84R9051 MTB-F
 
  By: Kuempel H.B. No. 3319
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to procedures and fees for the safekeeping of wills and
  other fees collected by court clerks in probate matters;
  authorizing and increasing fees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 252.001(b), Estates Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The county clerk shall receive and keep the will on the
  payment of a $10 [$5] fee.
         SECTION 2.  Section 252.101, Estates Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 252.101.  NOTIFICATION BY COUNTY CLERK. A county clerk
  shall notify[, by registered mail, return receipt requested,] each
  person named on the endorsement of the will wrapper that the will is
  on deposit in the clerk's office if:
               (1)  an affidavit is submitted to the clerk stating
  that the testator has died; or
               (2)  the clerk receives other notice or proof of the
  testator's death sufficient to convince the clerk that the testator
  has died.
         SECTION 3.  Section 252.104, Estates Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 252.104.  NOTICE AND DELIVERY OF WILL TO EXECUTOR. If a
  county clerk inspects a will under Section 252.103 and the will
  names an executor, the clerk shall:
               (1)  notify the person named as executor[, by
  registered mail, return receipt requested,] that the will is on
  deposit with the clerk; and
               (2)  deliver, on request, the will to the person named
  as executor.
         SECTION 4.  Section 252.105(a), Estates Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  If a county clerk inspects a will under Section 252.103,
  the clerk shall notify [by registered mail, return receipt
  requested,] the devisees named in the will that the will is on
  deposit with the clerk if:
               (1)  the will does not name an executor;
               (2)  the person named as executor in the will:
                     (A)  has died; or
                     (B)  fails to take the will before the 31st day
  after the date the notice required by Section 252.104 is mailed to
  the person; or
               (3)  the notice mailed to the person named as executor
  is returned as undelivered.
         SECTION 5.  Section 252.201, Estates Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 252.201.  WILL DELIVERY. (a) On receiving notice of a
  testator's death, the person who has custody of the testator's will
  shall deliver the will to the clerk of the court that has
  jurisdiction of the testator's estate.
         (b)  The clerk of the court shall receive and keep the will on
  the payment of a $10 fee.
         (c)  The clerk of the court shall handle the will in the same
  manner prescribed by Subchapter A for a will deposited under
  Section 252.001.
         SECTION 6.  Subchapter E, Chapter 252, Estates Code, is
  amended by adding Section 252.2015 to read as follows:
         Sec. 252.2015.  NOTICE AND DELIVERY OF WILL TO EXECUTOR OR
  DEVISEES. (a)  On the deposit of a will under Section 252.201 that
  names an executor, the clerk of the court shall:
               (1)  notify the person named as executor in the manner
  prescribed by Section 252.104; and
               (2)  deliver, on request, the will to the person named
  as executor.
         (b)  On the deposit of a will under Section 252.201, the
  clerk of the court shall notify the devisees named in the will in
  the manner prescribed by Section 252.105(a) if:
               (1)  the will does not name an executor;
               (2)  the person named as executor in the will:
                     (A)  has died; or
                     (B)  fails to take the will before the 31st day
  after the date the notice required by Subsection (a) is mailed to
  the person; or
               (3)  the notice mailed to the person named as executor
  is returned as undelivered.
         (c)  On request, the clerk of the court shall deliver the
  will to any or all of the devisees notified under Subsection (b).
         SECTION 7.  Section 101.0815, Government Code, is amended to
  conform to Chapter 680 (H.B. 2502), Acts of the 81st Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2009, and Chapter 982 (H.B. 2080), Acts of the 83rd
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and is further amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 101.0815.  STATUTORY COUNTY COURT FEES AND
  COSTS: ESTATES [TEXAS PROBATE] CODE. The clerk of a statutory
  county court shall collect fees and costs under the Estates [Texas
  Probate] Code as follows:
               (1)  fee for deposit of a will with the county clerk
  during testator's lifetime (Sec. 252.001, Estates Code) [(Sec. 71,
  Texas Probate Code)] . . . $10 [$5];
               (2)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the personal representative of an estate, an application,
  complaint, or opposition in relation to the estate, if required by
  the clerk (Sec. 53.052, Estates Code) [(Sec. 12, Texas Probate
  Code)] . . . probable cost of the proceeding;
               (3)  fee on filing an application, complaint, petition,
  or other paper in a guardianship proceeding, which includes a
  deposit for payment to an attorney ad litem (Sec. 1052.051, Estates
  Code) . . . cost of filing and payment of attorney ad litem;
               (4)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the guardian, attorney ad litem, or guardian ad litem, an
  application, complaint, or opposition in relation to a guardianship
  matter, if required by the clerk (Sec. 1053.052, Estates Code)
  [(Sec. 622, Texas Probate Code)] . . . probable cost of the
  guardianship proceeding; [and]
               (5)  nonrefundable fee to cover the cost of
  administering Subchapter G, Chapter 1104, Estates Code (Sec.
