Source: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=59&art=1&section=10
Timestamp: 2016-12-03 21:52:28
Document Index: 30735716

Matched Legal Cases: ['§59', '§59', '§59', '§101', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59', '§59']

Chapter 59 Entire Code ‹ Chapter 58
| Chapter 60 › Printer Friendly Versions
Chapter 59 | Article 59 - 1
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WVC 59- CHAPTER 59. FEES, ALLOWANCES AND COSTS;
WVC -1- ARTICLE 1. FEES AND ALLOWANCES.
WVC 59-1-1 §59-1-1. Fee for use of state seal.
Except when the seal is used on the papers of a requisition
issued by the governor for the return of a fugitive from justice,
or when the seal of the state is affixed to any certificate,
credential or commission of a public officer, and except in cases
where it is otherwise provided by law, there shall be a tax of one
dollar whenever the seal of the state is affixed to any paper,
which tax shall be paid to the secretary of state, and by him paid
into the treasury of the state.
WVC 59 - 1 - 2 §59-1-2. Fees to be charged by Secretary of State.
service is rendered at the time it is done:
(1) For filing, recording, indexing, preserving a record of
organized within the state, as follows:
(H) Amendment or correction of articles of incorporation,
to any applicable license tax25.00
(I) Amendment or correction, including change of name, of
liability company or of certificate of limited partnership or agreement of voluntary association25.00
(J) Amendment and restatement of articles of incorporation,
liability company or business trust25.00
(K) Registration of trade name, otherwise designated as a true
domestic business entity as permitted by law25.00
(L) Articles of merger of two corporations, limited
associations or business trusts25.00
(M) Plus for each additional party to the merger in excess of
two15.00
(N) Statement of conversion, when permitted, from one business
filing the appropriate documents to organize the surviving entity..
(O) Articles of dissolution of a corporation, voluntary
general partnership25.00
(P) Revocation of voluntary dissolution of a corporation,
voluntary association or business trust15.00
(Q) Articles of termination of a limited liability company, cancellation of a limited partnership or statement of withdrawal of
limited liability partnership25.00
(R) Reinstatement of a limited liability company or
dissolution25.00
(2) For filing, recording, indexing, preserving a record of
organized in other states or countries, as follows:
(C) Certificate of authority of foreign limited liability
companies150.00
(G) Registration of a limited liability partnership for
two-year term500.00
(J) Amendment or correction of certificate of authority of a
capital stock, in addition to any applicable license tax25.00
(K) Amendment or correction of certificate of limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability
association or business trust25.00
(L) Registration of trade name, otherwise designated as a true
foreign business entity as permitted by law25.00
(M) Amendment and restatement of certificate of authority or
limited liability company, voluntary association or business trust
(N) Articles of merger of two corporations, limited
(O) Plus for each additional party to the merger in excess of
two5.00
(P) Statement of conversion, when permitted, from one business
surviving entity25.00
(Q) Certificate of withdrawal or cancellation of a
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the
company or other business entity as provided by law$15.00
(4) For receiving, filing and preserving a reservation of a
company$15.00
(5) For issuing a certificate relating to a corporation or
corporation$10.00
(B) Certificate of existence of a domestic limited liability
company and certificate of authorization foreign limited liability
company10.00
(C) Certificate of existence of any business entity, trademark
or service mark registered with the Secretary of State 10.00
(D) Certified copy of corporate charter or comparable
organizing documents for other business entities15.00
(E) Plus, for each additional amendment, restatement or other
additional document5.00
(F) Certificate of registration of the name of a foreign
(6) For issuing a certificate other than those relating to
business entities, as provided in this subsection, as follows:
(A) Certificate or apostille relating to the authority of
commissions$10.00
(B) Plus, for each additional certificate pertaining to the
same transaction5.00
(D) For acceptance, indexing and recordation of service of
permitted by law15.00
(E) For shipping and handling expenses for execution of
of the Secretary of State.5.00
(F) For shipping and handling expenses for execution of
the office of the Secretary of State.15.00
(7) For a search of records of the office conducted by
other than the office of the Secretary of State no less than$10.00
(B) For searches of archival records maintained at sites other
a search10.00
(C) For any search of records maintained on site for the
purpose of obtaining copies of documents or printouts of data5.00
(D) For any search of records maintained in electronic format
not less than25.00
(E) The cost of the search is in addition to the cost of any
prescribed5.00
(8) For producing and providing photocopies or printouts of
electronic data of specific records upon request, as follows:
(A) For a copy of any paper or printout of electronic data, if
one sheet$1.00
(D) For producing and providing photocopies of lists, reports,
Secretary of State at a rate approximating $2.00 plus .10 per page
and rounded to the nearest dollar.
(E) For electronic copies of records obtained in data format
provided by the Secretary of State5.00
(b) The Secretary of State may propose rules for legislative
approval, in accordance with the provisions of article three,
chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, for charges for on-line
electronic access to database information or other information
maintained by the Secretary of State.
(c) For any other work or service not enumerated in this
section, the fee prescribed elsewhere in this code or a rule
promulgated under the authority of this code.
(d) The records maintained by the Secretary of State are
state for each instance of resale.
(e) The Secretary of State may provide printed or electronic
(f) There is hereby continued in the State Treasury a special
revenue account to be known as the Service Fees and Collections
the following purposes shall be deposited by the Secretary of State or other collecting agency to that special revenue account and used
for the operation of the office of the Secretary of State:
(1) The annual attorney-in-fact fee for corporations and
chapter eleven of this code;
(2) The fees received for the sale of the State Register, Code
by section seven, article two, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code;
(3) The registration fees, late fees and legal settlements
(6) The annual attorney-in-fact fee for licensed insurers established in section twelve, article four, chapter thirty-three
notaries public established by section twenty, article four,
chapter thirty-nine of this code;
(8) The fees for registering credit service organizations as
established by section five, article six-c, chapter forty-six-a of
(9) The fees for registering and renewing a West Virginia
(10) The filing fees for the registration and renewal of
(11) All fees for services, the sale of photocopies and data
maintained at the expense of the Secretary of State as provided in
(12) All registration, license and other fees collected by the
Secretary of State not specified in this section.
established by this section which exceeds $500,000 as of June 30,
2003, and each year thereafter, shall be expired to the state fund,
State Treasury a special revenue account to be known as the General Administrative Fees Account. Expenditures from the account shall be
year shall not revert to the General Revenue Fund, but shall remain
company described in subdivision (2), subsection (a) of this section; and
a noninterest-bearing, escrow account to be known as the Prepaid
Fees and Services Account. This account shall be for the purpose of
allowing customers of the Secretary of State to prepay for
(j) A veteran-owned business, as defined in paragraph
thirteen, subsection (a), section two-a of this article, commenced
on or after July 1, 2015, is exempt from paying the fees prescribed
in paragraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) and (G), subdivision
(1), subsection (a) of this section.
.§59-1-2a. Annual business fees to be paid to the Secretary of
State; filing of annual reports; purchase of data.
(1) "Annual report fee" means the fee described in subsection
(c) of this section that is to be paid to the Secretary of State
each year by corporations, limited partnerships, domestic limited
liability companies and foreign limited liability companies. After
June 30, 2008, any reference in this code to a fee paid to the
Secretary of State for services as a statutory attorney in fact
shall mean the annual report fee described in this section.
(2) "Business activity" means all activities engaged in or
caused to be engaged in with the object of gain or economic
benefit, direct or indirect, but does not mean any of the
activities of foreign corporations enumerated in subsection (b),
section one thousand five hundred one, article fifteen, chapter
thirty-one-d of this code, except for the activity of conducting
affairs in interstate commerce when activity occurs in this state,
nor does it mean any of the activities of foreign limited liability
companies enumerated in subsection (a), section one thousand three,
article ten, chapter thirty-one-b of this code, except for the
activity of conducting affairs in interstate commerce when activity
occurs in this state.
