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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
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion