PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1070, 1501               PRINTER'S NO. 1547

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 937 Session of 1981


        INTRODUCED BY ZEMPRELLI AND FISHER, JUNE 23, 1981

        AS AMENDED, THIRD CONSIDERATION, DECEMBER 15, 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...................................         35.00
     7         (3)  Bonds.--(Surety or cash) approved by
     8     court or prothonotary..........................        $10.00
     9         (4)  Certifications.--
    10             (i)  Any certification of certificate..         $8.00
    11             (ii)  Any exemplification..............         20.00
    12             (iii)  If the same involves more than
    13         one page, for each additional page.........          2.00
    14             (iv)  Certification of Notarial
    15         Certificate................................         15.00
    16             (v)  Certified copies of Divorce
    17         Decrees....................................         10.00
    18         Additional copies..........................          5.00
    19         (5)  Commencement of actions.--Commencement
    20     of any civil action by writ of summons,
    21     complaint, amicable action, petition or
    22     otherwise including Actions in Assumpsit,
    23     Trespass, Ejectment, Quiet Title, Replevin,
    24     Mandamus, Quo Warranto, Divorce or Annulment of
    25     Marriage, Mortgage Foreclosure, Ground Rent
    26     Foreign Attachment, Fraudulent Debtor's Attach-
    27     ment Equity, Partition of Real Property,
    28     Actions to Prevent Waste, Actions upon
    29     Mechanics' Liens, Class Actions, Actions
    30     involving Minors, Declaratory Actions, Amicable
    19810S0937B1547                  - 2 -

     1     Actions, except Complaint in Confession of
     2     Judgment (see "Judgments") and Commencement of
     3     Commonwealth Tax Liens (see "Liens").  This is
     4     a composite fee which includes the filing of
     5     all plaintiff's pleadings discovery or any
     6     other paper not otherwise provided for in this
     7     act except trial and trial listings, judgment,
     8     execution, attachment, revival and post judg-
     9     ment papers....................................        $35.00
    10         (6)  Deeds.--Acknowledgment of sheriff's or
    11     treasurer's deeds..............................         $5.00
    12         (7)  Defendant's first filing.--The filing
    13     on behalf of any defendant (or additional
    14     defendant) of the first pleading, entry of
    15     appearance, answer, preliminary objections,
    16     writ to join (with entry of appearance) or
    17     complaint against additional defendant, or
    18     other paper not otherwise provided for in this
    19     act. A pleading, appearance or other paper not
    20     otherwise provided for in this act filed on
    21     behalf of more than one defendant shall require
    22     only one fee. The filing of separate initial
    23     pleadings by defendants require a separate fee.
    24     This is a composite fee which includes the
    25     filing of all defendant's pleadings, discovery
    26     or any other paper not otherwise provided for
    27     in this act except trial and trial listings,
    28     judgment execution attachment, revival and post
    29     judgment papers................................        $15.00
    30         (8)  Eminent domain.--
    19810S0937B1547                  - 3 -

     1             (i)  Commencement of action by
     2         Declaration of Taking or Petition for
     3         Appointment of a Board of Viewers..........        $35.00
     4             (ii)  Initial fee charged for each
     5         premises, parcel or plot...................          1.00
     6         (9)  Fictitious individual and corporate
     7     names.--
     8             (i)  The filing of an application for
     9         the registration of an individual
    10         fictitious name............................        $40.00
    11             (ii)  Any subsequent filing and
    12         cancellation...............................          7.50
    13             (iii)  The filing of an application for
    14         the registration of a fictitious corporate
    15         name.......................................         50.00
    16             (iv)  Any subsequent filing including
    17         cancellation...............................          7.50
    18         (10)  Financing statements.--
    19             (i)  The filing of the U.C.C.I. or any
    20         initial filing under the Uniform Commercial
    21         Code.......................................        $15.00
    22             (ii)  All subsequent filing including
    23         termination, continuation and assignments..          5.00
    24         (11)  Funds on deposit.--
    25             (i)  Receiving and distributing money
    26         paid into court for each dollar under $500.          (4%)
    27             (ii)  For each dollar exceeding $500...          (1%)
    28         (12)  Joinder.--Defendants joinder of each
    29     additional defendant, except initial action
    30     with appearance, each..........................        $20.00
    19810S0937B1547                  - 4 -

