PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1070                      PRINTER'S NO. 1501

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 937 Session of 1981


        INTRODUCED BY ZEMPRELLI AND FISHER, JUNE 23, 1981

        SENATOR CORMAN, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AS AMENDED, DECEMBER 7, 1981

                                     AN ACT

     1  Establishing fees which shall be charged by a prothonotary in a
     2     county of the second class.

     3     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     4  hereby enacts as follows:
     5  Section 1.  Short title.
     6     This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Second Class
     7  County Prothonotary Fee Act."
     8  Section 2.  Fee schedule.
     9     The fees to be received by the prothonotary of the court of
    10  common pleas of a county of the second class shall be as
    11  follows:
    12         (1)  Accounts and Reports.--
    13             The filing and docketing of a report or
    14         an account.................................        $11.00
    15         (2)  Appeals.--
    16             (i)  The filing of an appeal to the
    17         Supreme, Superior or the Commonwealth


     1         Court......................................        $50.00
     2             (ii)  The filing of any other appeal
     3         including an appeal from administrative
     4         agencies, arbitration, Petition for Writ of
     5         Certiorari and Appeals from a Magistrate's
     6         decision...................................         40.00  <--
     7                                                             35.00
     8         (3)  Bonds.--(Surety or cash) approved by
     9     court or prothonotary..........................        $10.00
    10         (4)  Certifications.--
    11             (i)  Any certification of certificate..         $8.00
    12             (ii)  Any exemplification..............         25.00  <--
    13                                                             20.00
    14             (iii)  If the same involves more than
    15         one page, for each additional page.........          2.00
    16             (iv)  Certification of Notarial
    17         Certificate................................         15.00
    18             (v)  Certified copies of Divorce
    19         Decrees....................................         10.00
    20         Additional copies..........................          5.00
    21         (5)  Commencement of actions.--Commencement
    22     of any civil action by writ of summons,
    23     complaint, amicable action, petition or
    24     otherwise including Actions in Assumpsit,
    25     Trespass, Ejectment, Quiet Title, Replevin,
    26     Mandamus, Quo Warranto, Divorce or Annulment of
    27     Marriage, Mortgage Foreclosure, Ground Rent
    28     Foreign Attachment, Fraudulent Debtor's Attach-
    29     ment Equity, Partition of Real Property,
    30     Actions to Prevent Waste, Actions upon
    19810S0937B1501                  - 2 -

     1     Mechanics' Liens, Class Actions, Actions
     2     involving Minors, Declaratory Actions, Amicable
     3     Actions, except Complaint in Confession of
     4     Judgment (see "Judgments") and Commencement of
     5     Commonwealth Tax Liens (see "Liens").  This is
     6     a composite fee which includes the filing of
     7     all plaintiff's pleadings discovery or any
     8     other paper not otherwise provided for in this
     9     act except trial and trial listings, judgment,
    10     execution, attachment, revival and post judg-
    11     ment papers....................................        $35.00
    12         (6)  Deeds.--Acknowledgment of sheriff's or
    13     treasurer's deeds..............................         $5.00
    14         (7)  Defendant's first filing.--The filing
    15     on behalf of any defendant (or additional
    16     defendant) of the first pleading, entry of
    17     appearance, answer, preliminary objections,
    18     writ to join (with entry of appearance) or
    19     complaint against additional defendant, or
    20     other paper not otherwise provided for in this
    21     act. A pleading, appearance or other paper not
    22     otherwise provided for in this act filed on
    23     behalf of more than one defendant shall require
    24     only one fee. The filing of separate initial
    25     pleadings by defendants require a separate fee.
    26     This is a composite fee which includes the
    27     filing of all defendant's pleadings, discovery
    28     or any other paper not otherwise provided for
    29     in this act except trial and trial listings,
    30     judgment execution attachment, revival and post
    19810S0937B1501                  - 3 -