(3) "Corporation" means a "domestic corporation", a "foreign
corporation" or a "nonprofit corporation".
(4) "Deliver or delivery" means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including, but not limited to,
delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery and electronic
(5) "Domestic corporation" means a corporation for profit
which is not a foreign corporation incorporated under or subject to
chapter thirty-one-d of this code.
(6) "Domestic limited liability company" means a limited
liability company which is not a foreign limited liability company
under or subject to chapter thirty-one-b of this code.
(7) "Foreign corporation" means a for-profit corporation
incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state.
(8) "Foreign limited liability company" means a limited
liability company organized under a law other than the laws of this
(9) "Limited partnership" means a partnership as defined by
section one, article nine, chapter forty-seven of this code.
(10) "Nonprofit corporation" means a nonprofit corporation as
defined by section one hundred fifty, article one, chapter
thirty-one-e of this code.
(11) "Registration fee"means the fee for the issuance of a
certificate relating to the initial registration of a corporation,
limited partnership, domestic limited liability company or foreign
limited liability company described in subdivision (2), subsection
(a), section two of this article. The term "initial registration"
also means the date upon which the registration fee is paid.
(12) "Veteran" means the term as defined by subsection (a),
section seven, article one, chapter nine-a of this code. Notwithstanding anything in this code to the contrary, a veteran
must be honorably discharged or under honorable conditions, and as
described in 38 U. S. C. §101.
(13) "Veteran-owned business" means a business that meets the
(A) Is at least fifty-one percent unconditionally owned by one
or more veterans; or
(B) In the case of a publically owned business, at least
fifty-one percent of the stock is unconditionally owned by one or
(b) Required payment of annual report fee and filing of annual
report. -- After June 30, 2008, no corporation, limited
liability company may engage in any business activity in this state
without paying the annual report fee and filing the annual report
as required by this section.
(c) Annual report fee. -- After June 30, 2008, each
corporation, limited partnership, domestic limited liability
company and foreign limited liability company engaged in or
authorized to do business in this state shall pay an annual report
fee of $25 for the services of the Secretary of State as
attorney-in-fact for the corporation, limited partnership, domestic
limited liability company or foreign limited liability company and for such other administrative services as may be imposed by law
upon the Secretary of State. The fee is due and payable each year
after the initial registration of the corporation, limited
liability company with the annual report described in subsection
(d) of this section on or before the dates specified in subsection
(e) of this section. The fee is due and payable each year with the
annual report from corporations, limited partnerships, domestic
limited liability companies and foreign limited liability companies
that paid the registration fee prior to July 1, 2008, on or before
the dates specified in subsection (e) of this section. The annual
report fees received by the Secretary of State pursuant to this
subsection shall be deposited by the Secretary of State in the
general administrative fees account established by section two of
(d) Annual report. -- (1) After June 30, 2008, each corporation, limited
partnership, domestic limited liability company and foreign limited
liability company engaged in or authorized to do business in this
state shall file an annual report. The report is due each year
liability company with the annual report fee described in
subsection (c) of this section on or before the dates specified in
subsection (e) of this section. The report is due each year from corporations, limited partnerships, domestic limited liability
companies and foreign limited liability companies that paid the
registration fee prior to July 1, 2008, on or before the dates
specified in subsection (e) of this section.
(2) (A) The annual report shall be filed with the Secretary of
State on forms provided by the Secretary of State for that purpose. The annual report shall, in the case of corporations, contain: (i)
The address of the corporation's principal office; (ii) the names
and mailing addresses of its officers and directors; (iii) the name
and mailing address of the person on whom notice of process may be
served; (iv) the name and address of the corporation's parent
corporation and of each subsidiary of the corporation licensed to
do business in this state; (v) in the case of limited partnerships,
domestic limited liability companies and foreign limited liability
companies, similar information with respect to their principal or
controlling interests as determined by the Secretary of State or
otherwise required by law to be reported to the Secretary of State;
(vi) the county or county code in which the principal office
address or mailing address of the company is located; (vii)
business class code; and (viii) any other information the Secretary
of State considers appropriate.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, the Secretary of State shall, upon request of any person,
disclose, with respect to corporations: (i) The address of the
corporation's principal office; (ii) the names and addresses of its officers and directors; (iii) the name and mailing address of the
person on whom notice of process may be served; (iv) the name and
address of each subsidiary of the corporation and the corporation's
parent corporation; (v) the county or county code in which the
principal office address or mailing address of the company is
located; and (vi) the business class code. The Secretary of State
shall provide similar information with respect to information in
its possession relating to limited partnerships domestic limited
liability companies and foreign limited liability companies,
similar information with respect to their principal or controlling
(e) Annual reports and fees due July 1. -- Each domestic and
foreign corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company
and foreign limited liability company shall file with the Secretary
of State the annual report and pay the annual report fee by July 1
(f) Deposit of fees. -- The annual report fees received by the
Secretary of State pursuant to this section shall be deposited by
the Secretary of State in the general administrative fees account
established by section two of this article.
(g) (1) Duty to pay. -- It shall be the duty of each
corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company and
foreign limited liability company required to pay the annual report
fees imposed under this article, to remit them with a properly
completed annual report to the Secretary of State, and if it fails to do so it shall be subject to the late fees prescribed in
subsection (h) of this article and dissolution or revocation,
pursuant to this code: Provided, That before dissolution or
revocation for failure to pay fees may occur, the Secretary of
State shall notify the entity by certified mail, return receipt
requested, of its failure to pay, all late fees or bad check fees
associated with the failure to pay and the date upon which
dissolution or revocation will occur if all fees are not paid in
full. The certified mail required by this subdivision shall be
postmarked at least thirty days before the dissolution or
revocation date listed in the notice.
(2) Bad check fee. -- If any corporation, limited partnership,
limited liability company or foreign limited liability company
submits payment by check or money order for the annual report fee
imposed under this article and the check or money order is rejected
because there are insufficient funds in the account or the account
is closed, the Secretary of State shall assess a bad check fee to
the corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company or
foreign limited liability company that is equivalent to the service
charge paid by the Secretary of State due to the rejected check or
money order. The bad check fee assessed under this subdivision
shall be deposited into the account or accounts from which the
Secretary of State paid the service charge.
(A) Administrative late fee. -- The Secretary of State shall
assess upon each corporation, limited partnership, limited
liability company and foreign limited liability company delinquent
in the payment of an annual report fee or the filing of an annual
report an administrative late fee in the amount of $50.
(B) Administrative late fees for nonprofit corporations. --
The Secretary of State shall assess each nonprofit corporation
delinquent in the payment of an annual report fee or the filing of
an annual report an administrative late fee in the amount of $25.
(2) The Secretary of State shall deposit the first $25,000 of
fees collected under this subsection into the General
Administrative Fees Account established in subsection (h), section
two of this article and shall deposit any additional fees collected
under this section into the General Revenue Fund of the state.
