Download This Version in Microsoft Word format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
COMMITTEE REPORT
April 24, 2002
S. 873
Introduced by Senators Glover, Ford, McGill, Anderson, Patterson, O'Dell, Hutto, Land, Short, Holland, Leventis and Moore
S. Printed 4/24/02--S.
Read the first time January 15, 2002.
To whom was referred a Bill (S. 873) to amend Section 8-21-310, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to the schedule of fees and costs to be collected in each county, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting therein the following:
/ SECTION 1. Section 8-21-310 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 8-21-310. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the following fees and costs must be collected on a uniform basis in each county by clerks of court and registers of deeds or county treasurers as may be determined by the governing body of the county:
(1) for recording a deed to or a mortgage on real estate, ten fifteen dollars; and an additional one dollar a per page for any deed or mortgage containing more than four pages; for entry of a deed or mortgage that covers both real estate and personal property in the indexes for both real and personal property conveyances or mortgages, one dollar additional;
(2) for recording a chattel mortgage, conditional sale contract, lease or contract of sale of personal property, and any other document required to be recorded under the Uniform Commercial Code (Title 36), the fees provided in Title 36;
(3) for recording an instrument which assigns, transfers, or affects a single real estate mortgage or other instrument affecting title to real property or lien for the payment of money, unless it is part of the original instrument when initially filed, six twelve dollars; and if the instrument assigns, transfers, or affects more than one real estate mortgage, instrument, or lien, six twelve dollars for each mortgage, instrument, or lien assigned, transferred, or affected and referred to in the instrument and an additional one dollar for each page for any instrument exceeding one page;
(4) for recording any lease, contract of sale, trust indenture, or other document affecting title or possession of real property not otherwise provided for in this section, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a per page for a document containing more than four pages;
(5) for recording satisfaction on the record of a mortgage of real estate or a chattel mortgage or other recorded lien, and certifying the entry on the original or a copy, five ten dollars;
(6) for recording separate probates, affidavits, or certificates which are not part of or attached to another document to be recorded, five ten dollars;
(7) for recording a plat larger than eight and one-half by fourteen inches, ten fifteen dollars; for plats of "legal size" dimensions, or smaller, five ten dollars;
(8) for recording decree of foreclosure or partition of real property in mortgage book or deed book, the same fee as for recording deed or mortgage of real estate;
(9) for recording any other paper affecting title or possession of real estate or personal property and required by law to be recorded, except judicial records, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a per page for a document containing more than four pages;
(10) for filing power of attorney, trustee qualification, or other appointment, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a per page for a document containing more than four pages;
(11)(a) For filing first complaint or petition, including application for a remedial and prerogative writ and bond on attachment or other bond, in a civil action or proceeding, in a court of record, seventy one hundred dollars. There is no further fee for filing an amended or supplemental complaint or petition nor for filing any other paper in the same action or proceeding. An original application for postconviction relief may be filed without
fee upon permission of the court to which the application is addressed. There is no further fee for entering and filing a verdict, judgment, final decree, or order of dismissal, and enrolling a judgment thereon, for signing, sealing, and issuance of execution, or for entering satisfaction or partial satisfaction on a judgment.
(b) for filing, recording, and indexing Lis Pendens when not accompanied by summons and complaint, five ten dollars;
(c) for receiving and enrolling transcripts of judgment from magistrates' courts and federal district courts, five ten dollars;
(d) for filing and enrolling a judgment by confession, five ten dollars;
(12) no fee may be charged to a defendant or respondent for filing an answer, return, or other papers in any civil action or proceeding, in a court of record;
(13) for taking and filing an order for bail with or without bond, one dollar; with bond when surety must be justified, five ten dollars;
(14) for taking and filing bond or security costs, one dollar; with bond when surety must be justified, five ten dollars;
(15) for filing or recording any commission of notary public or other public office, license or permit to practice any profession or trade, notice of formation or dissolution of any partnership, two five dollars;
(16) for filing the charter of any public or private corporation or association required by law to be recorded, ten dollars, and an additional one dollar a per page for any such document containing more than four pages;
(17) for issuing an official certificate under seal of court not otherwise specified in this section, one dollar;
(18) for holding a hearing for condemnation proceedings, twenty-five dollars a day;
(19) for filing notice of discharge in bankruptcy, ten fifteen dollars;
(20) for filing and enrolling and satisfaction of South Carolina and United States Government tax liens:
(a) for filing and enrolling and satisfying executions or warrants for distraint for the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, the South Carolina Department of Revenue, or any other state agency, where costs of the executions or warrants for distraint are chargeable to the persons against whom such executions or warrants for distraint are issued, five ten dollars;
(b) for filing and enrolling and satisfying any tax lien of any agency of the United States Government, where the costs of the executions are chargeable to the persons against whom such executions are issued, five ten dollars.
