Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE Oc THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DF TEXAS
AUSTIN
I&. Olin 0Qlberron, CommI88ionrr
RF4Ilroad acmmlseIon or Texar
Austin, Taxa
Ikar Sir: Oplnlqm No.~O-4360
Ra: Authority oi 'thaRallroad
Commlreion to takr an;hl
"With mfrrsrioe
ollnd' 011 and @arrCo
you would please answer the follow-
“QUJpSTION
ee the opinion, as cited, authorize‘or
justlry the Commission in taking the well in
question ofi production schedule?”
Mr. Olin Oulbrrroa - Page 2
In order to lnmmr y a w qwutlon It I8 neoaraary
t0 .Xa~ins th# hI8tOry O? th8 Can. about ahloh you ark, to-
Wit, the M88 oi &anollnd oil & h8 &oQ.~II~ 1. Yid88 Ou
Company, at al. 'chatoara ~38 origImll$ fllrd on Ootobrr
19, 1935, by thr &mmlInd 011 (sb8 Oorrpanyto aanwl a per-
ait Irrud on JUM 10, 1935, by thr Railroad hd88iOn or
hrar to Mldar 011 Uoapany luthorlslng thr 6rIllIntJ a? en
On nll in th8 mart mm58 ?kl$ a8 an lxm tion to the &II-
road Odr8ion`` Rule 37. Tkw r.111.a drflllad boron thr
aI@ WI8 ribd. Onth8 orl&.imltrial o?th8 oa8a lnthr'
Dlrtriof &urt, jU4gIaant m8 Ulbrod '?m th8 d@#aadantr, *.
, and th8 ~ilrodOoai881aaoi 3hXC48 up*
t. That judgnunt wan l rle4 to thr bourt
O? civil Appti8 at AU8tIn; and that oou3 wrota an oplhlon
rrr8rslng thr judgment and ncaanding tb'3~@ara ?or n8w trIa1.
That OpidOn i8'r8pOrt8d a8 StanOlind‘ oil k a88 h. Y. &fIda8
011 co., 123 3. W. (26) 911. hta that judgnunt 0r the
.Courto? Clrll Appoala .applIostIon?or writ o? mr was dle-
@rard by tha'8uplWm Court o? 588.
The aam wh8 trIr4 a raoond tank In the District
Court, tgd jud&wnt VW again lnto r o ?or
d tha do?mlant8 up
holdlw-tha prmlt. '&e was on thr motion oPthe _
4rfrn4aiitiat thr ol-on o tba laintI??*r lvl&noo.
0880 WU@&~il.@ pW1.d to tf# Lrt or alvllAppml8 Y
h&b; aa thy E 00rt‘iii-cl-iii
-&wQ~ .y;alin
ntrnrd -thy --~.
trkl wnzrt*r ju4g68nt an4 rUmZkd8a th8 043~ fora8wtrlal
On thr
8018 i88ll@ Of rtOpprl, l thirtir, Qn thr al8 i8sUe O?
whtthar or not th ptiinti?? Stanollnd0il.k Gam Cmmny,
m8 rrtoppod by it8 omduot &II oaphi~ abazt thr plr-
mlt to drill raid oil wall. ThO weUrt held tint the petit
to drill tb nll war InmUd but that in riaw ot tha faot
that IIOOM oomplalmd ahut Chrjprdt for um than iour
~0nth8 an4 th8t the plalntiir, Staw2lln4 011 t @a~ Oompang,
did a& fllo 8a&3 8UIt to cane81 th8 p8mlt ?OrmoXm than
four month8 attar It ?as granted and that In the mantime the
petit&se, Midas Cl1 Company, "Imurrs4 hasry axpanee tOwurd8
&filing au& wall" it was a qw8tIOn O? fact "to be dekr-
M ador a11 the iaots and alrauumstano~e" whether the ~lsIn-
tlrf waited an unrsasonsbla length of tins before fIlint7its
suit,ar.dthereby perdttsd tha kidas GIL Con?ans to sctun4ar
ths yrnit, and Inaur suoh heavy expense that the Flabtiff
7;:~sborn4 under ths dootrkx of estopna1 fr.XzCW>lsiniW*
Th3t 0pin10~ or tb court of Civil i\ppaclsis r;?otied 3s
Stanollld Cm?&08 Co. v. Udas GIL Co.,
an4 the oourt, spsakfa through Ju8tioU%z6 ( '* said:
(2d) 13"
Mr. W.8 Gllknam, Pago)
”
. Tho ponlt ill quo8tIonwa8 . . . . _
oliar~’ l&8114.