(i) Reports to Tax Commissioner; suspension, cancellation or
withholding of business registration certificate. --
(1) The Secretary of State shall, within twenty days after the
close of each month, make a report to the Tax Commissioner for the
preceding month, in which he or she shall set out the name of every
business entity to which he or she issued a certificate to conduct
business in the State of West Virginia during that month. The
report shall set out the names and addresses of all corporations,
limited partnerships, limited liability companies and foreign
limited liability companies to which he or she issued certificates of change of name or of change of location of principal office,
dissolution, withdrawal or merger. If the Secretary of State fails
to make the report, it shall be the duty of the Tax Commissioner to
report such failure to the Governor. A writ of mandamus shall lie
for correction of such failure.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the
contrary, upon receipt of notice from the Secretary of State that
a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company and
foreign limited liability company is more than thirty days
delinquent in the payment of annual report fees or in the filing of
an annual report required by this section, the Tax Commissioner may
suspend, cancel or withhold a business registration certificate
issued to or applied for by the delinquent corporation, limited
partnership, limited liability company or foreign limited liability
company until the same is paid and filed in the manner provided for
the suspension, cancellation or withholding of business
registration certificates for other reasons under article twelve,
chapter eleven of this code.
(j) Purchase of data. -- The Secretary of State will provide
electronically, for purchase, any data maintained in the Secretary
of State's Business Organizations Database. For the electronic
purchase of the entire Business Organizations Database, the cost is
$12,000. For the purchase of the monthly updates of the Business
Organizations Database, the cost is $1,000 per month. The fees
received by the Secretary of State pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited by the Secretary of State in the general
administrative fees account established by section two of this
(k) The Secretary of State is authorized to collect the
service fee per transaction, if any, charged for an online service
from any customer who purchases data or conducts transactions
through an online service.
(l) Rules. -- The Secretary of State may propose rules for
legislative approval, in accordance with the provisions of article
three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to implement this
(m) A veteran-owned business, as defined in paragraph
thirteen, subsection (a) of this section, commenced on or after
July 1, 2015, is exempt from paying the annual report fee, required
by this section, for the first four years after its initial
registration: Provided, That a veteran-owned business is not exempt
from any filing deadlines or other fees required by this section.
Secretary of State shall charge the following fees for data
originating in the statewide voter registration system to be paid
by the person for whom the service is rendered at the time it is
(b) For the purposes of this section, "Election Cycle
Subscription Service" includes:
(1) Statewide Registered Voter List updated monthly throughout
the year and updated daily starting thirty days prior to election
day through election day;
(2) Master Voter History List Export following certification
of the primary, general and odd-year elections;
(3) Statewide All Mail-in Absentee Request List and Statewide
Public Received Mail-in Absentee List for the primary, general and odd-year elections, updated daily starting thirty days prior to
election day through ten days following election day; and
(4) Statewide Early Voters List for the primary, general and
odd-year elections, updated daily starting on the first day of
early voting through election day.
(c) At the time that a request is made under subdivision (7),
(8) or (9) of subsection (a) of this section, the current hourly
rate, as determined by the Secretary of State, shall be
communicated to the prospective purchaser along with an estimate of
the number of hours needed to fulfill the request before any list
is compiled.
(d) Net proceeds from the sale of data originating in the
statewide voter registration system, along with any interest on
such funds, shall be deposited into the State Election Fund as set
forth in subsection (b), section forty-eight, article one, chapter
three of this code.
§59-1-2c. Young Entrepreneur Reinvestment Act; certain fees waived. (a) Beginning on July 1, 2016, a person who is under the age of thirty who resides within West Virginia is exempt from paying the fees provided in section two of this article for filing: (1) Articles of incorporation of a domestic, for-profit corporation, for which he or she is an incorporator; (2) Articles of incorporation of a domestic, nonprofit corporation for which he or she is an incorporator; (3) Articles of organization of a domestic limited liability company, for which he or she is a member; (4) Agreement of a domestic general partnership, for which he or she is a partner; or (5) Certificate of a domestic limited partnership, for which he or she is a partner. (b) This section is effective until and through June 30, 2018. After June 30, 2018, this section is no longer in force and effect. WVC 59-1-3 §59-1-3. Fees to be charged by auditor.
The auditor shall charge for services rendered in his office
the following fees to be paid by the person to whom the service is
rendered at the time it is done:
WVC 59 - 1 - 4 §59-1-4. Fees collected by Secretary of State, Auditor and Clerk
of Supreme Court of Appeals to be paid into State
Treasury; accounts; reports.
Except as otherwise provided by law, the fees to be charged by
the Auditor, Secretary of State and Clerk of the Supreme Court of
Appeals, by virtue of this article or any other law, are the
property of the State of West Virginia. The Auditor, Secretary of
State and Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall account for
and pay into the State Treasury at least once every thirty days all
fees collected or appearing to be due to the state, to the credit
of the general state fund or other fund as provided by law. The
Auditor, Secretary of State and Clerk of the Supreme Court of
Appeals shall each keep a complete and accurate itemized account of
all fees collected by them and the nature of the services rendered
for which all fees were charged and collected, in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, as provided in article
two, chapter five-a of this code. All accounts shall be open to
inspection and audit as provided in article two, chapter four of
WVC 59-1-5 §59-1-5. Violations of preceding section.
Any wilful violation of the preceding section by the auditor,
secretary of state or clerk of the supreme court of appeals, or any
wilful failure by either of them to make the reports or pay over
the money or keep the accounts as provided for in the preceding
section, shall be deemed a felony, and, upon conviction thereof the
party offending shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars,
and confined in the penitentiary for a period of not more than ten
WVC 59-1-6 §59-1-6. Fees to be charged by surveyors.
For tracing and examining old surveys to ascertain the true lines,
their distance and courses, or for doing surveying in and
about any mines, cities, towns or villages, the surveyor may
charge $5.00 for every day necessarily so employed, in lieu of
charging by the pole: Provided, That nothing in this section
shall prevent any party having surveying done from making a
contract for a different compensation. For calculating the quantity for less than six courses or lines .50
If surveying be done at different places, on the same tour,
the mileage shall be apportioned among the different surveys
according to their distance from the residence of the surveyor or
deputy and each other, so that the surveyor shall not receive more
than five cents a mile for going and returning for any one trip.
WVC 59-1-7 §59-1-7. Fees to be charged by notaries public.
When there is a protest by him, for the record thereof, making out
instrument of protest under his official seal and notice of
dishonor to one person besides
For other services, where no specific fee is prescribed the
same fees as are allowed by law to the clerk of the circuit court
WVC 59-1-8 §59-1-8. Compensation of commissioners of courts.
A commissioner, except where it is otherwise specially
provided, shall be allowed for any service such compensation as the
court of which he is commissioner may from time to time prescribe. The commissioner shall indicate to the court, in writing, the
A commissioner shall not be compelled to make out or return a
report until his compensation therefor be paid or security given
him to pay so much as may be adjudged right by the court to whom
the report is to be returned, or, if it be a circuit court or court
of limited jurisdiction, by the judge thereof in vacation, unless
the court or judge see cause to order it to be made out and
returned without such payment or security, and shall so order.
WVC 59-1-9 §59-1-9. Compensation of fiduciary commissioners; procedure for
The county commission shall promulgate by order a schedule of
fees or a rate of compensation for the guidance of fiduciary
commissioners, based upon the actual time spent and actual services
rendered, or both a schedule and a rate of compensation as the
commissioners may deem appropriate: Provided, That no fee may be
based solely upon the amount of the estate. A copy of these fees
or rates shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the county
The fiduciary commissioner shall submit to the commission an
itemized statement of services rendered and time expended in the
settling of every estate, along with a statement of fees charged
therefor. The county commission shall review all fees charged by
a fiduciary commissioner, and shall approve, disapprove or modify
the fee as it may deem appropriate. In reviewing any fee the
county commission shall consider the following: (1) The time and
labor expended; (2) the difficulty of the questions raised; (3) the
skill required to perform properly the services rendered; (4) the
customary fee for like work; and (5) any time limitations imposed
by the personal representative, any beneficiary, or by the
attendant circumstances.
WVC 59 - 1 - 10 §59-1-10. Fees to be charged by clerk of county commission.