(21) for filing and processing an order for the Destruction of Arrest Records, thirty-five dollars, which fee must be for each order regardless of the number of cases contained in the order. The fee under the provisions of this item does not apply to cases where the defendant is found not guilty or where the underlying charge is dismissed or nol prossed unless that dismissal or nol prosse is the result of successful completion of a pretrial intervention program.
(22) for filing, indexing, enrolling, and entering a foreign judgment and an affidavit pursuant to Article 11, Chapter 35, Title 15 of the 1976 Code, fifty-five one hundred dollars.
The clerk shall must mark satisfied upon receipt of the fees provided in this item any tax lien or warrant for distraint issued by any agency of this State or of the United States upon receipt of a certificate duly signed by an authorized officer of any agency of this State or the United States to the effect that the execution or warrant for distraint has been paid and satisfied."
SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 14-1-203. The revenue from the fee set in Section 20-7-1440(C) must be remitted to the county in which the proceeding is instituted. Forty-four percent of the revenues must be remitted monthly by the fifteenth day of each month to the State Treasurer on forms in a manner prescribed by him. When payment is made to the county in installments, the State's portion must be remitted to the State Treasurer by the County Treasurer on a monthly basis. The forty-four percent remitted to the State Treasurer must be deposited as follows:
(1) 43.76 percent to the general fund;
(2) 10.04 percent to the Department of Mental Health to the used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;
(3) 6.20 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance under the South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund; and
(4) 40.00 percent to the South Carolina Judicial Department."
SECTION 3. Section 14-1-204 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 14-1-204. The seventy one hundred dollar filing fee for documents and actions described in Section 8-21-310(11)(a) must
be remitted to the county in which the proceeding is instituted, and fifty-six percent of these filing fee revenues must be delivered to the county treasurer to be remitted monthly by the fifteenth day of each month to the State Treasurer. When a payment is made to the county in installments, the State's portion must be remitted to the State Treasurer by the county treasurer on a monthly basis.
The fifty-six percent of the seventy one hundred dollar fee prescribed in Section 8-21-310(11)(a) remitted to the State Treasurer must be deposited as follows:
(1) 45.03 31.52 percent to the state general fund;
(2) 10.33 7.23 percent to the Department of Mental Health to be used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;
(3) 6.38 4.47 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance under the South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund; and
(4) 38.26 26.78 percent to the Defense of Indigents Per Capita Fund, administered by the Commission on Indigent Defense, which shall must then distribute these funds on December thirty-first and on June thirtieth of each year to South Carolina organizations that are grantees of the Legal Services Corporation, in amounts proportionate to each recipient's share of the state's poverty population; and
(5) 30.00 percent to the South Carolina Judicial Department."
SECTION 4. Section 20-7-1440(C) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(C) In actions for support for the spouse or dependent children, when paid through the court or through a centralized wage withholding system operated by the Department of Social Services and not directly, the court shall must assess costs against the party required to pay the support in the amount of three five percent of the support paid, which costs must be in addition to the support money paid. The revenue from the costs must be remitted as provided in Section 14-1-203."
SECTION 5. Section 36-9-525(a) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 67 of 2001, is further amended to read:
"(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e), the fee for filing and indexing a record under this part, other than an initial financing statement of the kind described in subsection (b), is the amount specified in subsection (c), if applicable, plus:
(1) eight dollars if the record is communicated in writing and consists of one or two pages;
(2) ten dollars if the record is communicated in writing and consists of more than two pages; and
(3) ten dollars if the record is communicated by another medium authorized by filing-office rule
two dollars for the first page and one dollar for each additional page."
