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