For the purpose of this section, the word "page" is defined as
being a paper or electronic writing of not more than legal size, 8
1/2" x 14".
(a) When a writing is admitted to record, for receiving proof
of acknowledgment thereof, entering an order in connection
therewith, endorsing clerk's certificate of recordation thereon and
indexing in a proper index, the clerk of the county commission
shall charge and collect the following fees:
(1) Fifteen dollars for a deed of conveyance (with or without
a plat), trust deed, fixture filing or security agreement
concerning real estate lease.
(2) Forty dollars for a trustee's report of sale for any
property for which additional information and filing requirements
are required by section eight-a, article one, chapter thirty-eight
of this code. Twenty dollars of each recording fee received
pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited into the county's
General Revenue Fund and $20 paid quarterly by the clerk of the
county commission to the West Virginia Housing Development Fund
established in article eighteen, chapter thirty-one of this code.
(3) Ten dollars for a financing, continuation, termination or
other statement or writing permitted to be filed under chapter
(4) Ten dollars for a plat or map (with no deed of
conveyance).
(6) Ten dollars for any document or writing other than those referenced in subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this
(7) One dollar for each additional page for documents or
writings containing more than five pages.
For any of the documents admitted to record pursuant to this
subsection, if the clerk of the county commission has the
technology available to receive these documents in electronic form
or other media, the clerk shall set a reasonable fee to record
these writings not to exceed the cost for filing paper documents.
(8) Of the fees collected pursuant to subdivision (1),
subsection (a) of this section, $10 shall be deposited in the
county general fund in accordance with section twenty-eight of this
article and $1 shall be deposited in the county general fund and
dedicated to the operation of the county clerk's office. Four
dollars of the fees collected pursuant to subdivision (1),
subsection (a) of this section and $5 of the fees collected
pursuant to subdivision (6), subsection (a) of this section shall
be paid by the county clerk into the State Treasury and deposited
in equal amounts for deposit into the Farmland Protection Fund
created in article twelve, chapter eight-a of this code for the
benefit of the West Virginia Agricultural Land Protection Authority
and into the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund created in article
two-g, chapter five-b of this code. The funds deposited in the
State Treasury pursuant to this subdivision may only be used for
costs, excluding personnel costs, associated with purpose of land
conservation, as defined in subsection (f), section seven, article
two-g, chapter five-b of this code.
(b) Five dollars for administering any oath other than oaths
by officers and employees of the state, political subdivisions of
the state or a public or quasi-public entity of the state or a
political subdivision of the state, taken in his or her official
(c) Fifty-five dollars for issuance of marriage license and
other duties pertaining to the marriage license (including
preparation of the application, administrating the oath,
registering and recording the license, mailing acknowledgment of
minister's return to one of the licensees and notification to a
licensee after sixty days of the nonreceipt of the minister's
return). This fee is reduced to $35 if the applicants present a
premarital education course completion certificate issued pursuant
to section seven hundred one, article two, chapter forty-eight of
this code, and dated within one year of the application for a
(1) One dollar of the marriage license fee received pursuant
to this subsection shall be paid by the county clerk into the State
Treasury as a state registration fee in the same manner that
license taxes are paid into the Treasury under article twelve,
(2) Fifteen dollars of the marriage license fee received
pursuant to this subsection shall be paid by the county clerk into
the State Treasury for the Family Protection Shelter Support Act in
the same manner that license taxes are paid into the Treasury under
article twelve, chapter eleven of this code;
(3) Ten dollars of the marriage license fee received pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities
Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six,
chapter twenty-nine of this code; and
(4) If a premarital education course completion certificate is
not presented, the county clerk shall, on or before the tenth day
of each month, transmit $20 of the marriage license fee received
pursuant to this subsection to the state treasurer for deposit in
the state treasury as follows:
(A) Five dollars to the credit of the Family Protection
Shelter Support Act in the same manner that license taxes are paid
into the Treasury under article twelve, chapter eleven of this
(B) Five dollars to the credit of the special revenue account,
hereby created, designated the "Fund for Civil Legal Services for
Low Income Persons," which shall consist of all gifts, grants,
bequests, transfers, appropriations or other donations or payments
which may be received and administered by the Division of Justice
and Community Services from any governmental entity or unit or any
person, firm, foundation, or corporation for the purposes of this
section, and all interest or other return earned from investment of
the fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be made by the Director
of the Division of Justice and Community Services and shall be
limited to grants to nonprofit agencies which provide civil legal
services to low income persons made at his or her discretion. Any
balance in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert
to the general revenue fund but shall remain in the fund and be
expended as provided by this section.
(C) Ten dollars to the credit of the Marriage Education Fund
created pursuant to section seven hundred two, article two, chapter
forty-eight of this code.
(d) (1) One dollar and fifty cents for a copy of any writing
or document, if it is not otherwise provided for.
(2) One dollar for each additional page if the writing or
documents contains more than two pages.
(3) One dollar for annexing the seal of the commission or
clerk to any paper.
(4) Five dollars for a certified copy of a birth certificate,
death certificate or marriage license.
(e) For copies of any record in electronic form or a medium
other than paper, a reasonable fee set by the clerk of the county
commission not to exceed the costs associated with document search
§59-1-11. Fees to be charged by clerk of circuit court. (a) The clerk of a circuit court shall charge and collect for services rendered by the clerk the following fees which shall be paid in advance by the parties for whom services are to be rendered: (1) Except as provided in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, for instituting any civil action under the Rules of Civil Procedure, any statutory summary proceeding, any extraordinary remedy, the docketing of civil appeals or removals of civil cases from magistrate court, or any other action, cause, suit or proceeding, $200, of which $30 shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code and $45 shall be deposited in the special revenue account designated the Fund for Civil Legal Services for Low Income Persons, established by paragraph (B), subdivision (4), subsection (c), section ten of this article, and $20 deposited in the special revenue account created in section six hundred three, article twenty-six, chapter forty-eight of this code to provide legal services for domestic violence victims; (2) For instituting an action for medical professional liability, $400, of which $10 shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code; (3) Beginning on and after July 1, 1999, for instituting an action for divorce, separate maintenance or annulment, $135; (4) For petitioning for the modification of an order involving child custody, child visitation, child support or spousal support, $85; (5) For petitioning for an expedited modification of a child support order, $35; and (6) For filing any pleading that includes a counterclaim, cross claim, third-party complaint or motion to intervene, $200, which shall be deposited in the special revenue account designated the Fund for Civil Legal Services for Low Income Persons, established by paragraph (B), subdivision (4), subsection (c), section ten of this article: Provided, That this subdivision and the fee it imposes does not apply in family court cases nor may more than one such fee be imposed on any one party in any one civil action. (b) In addition to the foregoing fees, the following fees shall be charged and collected: (1) For preparing an abstract of judgment, $5; (2) For a transcript, copy or paper made by the clerk for use in any other court or otherwise to go out of the office, for each page, $1; (3) For issuing a suggestion and serving notice to the debtor by certified mail, $25; (4) For issuing an execution, $25; (5) For issuing or renewing a suggestee execution and serving notice to the debtor by certified mail, $25; (6) For vacation or modification of a suggestee execution, $1; (7) For docketing and issuing an execution on a transcript of judgment from magistrate court, $3; (8) For arranging the papers in a certified question, writ of error, appeal or removal to any other court, $10, of which $5 shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code; (9) For each subpoena, on the part of either plaintiff or defendant, to be paid by the party requesting the same, 50 cents; (10) For additional service, plaintiff or appellant, where any case remains on the docket longer than three years, for each additional year or part year, $20; and (11) For administering funds deposited into a federally insured interest-bearing account or interest-bearing instrument pursuant to a court order, $50, to