By Harris of Tarrant S.B. No. 122
74R985 PAM-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the collection of certain fees related to the probate
1-3 of a will.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 118.052, Local Government Code, as
1-6 amended by Chapters 554 and 675, Acts of the 73rd Legislature,
1-7 1993, is amended to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 118.052. Fee Schedule. (a) Each clerk of a county
1-9 court shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
1-10 person:
1-11 (1) CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
1-12 (A) Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
1-13 (i) Garnishment after judgment .... $15.00
1-14 (ii) All others ................... $40.00
1-15 (B) Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
1-16 118.054) ................................................... $30.00
1-17 (C) Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
1-18 Action (Sec. 118.0545):
1-19 (i) Abstract of judgment ........... $5.00
1-20 (ii) Execution, order of sale, writ, or
1-21 other process ............................................... $5.00
1-22 (2) PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
1-23 (A) Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
1-24 (i) Probate of a will with independent
2-1 executor, administration with will attached, administration of an
2-2 estate, guardianship or receivership of an estate, or muniment of
2-3 title ...................................................... $35.00
2-4 (ii) Community survivors .......... $20.00
2-5 (iii) Small estates ............... $10.00
2-6 (iv) Affidavits of heirship ....... $10.00
2-7 (v) Mental health or chemical dependency
2-8 services ................................................... $40.00
2-9 (vi) Additional, special fee (Sec.
2-10 118.064) .................................................... $3.00
2-11 (B) Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec.
2-12 118.056):
2-13 (i) Filing and recording a document:
2-14 for the first page .......................................... $3.00
2-15 for each additional page or part of a page .................. $2.00
2-16 (ii) Approving and recording bond .. $3.00
2-17 (iii) Administering oath ........... $2.00
2-18 (C) Adverse Probate Action (Sec.
2-19 118.057) ................................................... $35.00
2-20 (D) Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) .. $2.00
2-21 (3) OTHER FEES
2-22 (A) Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059):
2-23 original document and one copy .............................. $4.00
2-24 each additional set of an original and one copy ............. $4.00
2-25 (B) Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060):
2-26 for the clerk's certificate ................................. $1.00
2-27 plus a fee per page or part of a page of .................... $1.00
3-1 (C) Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605):
3-2 for each page or part of a page ............................. $1.00
3-3 (D) Letters Testamentary, Letter of
3-4 Guardianship, Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
3-5 (Sec. 118.061) .............................................. $2.00
3-6 (E) Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) .. $5.00
3-7 (F) Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063)
3-8 ................................................... same as sheriff
3-9 (G) <(F)> Records Management and Preservation
3-10 Fee ......................................................... $5.00
3-11 (b) If at the time a person pays a fee under Subsection
3-12 (a)(2)(A) the person requests a related service described by
3-13 Subsection (a)(3) to be performed on a future date, the clerk may
3-14 collect the fee for the related service at the time the fee under
3-15 Subsection (a)(2)(A) is collected.
3-16 SECTION 2. Section 118.101, Local Government Code, is
3-17 amended to read as follows:
3-18 Sec. 118.101. Fee Schedule. (a) The county judge shall
3-19 collect the following fees in probate matters:
3-20 (1) Probate of a will .......................... $2.00
3-21 (2) Granting letters testamentary, letter of
3-22 guardianship, or letter of administration ................... $2.00
3-23 (3) Order of sale .............................. $2.00
3-24 (4) Approval and confirmation of sale .......... $2.00
3-25 (5) Decree refusing order of sale or confirmation of
3-26 sale ........................................................ $2.00
3-27 (6) Decree of partition and distribution ....... $2.00
4-1 (7) Decree approving or setting aside the report of a
4-2 commissioner of partition and distribution .................. $2.00
4-3 (8) Decree removing an executor, administrator or
4-4 guardian (with the fee to be paid by that executor, administrator,
4-5 or guardian) ................................................ $1.00
4-6 (9) Fiat or certificate ........................ $2.00
4-7 (10) Continuance ............................... $0.10
4-8 (11) Orders for which another fee is not
4-9 prescribed .................................................. $2.00
4-10 (12) Administering oath or affirmation with
4-11 certificate and seal ........................................ $2.00
4-12 (13) Administering oath or affirmation without
4-13 certificate and seal ........................................ $0.25
4-14 (b) If at the time a person pays a fee for the probate of a
4-15 will under Subsection (a)(1) or Section 118.052 the person requests
4-16 a related service described by Subsection (a) to be performed on a
4-17 future date by the county judge, the county judge may collect the
4-18 fee for the related service at the time the fee under Subsection
4-19 (a)(1) or Section 118.052 is collected.
4-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-26 passage, and it is so enacted.