lhei+morableKerryKnorpp OpinionNo. H-754
CcnmtyAttorney
County of potter R?: Feestobechargedbya
Amarillo,Texas 79101 countyclerk in a civil law suit
for debt.
Dear m. Knorpp:
Youhavs askedwhatfees the county clerk shouldcollectin acivil
law suit for debt where severalinstnments are filed by the plaintiff
and itisnecessary for the clerktoissuevariouswrits atthedirection
ofthec0urt,orremrdceYcaininstIUrents,hothkeforejudgmentand
after. Article 3930(b),V.T.C.S.,reads in part:
Section1. County clerksand clerksof
county courts ars bereby authorizedand
reqh-ed to collectthe followingfees for
servicesrmdexedbythemtoall~,
firms,coqmrations, legal entities,govermmtal
agenciesand/orgwfmmntalrepm3entatives:
A. Fees for county Civil Court Ecckets
(1) For each cause or action,or
dmketinC0mty Civil Courts: for filing,
or filing and registering,or filingand
rec~rdhg,andfordxketingandincluding
izaxingoostsforeachandallapplications,
caplaints, petitions,returns,docunents,
papars,.legalinstnmnts, recordsand/or
pmceedmgs; for issuing,includingths
record.ingoftheretunltherecm,eachand
all citaticms,notices,s&poems, ammis-
sions to take depositions,executionswhile
the docket is still open, garnishnsnts
before juarpnents,oxders,writs,processes,
or any and all other insb-umznts,dtzcmants
or papers authorized,pMnitted or required
p. 3190
. .
The Homrable Kerry Know - page 2 (H-754)
to be issuedby said county clerk or said
clerk of county courtsonwhicha return
must be recorded;for all attendanceain
court as clerk of court; for impanelinga
jury: for sweariqwitneeses; for approving
bondsinvolvedincourtactions,fora&inistering
oaths; and for allotherdlericalduties in
cormectionwith such countycivil court
docket:
(a) Fbr each originalcam or suit in
aC!mntyCivil Court, including,butnot
limitedti,appealsfranJusticeofthe
PeaceCourtsorCoqxxationQxrtsand
transfersof causesor suits franother
jurisdictims,a fee tobedue andpayable,
and to be paid by the plaintffor plaintiffs,
or appellantor appellants,at the tim said
cause or suit is filed,startedor initiated,
wbichfeeistobepaidbutonatinreinaach
cause or docket,or suit, and which fee
excludes~itfm~ listedinPea=B,
C, g, ----
and E of this=. 1:
(i) For causes or docketsinwlving
dmages, debts, specificperfonranosofcontracts
and agrements, pleas of privilege,appealsfmn
Justiceof the Peace Courts and Corporation
courts,for appealsfmn driver'slicense
suspension,andother causesof actionnot
other&se listed in this ParagraphA(l)(a):
afeeof.... . .$lO.OO (IWphasisadded.)
ParagraphsB, C, D, and E mnticmed above cmncern,respectively,
probatecourt fees (B),fees where no cause is pending 0, fees for
sanricesunrelatedtotheprosecuti~ofapendingcauseand~~la
return is to be recorded (D),and fees for issuingletterstestmsntary,
lettersof guardianship,lettersof U&ration, sndabstracts of
judgments(El. SubparagraphA(1)(a)(ii)specifiesspecialchargesfor
garnishmentsafter jmlgmnt.and subparagraphA(l)(b)specifiesthe fee
tobechaq~forinterpleadersandcrossactions.
p. 3191
T% HonorableBerry Knorpp - Page 3 (H-754)
In AttorneyGeneralCpinionH-43 (1973)ws mted that paragraphA
of section1 of this statuterequiresthat a fee of $10.00bs paid for
all servicesof the clerk thereinlisted in certaintypes of suits
excludingthosesemices rendmxdunderparagraPhsB,C,DandE.
ParagraphAapplies to suits for debt, and so long as the suit is
pending,the initial$10.00charge is the only charge the comty clerk
canmke for the court-relatedservicesdescribedin~aragraphAother
than those fees allowedby subparasraphs A(1)(a)(ii)and A(1)(b),m
izatterhowoftenthoseservicesmustberender& or repeated. It is to
be paid "but me tine in each cause or docket,or suit." V.T.C.S.aft.
393Ob, 5 1 A(1)(a).
In H-43, where the provisionsof Bule 621a of the Texas Bules of
Civil Procedureware a factor,ws said:
AS we construeArticle 3930(b),if at the
tima the provisionsof Bule 621a are invoked
the originalcause of action is still Pending
upon the docket of the court, the successful
party my file or requirethe issuanceof
whatever~aPersarenecessaqunderBule62la
without incurringliabilityfor any additional
~theotberhand,ifthereisnocause
~mdthepmeedingmustbebrought
under ParagraphC, then the Clerk is entitled
to a chargeof $3.00 for issuingeach instnnnent,
docmsnt, or paper,but not for merely filing
the sane. If, asmaybs true indiscovery
proce&ngsunderthealmded rules, the Clerk
is not calledupon to issue any instnmients,~
see no authorityfor him to charge a fee.
It is our constructionof articles3930
and 393OA-1that they apply only to the non-
court asps&s of the functionsof the county
clerk'soffice and that mbsecticm (9)of
Article 3930 does not authorizethe clerk to
set a fee for filing instnmentsincourt
p==dings..
We vllould
add only that paragraphE allawsa specificadditional
chargeof $1.00 for issuingeach abstractof judgmantand controlswith
regard to that service. The non-courtrelatedservicesdescribedin
ParagraPhD arenotinvolved in the fact situationyoupose.
pm 3192
, ,
The SormrableKerryIWorpp - page 4 (H-754)
ws thereforeanswar that in a civil suit for debt, except for the
additimlfees allowadforgarnishwnts after judgmntsnd for inter-
ventionsand cross-actions, etc., awuntyclerkmaymake onlyaone-
tim total chargeof $10.00for the renditionof all servicesdescribed
in paragraphA of article3930(b)so long as the suit is pending.
Aftenards, the clerk may charge an additional$3.00 for each occasion
onwhicha se.rvice describedtip&zagraphCis performea,and the clerk
may chargean additional$1.00 foreachabatractof jtigmsntwfiichhe
issues in accordancewith paragraphE. See
-- also AttorneyGeneralopinion
M-230 (1968).
SUMMARY
In a civil suit for debt, except for the additional
fees allawedforgarnislmmts after judgmntand
for intenrentions and cross-actions, etc., a
comtyclerkmaynmkeonlyaone-timetotalchaqe
of $10.00for the renditionof all servicesdescribed
in paragraphA of article3930(b)S 1, V.T.C.S.,so
longas the suitispending. Afterwax& theclerk
may chargean additional$3.00 for each occasionon
whicha servicedescribedinparagraphCofthat
statuteisperfonnsd,andthe clerkmay chargean
additional$1.00 for each atetractof jM.gnsnthe
issues inaca&amewithparagraphEof the statute.
‘ew
P L. HILL
ttorneyGeneralof Texas
p. 3193