be collected from the party making the deposit. A fee collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be paid into the general county fund. (c) In addition to the foregoing fees, a fee for the actual amount of the postage and express may be charged and collected for sending decrees, orders or records that have not been ordered by the court to be sent by mail or express. (d) The clerk shall tax the following fees for services in a criminal case against a defendant convicted in such court: (1) In the case of a misdemeanor, $85; and (2) In the case of a felony, $105, of which $10 shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. (e) The clerk of a circuit court shall charge and collect a fee of $25 per bond for services rendered by the clerk for processing of criminal bonds and the fee shall be paid at the time of issuance by the person or entity set forth below: (1) For cash bonds, the fee shall be paid by the person tendering cash as bond; (2) For recognizance bonds secured by real estate, the fee shall be paid by the owner of the real estate serving as surety; (3) For recognizance bonds secured by a surety company, the fee shall be paid by the surety company; (4) For ten percent recognizance bonds with surety, the fee shall be paid by the person serving as surety; and (5) For ten percent recognizance bonds without surety, the fee shall be paid by the person tendering ten percent of the bail amount. In instances in which the total of the bond is posted by more than one bond instrument, the above fee shall be collected at the time of issuance of each bond instrument processed by the clerk and all fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the clerk to collect the above fee from any person for the processing of a personal recognizance bond. (f) The clerk of a circuit court shall charge and collect a fee of $10 for services rendered by the clerk for processing of bail piece and the fee shall be paid by the surety at the time of issuance. All fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. (g) No clerk is required to handle or accept for disbursement any fees, cost or amounts of any other officer or party not payable into the county treasury except on written order of the court or in compliance with the provisions of law governing such fees, costs or accounts. (h) Fees for removal of civil cases from magistrate court shall be collected by the magistrate court when the case is still properly before the magistrate court. The magistrate court clerk shall forward the fees collected to the circuit court clerk. WVC 59 - 1 - 11 A
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this
section, in each criminal case before a circuit court in which the
defendant is convicted, whether by plea or at trial, under the
provisions of section two, article five, chapter seventeen-c of
this code or section eighteen-b, article seven, chapter twenty of
this code, there shall be imposed, in addition to other costs,
fines, forfeitures or penalties as may be allowed by law, costs in
the amount of fifty-five dollars. For purposes of further
defraying the cost to the county of enforcing the provisions of
section two, article five, chapter seventeen-c of this code or
section eighteen-b, article seven, chapter twenty of this code and
related provisions, the clerk of the circuit court shall, on or
before the tenth day of the month following the month in which the
costs imposed in this section were collected, remit an amount equal
to the amount from each of the criminal proceedings in which the
costs specified in this subsection were collected to the sheriff of
the county who shall deposit the same in the general revenue fund
(b) In each criminal case before a circuit court upon appeal
from a magistrate court in which the defendant is convicted,
whether by plea or at trial in the circuit court, under the
this code, there shall be imposed, in addition to other costs, fines, forfeitures or penalties as may be allowed by law, costs in
of the county. The provisions of this subsection shall not require
payment of the costs imposed by this subsection to the circuit
court where the costs have been paid in the magistrate court.
(c) In each criminal case before a circuit court upon appeal
from a municipal proceeding in which the defendant is convicted,
provisions of a municipal ordinance which has the same elements as
an offense described in section two, article five, chapter
seventeen-c of this code or section eighteen-b, article seven,
chapter twenty of this code, there shall be imposed, in addition to
other costs, fines, forfeitures or penalties as may be allowed by
law, costs in the amount of fifty-five dollars. For purposes of
further defraying the cost to the municipality of enforcing the
provisions of the ordinance or ordinances described in this subsection and related provisions, the clerk of the circuit court
shall, on or before the tenth day of the month following the month
in which the costs imposed in this section were collected, remit an
amount equal to the amount from each of the criminal proceedings in
which the costs specified in this subsection were collected to the
clerk of the municipal court or other person designated to receive
fines and costs for the municipality from which the conviction was
appealed who shall deposit these moneys in the general revenue fund
of the municipality. The provisions of this subsection shall not
require payment of the costs imposed by this subsection to the
circuit court where the costs have been paid to the clerk of the
municipal court or other person designated to receive fines and
costs for the municipality.
(d) The provisions of this section shall be effective after
the thirtieth day of June, two thousand four.
WVC 59-1-12 §59-1-12. Payment of fines by credit card or payment plan.
A circuit court may accept credit cards in payment of all
fines, cost, forfeiture, restitution or penalties. The supreme
court of appeals shall adopt rules regarding the use of credit or
check cards to pay fines, and any charges made by the credit card
company may be paid from the gross credit card collections.
WVC 59 - 1 - 13 §59-1-13. Fees to be charged by Clerk of Supreme Court of Appeals.
The Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall charge the
following fees to be paid by the parties for whom the services are
For all copies of petitions, records, orders, opinions or
other papers, per page
For docketing any civil appeals, including appeals from Family
Courts, but not including, appeals in workers' compensations cases,
any action in the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction or any
other action, cause or proceeding $200
For any other work or services not herein enumerated, the
clerk shall charge the fees prescribed for similar services by
clerks of circuit courts.
Fees collected for docketing civil appeals shall be expended,
in the discretion of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals,
solely to provide grants to the federally designated provider of
civil legal services for low income citizens in the state.
WVC 59 - 1 - 14 §59-1-14. Fees to be charged by sheriffs.
(a) The county commission shall determine the amount which the
sheriff may charge, which charges shall not exceed the following:
For serving on any person an order, notice, summons or other
process where the body is not taken, except a subpoena served on a
witness, and making return thereof$25.00
(b) The county commission shall determine the amount which the
For conveying a prisoner to or from jail, for each mile of necessary travel either
(c) The county commission, giving due regard to the cost
thereof, may from time to time prescribe the amount which the sheriff may charge for keeping any property or in removing any
property. When, after distraining or levying, he or she neither
sells nor receives payment, and either takes no bond or takes one
which is not forfeited, he or she shall, if guilty of no default,
have (in addition to the one dollar for a bond, if one was taken)
a fee of three dollars, unless this be more than half of what his
or her commission would have amounted to if he or she had received
payment; in which case he or she shall (whether a bond was taken or
not) have a fee of one dollar at the least, and so much more as is
necessary to make the said half of his or her commission. The
commission to be included in a forthcoming bond (when one is taken)
shall be five percent on the first three hundred dollars of the
money for which the distress or levy is made, and two percent on
the residue of the money; but the commission shall not be received,
in whole or in part, except as hereinbefore provided, unless the
bond be forfeited, or the amount (including the commission) be paid
to the plaintiff. An officer receiving payment in money, or
selling property, shall have the like commission of five percent on
the first three hundred dollars of the money paid or proceeds from
the sale, and two percent on the residue, except that when the
payment or sale is on an execution on a forthcoming bond, his or
her commission shall be only half what it would be if the execution
were not on the bond.
(d) Any amounts collected by the sheriff pursuant to this
section shall be deposited in a separate account of the county general fund and used by the sheriff for the expenses of providing
the services herein described: Provided, That two dollars of each
fee collected pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section shall be deposited by the county commission in the "West
Virginia Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund" created in section six,
article fourteen-d, chapter seven of this code and three dollars of
each fee collected pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of
this section shall be deposited by the county commission in the
general revenue account of the county commission. Any surplus
funds that remain in the separate account of the county general
fund required by the provisions of this subsection on the last day
of the fiscal year, and have not been expended for the purposes
herein described, shall revert to the county general fund.
