Opinion No. 56-6389
February 10, 1956
TO: Homer C. Pickens, Director, Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, New Mexico
In your letter of January 12, 1956, you state that you rent certain dwellings owned by the Department to Department personnel at various hatchery sites throughout the State. You ask whether rent may be deducted from the employees' checks. You state that the employees involved are willing to execute wage assignments for this purpose to the Department and ask whether such a procedure would be legal.
We see absolutely no objection to this procedure if wage assignments are executed. It has been the practice of the State for many years to honor wage assignments even though made for the benefit of private individuals. If such assignments are to be honored for private individuals, there is certainly no reason why they cannot be honored by the State of New Mexico when made for the benefit of an agency of the State of New Mexico.
By Walter R. Kegel
Assistant Attorney General