HOUSE BILL No. 5371

 

September 15, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Constan, Kandrevas and Polidori and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

 

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

 

by amending sections 321 and 2529 (MCL 600.321 and 600.2529),

 

section 321 as amended by 2007 PA 64 and section 2529 as amended by

 

2004 PA 205.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 321. (1) The following fees shall be paid to the clerk of

 

the court of appeals and may be taxed as costs if costs are allowed

 

by order of the court:

 

     (a) For an appeal as of right, for an application for leave to

 

appeal, or for an original proceeding, $375.00. This fee shall be

 

paid only once for appeals that are taken by multiple parties from

 

the same lower court order or judgment and can be consolidated.

 


     (b) Upon the entry of any motion except a motion described in

 

subdivision (c) upon the motion docket, $100.00. Beginning October

 

1, 2012, the fee required under this subdivision is $75.00.

 

     (c) Upon the entry of a motion for immediate consideration or

 

a motion to expedite appeal upon the motion docket, $200.00. This

 

fee shall be paid only once regardless of the number of lower court

 

files involved in the appeal. A prosecuting attorney is exempt from

 

paying a fee under this subdivision with regard to an appeal

 

arising out of a criminal proceeding. Beginning October 1, 2012,

 

the fee required under this subdivision is $150.00.

 

     (2) A prosecuting attorney is exempt from paying any of the

 

fees described in subsection (1).

 

     (3) (2) The clerk of the court of appeals shall charge 50

 

cents per page for certified copies of entries or papers in any

 

action or proceedings when required for any other purpose than one

 

connected with the progress or disposition of the action or

 

proceeding.

 

     (4) (3) The clerk shall charge 50 cents per page for all

 

uncertified copies of opinions, except those sent to 1 counsel

 

representing each party in the case, for which no charge shall be

 

made.

 

     (5) (4) If a person is unable to pay the fees required by this

 

section, the person, by motion, accompanied by the person's

 

affidavit stating facts showing that inability, may ask the court

 

to waive the fees and the court or a judge of the court may waive

 

payment of the fees.

 

     (6) (5) Each month the clerk of the court of appeals shall

 


deposit with the state treasurer all fees collected and obtain and

 

file a receipt for the fees deposited.

 

     (7) (6) Costs shall be awarded in the discretion of the court.

 

     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

 

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

 

application shall pay the sum of $150.00. 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 $150.00.

 

A prosecuting attorney is exempt from paying the fee described in

 

this subdivision. 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 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 shall be taxed in favor of the party

 


paying the fee, in case 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 $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,

 

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 the allowance and compensation

 

from the parties as the court may consider just and shall direct by

 

court order, after notice to the parties to be charged.

 

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

 

the sum of $25.00. A prosecuting attorney is exempt from paying the

 

fee described in this subdivision.

 

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

 

garnishment, attachment, execution, or judgment debtor discovery

 

subpoena issued.

 

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

 

be 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

 

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).