WVC 59-1-15 §59-1-15. Payments to sheriffs and clerks out of state or county
There shall be paid out of the state treasury to clerks and
sheriffs for services rendered the state in a civil case such fees
as would be chargeable for the like service of an individual, after
such fees are duly certified to the auditor. There shall be paid
by the county court according to the provisions of article five,
chapter sixty-two of this code, the following fees, after the same
are duly certified to such court: To the sheriff or other officer,
for an arrest for felony, one dollar, and for conveying any person
charged with or convicted of felony, to jail, or from one jail to
another, for each mile in going and returning, five cents. The
officer shall also be allowed for the support of the prisoner
during the removal, and for assistance to make the arrest or effect
the removal, such charge as may have been necessarily incurred by
him, to be shown by his own affidavit, if living, or, if he be
dead, by the affidavit, of some credible person; and where he has
assistance, by the affidavit also of each person employed by him,
or by such of them as may be alive and within the jurisdiction of
the court, and if none of them be alive or within the jurisdiction
of the court, the court may allow such claim upon his own
affidavit. Such charge for assistance shall not exceed, in making
an arrest, one dollar per day for each person employed to assist
him; and in conveying a prisoner, not to exceed five cents per mile
going and returning for each guard. The officer shall also be
allowed for impaneling a jury in case of a felony, one dollar.
WVC 59-1-16 §59-1-16. Amount of allowance to witnesses for attendance; how and
A person attending any court or other tribunal, under a
summons or recognizance as a witness, shall receive not less than
ten nor more than twenty dollars, to be fixed by the court or other
tribunal, for each day's attendance and fifteen cents per mile for
each mile necessarily traveled to the place of attendance, and the
same for returning, plus all necessary bridge, ferry and road
tolls. On his oath, an entry of the sum he is entitled to, and for
what, and by what party it is to be paid, shall be made. When the
attendance is before either house or a committee of the
Legislature, such entry shall be made by the clerk of such house or
the chairman of such committee, and in other cases by the clerk of
the court or other tribunal before which, or by the person before
whom, the witness attended. A witness summoned or recognized to
attend in several cases may have the entry made against any one of
the parties by whom he is summoned, or for whom he is sworn as a
witness, but no witness shall be allowed for his attendance in more
than one case at the same time. But no compensation shall be
allowed to a witness before a grand jury. This section shall not
apply to witnesses before justices of the peace.
WVC 59-1-17 §59-1-17. By whom witnesses paid; on what certificate; clerk's
certificate as to claims; dispute as to claims.
The sum to which a witness is entitled shall be paid out of
the treasury in any case of attendance before either house or a
committee of the Legislature, and in any other case in which the
attendance is for the state except where it is otherwise specially
provided. In all other cases it shall be paid by the party for
whom the summons issued. The payment shall be on the certificate
of the person required by the preceding section to make the entry.
The certificate shall express by letters, and not by figures, the
separate amounts to which the witness is entitled for his
attendance, traveling tolls and ferriages which he may have to pay,
and the aggregate thereof. No clerk or other person authorized to
make such entry or give such certificate shall become interested by
purchase in any claim payable out of the public treasury, which by
law he is authorized to certify. And it shall be the duty of such
clerk, as soon as possible after the adjournment of any court, to
make out a list of all entries made on behalf of witnesses
attending for the state, whose fees are payable out of the
treasury, and certify such list to the auditor. Any dispute
(before or after issuing the certificate) between the witness and
the party against whom his claim is made, as to its justice or
amount, may, when the case is in a court or before a justice, be
determined by such court or justice.
WVC 59-1-18 §59-1-18. To whom fees charged; services by clerks and sheriffs
without fees.
The fees mentioned in this article shall be chargeable to the
person at whose instance the service is performed; except that the
fees for entering and certifying the attendance of witnesses, and
proceedings to compel payment for such attendance, shall be charged
to the party for whom the witness attended, and except also as
follows: No clerk shall charge for taking bond from, administering
oaths to, or copying orders as to the appointment or qualification
of any county, school or district officer, or for filing the bonds
or oaths of any such officer, nor for making or copying orders as
to county levies or grand juries and administering the necessary
oaths. No sheriff shall charge for serving such or any other
public orders nor for summoning and impaneling grand juries. No
clerk or sheriff shall receive payment out of the treasury for any
service rendered in case of the state, except where it is allowed
WVC 59-1-19 §59-1-19. Fee books of clerks.
Every clerk of a court shall keep a fee book, wherein shall be
entered the fees for every service performed by him, and the fact
of such fees having been paid, or of a bill having been made out
therefor, whichever shall happen first. The fee books of a clerk
shall be submitted to the inspection of commissioners appointed to
examine the clerk's office.
WVC 59-1-20 §59-1-20. Making out fee bills; motion to quash improper fee bill;
prepayment of fees.
No person shall be compelled to pay any fees before mentioned
due to an officer, until there be produced to him a fee bill signed
by the officer to whom the fees are due, expressing particulars for
which such fees are charged. And no such fee bill shall be made
out for any service not previously performed, except as hereinafter
provided, unless a person desire to pay before such performance, in
which case there shall be mentioned in such fee bill the nature of
the service and the fact that it is to be performed. Nor shall an
officer, for any service, make out a fee bill for more than is
allowed therefor. Nor shall he, for the same service, attempt to
obtain payment a second time; nor ever make out a fee bill a second
time, unless he indorse the fact that the fee bill made out is a
second fee bill and swear that the former bill remains unpaid. For
each item in which an officer shall violate this section, he shall
forfeit five dollars to any person prosecuting therefor, and the
circuit court of the county in which an officer resides may on
motion, after reasonable notice to him, quash any fee bill made out
by him contrary to law. But any officer may demand his fees in
advance for any particular service required to be performed by him
for any person not residing in his county, and if such fees be not
paid or secured to him, the officer may refuse to perform the
service until they are paid or secured. In such cases, the fee
bill shall state the nature of the service, and that it is to be
WVC 59-1-21 §59-1-21. Fee bills of county clerk.
The clerk of the county court may make out tickets for his
fees and place them in the hands of the sheriff, or other officer,
to be collected and accounted for in the same manner that the fees
of the clerk of the circuit court are collected and accounted for. The clerk of the county court shall be subject to the same
penalties as the clerk of the circuit court for issuing fee bills
WVC 59 - 1 - 22 §59-1-22. Duties of successor of deceased clerk with reference to
fee books and fee bills. When a clerk dies, his successor shall charge in the fee
books of the clerk's office such lawful fees as do not appear to
have been charged therein for services performed by the decedent,
and make out fee bills for such fees, and also for any fees
charged on such books by the decedent for which he does not
appear to have made out fee bills in his lifetime; except that
such of those as appear to such successor to be for more than is
allowed by law shall be reduced by him so far as, in his
judgment, is necessary to make them legal.
WVC 59 - 1 - 23 §59-1-23. Requisites and effect of fee bills for services of
deceased clerk. The fee bills made out under the preceding section shall
show on their face that they are for fees due the decedent, shall
be signed by his successor, and shall have the same force and
effect and shall be dealt with by all officers as if they were
for fees accruing for services performed by such successor. All
fee bills made out by such deceased clerk in his lifetime shall
go to the custody of his successor and shall be dealt with by him
and all officers as if they were fee bills made out by him for
his own services.
WVC 59 - 1 - 24 §59-1-24. Collection of fees; receipt. Every officer mentioned in this article shall, on or before
the first day of July in any year, deliver fee bills for all fees
then due and unpaid, duly signed, to any sheriff or collector of
the public taxes, who shall receive and endeavor to collect the
same. A sheriff or collector may distrain therefor, or for any
fee bills due himself, such property of the person to whom the
fees are charged as might be levied on under a writ of fieri
facias against him, except as hereinafter mentioned, and the
fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth sections of article nine,
chapter eleven of this code shall apply to such fee bills in like
manner as to taxes. Every such officer shall deliver to each
person who pays him, or from whose property he makes such fees, a
receipt for all that is so paid or made.