SECTION 6. Section 38-53-70 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 38-53-70. If a defendant fails to appear at a court proceeding to which he has been summoned, the court must issue a bench warrant for the defendant. If the surety fails to surrender the defendant or place a hold on the defendant's release from incarceration, commitment, or institutionalization within thirty days of the issuance of the bench warrant, the bond shall be forfeited. At any time before execution is issued on a judgment of forfeiture against a defendant or his surety, the court may direct that the judgment be remitted in whole or in part, upon conditions as the court may impose, if it appears that justice requires the remission of part or all of the judgment. In making a determination as to remission of the judgment, the court shall must consider the costs to the State or any county or municipality resulting from the necessity to continue or terminate the defendant's trial and the efforts of law enforcement officers or agencies to locate the defendant. The court in its discretion may permit the surety to pay the estreatment in installments for a period of up to six months; however, the surety must pay a handling fee to the court in an amount equal to four percent of the value of the bond. If at any time during the period in which installments are to be paid the defendant is surrendered to the appropriate detention facility and the surety complies with the re-commitment procedures, the surety shall be is relieved of any further liability."
SECTION 7. This act takes effect July 1, 2002. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
MAGGIE W. GLOVER for Committee.
REVENUE IMPACT 1/
This bill would raise state revenues by a total of $1,788,150 in FY 2002-03. This bill would raise local revenues from Documentary Stamp fees by $3,747,325 and Circuit/Family Court Filing Fees by $1,404,975 in FY 2002-03. This bill would also affect the expenditure of funds by counties or municipalities from certain court fee increases pursuant to Section 2-7-76.
Explanation
This bill would raise twenty-one distinct fees and costs collected by Clerks of Court, Deed Registrars and County Treasurers. Respective increases range from 18.2% to 150% of the current fee amount. Most proceeds from these court fees are retained at the local level, except for the Circuit/Family Court Filing Fee in Section 14-1-204. The bill raises this Court Filing Fee from $70 to $100. Proceeds from this fee are split 44% to the county and 56% to the State apportioned as follows: 45.03%, General Fund (GF); 10.33%, Drug Addict Treatment (DA); 6.38%, Victim Compensation (VC); and 38.26%, Defense of Indigents Fund (ID). The Bill also raises the county documentary stamp fee on mortgages from 55 to 65 cents per $500 of value.
The BEA estimates the ten-cent increase in the Documentary Stamp Tax to yield an additional $3,747,325 to counties in FY 2002-03. The BEA expects the $30 increase in the Court Filing Fee to yield a total of $3,193,125 in new revenue in FY 2002-03, of which $1,404,975 is the county share and $1,788,150 is the state share to be allocated as follows: GF, $1,805,204; ID, $684,146; DA, $184,716; VC, $114,084.
Approved By:
William C. Gillespie
Board of Economic Advisors
1/ This statement meets the requirement of Section 2-7-71 for a state revenue impact, Section 2-7-76 for a local revenue impact, and Section 6-1-85(B) for an estimate of the shift in local property tax incidence.
TO AMEND SECTION 8-21-310, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE SCHEDULE OF FEES AND COSTS TO BE COLLECTED IN EACH COUNTY BY CLERKS OF COURT, REGISTERS OF DEEDS, OR COUNTY TREASURERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR UNIFORM FEE INCREASES; TO AMEND SECTION 12-24-90, RELATING TO THE CALCULATION OF THE DOCUMENTARY STAMP FEES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE COUNTY'S PORTION OF THE DOCUMENTARY STAMP FEE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 8-21-310 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 155 of 1997, is further amended to read:
"Section 8-21-310. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the following fees and costs must be collected on a uniform basis in each county by clerks of court and registers of deeds or county treasurers as may be determined by the governing body of the county:
(1) for recording a deed to or a mortgage on real estate, ten fifteen dollars; and an additional one dollar a page for any deed or mortgage containing more than four pages; for entry of a deed or mortgage that covers both real estate and personal property in the indexes for both real and personal property conveyances or mortgages, one dollar additional;
(2) for recording a chattel mortgage, conditional sale contract, lease or contract of sale of personal property, and any other document required to be recorded under the Uniform Commercial Code (Title 36), the fees provided in Title 36;
(3) for recording an instrument which assigns, transfers, or affects a single real estate mortgage or other instrument affecting title to real property or lien for the payment of money, unless it is part of the original instrument when initially filed, six twelve dollars; and if the instrument assigns, transfers, or affects more than one real estate mortgage, instrument, or lien, six twelve dollars for each mortgage, instrument, or lien assigned, transferred, or affected and referred to in the instrument and an additional one dollar for each page for any instrument exceeding one page;
(4) for recording any lease, contract of sale, trust indenture, or other document affecting title or possession of real property not otherwise provided for in this section, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a page for a document containing more than four pages;
