§ 64.031.General Powers and Duties

The general powers, and the opening words govern all of them.

Subject to the control of the court, a receiver may take charge and keep possession of the property; receive rents; collect and compromise demands; make transfers; and perform other acts in regard to the property as authorized by the court.

"Subject to the control of the court" is not a formality. A receiver is an officer of the court exercising the court’s authority over property, and the powers are held on that footing throughout.

Taking charge and keeping possession is the foundational power, and it is what distinguishes a receivership from every lesser remedy — the property leaves the owner’s hands.

Receiving rents keeps an income-producing asset producing income while the case is decided, which is often the reason for the appointment.

"Collect and compromise demands" is the widest of the five. A receiver may pursue money owed to the estate and settle those claims — exercising judgment about what a debt is worth, which is a considerable delegation.

"Make transfers" allows the receiver to convey, which is what makes a receivership useful for realising assets rather than merely holding them.

The fifth item is open-ended by design: other acts as authorized by the court.

That is how a receivership adapts to what it is administering. Running a business, completing a construction project, or operating a railroad requires powers no general list could anticipate, and the court supplies them case by case.

The mineral and missing person subchapters do exactly that in statute, granting specific powers the general section does not.