WVC 59 - 1 - 25 §59-1-25. Accounting for fees. Every sheriff or collector to whom such fee bills are so
delivered shall, on or before the first day of July next after
such delivery, account therefor with the officer entitled thereto
by returning such as he may not have collected, with the
indorsement thereon of the words "No property found," and by
paying to such officer or his legal successor the amount of all
not so returned. If he fail so to do, judgment may be obtained,
on motion, against such sheriff or collector, and his sureties,
and his and their personal representatives, for the amount with
which such sheriff or collector is chargeable, and damages
thereon, not exceeding fifteen percent per annum, from said first
day of July until payment. Such judgment may be on motion in the
circuit court of the county in which such sheriff or collector
resides, and if the fees be due to the clerk of the supreme court
of appeals, it may be in the circuit court of the county in which
the seat of government may be. On such motion, any receipt for
fees mentioned in the notice as signed by any person shall be
deemed to be his signature unless an affidavit be filed denying
it, and shall be prima facie evidence of the collection of all
the fees mentioned therein, not returned as aforesaid.
WVC 59 - 1 - 26 §59-1-26. Limitation on distress or suit for collection of fees. No fee, when a fee bill has not been issued, shall be
collected by distress or suit after ten years from the time when
the service was done that is charged for therein; or, if a fee
bill has been issued, after ten years from the time when the last
fee bill was issued.
WVC 59 - 1 - 27 §59-1-27. Lodging fee bills and certificates in clerk's office;
application of costs to payment thereof; prepayment
or security to officer. An officer or witness to whom, for fees or attendance,
anything is due that is taxed in the costs for which there is
judgment or decree, may, within ten days after such judgment or
decree, lodge in the clerk's office of the court wherein the same
is rendered, his fee bills for such fees, or certificate for such
attendance. The amount due each officer or witness, for what is
so lodged, shall, within said ten days, be noted in the margin of
the order or execution book, opposite the entry of the case. An
officer or witness whose fees or certificate shall have been so
noted shall be paid the same out of the costs, by the person
against whom the judgment or decree is; and the right to such
payment shall be valid against any assignee of the judgment or
decree. When the clerk issues execution in such case, he shall
indorse thereon how much of such costs is for each officer or
witness whose fees or certificate may be so noted; and the
officer collecting such costs shall pay the same accordingly to
those entitled thereto. No officer mentioned in this chapter
shall be obliged to perform services for any person out of his
county, unless payment of his fees for such services be made or
secured; nor to perform services for any person against whom he
has had fee bills returned, which remain unsatisfied, unless he
be secured payment of his fees for the services desired, or
performance of such services be directed by a court.
WVC 59 - 1 - 28 §59-1-28. Use and disposition of fees of sheriffs, clerks and
prosecuting attorneys. Except for the funds designated in section twenty-eight-a of
this article, all fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions,
allowances, compensation, income and all other perquisites of
whatever kind which by law may now or hereafter be collected or
received as compensation for services by any clerk of the county
commission, sheriff, clerk of the circuit court or of any court of
limited jurisdiction, and prosecuting attorney shall be collected
and received by such officer for the sole use of the treasury of
the county in which he is an officer, and shall be held as public
moneys belonging to the county fund, and shall be accounted for and
paid over as such in the manner hereinafter provided. Nothing in
this article shall be construed to require any county officer to
pay into the county treasury any fees earned prior to the twenty-first day of May, one thousand nine hundred fifteen. Fees are held
to be earned at the time the service is rendered and not at the
time the matter is finally adjudicated.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all fees
collected by a sheriff for service of all manner of process from
magistrate court, in addition to such other funds as may be
provided by the county commissions, shall be dedicated by the
county commission to the office of sheriff for providing bailiff
and service of process services for magistrate court.
§59-1-28a. Disposition of filing fees in civil actions and fees for services in criminal cases. (a) Except for those payments to be made from amounts equaling filing fees received for the institution of divorce actions as prescribed in subsection (b) of this section, and except for those payments to be made from amounts equaling filing fees received for the institution of actions for divorce, separate maintenance and annulment as prescribed in said subsection, for each civil action instituted under the rules of civil procedure, any statutory summary proceeding, any extraordinary remedy, the docketing of civil appeals or any other action, cause, suit or proceeding in the circuit court the clerk of the court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the funds or accounts described in this subsection an amount equal to the amount set forth in this subsection of every filing fee received for instituting the action as follows: (1) Into the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Fund in the State Treasury established pursuant to the provisions of section ten, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code the amount of $60; (2) Into the Court Security Fund in the State Treasury established pursuant to the provisions of section fourteen, article three, chapter fifty-one of this code the amount of $5; and (3) Into the Regional Jail Operations Partial Reimbursement Fund established pursuant to the provisions of section ten-b, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code the amount of $20. (b) For each action for divorce, separate maintenance or annulment instituted in the circuit court, the clerk of the court shall, at the end of each month, report to the Supreme Court of Appeals the number of actions filed by persons unable to pay and pay into the funds or accounts in this subsection an amount equal to the amount set forth in this subsection of every filing fee received for instituting the divorce action as follows: (1) Into the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Fund in the State Treasury established pursuant to the provisions of section ten, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code the amount of $10; (2) Into the special revenue account of the State Treasury, established pursuant to section six hundred four, article two, chapter forty-eight of this code an amount of $30; (3) Into the Family Court Fund established under section twenty-two, article two-a, chapter fifty-one of this code an amount of $70; and (4) Into the Court Security Fund in the State Treasury, established pursuant to the provisions of section fourteen, article three, chapter fifty-one of this code the amount of $5. (c) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) or (b) of this section to the contrary, the clerk of the court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Family Court Fund established under section twenty-two, article two-a, chapter fifty-one of this code an amount equal to the amount of every fee received for petitioning for the modification of an order involving child custody, child visitation, child support or spousal support as determined by subdivision (3), subsection (a), section eleven of this article and for petitioning for an expedited modification of a child support order as provided in subdivision (4) of said subsection. (d) The clerk of the court from which a protective order is issued shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Family Court Fund established under section twenty-two, article two-a, chapter fifty-one of this code an amount equal to every fee received pursuant to the provisions of section five hundred eight, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code. (e) Of every fee for service received in any criminal case against any respondent convicted in circuit court, the clerk of each circuit court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Fund in the State Treasury an amount equal to $40, into the Court Security Fund in the State Treasury established pursuant to the provisions of section fourteen, article three, chapter fifty-one of this code an amount equal to $5 and into the Regional Jail Operations Partial Reimbursement Fund established pursuant to the provisions of section ten-b, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code an amount equal to $30. (f) The clerk of the circuit court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Medical Liability Fund established under article twelve-b, chapter twenty-nine of this code, an amount equal to $165 $285 of every filing fee received for instituting a medical professional liability action: Provided, That effective July 1, 2016, payment shall be into the Patient Injury Compensation Fund created by the provisions of article twelve-d, chapter twenty-nine of this code. (g) The clerk of the circuit court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund created by section six, article twenty-six, chapter twenty-nine of this code those amounts received by the clerk which are dedicated for deposit in the fund. (h) The clerk of each circuit court shall, at the end of each month, pay into the Regional Jail Operations Partial Reimbursement Fund established in the State Treasury pursuant to the provisions of section ten-b, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code those amounts received by the clerk which are dedicated for deposit in the fund. WVC 59-1-29 §59-1-29. Collection of such fees.