     1     judgment papers................................        $15.00
     2         (8)  Eminent domain.--
     3             (i)  Commencement of action by
     4         Declaration of Taking or Petition for
     5         Appointment of a Board of Viewers..........        $35.00
     6             (ii)  Initial fee charged for each
     7         premises, parcel or plot...................          1.00
     8         (9)  Fictitious individual and corporate
     9     names.--
    10             (i)  The filing of an application for
    11         the registration of an individual
    12         fictitious name............................        $45.00  <--
    13                                                            $40.00
    14             (ii)  Any subsequent filing and
    15         cancellation...............................          7.50
    16             (iii)  The filing of an application for
    17         the registration of a fictitious corporate
    18         name.......................................         60.00  <--
    19                                                             50.00
    20             (iv)  Any subsequent filing including
    21         cancellation...............................          7.50
    22         (10)  Financing statements.--
    23             (i)  The filing of the U.C.C.I. or any
    24         initial filing under the Uniform Commercial
    25         Code.......................................        $15.00
    26             (ii)  All subsequent filing including
    27         termination, continuation and assignments..         15.00  <--
    28                                                              5.00
    29         (11)  Funds on deposit.--
    30             (i)  Receiving and distributing money
    19810S0937B1501                  - 4 -

     1         paid into court for each dollar under $500.          (4%)
     2             (ii)  For each dollar exceeding $500...          (1%)
     3         (12)  Joinder.--Defendants joinder of each
     4     additional defendant, except initial action
     5     with appearance, each..........................        $25.00  <--
     6                                                            $20.00
     7         (13)  Judgment.--
     8             (i)  Entry of Judgment in any action
     9         commenced in this county...................        $15.00
    10             (ii)  Entering from another
    11         jurisdiction...............................         25.00
    12             (iii)  Entering by agreement...........         25.00  <--
    13                                                             20.00
    14             (iv)  Judgment by confession...........         25.00
    15             (v)  Complaint in Confession of
    16         Judgment...................................         25.00
    17             (vi)  Assignment of any Judgment.......         15.00
    18         (14)  Liens.--
    19             (i)  The filing of any Federal Tax
    20         Lien, Mechanics Lien or any lien not
    21         covered under this act, Waiver and "To the
    22         Use of Lien" including Affidavit of
    23         Service, including all indexing............        $15.00  <--
    24                                                            $10.00
    25             (ii)  Commencement of any Commonwealth
    26         Tax Lien, including the lien, complaint to
    27         use claims, Writs of Scire Facias, all
    28         pleadings, default judgment, the filing of
    29         any paper, except Revival, including
    30         indexing...................................         35.00
    19810S0937B1501                  - 5 -

     1         (15)  Notary Public.--Registration of
     2     notary public signature........................        $10.00  <--
     3                                                             $5.00
     4         (16)  Papers.--The filing of any
     5     interlocutory paper not included in any
     6     composite fee..................................         $3.00
     7         (17)  Petitions.--The filing of an
     8     interlocutory petition or motion not included
     9     in any composite fee...........................        $10.00
    10         (18)  Power of attorney.--The filing of a
    11     power of attorney, including all services and
    12     revocation.....................................        $25.00  <--
    13                                                            $20.00
    14         (19)  Partnerships and associations.--The
    15     filing of any partnership agreement or
    16     association under their applicable acts,
    17     including all subsequent papers and
    18     termination....................................        $45.00  <--
    19                                                            $30.00
    20         (20)  Refunds.--
    21     There shall be no refund of any amount less
    22     than $5.00 in the event of overpayment of fees.
    23         (21)  Release of Lien......................        $10.00  <--
    24                                                             $7.50
    25         (22)  Revivals.--The filing of any writ of
    26     Revival, petition, pleading and all papers.....        $35.00  <--
    27                                                            $25.00
    28         (23)  Searches.--
    29             (i)  Every certified judgment or lien
    30         search for each period of five years or
    19810S0937B1501                  - 6 -

