Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1939 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN 0IRA.u) c. MI”ll 111O”“cv as”- nzzle 12, 19a9 Honorable EOmer 08rPi8On, +?F. Wp@hll6At Of Fubllo 3afeEy , AWtiU, TeXaa ,' mu SF: oginlen IJO* o- Ret ii'hether btrek_g look upon ei\$rucqin ordef ta umload the ie traitspoi~ted"l&d and the Urlrsr of the truck Olait~S th+t.h% ha8 Ilb key, but that this 1OCk ia p&aced SJ *he van at thta point of Fsrl&in and tho receiver of the merchandise has 4 .%8ter key with wbich to remove the lock and unload the 630da.n You request :Jur OpiizbA hs.to rhetiiar 3r not under euab cirowaetoncelr a Uaense ? seleht :napector h4a the nu- thorlty to bremk the 13ck end deturmlne whather 3r not t&o motor tehlole has bees correotly rcglsterea: that is, -ðer the truak eotuailg we&h8 a8 aueh as the re&lstration paperr woulb'indiaate,thereby detetinfng the net load trmnlrportea OA #O SIOtOr Vebhle. "on. Ifooter tarri8on, Jr., Page 2 ,.xtlol& t?27n, YOCtion Sa, ima1 Code, reads aa fol- lows: *(a) Epon aFplloatlonfor reglstratlonor any commarolal motor vehicle, truck-tractor, trallar or semi-trailer,the applicant shall deliver to the tax collector, x one gf'his duly authorizeddeputies, an affldarlt, duly swers to before an orficor authorized to adaln- later oaths, showing the weight or aaid vehicle, whloh affidavit shall be kept on tila by the 0ol:eator. The lioesse reaeipt issued to the applicant shall also show said a-elght. A copy of said receipt shall be roce%ureon the rart 3f the izsgeotor. ;TiS balief,sustbe supported by r``sanablegrounds. 7 In the case of ihlteheadVS. Xicharddron, 127 S.W.- fed) 512, the Cl6trlot court had entorsd a Juderent perman- c ( Hon. Eoner Garrison, Jr,, page 3 antly enjsinlng tile rubllo Safety :omisalon 3f Texas and its zmnbers ami tha ?‘exzs tIif:hway I’atrol trorp unloading mtm trucks belmficg t3 ay,pFtllants In order to -IUIU+Z~it; ame, tlnrl to ascertain tbelr weight when empty. :s of civil gpeals of Lallrtereversed 2nd rendered such juidg- incntdissolvingcluohrestraint snd holdin& t!iatwhen &tn inapeotorhse ceaaan to believe that the law is b815g vio- lated, and that such owrse ia deemed necessary to verify the iiliraotlon, he may unload all or any portion of a load sound on such a vehicle for the purpose or datuminis6 the correct we*hts and ascartainiagrhether the law is being violated. In support of such holding, we cite also the ca&ws 0f k%W ‘isay Lmber C0111pany vs. Smith, 96 S.N. (2ti)282; .%at8 of Texa5 vs. r'er::uson, at al, 125 ti.';!.(Zd) 272; and ijlohtird- son VS. Rurley, 126 s.W. (2d) 1COl. ?;hhen an inspector oom~s upon 3 motor truok, which he ha8 good reason to bellsve and doeo believe is oarrying a load in excess of thiit-2llowedby law, it is hi3 duty to wei;-hsuoh loaded truok and then to unload the S``:ZE xld Weigh it empty anti In tkrttway to ascertain whether tta .iuw Is bei@ violstad. San the truclroperator defeat.the lr;wucd frustrate the officer In the performance of hi6 duty ty re- fuelnq to ulllookthe van anb permit the processes cd the law to be oarrled out in an orderly and peaoefi;lzanner? :;e think 307.. ‘,h% 6CtiOn Ji such OfiiCers i;i~td~hiCg the load- ed tmck, In anpty?:q the s(lds(and ~:si:_hi.n~: It mgty is in the nrtture~1f'a search. If neo86aury in tii% cxecutlon 3f 0 searoh warrant an officer my break ~;d anter the gremisss wtict, are to be searcked. 56 2.J. 1242; 24 :?.i.L.700. ;PhereM sificer has tie authority to uako u search without a warrant it wzul& seem that his powers and duties shoulirbe the 8s~ as lf he had ipsearch war ant authorizinqthe same kind of a search. .issumfrgthat the inspector has xirfio?entground6 for hfe belief that the truck oarlrs a loa& in excess of that permitted by law, :?uranswer to your question is an uf- firni~tiveone. Yours very truly