1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 122
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed December 5, 1994; January 16, 1995,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 January 24, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas
1-5 7, Nays 0; January 24, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the collection of certain fees related to the probate
1-9 of a will.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 118.052, Local Government Code, as
1-12 amended by Chapters 554 and 675, Acts of the 73rd Legislature,
1-13 1993, is amended to read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 118.052. Fee Schedule. (a) Each clerk of a county
1-15 court shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
1-16 person:
1-17 (1) CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
1-18 (A) Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
1-19 (i) Garnishment after judgment .... $15.00
1-20 (ii) All others ................... $40.00
1-21 (B) Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
1-22 118.054) ................................................... $30.00
1-23 (C) Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
1-24 Action (Sec. 118.0545):
1-25 (i) Abstract of judgment ........... $5.00
1-26 (ii) Execution, order of sale, writ, or
1-27 other process ............................................... $5.00
1-28 (2) PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
1-29 (A) Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
1-30 (i) Probate of a will with independent
1-31 executor, administration with will attached, administration of an
1-32 estate, guardianship or receivership of an estate, or muniment of
1-33 title ...................................................... $35.00
1-34 (ii) Community survivors .......... $20.00
1-35 (iii) Small estates ............... $10.00
1-36 (iv) Affidavits of heirship ....... $10.00
1-37 (v) Mental health or chemical dependency
1-38 services ................................................... $40.00
1-39 (vi) Additional, special fee (Sec.
1-40 118.064) .................................................... $3.00
1-41 (B) Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec.
1-42 118.056):
1-43 (i) Filing and recording a document:
1-44 for the first page .......................................... $3.00
1-45 for each additional page or part of a page .................. $2.00
1-46 (ii) Approving and recording bond .. $3.00
1-47 (iii) Administering oath ........... $2.00
1-48 (C) Adverse Probate Action (Sec.
1-49 118.057) ................................................... $35.00
1-50 (D) Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) .. $2.00
1-51 (3) OTHER FEES
1-52 (A) Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059):
1-53 original document and one copy .............................. $4.00
1-54 each additional set of an original and one copy ............. $4.00
1-55 (B) Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060):
1-56 for the clerk's certificate ................................. $1.00
1-57 plus a fee per page or part of a page of .................... $1.00
1-58 (C) Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605):
1-59 for each page or part of a page ............................. $1.00
1-60 (D) Letters Testamentary, Letter of
1-61 Guardianship, Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
1-62 (Sec. 118.061) .............................................. $2.00
1-63 (E) Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) .. $5.00
1-64 (F) Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063)
1-65 ................................................... same as sheriff
1-66 (G) <(F)> Records Management and Preservation
1-67 Fee ......................................................... $5.00
1-68 (b) If at the time a person pays a fee under Subsection
2-1 (a)(2)(A) the person requests a related service described by
2-2 Subsection (a)(3) to be performed on a future date, the clerk may
2-3 collect the fee for the related service at the time the fee under
2-4 Subsection (a)(2)(A) is collected.
2-5 SECTION 2. Section 118.101, Local Government Code, is
2-6 amended to read as follows:
2-7 Sec. 118.101. Fee Schedule. (a) The county judge shall
2-8 collect the following fees in probate matters:
2-9 (1) Probate of a will .......................... $2.00
2-10 (2) Granting letters testamentary, letter of
2-11 guardianship, or letter of administration ................... $2.00
2-12 (3) Order of sale .............................. $2.00
2-13 (4) Approval and confirmation of sale .......... $2.00
2-14 (5) Decree refusing order of sale or confirmation of
2-15 sale ........................................................ $2.00
2-16 (6) Decree of partition and distribution ....... $2.00
2-17 (7) Decree approving or setting aside the report of a
2-18 commissioner of partition and distribution .................. $2.00
2-19 (8) Decree removing an executor, administrator or
2-20 guardian (with the fee to be paid by that executor, administrator,
2-21 or guardian) ................................................ $1.00
2-22 (9) Fiat or certificate ........................ $2.00
2-23 (10) Continuance ............................... $0.10
2-24 (11) Orders for which another fee is not
2-25 prescribed .................................................. $2.00
2-26 (12) Administering oath or affirmation with
2-27 certificate and seal ........................................ $2.00
2-28 (13) Administering oath or affirmation without
2-29 certificate and seal ........................................ $0.25
2-30 (b) If at the time a person pays a fee for the probate of a
2-31 will under Subsection (a)(1) or Section 118.052 the person requests
2-32 a related service described by Subsection (a) to be performed on a
2-33 future date by the county judge, the county judge may collect the
2-34 fee for the related service at the time the fee under Subsection
2-35 (a)(1) or Section 118.052 is collected.
2-36 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-41 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-42 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-43 * * * * *