“Thr OIdr r8PrrIdag qU88tiO¶I 18 that Of 089
toppe1 . . . .
“Qn th, Stanollnd, whao @mary intanrt
mad objrotlnla brlalng luoh llt 18 to.pro-
trot m om Property d&htr 8%t’ 8llon* -by for
r a P r .808th 8 *At
ltkr ruoh lr grantoa .appaiC
ltly loquIoro~ in 1tr prmuma vu.&, m-
tll th4 holdarthrrror ha8 am hr ha&~ a 01-r :
1 41 r&ht t@do, lnotmr~.haar):ef naa tomardr
drYl lln8'woh woll,:@n&,tbia .per ttrd to a84
8-t th8t drilling 16 will iI& id~bd'8
proprrty rbhta? . . .
-
. i'i ~'
(I hpp4llo4 &Id not by proaf undrrtakr
to rhow*o;t;vp~l48 4&4llUt 4Ilii¶VtiiaOrd8r. It8
oontontion in t&8 trtil oourt, and i%8 motion ior
M inrtruotrd VWdiot 8t th 4hl4 Of pl8inti??'8
doidenca, wa8 prebloakd entirely on the OOnt4n-
tlon, andlts motion af?Iramtinly 80 rhow8, that
*the plaIntAir ha8 wholly ?aIlad to dI8Oharg4 the
burden o? proo? placed upon it,* to ahow that
there was not before the ,Iia!Jroad COfDmisSiOn au?-
ficient evidence to sustain ssid.permit. ?&ml-
?68tly thi8 WJ88the ground on whloh the trial
.
Mr. Olin Wlboraoa, Rag0 4
OOWt b48od hi8 jUd@i4nt, Onth4tgroun4 it
CM8Ot b8 8U8t&IMd, 4nd th4 i88U4 l8tOp p r l,
Of
WtiOin thr bUtiOn T48t4d UpOtl 4pl141144, -8
not rdjwlleatod.
Vhat oonstltutoda r4aronablr tine, non4
brine flx4d by rtatotr,I8 whloh a protrrtant
Yl8t .Ot ia OUi.@ to 8Ot aaldo 8uOh punit; ald
whethrr.an Wu’8arOMbl8 d4lq f.ndo- 80 ha8
duyrd t& holdor c? ruoh a adIt an ,hbt
qUO8tiOti t0 b8 dokimlne~ .n i!@C .li thr f.Ot8
aad ~4ik88t4UO48 Of th4 p&%lbtia~ Oa84,
‘Th8 lavalldIt~ 0r.raad Q4lnIt a8 not kliq
lathorfwd Co prrmnt oond$rc4tIon,-4 a0
being Il3ViOl6tiOil Of thr &~1``~88ti~i’8 OWIl rub.
Of )day29, 1934, hlating to rolu&u-y eubdfti-
81OM, ba8 lWW baa tori00 de?tiitOiy adjudloat-
8d b th18 OOUl't# .4ll4 1~01101?OZ40x088da L)itlGO,
how4ni, tbr trial dout orronaowly rrndond
judgmant In ?avor of thr dehndant without ZI-
ulrlng lt to me4 sllyproof 011it8 l??Ina4tIYo
%r r r nr or r 4 8tOp p 81
a dr , funrlnllabla
r to it
a0 yalnrt Stanollnd 4T4n on an lntrlld prrmit,
w--t&l& lt abulb Ea.pmdtkd to hva that
i88U4 dOt4rpinr& %8 $Mgmant wfil'#i6l6?W8
k rrnrrad and the 44.~84 r48andd tar trial
80144 UpO?.k the i48UO ob .8tOp&?41 @Oad8d by
the dofoadant . . . ."
