Texas Liquor Control Board v. Saiz

220 S.W.2d 502, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1757
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 9, 1949
DocketNo. 4621
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 220 S.W.2d 502 (Texas Liquor Control Board v. Saiz) 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
Texas Liquor Control Board v. Saiz, 220 S.W.2d 502, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1757 (Tex. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinions

PRICE, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from an order of the District Judge of El Paso County, 34th Judicial District. The order appealed from set aside an order of the County Judge of El Paso County denying the application of Deleyto Saiz for a retail wine and beer dealer’s license. ' In the -appeal from the [503]*503order of the County Judge, the County Judge and Texas Liquor Control Board were named as respondents. The Texas Liquor Control Board will be hereinafter referred to as “appellant,” and the applicant Deleyto Saiz, as “appellee-”

Appellee filed his application with the County Judge for a retail wine and beer dealer’s license. The place designated in the application was No. 4512 Alameda Avenue in the City of El Paso, Texas. This application was in due form and at the location for which the license was sought, under the ordinance of the city of El Paso it was permissible to conduct such business, provided same was duly licensed by the State. Due and legal notice was given of the application. Before the hearing was held a petition signed by numerous residents in the neighborhood where the license was sought was filed with the County Judge against the issuance of the license. The following paragraph of said protest recites the substance thereof:

“We believe that it is to the best interests of the people living in this neighborhood that such a request for license be refused as it would be detrimental to the health, morals, peace and safety of the people living in this area. We. believe that this tavern would be much too close to the Burleson School and t'he proposed Burleson High School which is now under construction. We firmly believe that it will cause a •great amount of noise and strife in our neighborhood and would disturb our peace •of mind and greatly decrease the value of <our property.”

No further pleadings were filed by protestants other than this petition. At the Tiearing appellee was represented by counsel. The Hon- J. T. Bernat and Hon. Ernest Guinn purported to represent the protestants.

The County Judge refused the license. "In the order it was recited:

“ * * * and the Court having heard the applicant and having heard the evidence introduced by numerous protestants living in the neighborhood, and the court believing that the granting of such permit at 4512 .Alameda Street would result in jeopardy to the peace, morals, health and safety of the general public, and the court further believing that the applicant made false declarations in his application wherein the testimony showed that the applicant did have a partner, one C. Hyder, and that said partner was not shown upon the application as provided by law.”

Thereafter appellee here filed an appeal to the district court of El Paso County, Texas, making.as respondents thereto the Hon. Victor Gilbert, County Judge of El Paso County, Texas, and the Texas Liquor Control Board. The respondents filed an answer through the same counsel as represented the protestants before the County Judge. A hearing was had before the Hon. W. D- Howe, Judge of said District Court, and order was handed down reciting:

“ * * * and the court having examined the statement of facts brought forward and having heard the testimony of the witnesses, is of the opinion that there was not substantial evidence before the County Judge to warrant the denial of the application and that the order denying the wine and beer permit was an arbitrary act of the County Judge and not warranted by substantial credible testimony and that petitioner’s application for the wine and beer permit should have been granted, * *

- The order set aside the order of the County Judge denying the application and grants such application. The Judge on motion of protestants filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. Among the findings were the following:

“HI. That there are other bars on Ala-meda Avenue, and the opening of this bar will not be calculated to jeopardize the peace, safety, health or,morals of the community any more than any other bar.

“IV. That all of the statements made in the application for the Wine and Beer Permit are true.

“V. There is no factual showing of any legal reason why the application should not be granted.

* * * * * *

“VIII. That Deleyto Saiz is the sole owner of the bar and Hyder has no financial interest therein-

[504]*504“IX. There are no unusual circumstances about this bar that differentiate it from any other bar on Alameda Avenue.”

Among' the conclusions of law were the following:

“II. The'County Judge acted arbitrarily in finding that statements made in the application were untrue, because there was no sufficient credible evidence upon which to base said finding.

“The statements of protestors that Hyder was a partner in the business were mere conclusions drawn by them from the alleged statement of Hyder made to them, and were not based on any personal knowledge and were not supported by facts.

“HI. The County Judge acted arbitrarily in finding that the bar would jeopardize the peace, safety, health and morals of the community, for the reason that there was no sufficient credible evidence upon which to base said finding.”

Authorization for the appeal from the order of the County Judge is to be found in Section 6 of Article 667, Vernon's Texas Penal Code. Sub-Sections (a), (b), (c) and (d) provide for the filing of the petition before the County Judge. Sub-Section (c) thereof provides that if the County Judge finds the facts stated in the application are true and has no other lawful reason for denying the application he shall enter an order so certifying, and a copy of said order shall be delivered to the applicant.

“ * * * applicant shall thereupon present the same to the assessor and collector of taxes of the county wherein the application is made and shall pay to the assessor and collector of taxes the fee specified in this Article for the class of license applied for; the assessor and collector of taxes shall thereupon report to the Texas Liquor Control Board upon a form prescribed by said Board certifying that the application for' license has been approved and all required fees paid, and such other information as may be required by the Board, and to such certificate shall be attached a copy of the original application for license. Upon receiving such report of certification from the assessor and collector of taxes, it shall be the duty of the Board or Administrator to issue the license accordingly, if it is found that the applicant is entitled to a license”-

It is observed that the recommendation or order of the County Judge that the license be granted is in no way binding upon the Texas Liquor Control Board. The further provisions of said Sub-Section (c) emphasize this fact. Sub-Section (d) of the Article aforesaid provides in substance that the County Judge may refuse the license if he finds any facts in the application to be-untrue; further that it shall be sufficient cause for the County Judge to refuse to-grant any license when he has reason to; believe that the applicant is conducting his; business of selling beer at retail in a contrary manner to the law or in any place- or manner conducive to the violation of the law or likely to result in any jeopardy to the peace, morals, safety or health of the-general public.

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226 S.W.2d 509 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1950)
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224 S.W.2d 198 (Texas Supreme Court, 1949)

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Bluebook (online)
220 S.W.2d 502, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-liquor-control-board-v-saiz-texapp-1949.