@ffite of tip 16lttornep4heral Qtatt of Qtxae DAN MORALES A,TORSEY GENERAL septahr 3.1993 lionorebleh4ikehireoll OpinionNo. DM-250 ~cormtyAnornsy 1001 Preston, Suite634 Re:Question8rd8tingtoselviceofprocess Houston, Tam 77002-1891 injusticeccmsuadertbeTexasRuksof CiiRooabre (RQ-W Dear Mr. Drkoll: Youuktbefiaowiqtwoquediantrboutraviceofprocusilltiases conrmencedilljurticeOftllC~OOUlt:* 1. wllobahwdtonerveprocusbyregisteredorartifitdmril Mdcitetionbypublia!ion? 2. whtkestKddk~araviaofproauby~or OdlkddiSlMdGbyillCdWkOfthejlUtiCCCOlUt? IneskingtbrfimqlK9th,we- youramcuntoktbepropa uaapmtionofnrle536ofthcTaprRukrofCii- WlliChSWCSillpWt: (a) cii al other noticea mey be yal mlywke by (1) ~9hWiffOrOOlM8blCOrOtkpLT9OllMlthOWdbykarOr,(2)~ 8ll&okdbyhworbywfittalorderoftbealurtwboisDot iii?bme&bteenyemofege. Nopemmwl~~isapmytoor ilmwledinthe otncomeofrcuit9lullcave8llyprocu9. serdce iyregidmda~ednrrdldb?itrdia,bypnbiiumalshaII*~ nqwsrcrl,bemo&bylhcd&rkofrlw~inwhi&lheca.wis ftendhg. TbeordaellwkhgrpaYontouavepfoa!sslluybe madewithoutwrittallnotionendno~ehallkimpoeed~ i9sumceofrmcb~. p. 1302 HonomblehfikeDriscofl - Page 2 @M-250) . p. 1303 HommbleMikehirooU - Page 3 (DM-250) PatVoftbcTaprRulesofCivilPmctdm,’RuksofPraaiceiahmtice Carry”doesaot~erlulerboutwboLlutborizedtoKmbyplbticrtianhrjurtice wurtcuc~. Rule535oftbeTew1sRulesofCiiProcedw~rovides~tbetheof dt8tionbypubliatiollinjusticeaultsuitsby~tbetimetb8ttbe-musl ~erauuwerwhencitltionkbyplbticltion,butdoeonotnywhomrywrvedCaionby publiation injustice court asu. Howevu, NkS23St8tUt&t”[8JUNlUgOVdUgtbC district8ndcouIltycotutsab8ll8lsogoverntllejusticecourts,inrohr8stbeyc8nbe 8pp~afxptwbereotbawkspeci6allyprovidedbylmvorthesenlles.’ Tltwwe thinktheTexmSupremeCaurtwuuldrelyonthendesforravioebyplbiicrtion gpaningdistrict8ndcumtycourts. seeopiionsofs-onImapretuionof ndefollowhgnde535. AcundbgtonJel16,~onbypubliutiw’Wberawdby t&rbaifforurycomrrrbledrnycamtyortkStateotTauosbythcclakoftheoarrt inwbicbtbeuseispendhg.’ Tbe8nswatoyourseccdquestion8bouttbepenniniiletbe8justicecauRclerk3 amychqeforeffectingmviceofPmcesbyqistmedorcertihdmrilis6nmdin 8ectioas 118.121 and 118.122 oftheLoa! Oovmmmt Code. !kction 118.121 stat- in Pft: Ajusticeofthepera#llauahctthefoll~ae,for8avices fCOddtO8llypWSOll: (a) Services nadered befimjudgmau (Sec. 118.122): (A) Justicecolnl................................................. s15.00 (8)Thefkr0r'%WiCU~b8fhjld@IMdunda Section 118.121(l) is for all rquired &gs of doammts and all o!be?Jwocuss8ndprocedrmsin8civilmr#ai?l8jusricccuntor