*a that ju&mant or tha court or old1 Apporla lpplloatlon
far writ a? error ma mturrd by the Suprrmr Coal% of hraa.
T&a 4404 WI trio4 9 thlni tlmo in the DIrtriot
Court on the 8018 quqstlon or whether or not tbr plaintiff,
St4nollnd Oil k De8 pompano, W38 barn4 by ratoppel Prom
malntalnlng the suit. The RaIlroad CQnaIseIon of %X38 and
it8 memti4r8,althou:yhnamsd a8 dafsndants In the pi4btIr?'8
ptitlon and hating app4amd in th4 two ~mvIou4 triala, did
not appear or partlolpats tn the third trial. The plainti??,
stanolj.ndofi 5:G33 Company, and the d4?4ndant, Midas Gil
Oorapany,eoc:,appaar4d by their 3ttO?XbOYS,and 4aciio??4md
-~doaa8, on tha third trial. The jury answered tw speciti
i44u44, ?indIw that, (1) "the plaintiff, StanGlind cil & @8
cp~w, delayed for an urLr448On3blOtim4 the brk%$% of
\
thim suit 8g8imt the dar~48nt; 1tia88 0~ c0m~4,* ln4
(2) %.ut dofw%mt, Ulaaa Oil hapay, has inaurna bra
lxpwlar rhloh it otharwlm wotlianot hara I.murraa.” &a.
upon thrnr ibUn@gr, the trial oourt rntrrad
thr pmntiit urd soot tbt a0rsndant buas8 0
jtigaont brlr( dated DI#abar 3, 19fi.
Tb. 08# iA8 &.ct a
sow on appeal P
h u#.idorpmt four qaartloa, you wan0 to hum
rbthar or. not tha &lln#d Comisd on of Texas hea author-
ity by rlrtuo ot what was *id in tha opinion or the court
of Civil Ap aal, to takn tho w.Ll in qtiqatlon off proaaatlon
S~b4lk. & othar word@, dora tha Rdlreoa Oomlaaioa &ta
rathcdty~io rziteran order ort.~takaletSm ttt id11 agop
produotlon id elk from *a nil In qmatlont
la.‘*iow-ofth8 a pellato wart 4ro&ioaa ~l.a this
stats w in ~orrriuood -tlm t tm Bailroid 6lmulaalal 4008 not.
hato 8Ptaoritrt-rr_taq...Str_k.-``ar ea or&r or to take 4*
lo tia th u a atll r so p~rodurtlon th ~-‘p a r tl8ula r-
that *-
ot';iiil-tra
wall, other tma t
-lb (rUUZ8``. 4&o
ontar an fnlor will app4 to all
Oomiralon aor net btl authority at
ImS tbr lif8atd
this tiw to emntrr an 0Wrthat
Or'%!4
t&r term oi thr paalt drill
rOdW
the ~11
br the Ooul88ion oa J~lar10, LO& be-
to7 tb
.waaorlg iamid
oeaaa thr cahlaaion aoaa mt ham urlr~litioa ever tht
rubjr* rttor by *lrtoa or tho n that tha wit attat-
Ing tb~ nllalty or tha pmndt 18 still ~ndiag. Suoh war
tho holding of tha &p?OlBS hart Or Toraa in th0 *aSO Of
stewart7. sralth,126 TeX. 292, 83 8. 1. (24) 945, in whioh
thr oourt 8414:
"Flalnti.frin moor auggestu thet this
cau8.,my b8 moot, because after thr trfal or
the cau*e ln t:.e4latrlct oollrt,an4 While it
was pen&w, in the appsllata Wurta, the ;hil-
rotidcomnissiOn granted ,-lair,tirr in .3rrora
Femlt to drill a wall on tha land in ooatro-
rem,, and ths wall ha8 been drillad. ;:aPre-
S-U fi0m bha rorrgoing atatamant tha\famr
the ju4ioia1 lm 0r the stat0 ha4 laam4Lr-
iudiation or thr mattars tha Railrm4 Comlr-
alon undortoo$to-act. again tharaono If this
Mr. Olin hlbrraoa, Pago 6
ba tmu, tbr %llroid Commlaalonram without
jurlaUatlon."
