HOUSE BILL No. 6345

 

November 10, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Lipsey and Howell and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Revised judicature act of 1961,"                                           

                                                                                

    by amending section 2529 (MCL 600.2529), as amended by 2004 PA              

                                                                                

    205, and by adding section 2530b.                                           

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2529.  (1) In the circuit court, the following fees                    

                                                                                

2   shall be paid to the clerk of the court:                                    

                                                                                

3       (a) Before a civil action other than an action brought                      

                                                                                

4   exclusively under section 2950, 2950a, or 2950h to 2950m is                 

                                                                                

5   commenced, or before the filing of an application for                       

                                                                                

6   superintending control or for an extraordinary writ, except the             

                                                                                

7   writ of habeas corpus, the party bringing the action or filing              

                                                                                

8   the application shall pay the sum of $150.00.  The clerk at the             

                                                                                

9   end of each month shall transmit for each fee collected under               

                                                                                

10  this subdivision within the month $31.00 to the county treasurer            

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   and the balance of the filing fee to the state treasurer for                

                                                                                

2   deposit in the civil filing fee fund created in section 171.                

                                                                                

3       (b) Before the filing of a claim of appeal or motion for                    

                                                                                

4   leave to appeal from the district court, probate court, a                   

                                                                                

5   municipal court, or an administrative tribunal or agency, the sum           

                                                                                

6   of $150.00.  For each fee collected under this subdivision, the             

                                                                                

7   clerk shall transmit $31.00 to the county treasurer and the                 

                                                                                

8   balance of the fee to the state treasurer for deposit in the                

                                                                                

9   civil filing fee fund created in section 171.                               

                                                                                

10      (c) If a trial by jury is demanded, the party making the                    

                                                                                

11  demand at the time shall pay the sum of $85.00.  Failure to pay             

                                                                                

12  the fee at the time the demand is made constitutes a waiver of              

                                                                                

13  the right to a jury trial.  The sum shall be taxed in favor of              

                                                                                

14  the party paying the fee, in case the party recovers a judgment             

                                                                                

15  for costs.  For each fee collected under this subdivision, the              

                                                                                

16  clerk shall transmit $25.00 to the state treasurer for deposit in           

                                                                                

17  the juror compensation reimbursement fund created in section                

                                                                                

18  151d.                                                                       

                                                                                

19      (d) Before entry of a final judgment or order in an action in               

                                                                                

20  which the custody, support, or parenting time of minor children             

                                                                                

21  is determined or modified, the party submitting the judgment or             

                                                                                

22  order shall pay 1 of the following fees, which shall be deposited           

                                                                                

23  by the county treasurer as provided in section 2530:                        

                                                                                

24                                                                               (i) In an action in which the custody or parenting time of                          

                                                                                

25  minor children is determined, $80.00.                                       

                                                                                

26      (ii) In an action in which the support of minor children is                  

                                                                                

27  determined or modified, $40.00.  This fee does not apply when a             


                                                                                

1   fee is paid under subparagraph (i).  The court may order a party            

                                                                                

2   to reimburse to the other party all or a portion of the fee paid            

                                                                                

3   by that other party.                                                        

                                                                                

4       (e) Except as otherwise provided in this section, upon the                  

                                                                                

5   filing of a motion the sum of  $20.00  $40.00.  In conjunction              

                                                                                

6   with an action brought under section 2950 or 2950a, a motion fee            

                                                                                

7   shall not be collected for a motion to dismiss the petition, a              

                                                                                

8   motion to modify, rescind, or terminate a personal protection               

                                                                                

9   order, or a motion to show cause for a violation of a personal              

                                                                                

10  protection order.  A motion fee shall not be collected for a                

                                                                                

11  motion to dismiss a proceeding to enforce a foreign protection              

                                                                                

12  order or a motion to show cause for a violation of a foreign                

                                                                                

13  protection order under sections 2950h to 2950m.  A motion fee               

                                                                                

14  shall not be collected for a request for a hearing to contest               

                                                                                

15  income withholding under section 7 of the support and parenting             

                                                                                

16  time enforcement act, 1982 PA 295, MCL 552.607.  For each fee               

                                                                                

17  collected under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $10.00           

                                                                                

18  to the state treasurer for deposit in the state court fund                  

                                                                                

19  created by section 151a and $20.00 to the county treasurer for              

                                                                                

20  deposit in the lawyer-guardian ad litem fund created in section             

                                                                                

21  2530b.                                                                      

                                                                                