mMllcl8imscQm. @)TbefeeLpridbythe@hr.ifforthepvtyiahtingrhc 8cti~cross8cti~tbirdp8lty8ction,orintavcntion8ttbetbnetbe qplicableactioni8iuiti8tul. Tbe&cisplidon&awtin#ibre8cb of those 8ctiolls. Wetbhk”~OthpfOCUSUdprocsdrmrbI8dV8~bI8jUSdu~~uada rcction118.122hrcMerraviaofprocasbyteeirtendacatitiedmrilincivilcuer. We &r&ore caclude thnt plrnunt to rcctic~r 118.121 md 118.122 of tk Loal p. 1304 Homable Mike Driswll - Page 4 (DM-250) . OovermaentCodc,ravice~~bydiS8”8aVifXreadaedbCfOfCjUd~‘tb8t tiacldsdinthg15.00filiqsfccertrblirbedforrrjvilMnaintbejurricecourt. ThiS condusiondispelstbeuggestiwthMtbejusticeoftbepacoccurtderkm8ycJurgetbe smefeeuthu&mfgedby8blai&forvrviaofprocarbymril;thtderkoftbe~ courtm8ycollecttbenme&eutb8toftbesbaifftbrservicebym8il. bc8lCWtCode 00 118.052(3)(E),118.063. (l)adk!ct8dv8nCeJ?8ymmtfkrbeurmJcortoftbC post8gerclqealtoserveordeavrrtbeprocerr;or (2) 8ssastbeex$wudpost8ge8swsts. (b)cbargatmderthisnctionrreio8ddidontootberdurges lnowedbylawfbr8efvicesperhmedbytheo5chl8avingthe procero. Ciw.Pr8c.&Rem.Code~17.025. l%m18nttorule536,8justi~caurtckrkb8public offid8lpamittedtosemlegdprowssbymail. Thuqseuion17.0250fttIecivilmctice radRanediescode~owsthejurticecourttoco~ectrdvrnceprymcnt~r~woortof post8gemless8uotberst8tuteexanpt8the,party~p8yingor~8ewrlty. See. r~.,id&6@naaUyexaqthggo1mmml aItitkshaladvmcepBymentofKnlrt W~incivil~);Prob.Code§12(acrmptins8Eaat-lgpointsde~Or ~stntorlcthrghrhir~ehrncta~providiagrtorconr);TlxCode $8 33.48, 33.49 (uanpthg taxing units htn UabiUtyfor costs atising in action for wlleaion of delinquent taxes); Attomcy Gamal Opinions MW470, MWa7A (1982). See gweml~ 16 TEX NR cacts $0 13.42. SUMMARY Pummnttorule536oftbeTexasRulesofCiRocedure,the d&Of8jUStiCCCUWtmurtWVCCit8tiOllbydWplbliatiOllif mkedtodoso. Rule536oftbeTcxasRulcaofCiiProcedm permits8nyihaifSamst8bleor8nyperswPltborizedbyl8wor8ny pSOll8UtbO~byWWt~GfWbOiS8tlerstGigbt~yCKSOldtO 8uveprowssiujusticecoultalsesbyregideredorartifiedm8il. Rule116authorkssavicebypublicationinjwtice~ase8by p. 1305 Honorable MikeDriswU - Page 5 (DM-250) thcrhaifformyconotrbleofyrcountyinTapsorthe~~Otthe courtinwbicbtbecaseispending Pmswntto8ections 118.121 and 118.122 of the Lucal Govemment COd~thejWtiUWW&ClakUl8y dmrge 8 fee of S15.00 for m-vice of proas by registered or oa-t5edmd. Tbejusticecolutddmaywuect8dvwcep8ymm ibrtheexpemeofpostageforwvingprocusbymdunlaslDotha 8t8tuteexemptstbep8rty&omp8yingsucbwsts. DAN MORALES Attorney Gamd of Texas WlU PRYOR FlkStAUiStWtAttOlllC)ft3Uld MADELEINEB. JOHNSON cb8ir.opinioncommittee p. 1306