By Deshotel H.B. No. 2822
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the fees charged by a county clerk for probate filings.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 118.052, Local Government Code, is
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 118.052. FEE SCHEDULE. Each clerk of a county court
1-7 shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
1-8 person:
1-9 (1) CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
1-10 (A) Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
1-11 (i) Garnishment after judgment .......... $15.00
1-12 (ii) All others ......................... $40.00
1-13 (B) Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
1-14 118.054) .................................. $30.00
1-15 (C) Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
1-16 Action (Sec. 118.0545):
1-17 (i) Abstract of judgment ................ $ 5.00
1-18 (ii) Execution, order of sale, writ, or other
1-19 process ............................ $ 5.00
1-20 (2) PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
1-21 (A) Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
1-22 (i) Probate of a will with independent executor,
1-23 administration with will attached,
1-24 administration of an estate, guardianship or
2-1 receivership of an estate, or muniment of
2-2 title ..................... $40.00 [$35.00]
2-3 (ii) Community survivors ....... $40.00 [$20.00]
2-4 (iii) Small estates ............ $40.00 [$10.00]
2-5 (iv) Declarations [Affidavits] of heirship
2-6 ........................... $40.00 [$10.00]
2-7 (v) Mental health or chemical dependency
2-8 services ............................ $40.00
2-9 (vi) Additional, special fee (Sec. 118.064)
2-10 ........................... $ 5.00 [$ 3.00]
2-11 (B) Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec. 118.056):
2-12 (i) Filing an inventory and appraisement after
2-13 the 120th day after the date of the initial
2-14 filing of the action ................ $25.00
2-15 [and recording a document:]
2-16 [for the first page .................. $ 3.00]
2-17 [for each additional page or part of a page
2-18 .................................... $ 2.00]
2-19 (ii) Approving and recording bond ....... $ 3.00
2-20 (iii) Administering oath ................ $ 2.00
2-21 (iv) Filing annual or final account of
2-22 estate ............................. $25.00
2-23 (v) Filing application for sale of real or
2-24 personal property ................... $25.00
2-25 (vi) Filing annual or final report of guardian
2-26 of a person ........................ $10.00
2-27 (C) Adverse Probate Action (Sec. 118.057)
3-1 .................................. $40.00 [$35.00]
3-2 (D) Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) ....... $ 2.00
3-3 (3) OTHER FEES
3-4 (A) Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059):
3-5 original document and one copy ............ $ 4.00
3-6 each additional set of an original and one copy
3-7 ........................................... $ 4.00
3-8 (B) Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060):
3-9 for the clerk's certificate ............... $ 5.00
3-10 plus a fee per page or part of a page of .. $ 1.00
3-11 (C) Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605):
3-12 for each page or part of a page ........... $ 1.00
3-13 (D) Letters Testamentary, Letter of Guardianship,
3-14 Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
3-15 (Sec. 118.061) ............................ $ 2.00
3-16 (E) Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) ....... $ 5.00
3-17 same as
3-18 (F) Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063) ... sheriff
3-19 (G) Records Management and Preservation Fee ... $ 5.00
3-20 SECTION 2. Section 118.056, Local Government Code, is
3-21 amended to read as follows:
3-22 Sec. 118.056. SERVICES IN PENDING PROBATE ACTION. [(a) The
3-23 fees for "Services in Pending Probate Action" under Section
3-24 118.052(2) are for services in an action in an open probate docket
3-25 rendered after the filing of an order approving the inventory and
3-26 appraisement or after the 90th day after the date of the initial
3-27 filing of the action, whichever occurs first.]
4-1 [(b) The fee for filing a document also applies to each page
4-2 or part of a page for the filing of a document or exhibit filed by
4-3 a movant after the filing of an original answer or response, after
4-4 the filing of an order approving the inventory and appraisement, or
4-5 after the 90th day after the date of the initial filing of the
4-6 action, whichever occurs first, and before the filing of an adverse
4-7 action, contest, suit, or pleading seeking affirmative relief.]
4-8 [(c)] Each fee under Section 118.052(2)(B) shall be paid in
4-9 cash at the time of the filing or the rendering of the service and
4-10 is in addition to other fees prescribed by Section 118.052.
4-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-12 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.