     1         less, each property........................        $30.00  <--
     2                                                            $20.00
     3             (ii)  Every certified locality search,
     4         for each period of five years or less, each
     5         property...................................         30.00  <--
     6                                                             20.00
     7             (iii)  Every certified search of five
     8         years or less the Uniform Commercial Code
     9         index......................................         30.00  <--
    10                                                             20.00
    11             (iv)  Fictitious and Fictitious
    12         Corporate Name Searches:
    13                 (A)  Every certified search from
    14             the year 1953 to date or any fraction
    15             thereof from the Fictitious name or
    16             Fictitious Corporate name index........         25.00  <--
    17                                                             20.00
    18                 (B)  Every five years theretofore
    19             or any fraction thereof................         10.00
    20                 (C)  Every search of any given five
    21             year period of any fraction thereof....         10.00
    22             (v)  Uniform Commercial Code Searches:
    23                 (A)  Every certified search of the
    24             Uniform Commercial Code index of five
    25             years or less..........................         30.00  <--
    26                                                             20.00
    27                 (B)  Each additional statement
    28             found over one.........................          1.00
    29                 (C)  Searches beyond five years for
    30             additional five years or any fraction
    19810S0937B1501                  - 7 -

     1             thereof................................         30.00  <--
     2                                                             20.00
     3         (24)  Subpoena.--
     4             (i)  Issuing a subpoena form...........         $2.00
     5             (ii)  Producing a record in response to
     6         a subpoena based on four-hour service......         25.00  <--
     7                                                             20.00
     8             (iii)  Service beyond four hours or
     9         fraction thereof...........................         15.00
    10             (iv)  For each mile traveled (round
    11         trip) for service out of county............           .17
    12         (25)  Suggestion of nonpayment.--
    13     Suggestion and averments.......................        $20.00
    14         (26)  Termination papers.--The fee for the
    15     filing of any satisfaction, discontinuance or
    16     termination type paper.........................         $5.00
    17         (27)  Trial and trial listings.--
    18             (i)  Jury fee when case is placed at
    19         issue or appeal from arbitration demanding
    20         jury trial.................................        $60.00  <--
    21                                                            $50.00
    22             (ii)  Compulsory arbitration listing...         15.00
    23             (iii)  Orders for continuances.........         25.00  <--
    24                                                             15.00
    25             (iv)  Certificate of readiness.........         15.00
    26         (28)  Writs of execution, possession or
    27     seizure.--Issuing any writ of execution,
    28     attachment, including indexing.................        $25.00  <--
    29                                                            $20.00
    30  Section 3.  Fees for similar services.
    19810S0937B1501                  - 8 -

     1     The fee for any paper or service not specifically provided
     2  for in section 2 shall be the same as for a similar service.
     3  Section 4.  Fees exclusive of taxes.
     4     The fees enumerated in section 2 shall be exclusive of any
     5  tax not levied, including law library taxes or that may
     6  hereafter be levied.
     7  Section 5.  Fees required before papers received or services
     8              performed.
     9     The prothonotary shall not be required to receive any paper
    10  or perform any service until the proper fee is paid.
    11  Section 6.  Jury fee.
    12     The jury fee when paid shall not be refunded.
    13  Section 7.  Repeals.
    14     (a)  Specific repeal.--The act of June 23, 1972 (P.L.487,      <--
    15  No.157), entitled "An act amending the act of July 12, 1961
    16  (P.L.566, No.157), entitled 'An act establishing and regulating
    17  the fees to be received and charged by the prothonotary of the
    18  courts of common pleas of this Commonwealth in counties of the
    19  second class and repealing certain acts,' further regulating
    20  prothonotary fees in courts of common pleas in counties of the
    21  second class," is repealed.
    22     (A)  SPECIFIC ACTS.--THE FOLLOWING ACTS OR PARTS OF ACTS ARE   <--
    23  REPEALED INSOFAR AS THEY ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ACT:
    24     SECTION 1725 OF TITLE 42, ACT OF NOVEMBER 25, 1970 (P.L.707,
    25  NO.230), KNOWN AS THE PENNSYLVANIA CONSOLIDATED STATUTES.
    26     SECTION 24(A) OF THE ACT OF JULY 9, 1976 (P.L.586, NO.142),
    27  KNOWN AS THE "JUDICIARY ACT OF 1976."
    28     (b)  General repeal.--All other acts or parts of acts are
    29  repealed insofar as they are inconsistent herewith.
    30  Section 8.  Effective date.
    19810S0937B1501                  - 9 -

     1     This act shall take effect immediately.




















    F22L42DGS/19810S0937B1501       - 10 -