SENATE BILL No. 1321

 

 

June 20, 2006, Introduced by Senators GEORGE, HAMMERSTROM and GOSCHKA and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

 

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

 

by amending sections 2529 and 8371 (MCL 600.2529 and 600.8371),

 

section 2529 as amended by 2004 PA 205 and section 8371 as amended

 

by 2003 PA 178.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

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

 

be paid to the clerk of the court:

 

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

 

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

 

commenced, or before the filing of an application for

 

superintending control or for an extraordinary writ, except  the  a

 

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

 

application shall pay  the sum of  $150.00 for each defendant named


 

in the action. The clerk at the end of each month shall transmit

 

for each fee collected under this subdivision within the month

 

$31.00 to the county treasurer and the balance of the filing fee to

 

the state treasurer for deposit in the civil filing fee fund

 

created in section 171.

 

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

 

to appeal from the district court, probate court, a municipal

 

court, or an administrative tribunal or agency, the  sum of  

 

appellant or moving party shall pay $150.00. For each fee collected

 

under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $31.00 to the

 

county treasurer and the balance of the fee to the state treasurer

 

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

 

     (c)  If  At the time a trial by jury is demanded, the party

 

making the demand  at the time  shall pay  the sum of  $85.00.

 

Failure to pay the fee at the time the demand is made constitutes a

 

waiver of the right to a jury trial. The  sum  fee paid shall be

 

taxed in favor of the party paying  the fee, in case  it if the

 

party recovers a judgment for costs. For each fee collected under

 

this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $25.00 to the state

 

treasurer for deposit in the juror compensation reimbursement fund

 

created in section 151d.

 

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

 

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

 

determined or modified, the party submitting the judgment or order

 

shall pay 1 of the following fees:  , which shall be deposited by

 

the county treasurer as provided in section 2530:

 

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


 

minor children is determined, $80.00.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

that other party.

 

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

 

filing of a motion, the  sum of  moving party shall pay $20.00. In

 

conjunction with an action brought under section 2950 or 2950a, a

 

motion fee shall not be collected for a motion to dismiss the

 

petition, a motion to modify, rescind, or terminate a personal

 

protection order, or a motion to show cause for a violation of a

 

personal protection order. A motion fee shall not be collected for

 

a motion to dismiss a proceeding to enforce a foreign protection

 

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

 

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

 

not be collected for a request for a hearing to contest income

 

withholding under section 7 of the support and parenting time

 

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

 

under this subdivision, the clerk shall transmit $10.00 to the

 

state treasurer for deposit in the state court fund created by

 

section 151a.

 

     (f) For services under the direction of the court that are not

 

specifically provided for in this section  relative to the receipt

 

related to receiving, safekeeping, or expending  of  money,  or the  

 

purchasing, taking, or transferring  of  a security, or  the

 

collecting  of  interest on a security,  the clerk shall receive  a


 

party shall pay the allowance and compensation  from the parties as  

 

that the court  may consider  determines to be just  and shall

 

direct by court order,  as ordered by the court after notice to the

 

parties.  to be charged.

 

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

 

the  sum of  appellant shall pay $25.00.

 

     (h) The  sum of  applicant or requesting party shall pay

 

$15.00 as a service fee for each writ of garnishment, attachment,

 

or execution  , or  and each judgment debtor discovery subpoena

 

issued.

 

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

 

held to be  are payment in full for all clerk, entry, and judgment

 

fees in an action from the commencement of the action to and

 

including the issuance and return of the execution or other final

 

process, and are taxable as costs.

 

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

 

paid under this section shall be paid  over  to the county

 

treasurer as required by law.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

of the fee collected under subsection (1)(d)(i) shall be paid to the

 

county treasurer and deposited by the county treasurer as provided

 

under section 2530 to be used to fund services that are not title

 

IV-D services. The balance of the fee collected under subsection

 

(1)(d)(ii) shall be paid to the county treasurer and deposited by


 

the county treasurer as provided under section 2530.

 

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

 

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

 

affidavit of indigency or inability to pay.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

suspended and the action is contested, the court may require that 1

 

or more of the parties to the action pay the fee under subsection

 

(1)(d).

 

     Sec. 8371. (1) In the district court, the fees prescribed in

 

this section shall be paid to the clerk of the court.

 

     (2) Before a civil action is commenced in the district court,

 

the party commencing the action shall pay to the clerk  the sum of

 

$150.00 for each defendant named in the action if the amount in

 

controversy exceeds $10,000.00. For each fee collected under this

 

subsection, the clerk shall transmit $31.00 to the treasurer of the

 

district funding unit in which the action was commenced, and shall

 

transmit the balance to the state treasurer for deposit in the

 

civil filing fee fund created by section 171.