  1104.303, Estates Code) . . . $40;
               (6) [(4)]  costs for attorney ad litem appointed to
  pursue the restoration of a ward's capacity or modification of the
  ward's guardianship (Sec. 1202.102, Estates Code) [(Secs. 694C and
  694L, Texas Probate Code)] . . . reasonable compensation; and
               (7)  fee for delivery of a will to the court clerk by
  custodian (Sec. 252.201, Estates Code) . . . $10.
         SECTION 8.  Section 101.1014, Government Code, is amended to
  conform to Chapter 680 (H.B. 2502), Acts of the 81st Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2009, and Chapter 982 (H.B. 2080), Acts of the 83rd
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and is further amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 101.1014.  STATUTORY PROBATE COURT FEES AND
  COSTS:  ESTATES [TEXAS PROBATE] CODE. The clerk of a statutory
  probate court shall collect fees and costs under the Estates [Texas
  Probate] Code as follows:
               (1)  fee for deposit of a will with the county clerk
  during testator's lifetime (Sec. 252.001, Estates Code) [(Sec. 71,
  Texas Probate Code)] . . . $10 [$5];
               (2)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the personal representative of an estate, an application,
  complaint, or opposition in relation to the estate, if required by
  the clerk (Sec. 53.052, Estates Code) [(Sec. 12, Texas Probate
  Code)] . . . probable cost of the proceeding;
               (3)  fee on filing an application, complaint, petition,
  or other paper in a guardianship proceeding, which includes a
  deposit for payment to an attorney ad litem (Sec. 1052.051, Estates
  Code) . . . cost of filing and payment of attorney ad litem;
               (4)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the guardian, attorney ad litem, or guardian ad litem, an
  application, complaint, or opposition in relation to a guardianship
  matter, if required by the clerk (Sec. 1053.052, Estates Code)
  [(Sec. 622, Texas Probate Code)] . . . probable cost of the
  guardianship proceeding; [and]
               (5)  nonrefundable fee to cover the cost of
  administering Subchapter G, Chapter 1104, Estates Code (Sec.
  1104.303, Estates Code) . . . $40;
               (6) [(4)]  costs for attorney ad litem appointed to
  pursue the restoration of a ward's capacity or modification of the
  ward's guardianship (Sec. 1202.102, Estates Code) [(Secs. 694C and
  694L, Texas Probate Code)] . . . reasonable compensation; and
               (7)  fee for delivery of a will to the court clerk by
  custodian (Sec. 252.201, Estates Code) . . . $10.
         SECTION 9.  Section 101.1215, Government Code, is amended to
  conform to Chapter 680 (H.B. 2502), Acts of the 81st Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2009, and Chapter 982 (H.B. 2080), Acts of the 83rd
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and is further amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 101.1215.  COUNTY COURT FEES AND COSTS:  ESTATES [TEXAS
  PROBATE] CODE. The clerk of a county court shall collect the
  following fees and costs under the Estates [Texas Probate] Code:
               (1)  fee for deposit of a will with the county clerk
  during testator's lifetime (Sec. 252.001, Estates Code) [(Sec. 71,
  Texas Probate Code)] . . . $10 [$5];
               (2)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the personal representative of an estate, an application,
  complaint, or opposition in relation to the estate, if required by
  the clerk (Sec. 53.052, Estates Code) [(Sec. 12, Texas Probate
  Code)] . . . probable cost of the proceeding;
               (3)  fee on filing an application, complaint, petition,
  or other paper in a guardianship proceeding, which includes a
  deposit for payment to an attorney ad litem (Sec. 1052.051, Estates
  Code) . . . cost of filing and payment of attorney ad litem;
               (4)  security deposit on filing, by any person other
  than the guardian, attorney ad litem, or guardian ad litem, an
  application, complaint, or opposition in relation to a guardianship
  matter, if required by the clerk (Sec. 1053.052, Estates Code)
  [(Sec. 622, Texas Probate Code)] . . . probable cost of the
  guardianship proceeding; [and]
               (5)  nonrefundable fee to cover the cost of
  administering Subchapter G, Chapter 1104, Estates Code (Sec.