(5) for recording satisfaction on the record of a mortgage of real estate or a chattel mortgage or other recorded lien, and certifying the entry on the original or a copy, five ten dollars;
(6) for recording separate probates, affidavits, or certificates which are not part of or attached to another document to be recorded, five ten dollars;
(7) for recording a plat larger than eight and one-half by fourteen inches, ten fifteen dollars; for plats of 'legal size' dimensions, or smaller, five ten dollars;
(8) for recording decree of foreclosure or partition of real property in mortgage book or deed book, the same fee as for recording deed or mortgage of real estate;
(9) for recording any other paper affecting title or possession of real estate or personal property and required by law to be recorded, except judicial records, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a page for a document containing more than four pages;
(10) for filing power of attorney, trustee qualification, or other appointment, ten fifteen dollars, and an additional one dollar a page for a document containing more than four pages;
(11)(a) For filing first complaint or petition, including application for a remedial and prerogative writ and bond on attachment or other bond, in a civil action or proceeding, in a court of record, seventy one hundred dollars. There is no further fee for filing an amended or supplemental complaint or petition nor for filing any other paper in the same action or proceeding. An original application for postconviction relief may be filed without fee upon permission of the court to which the application is addressed. There is no further fee for entering and filing a verdict, judgment, final decree, or order of dismissal, and enrolling a judgment thereon, for signing, sealing, and issuance of execution, or for entering satisfaction or partial satisfaction on a judgment.
(b) for filing, recording, and indexing Lis Pendens when not accompanied by summons and complaint, five ten dollars;
(c) for receiving and enrolling transcripts of judgment from magistrates' courts and federal district courts, five ten dollars;
(d) for filing and enrolling a judgment by confession, five ten dollars;
(12) no fee may be charged to a defendant or respondent for filing an answer, return, or other papers in any civil action or proceeding, in a court of record;
(13) for taking and filing an order for bail with or without bond, one dollar; with bond when surety must be justified, five ten dollars;
(14) for taking and filing bond or security costs, one dollar; with bond when surety must be justified, five ten dollars;
(15) for filing or recording any commission of notary public or other public office, license or permit to practice any profession or trade, notice of formation or dissolution of any partnership, two five dollars;
(16) for filing the charter of any public or private corporation or association required by law to be recorded, ten dollars, and an additional one dollar a page for any such document containing more than four pages;
(17) for issuing an official certificate under seal of court not otherwise specified in this section, one dollar;
(18) for holding a hearing for condemnation proceedings, twenty-five dollars a day;
(19) for filing notice of discharge in bankruptcy, ten fifteen dollars;
(20) for filing and enrolling and satisfaction of South Carolina and United States Government tax liens:
(a) for filing and enrolling and satisfying executions or warrants for distraint for the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, the South Carolina Department of Revenue, or any other state agency, where costs of the executions or warrants for distraint are chargeable to the persons against whom such executions or warrants for distraint are issued, five ten dollars;
(b) for filing and enrolling and satisfying any tax lien of any agency of the United States Government, where the costs of the executions are chargeable to the persons against whom such executions are issued, five ten dollars.
(21) for filing and processing an order for the Destruction of Arrest Records, thirty-five dollars, which fee must be for each order regardless of the number of cases contained in the order. The fee under the provisions of this item does not apply to cases where the defendant is found not guilty or where the underlying charge is dismissed or nol prossed unless that dismissal or nol prosse is the result of successful completion of a pretrial intervention program.
(22) for filing, indexing, enrolling, and entering a foreign judgment and an affidavit pursuant to Article 11, Chapter 35, Title 15 of the 1976 Code, fifty-five one hundred dollars.
The clerk shall mark satisfied upon receipt of the fees provided in this item any tax lien or warrant for distraint issued by any agency of this State or of the United States upon receipt of a certificate duly signed by an authorized officer of any agency of this State or the United States to the effect that the execution or warrant for distraint has been paid and satisfied."
SECTION 2. Section 12-24-90(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) The fee imposed by this chapter is composed of two fees as follows:
(1) a state fee equal to one dollar thirty cents for each five hundred dollars, or fractional part of five hundred dollars, of the realty's value; and
(2) a county fee equal to fifty-five sixty-five cents for each five hundred dollars, or fractional part of five hundred dollars, of the realty's value."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2002.
This web page was last updated on Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 2:29 P.M.