House Bill 759 amends various sections of Florida Statutes concerning court fees, primarily increasing service charges and filing fees for court-related services. Notable changes include raising the fee for examining transcripts from $5.00 to $6.00 and increasing the fee for opening an estate from $230 to $275. The bill also establishes a requirement for clerks to adjust these fees every three years based on the Consumer Price Index, with adjustments rounded to the nearest dollar or five dollars, depending on the specific fee. Additionally, the bill introduces new fees and modifies existing ones, such as increasing the service charge for issuing a summons from $10 to $15 and raising the fee for disbursing surplus proceeds from judicial sales from $15 to $20.

Moreover, the bill deletes provisions that mandated clerks to submit portions of collected fees to the Department of Revenue for the Clerks of the Court Trust Fund, revising the distribution formula for additional filing fees. It emphasizes the responsibility of clerks to pursue the collection of unpaid fees and outlines a new fee structure for civil actions based on the value of the claim, resulting in significant increases for higher-value claims. Overall, the bill aims to modernize and standardize court fees while ensuring they remain reflective of current economic conditions.

Statutes affected:
H 759 Filed: 45.035, 721.83