  1104.303, Estates Code) . . . $40;
               (6) [(4)]  costs for attorney ad litem appointed to
  pursue the restoration of a ward's capacity or modification of the
  ward's guardianship (Sec. 1202.102, Estates Code) [(Secs. 694C and
  694L, Texas Probate Code)] . . . reasonable compensation; and
               (7)  fee for delivery of a will to the court clerk by
  custodian (Sec. 252.201, Estates Code) . . . $10.
         SECTION 10.  Section 118.052, Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 118.052.  FEE SCHEDULE.  Each clerk of a county court
  shall collect the following fees for services rendered to any
  person:
               (1)  CIVIL COURT ACTIONS
                     (A)  Filing of Original Action (Sec. 118.053):
                           (i)  Garnishment after judgment . . . $15.00
                           (ii)  All others . . . $40.00
                     (B)  Filing of Action Other than Original (Sec.
  118.054) . . . $30.00
                     (C)  Services Rendered After Judgment in Original
  Action (Sec. 118.0545):
                           (i)  Abstract of judgment . . . $ 5.00
                           (ii)  Execution, order of sale, writ, or
  other process . . . $ 5.00
               (2)  PROBATE COURT ACTIONS
                     (A)  Probate Original Action (Sec. 118.055):
                           (i)  Probate of a will with independent
  executor, administration with will attached, administration of an
  estate, guardianship or receivership of an estate, or muniment of
  title . . . $40.00
                           (ii)  Community survivors . . . $40.00
                           (iii)  Small estates . . . $40.00
                           (iv)  Declarations of heirship . . . $40.00
                           (v)  Mental health or chemical dependency
  services . . . $40.00
                           (vi)  Additional, special fee (Sec. 118.064)
  . . . $ 5.00
                     (B)  Services in Pending Probate Action (Sec.
  118.056):
                           (i)  Filing an inventory and appraisement as
  provided by Section 118.056(d) . . . $25.00
                           (ii)  Approving and recording bond . . . $
  3.00
                           (iii)  Administering oath . . . $ 2.00
                           (iv)  Filing annual or final account of
  estate . . . $25.00
                           (v)  Filing application for sale of real or
  personal property . . .  $25.00
                           (vi)  Filing annual or final report of
  guardian of a person . . . $10.00
                           (vii)  Filing a document not listed under
  this paragraph after the filing of an order approving the inventory
  and appraisement or after the 120th day after the date of the
  initial filing of the action, whichever occurs first, if more than
  25 pages . . . $25.00
                     (C)  Adverse Probate Action (Sec. 118.057) . . .
  $40.00
                     (D)  Claim Against Estate (Sec. 118.058) . . .
  $10.00 [$ 2.00]
                     (E)  Supplemental Court-Initiated Guardianship
  Fee in Probate Original Actions and Adverse Probate Actions (Sec.
  118.067) . . . $20.00
                     (F)  Supplemental Public Probate Administrator
  Fee For Counties That Have Appointed a Public Probate Administrator
  (Sec. 118.068) . . . $10.00
               (3)  OTHER FEES
                     (A)  Issuing Document (Sec. 118.059): original
  document and one copy . . . $ 4.00
  each additional set of an original and one copy . . . $ 4.00
                     (B)  Certified Papers (Sec. 118.060): for the
  clerk's certificate . . . $ 5.00
  plus a fee per page or part of a page of . . . $ 1.00
                     (C)  Noncertified Papers (Sec. 118.0605): for
  each page or part of a page . . . $ 1.00
                     (D)  Letters Testamentary, Letter of
  Guardianship, Letter of Administration, or Abstract of Judgment
  (Sec. 118.061) . . . $ 2.00
                     (E)  Safekeeping of Wills (Sec. 118.062) . . .
  $10.00 [$ 5.00]
                     (F)  Mail Service of Process (Sec. 118.063) . . .
  same as sheriff
                     (G)  Records Management and Preservation Fee
  . . . $ 5.00
         SECTION 11.  Sections 252.001 and 252.201, Estates Code, as
  amended by this Act, and Section 252.2015, Estates Code, as added by
  this Act, apply to a will deposited or delivered to the clerk of a
  court on or after the effective date of this Act. A will deposited
  or delivered to the clerk of a court before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the will was
  deposited or delivered, and the former law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 12.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.