1-1 By: Deshotel (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 2822
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999;
1-3 May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by
1-5 the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to
1-6 printer.)
1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to the fees charged by a county clerk for probate filings.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 118.052, Local Government Code, is
1-12 amended to read as follows:
1-13 Sec. 118.052. FEE SCHEDULE. Each clerk of a county court
1-14 shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
1-15 person:
1-16 (1) CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
1-17 (A) Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
1-18 (i) Garnishment after judgment .......... $15.00
1-19 (ii) All others ......................... $40.00
1-20 (B) Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
1-21 118.054) .................................. $30.00
1-22 (C) Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
1-23 Action (Sec. 118.0545):
1-24 (i) Abstract of judgment ................ $ 5.00
1-25 (ii) Execution, order of sale, writ, or other
1-26 process ............................ $ 5.00
1-27 (2) PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
1-28 (A) Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
1-29 (i) Probate of a will with independent executor,
1-30 administration with will attached,
1-31 administration of an estate, guardianship or
1-32 receivership of an estate, or muniment of
1-33 title ..................... $40.00 [$35.00]
1-34 (ii) Community survivors ....... $40.00 [$20.00]
1-35 (iii) Small estates ............ $40.00 [$10.00]
1-36 (iv) Declarations [Affidavits] of heirship
1-37 ........................... $40.00 [$10.00]
1-38 (v) Mental health or chemical dependency
1-39 services ............................ $40.00
1-40 (vi) Additional, special fee (Sec. 118.064)
1-41 ........................... $ 5.00 [$ 3.00]
1-42 (B) Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec. 118.056):
1-43 (i) Filing an inventory and appraisement after
1-44 the 120th day after the date of the initial
1-45 filing of the action ................ $25.00
1-46 [and recording a document:]
1-47 [for the first page .................. $ 3.00]
1-48 [for each additional page or part of a page
1-49 .................................... $ 2.00]
1-50 (ii) Approving and recording bond ....... $ 3.00
1-51 (iii) Administering oath ................ $ 2.00
1-52 (iv) Filing annual or final account of
1-53 estate ............................. $25.00
1-54 (v) Filing application for sale of real or
1-55 personal property ................... $25.00
1-56 (vi) Filing annual or final report of guardian
1-57 of a person ........................ $10.00
1-58 (C) Adverse Probate Action (Sec. 118.057)
1-59 .................................. $40.00 [$35.00]
1-60 (D) Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) ....... $ 2.00
1-61 (3) OTHER FEES
1-62 (A) Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059):
1-63 original document and one copy ............ $ 4.00
1-64 each additional set of an original and one copy
2-1 ........................................... $ 4.00
2-2 (B) Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060):
2-3 for the clerk's certificate ............... $ 5.00
2-4 plus a fee per page or part of a page of .. $ 1.00
2-5 (C) Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605):
2-6 for each page or part of a page ........... $ 1.00
2-7 (D) Letters Testamentary, Letter of Guardianship,
2-8 Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
2-9 (Sec. 118.061) ............................ $ 2.00
2-10 (E) Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) ....... $ 5.00
2-11 same as
2-12 (F) Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063) ... sheriff
2-13 (G) Records Management and Preservation Fee ... $ 5.00
2-14 SECTION 2. Section 118.056, Local Government Code, is
2-15 amended to read as follows:
2-16 Sec. 118.056. SERVICES IN PENDING PROBATE ACTION. [(a) The
2-17 fees for "Services in Pending Probate Action" under Section
2-18 118.052(2) are for services in an action in an open probate docket
2-19 rendered after the filing of an order approving the inventory and
2-20 appraisement or after the 90th day after the date of the initial
2-21 filing of the action, whichever occurs first.]
2-22 [(b) The fee for filing a document also applies to each page
2-23 or part of a page for the filing of a document or exhibit filed by
2-24 a movant after the filing of an original answer or response, after
2-25 the filing of an order approving the inventory and appraisement, or
2-26 after the 90th day after the date of the initial filing of the
2-27 action, whichever occurs first, and before the filing of an adverse
2-28 action, contest, suit, or pleading seeking affirmative relief.]
2-29 [(c)] Each fee under Section 118.052(2)(B) shall be paid in
2-30 cash at the time of the filing or the rendering of the service and
2-31 is in addition to other fees prescribed by Section 118.052.
2-32 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-33 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-34 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-35 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-36 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-37 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-38 * * * * *