ycur abaoad quOOtiOn.' AS y8 M-
derataad this question, you have reterenoe to the fee mm-
tfoned i&i tha letter of the juasi+IOof tte pee00 quOtOP
above. The eervioee readerad or the dutieo porrormd by
the looal registrar nmntioned IR the above quObb i*ttW Of
tb jugtioe of the peaoo are not aervlaea or dutloe urjolned
or requind by atetute. ThSa be* trtrw, we nre of tb epln-
ion, tbt tha loeel ragiatrer io peaally entitled to reoeln
end TOtalA the above mantioaed fee. (Doeby Oaunty Cettle
Company ve. #ro``~t~t; BeatIon 19, Artlole 391ti, 8upTa) In
00meotion wittt tk toregcrlag we rent to point out thOt OW
``SWOX to OUT rirst question a a p lleao nly ta
the** lsr vle**
or duties %aposed ugon the looal registrar by the Statut4
for whioh A0 roe la provided.
TI* quote from the oaem of Nwoea Oounty ya. AnR
Currin ton et a&, So. 1899 -7-o (@PintOA d*1INMd ahar
20, &Qi2) ba r0lbiwt
Honorable John R. Shook, Pam 8
(t
. . . .
"It may be etcatedet the outset that t&a
Court of i;iviJApprle oorreotly holds that a
Zee Paid a pub118 offloes for the pertormenoo
OS a duty enJoined by statute Is a fee ool-
leetad in an oCrlaia1 oapaalty. It la equal-
ly true that unless the fea ia pravldad by 13~
for CM OrfiO%al SerVfOer8qUfrOd t0 b3 p0Ib
fommd and the amount tlvareai fixed by 13x8, nom
eaa lawfully be abarged tlmrefor. State v.
Moaro, 59 Tsura, 309. 380, 221) MoCalle T*.
City of Rookdale (Ooa. App.) 246 9.3. ser. xt
does not roli03f,hovmvor, that a ocwiy wban
ofrialal aolleota e ire wron@ully, but under
oolor of otflao, is not entitled to have a&m
doposited and paid over in th e lamo mmnnera~
ia required iOr dirpoaition Of f’8e8rlghtful-
ly aolleatad. s~bthor l aountr offlalal ~rho
has wrongfully 00u00tdafees 0rri0i.a~is
estopped to aeamt se agalnat the ootanty a
personal olaka thareto, 18 not before W. Tha
only que6tlona presented are those arIefn& 8
virtue of the u;rholdlng by the 00~1%of 01~1I
Appesla of the aotlon of the trl3l oourt in
sustaining defandsntla generel demurrer to the
oountpa petition.
“. . . .
*It Is oux aonoluaIon t&t th fees ool-
leoted, whether rlphtrully or wongfully *mei
for servloea Tendered by dafor:dantofflafally.
. . . .
*. . . .
*It rollom iron what we have ateted that
wo hold the defendant aoted In h3T otfloial
oapaoltp in isruing tha tax oertirIa3tea and ra-
ooiving themfor the fess sued for by the ooun-
ty; ale0 that it MO her duty to 3ooouut ror and
pay sm3 IntO tb aounty treasury Par the bWS-
rit of thg oirioara ml~ry Fund, and that hevins
rail34 to da 811and E3ving breaoimd her ofiiolal
Honanblm Solm IP. Shook, Pago 9