Railroad Commission of Texas v. Airline Vans

289 S.W.2d 824, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2210, 1956 WL 92480
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 18, 1956
DocketNo. 10329
StatusPublished

This text of 289 S.W.2d 824 (Railroad Commission of Texas v. Airline Vans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Railroad Commission of Texas v. Airline Vans, 289 S.W.2d 824, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2210, 1956 WL 92480 (Tex. Ct. App. 1956).

Opinions

ARCHER, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by the Commission and a number of other companies, or corporations, which intervened as defendants, from a judgment setting aside and permanently enjoining the enforcement of an order of the Railroad Commission of Texas correcting a clerical error in Specialized Motor Carrier Certificate No. 7603 so that such certificate would conform to and reflect the authority granted in the order of the Railroad Commission of Texas from which such certificate stems.

The appeal is before this Court on five points, and are that the court erred in failing to hold that no greater grant of authority can be contained in a permit than is in the final order; in holding that the Commission had no jurisdiction to enter the order complained of; that the failure of the Commission to correct the certificate in its order of January 6, 1947 operated as an estoppel; in holding that the orders of the Commission since 1935 in connection with the certificate constituted ratification of the erroneous recitation of authority contained therein; and in holding that the clerical error in permit No. 13273 was cured by “Legislative grant of authority” and the issuance of certificate No. 5271.

By its order the Commission, made the following findings.

“On this the 3rd day of August, 1935, the Railroad Commission of Texas took up for consideration the above styled application which was filed on the 23rd day of March, 1935, and, after due and legal notice of the time and place thereof had been given to the applicant, to all other interested parties and to the public generally, it was heard at the Baker Hotel in the City of Dallas, Texas, on the 19th day of June, 1935.
“The record shows that at this time the Yount-Hart Trucking Co., a private partnership, is operating a Special Commodity motor carrier service under Special Commodity Permit Number 12892 in transportation of livestock feedstuffs within a radius of forty miles of Fort Worth and livestock and household goods from Fort Worth to all points of Texas and from all points in Texas to Ft. Worth, * * * and using in said operation nine trucks.
“The object of the present application is not to enlarge the operation under Special Commodity Permit number 12892, but is for the purpose of allowing the present firm to incorporate its business and to operate the same service as is now authorized under said permit. Inasmuch as there is no increase, either in service, territory or equipment, the Commission is of the opinion that the application should be granted.
“Accordingly, It Is Ordered By The 'Railroad Commission Of Texas that the application of Yount-Hart Trucking Co., Incorporated, for a permit authorizing the operation of Special Commodity motor carrier service in the transportation of household goods and livestock from all points.in Texas to Ft. Worth and from Ft. Worth to all points in Texas, and for the transportation of livestock feedstuffs from Ft. Worth to all points within a radius of forty miles thereof and from said points [826]*826to Ft. Worth, be, and the same is hereby, granted.
“It is further ordered by the Railroad Commission of Texas that permit number 12892, heretofore issued in the name of the above carrier on the 19th day of September, 1934, be, and the same is hereby, Cancelled effective as of this date.”

Thereafter permit No. 13273 was issued as follows:

“Austin, Texas
“August 3, 1935
“Yount-Hart Trucking Company, Inc. of Ft. Worth, Texas, having complied with all the requirements of Chapter 314, Acts, Regular Session of the Forty-first Legislature, 1929, as amended at the Regular Called Session of the Forty-second Legislature, 1931, applicable to Special Contract Carriers and having declared an intention not to operate as a ‘Common Carrier’ or ‘Contract Carrier’ Motor Carrier, is entitled to and is hereby granted a permit to operate as a Special Commodity Carrier within the State of Texas and within the territory as follows :
“It Is Especially Understood And Agreed That This Permit Authorizes The Transportation Of The Following Commodities Only:
“Livestock Feedstuffs
. ‘‘To And From All Points Within An Area Of Forty Miles Of Fort Worth.
“Livestock And Household Goods
“To And From All Points In Texas.”

The appellee takes the position that the Commission had no jurisdiction to enter the order of May 21, 1954 reforming SMC Certificate 7603 so as to authorize the transportation of household goods from Ft. Worth to all points in Texas and vice versa.

The order is:

“Ordered By The Railroad Commission Of Texas that SMC Certificate No. 7603 in the name of William (Jack) Stewart, Robert L. Pettit and Harry O. Pulliam, dba Airline Vans, successors in interest on that part of Special Commodity carrier permit number 13273, the various steps affecting this operation as set out hereinabove, authorizing the transportation of Household Goods, BE, and the same is hereby corrected, and that henceforth SMC Certificate 7603 will authorize the transportation of Household Goods from Ft. Worth to all points in Texas and from all points in Texas to Ft. Worth.”

The appellee contends that the orders of the Commission since 1935 in connection with the certificate in question constitutes confirmation of the grant of State-wide authority and that the legislative grant of authority in SMC Certificate No. 5271 on August 9, 1941, cured the deficiencies in Permit 13273, and that finality must exist with respect to grants of authority by the Commission at some date, and that the permit was controlling herein.

It was stipulated that:

“As a result of the enactment of the Specialized Motor Carrier Law, Chapter 314 [Acts 41st. Leg., 1929], Acts Regular Session Forty-Seventh Legislature, 1941 [c. 442] (Art. 911b, Sec. 5a (b)), Yount-Hart Trucking Co., Inc. applied for a ‘Grandfather’ certificate, as is shown by Exhibit 5X, attached hereto, and was granted a ‘Grandfather’ certificate, being Specialized Motor Carrier Certificate No. 5271, as is shown by Exhibit 5, attached hereto.”

Exhibit 5X is the application filed by Yount-Hart Trucking Company on July 16, 1941 for a Specialized Motor Carrier certificate, under Grandfather Clause, original permit dated June 16, 1933, and sets out number of trucks and equipment owned, etc.

Exhibit 5, in part, is as follows:

“Austin, Texas,
“Aug. 9, 1941
“In accordance with the decision and order of the Railroad Commission of [827]*827Texas, in. its Specialized Motor Carrier Certificate of Convenience and Necessity, Docket No. SMC-S271, and in accordance with the Laws of Texas, including the provisions of Chapter 314, Acts, Regular Session of the Forty-first Legislature, 1929, as amended at the Regular Session of the Forty-second Legislature, 1931, as amended at the Regular Session of the Forty-seventh Legislature, 1941, and as otherwise amended,
“This Certifies that the public convenience and necessity require such operation and permission is hereby granted to:

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Bluebook (online)
289 S.W.2d 824, 1956 Tex. App. LEXIS 2210, 1956 WL 92480, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/railroad-commission-of-texas-v-airline-vans-texapp-1956.