 

     (3) Before a civil action is commenced in the district court,

 

the party commencing the action shall pay to the clerk  the sum of

 

$65.00 for each defendant named in the action if the amount in

 

controversy exceeds $1,750.00 but does not exceed $10,000.00.

 

Beginning October 1, 2005, the fee required under this subsection


 

is $60.00 for each defendant named in the action. For each fee

 

collected under this subsection, the clerk shall transmit $23.00 to

 

the treasurer of the district funding unit in which the action was

 

commenced, of which not less than $5.00 shall be used by the

 

district funding unit to fund the operation of the district court;

 

and shall transmit the balance to the state treasurer for deposit

 

in the civil filing fee fund created by section 171. Beginning

 

October 1, 2005, the amount of each fee that the clerk shall

 

transmit to the treasurer of the district funding unit is reduced

 

to $18.00.

 

     (4) Before a civil action is commenced in the district court,

 

the party commencing the action shall pay to the clerk  the sum of

 

$45.00 for each defendant named in the action if the amount in

 

controversy exceeds $600.00 but does not exceed $1,750.00.

 

Beginning October 1, 2005, the fee required under this subsection

 

is $40.00 for each defendant named in the action. For each fee

 

collected under this subsection, the clerk shall transmit $17.00 to

 

the treasurer of the district funding unit in which the action was

 

commenced, of which not less than $5.00 shall be used by the

 

district funding unit to fund the operation of the district court;

 

and shall transmit the balance to the state treasurer for deposit

 

in the civil filing fee fund created by section 171. Beginning

 

October 1, 2005, the amount of each fee that the clerk shall

 

transmit to the treasurer of the district funding unit is reduced

 

to $12.00.

 

     (5) Before a civil action is commenced in the district court,

 

the party commencing the action shall pay to the clerk  the sum of


 

$25.00 for each defendant named in the action if the amount in

 

controversy does not exceed $600.00. Beginning October 1, 2005, the

 

fee required under this subsection is $20.00 for each defendant

 

named in the action. For each fee collected under this subsection,

 

the clerk shall transmit $11.00 to the treasurer of the district

 

funding unit in which the action was commenced, of which not less

 

than $5.00 shall be used by the district funding unit to fund the

 

operation of the district court; and shall transmit the balance to

 

the state treasurer for deposit in the civil filing fee fund

 

created by section 171. Beginning October 1, 2005, the amount of

 

each fee that the clerk shall transmit to the treasurer of the

 

district funding unit is reduced to $6.00.

 

     (6) The judge shall order payment of any statutory fees waived

 

or suspended if the person subject to the fee is receiving public

 

assistance or is determined by the court to be indigent.

 

     (7) Neither this state nor a political subdivision of this

 

state shall be required to pay a filing fee in a civil infraction

 

action.

 

     (8) Except for civil actions filed for relief under chapter

 

43, 57, or 84, if a civil action is filed for relief other than

 

money damages, the filing fee shall be equal to the filing fee in

 

actions for money damages in excess of $1,750.00 but not in excess

 

of $10,000.00 as provided in subsection (3) and shall be

 

transmitted in the same manner as a fee under subsection (3) is

 

transmitted. If a claim for money damages is joined with a claim

 

for relief other than money damages, the plaintiff shall pay a

 

supplemental filing fee in the same amount as required under


 

subsections (2) to (5).

 

     (9)  If  At the time a trial by jury is demanded, the party

 

making the demand  at the time  shall pay  the sum of  $50.00.

 

Failure to pay the fee at the time the demand is made constitutes a

 

waiver of the right to a jury trial. The  sum  fee paid shall be

 

taxed in favor of the party paying  the fee, in case  it if the

 

party recovers a judgment for costs. For each fee collected under

 

this subsection, the clerk shall transmit $10.00 to the state

 

treasurer for deposit in the juror compensation reimbursement fund

 

created in section 151d.

 

     (10)  A sum of  The moving party shall pay $20.00  shall be

 

assessed  for all motions filed in a civil action. A motion fee

 

shall not be assessed in a civil infraction action. For each fee

 

collected under this subsection, the clerk shall transmit $10.00 to

 

the state treasurer for deposit in the state court fund created in

 

section 151a and the balance shall be transmitted to the treasurer

 

of the district funding unit for the district court in the district

 

in which the action was commenced.