The aama hol4lIlgwas arada& thr Court of 0lrl.lAppaala at
Au tin, in tin aaaa 0r fdgar V. Stanolln4 Oil 0 Oaa Co., 90
S.6. (24) 656, In whlah It &im aaid:
aAftrr proourlng two walls o nsa idltrip
or land, Sdgnr applied to tha Railroad Ocamla-
'alon for a lmlt to brlll-rollNor .3,bara in-
tolva4. ThL appllaatlon vma by tha oodaalon
raf’uaad on Oatobrr 21, 1933. Edgar tbraapon
ill04 ult ln the dlstrlat aourt or Trarla County
to anJoin tha aomalaalon from lntariarlng with
_ his 4rllllng mid Wall No. 3. That suit was.
fi;Y;n April 6 1934. While that suit was
Edgar rile4 a motion with thr Railroad
Ccmml&on ior a rrhoarl~ of his apg+lication,
That motion was hoar4 by tti.aopppiaalon, an4
on Saptambar 24, 193.& tha Rnllxoa4 Oamnlaalon,
by what it dsaignatrd as an amended ardor, grant-
I a4 war l r slitito drill aal4 wall No. 3.
- = Tharoaftar & ar 4lwiaeua his:rult in tha &a--
.
trlat aoart 46 Qart. Countj, obvlouslg a5 the
+ --.,- ---4~thk--tm~-~a,-8st0r
-.~ brl~d,si.b42i+- ~_-_
obtai#4 tral tha Ballroad Qdaalon the re-
llaryr'bsd thanftiora lnroka4 tha jarladlo-
tlon of the dirtriot oourt to obtain.
Vhareupon tha appalls88 horoln brought
this salt to umul tha so-oallad enman40d OP
4rr* or tha otisIon data4 Saptrdbrr 23 .1934,
an4 to rostrain the operation by appallant of
tha vail 4rIllr4 tharrundar . . . .
a-om the faota above molted It Is meni-
rest ard has been expressly so held, that while
the suit lnvolrlrg the subject-matterOf this
contmyersy was pending in tha district c0ux-t
or -da County, the Railroad Comnlssion lost
jurlsdlctlon of its order =f Cotober 21, 1933.
the order of the oomlssion dated iaptei?-
tm; 54, 1534, and herein attacked, ~3s Grid fcr
Mr. Olin Qalkraaa, Paea 7
want of Jurladlatlon in the oomlaalon ovar tha
aubjrotqatter thoraof. Strwast t. 3alth (Tax.
sup.) a3 8. w. (2d) 945."
A Qllar hol4lng wab mada in thr aa oi thrum4811 011 co.
vc Bdlroad Comalaalon, 90 8. w, (ti) 663, la whloh tho oourt
o itr dtbr a4saa .0r Sta wr t T.La itli,lup r a 4x@ P4g4r v*
8taaolla4 OU t-&r h., lupra, 48 wthorld,.
Our annrir to rair qurstlon la that tb Ballroad
timmlaslon or Taxaa does not &ma authority& thlr tltaato
,tikq tha wall in q2ratlon oti produation lobrdula.
Yours very truly
AlWJRkEY GBN!&BAL CJF TXXAS
_- Wauad)
OatillC..Rotsah
Aaalafant.
APPROWD MY 2, 1942
(9gno4) Qrorar Slllerm
?xRsT ASSISTART
ATTOxuqETO``L
CCR:db:JZa