     1         (13)  Judgment.--
     2             (i)  Entry of Judgment in any action
     3         commenced in this county...................        $15.00
     4             (ii)  Entering from another
     5         jurisdiction...............................         25.00
     6             (iii)  Entering by agreement...........         20.00
     7             (iv)  Judgment by confession...........         25.00
     8             (v)  Complaint in Confession of
     9         Judgment...................................         25.00
    10             (vi)  Assignment of any Judgment.......         15.00
    11         (14)  Liens.--
    12             (i)  The filing of any Federal Tax
    13         Lien, Mechanics Lien or any lien not
    14         covered under this act, Waiver and "To the
    15         Use of Lien" including Affidavit of
    16         Service, including all indexing............        $10.00
    17             (ii)  Commencement of any Commonwealth
    18         Tax Lien, including the lien, complaint to
    19         use claims, Writs of Scire Facias, all
    20         pleadings, default judgment, the filing of
    21         any paper, except Revival, including
    22         indexing...................................         35.00  <--
    23                                                             10.00
    24         (15)  Notary Public.--Registration of
    25         notary public
    26     signature......................................         $5.00
    27         (16)  Papers.--The filing of any
    28     interlocutory paper not included in any
    29     composite fee..................................         $3.00
    30         (17)  Petitions.--The filing of an
    19810S0937B1547                  - 5 -

     1     interlocutory petition or motion not included
     2     in any composite fee...........................        $10.00
     3         (18)  Power of attorney.--The filing of a
     4     power of attorney, including all services and
     5     revocation.....................................        $20.00
     6         (19)  Partnerships and associations.--The
     7     filing of any partnership agreement or
     8     association under their applicable acts,
     9     including all subsequent papers and
    10     termination....................................        $30.00
    11         (20)  Refunds.--
    12     There shall be no refund of any amount less
    13     than $5.00 in the event of overpayment of fees.
    14         (21)  Release of Lien......................         $7.50
    15         (22)  Revivals.--The filing of any writ of
    16     Revival, petition, pleading and all papers.....        $25.00
    17         (23)  Searches.--
    18             (i)  Every certified judgment or lien
    19         search for each period of five years or
    20         less, each property........................        $20.00
    21             (ii)  Every certified locality search,
    22         for each period of five years or less, each
    23         property...................................         20.00
    24             (iii)  Every certified search of five
    25         years or less the Uniform Commercial Code
    26         index......................................         20.00
    27             (iv)  Fictitious and Fictitious
    28         Corporate Name Searches:
    29                 (A)  Every certified search from
    30             the year 1953 to date or any fraction
    19810S0937B1547                  - 6 -

     1             thereof from the Fictitious name or
     2             Fictitious Corporate name index........         20.00
     3                 (B)  Every five years theretofore
     4             or any fraction thereof................         10.00
     5                 (C)  Every search of any given five
     6             year period of any fraction thereof....         10.00
     7             (v)  Uniform Commercial Code Searches:
     8                 (A)  Every certified search of the
     9             Uniform Commercial Code index of five
    10             years or less..........................         20.00
    11                 (B)  Each additional statement
    12             found over one.........................          1.00
    13                 (C)  Searches beyond five years for
    14             additional five years or any fraction
    15             thereof................................         20.00
    16         (24)  Subpoena.--
    17             (i)  Issuing a subpoena form...........         $2.00
    18             (ii)  Producing a record in response to
    19         a subpoena based on four-hour service......         20.00
    20             (iii)  Service beyond four hours or
    21         fraction thereof...........................         15.00
    22             (iv)  For each mile traveled (round
    23         trip) for service out of county............           .17
    24         (25)  Suggestion of nonpayment.--
    25     Suggestion and averments.......................        $20.00
    26         (26)  Termination papers.--The fee for the
    27     filing of any satisfaction, discontinuance or
    28     termination type paper.........................         $5.00
    29         (27)  Trial and trial listings.--
    30             (i)  Jury fee when case is placed at
    19810S0937B1547                  - 7 -

     1         issue or appeal from arbitration demanding
     2         jury trial.................................        $50.00
     3             (ii)  Compulsory arbitration listing...         15.00
     4             (iii)  Orders for continuances.........         15.00
     5             (iv)  Certificate of readiness.........         15.00
     6         (28)  Writs of execution, possession or
     7     seizure.--Issuing any writ of execution,
     8     attachment, including indexing.................        $20.00
     9  Section 3.  Fees for similar services.
    10     The fee for any paper or service not specifically provided
    11  for in section 2 shall be the same as for a similar service.
    12  Section 4.  Fees exclusive of taxes.
    13     The fees enumerated in section 2 shall be exclusive of any
    14  tax not levied, including law library taxes or that may
    15  hereafter be levied.
    16  Section 5.  Fees required before papers received or services
    17              performed.
    18     The prothonotary shall not be required to receive any paper
    19  or perform any service until the proper fee is paid.
    20  Section 6.  Jury fee.
    21     The jury fee when paid shall not be refunded.
    22  Section 7.  Repeals.
    23     (a)  Specific acts.--The following acts or parts of acts are
    24  repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with this act:
    25     Section 1725 of Title 42, act of November 25, 1970 (P.L.707,
    26  No.230), known as the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
    27     Section 24(a) of the act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.586, No.142),
    28  known as the "Judiciary Act of 1976."
    29     (b)  General repeal.--All other acts or parts of acts are
    30  repealed insofar as they are inconsistent herewith.
    19810S0937B1547                  - 8 -

     1  Section 8.  Effective date.
     2     This act shall take effect immediately.



















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