22      (f) For services under the direction of the court that are                  

                                                                                

23  not specifically provided for in this section relative to the               

                                                                                

24  receipt, safekeeping, or expending of money, or the purchasing,             

                                                                                

25  taking, or transferring of a security, or the collecting of                 

                                                                                

26  interest on a security, the clerk shall receive the allowance and           

                                                                                

27  compensation from the parties as the court may consider just and            


                                                                                

1   shall direct by court order, after notice to the parties to be              

                                                                                

2   charged.                                                                    

                                                                                

3       (g) Upon appeal to the court of appeals or the supreme court,               

                                                                                

4   the sum of $25.00.                                                          

                                                                                

5       (h) The sum of $15.00 as a service fee for each writ of                     

                                                                                

6   garnishment, attachment, execution, or judgment debtor discovery            

                                                                                

7   subpoena issued.                                                            

                                                                                

8       (2) The sums paid as provided in this section shall be held                 

                                                                                

9   to be in full for all clerk, entry, and judgment fees in an                 

                                                                                

10  action from the commencement of the action to and including the             

                                                                                

11  issuance and return of the execution or other final process, and            

                                                                                

12  are taxable as costs.                                                       

                                                                                

13      (3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the fees                  

                                                                                

14  shall be paid over to the county treasurer as required by law.              

                                                                                

15      (4) At the end of each month, the clerk shall transmit for                  

                                                                                

16  each fee collected under subsection (1)(d) $10.00 to the state              

                                                                                

17  treasurer for deposit in the fund created by section 6a of the              

                                                                                

18  office of child support act, 1971 PA 174, MCL 400.236a.  The                

                                                                                

19  balance of the fee collected under subsection (1)(d)(i) shall be            

                                                                                

20  paid to the county treasurer and deposited by the county                    

                                                                                

21  treasurer as provided under section 2530 to be used to fund                 

                                                                                

22  services that are not title IV-D services.  The balance of the              

                                                                                

23  fee collected under subsection (1)(d)(ii) shall be paid to the               

                                                                                

24  county treasurer and deposited by the county treasurer as                   

                                                                                

25  provided under section 2530.                                                

                                                                                

26      (5) The court shall order any of the fees prescribed in this                

                                                                                

27  section waived or suspended, in whole or in part, upon a showing            


                                                                                

1   by affidavit of indigency or inability to pay.                              

                                                                                

2       (6) If the person filing an action under subsection (1)(d) is               

                                                                                

3   a public officer acting in his or her official capacity, if the             

                                                                                

4   order is submitted with the initial filing as a consent order, or           

                                                                                

5   other good cause is shown, the court shall order the fee under              

                                                                                

6   subsection (1)(d) waived or suspended.  If a fee is waived or               

                                                                                

7   suspended and the action is contested, the court may require that           

                                                                                

8   1 or more of the parties to the action pay the fee under                    

                                                                                

9   subsection (1)(d).                                                          

                                                                                

10      Sec. 2530b.  (1) A lawyer-guardian ad litem is established                  

                                                                                

11  in each county.  The county treasurer shall deposit in the fund             

                                                                                

12  all fees collected for that purpose under section 2529(1)(e).               

                                                                                

13  The county treasurer shall direct the investment of the fund and            

                                                                                

14  shall credit to the fund any interest and earnings from fund                

                                                                                

15  investments.                                                                

                                                                                

16      (2) Money in the lawyer-guardian ad litem fund shall remain                 

                                                                                

17  in the fund and shall not lapse to the county general fund.                 

                                                                                

18      (3) The county board of commissioners shall appropriate to                  

                                                                                

19  the circuit court in that county all sums in this fund for the              

                                                                                

20  purpose of compensating lawyer-guardians ad litem for visiting              

                                                                                

21  clients as required by section 17d(1)(d) of the probate code of             

                                                                                

22  1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.17d.  Excess funds may be used to               

                                                                                

23  compensate lawyer-guardians ad litem for additional                         

                                                                                

24  responsibilities as required by section 17d(1)(e) of the probate            

                                                                                

25  code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.17d.  Money transmitted to              

                                                                                

26  the fund under section 2529(1)(e) shall supplement and not                  

                                                                                

27  supplant other money appropriated by the county for                         


                                                                                

1   lawyer-guardian ad litem functions in section 17d of the probate            

                                                                                

2   code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A.17d, as measured by the                 

                                                                                

3   highest amount appropriated by the county for those functions in            

                                                                                

4   either the current fiscal year or the 2 previous fiscal years.