Each clerk of the county commission, sheriff, clerk of the
circuit court and prosecuting attorney shall have charge of and
collect the fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions,
whatever kind which are now or may hereafter be allowed by law.
Whenever there remain due the county and unpaid, for a period of
more than six months, any fees, costs, percentages, penalties,
commissions, allowances, compensation, income or any other
perquisites of any kind, it shall be the duty of the county
commission, or other tribunal in lieu thereof, by the prosecuting
attorney, to proceed to the collection thereof in the circuit court
or magistrate court, upon motion whereof the defendant and the
sureties on his bond shall have at least twenty days' notice, or in
any other manner provided for by law, and the amount so collected
shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the general
county fund.
WVC 59-1-30 §59-1-30. Books of account to be kept by officers.
Each of the officers named in the preceding section shall keep
full and regular accounts, subject at all times to the examination
of the county court, or tribunal in lieu thereof, the state tax
commissioner or any individual, of all sums charged or collected by
such officers on account of official fees, costs, percentages,
penalties, commissions, allowances, compensation, income and all
other perquisites of whatever kind, and such book of accounts shall
be a part of the records of the respective offices herein named
belonging to the county, and shall be transmitted by each county
officer to his successor in office. The system of books and
accounts to be kept by the officers herein named shall be
prescribed by the state tax commissioner, ex officio inspector and
supervisor of public offices.
WVC 59-1-31 §59-1-31. Monthly payments; how credited; report required.
Except for the funds designated in section twenty-eight-a of
this article, each of the officers named in section twenty-nine of
this article shall at the end of each month pay into the county
treasury all fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions,
compensation, income and all other perquisites of whatever kind
collected by his office during such month, which money shall be
credited to the general county fund.
WVC 59-1-32 §59-1-32. Reduction or remission of fees prohibited; penalty for
default in payment.
None of the officers named in section twenty-nine of this
article shall be authorized to make any reduction, abatement or
remission of any of the fees, costs, percentages, penalties,
perquisites of whatever kind that it may be their duty to charge
and collect. If any such officer shall wilfully make default in
the payment of fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions,
allowances, compensation, income or any other perquisites of
whatever kind received and collected by him, for a period longer
than ten days after the end of the month during which the same were
collected, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon
dollars, and in the discretion of the court may be imprisoned not
more than thirty days, and may be removed from his office, and he
and the sureties on his bond shall be liable for any and all such
moneys collected. If any such officer shall fail to pay such fees,
costs, percentages, penalties, commissions, allowances,
compensation, income or any other perquisites of whatever kind, to
the treasurer of his county, and shall appropriate the same for his
own use, or shall fail to pay over such fees, costs, percentages,
penalties, commissions, allowances, compensation, income or any
other perquisites of whatever kind, within thirty days after demand
has been made upon him by the county court of his county, or
tribunal in lieu thereof, or prosecuting attorney, he shall be
guilty of embezzlement, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five
years, and shall forfeit his office; and if any deputy or assistant
of any such officer shall appropriate to his own use any fees,
compensation, income or any other perquisites of whatever kind, or
fail to pay the same within thirty days after demand has been made
upon him by the county court, or tribunal created in lieu thereof,
or prosecuting attorney of his county, he shall be guilty of
embezzlement, and, upon conviction, be confined in the penitentiary
not less than one nor more than five years.
WVC 59-1-33 §59-1-33. Deposit for costs.
When any action at law, suit in equity or other proceeding is
instituted, the clerk of the court wherein the same is instituted
shall require from the plaintiff a reasonable deposit of money for
the services to be performed by himself, or any other officer named
in this article: Provided, however, That such clerk shall not be
required to pay any part of such deposit to any officer (other than
himself) for any services to be performed, unless he is directed so
to do by the plaintiff at the time such deposit is made. The
action, cause or proceeding wherein any deposit is made shall be
credited therewith, and there shall be charged against such deposit
all payments made by the clerk to any other such officer for
services performed by the latter; and at the end of the month such
clerk shall be required to pay into the county treasury such part
of the deposit as has been earned by services performed by him or
by any other officer whose services he has been directed by the
plaintiff to pay. Upon the appearance of any defendant to any
action at law (other than criminal cases), suit in equity or other
proceeding, such defendant shall likewise be required to deposit
with the clerk a reasonable amount, and the same shall be applied
and accounted for in like manner as a deposit made by the plaintiff
or petitioner. After demand by the clerk for deposit provided for
in this section he shall not be required to perform any service
until the demand is complied with, unless affidavit is filed as
provided for by section one, article two of this chapter.
WVC 59-1-34 §59-1-34.
WVC 59-1-35 §59-1-35. Supervision by chief inspector of public offices.
If, upon any examination made under authority of article nine,
chapter six of this code, it is disclosed that the provisions of
this article are not being complied with, the chief inspector and
supervisor of public offices shall have authority to institute or
cause to be instituted the necessary proceedings to enforce the
provisions of this article. All books, records, blanks, forms, and
forms for verifications, required to carry out the provisions of
this article, shall be prescribed by the chief inspector. If any
person shall swear falsely in any verification required under this
article, he shall be guilty of false swearing, and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be punished as provided by law for such offense, and
by forfeiture of his office.
WVC 59-1-36 §59-1-36. Fees and allowances for poor persons.
If a person shall present to the proper collecting officer
such person's written statement, certified by the chief executive
officer of a duly chartered legal aid society, that he is
pecuniarily unable to pay any of the fees and allowances mentioned
in this article, he shall be forgiven and not required to pay such
WVC 59-1-37 §59-1-37. Deposits by county officers in noninterest bearing or
interest bearing accounts; payment to county general
fund; annual report.
Except as to any tax receipts, which shall be deposited in
accordance with section four, article six, chapter seven of this
code, when any fee, cost, percentage, penalty, commission,
allowance, bond, deposit, surety or other cash payment or sum is to
be held by the sheriff, the prosecuting attorney, the county
commission, an official of an agency or entity created by the
county commission, the clerk of the county commission, the clerk of
the circuit court or the assessor of any county under any provision
of law or proper order of the circuit court, said officer shall
deposit the same in an account or accounts which may, at his or her
sole discretion, be an interest bearing account or accounts in
secure and properly insured banks. All money collected, including
cash and checks, shall be deposited intact on the first available
business day: Provided, That the requirement for deposits on the
first available business day shall not apply to the county
assessor, nor shall it apply to any county officer if the amount to
be deposited is less than five hundred dollars. Any interest
earned on such accounts, and not otherwise included in any refund,
return or reimbursement of said fees, costs, penalties,
commissions, allowances, bonds, deposits, sureties or other cash
payments or sums, as directed by law or proper order of the circuit
court, shall be paid into the county's general fund on a regular
basis, but in no event less often than quarterly.
All county officers shall report to the county commission by the first day of July each year concerning his or her election to
use interest bearing accounts, amounts currently on deposit and
interest actually earned on such accounts.
WVC 59-1-38 §59-1-38. County officers to issue receipts of collections.
Any county officer, as described in section thirty-seven of
this article, who receives a fee, cost, percentage, penalty,
commission, allowance, bond, deposit, surety or other cash payment
or sum shall issue a receipt to the payor thereof, in duplicate, on
a form approved by the chief inspector, in accordance with the
provisions of article nine, chapter six of this code. The county
officer shall issue the original of such receipt to the payor and
shall retain the copy. The chief inspector shall prescribe the
minimum information to be included on such receipt forms.
WVC 59-1-39 §59-1-39. Removal of county officer.
If any county officer shall fail to comply with the provisions
of this article, the chief inspector may, in addition to any other
remedies provided by law, seek the removal from office of such
county officer, in accordance with provisions of section seven,
article six, chapter six of this code.