DAN MORALES 

A,TORSEY GENERAL 

@ffite of tip 16lttornep 4heral 

Qtatt of Qtxae 

septahr 3.1993 

lionorebleh4ikehireoll Opinion No. 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 UabiUty for 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 

MADELEINE B. JOHNSON 

cb8ir.opinioncommittee 

p. 1306