EGAL SOURCE LEGEND - txcourts.gov

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS. introduction TO THE 2013 EDITION ..ii-1. legal SOURCE LEGEND ..ii-2. CHAPTER 1 OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK. A. HISTORY AND GENERAL DUTIES OF THE COUNTY CLERK .. I-1. B. THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK .. I-1. 1. Oath and Affirmation of Office .. I-1. 2. Surety Bond Requirements .. I-2. 3. Errors and Omissions Insurance and I-3. 4. Continuing Education I-4. 5. Authentication by Seal .. I-4. a. Seals for County-Level Courts .. I-5. b. Separate Seal for the County Commissioners Court .. I-5. c. Seal for the County Clerk's Acts as County Recorder .. I-6. C. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CLERKS .. I-6. CHAPTER 2 RECORDING AND FILING OF INSTRUMENTS. A. DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RECORDABLE INSTRUMENTS .. II-1. B. COUNTY CLERK'S DUTY AS COUNTY RECORDER .. II-1. 1. Determining Whether the Instrument Will Be Accepted for Filing.

2 II-1. a. General II-1. b. Real Property Documents .. II-2. c. Specifications for Paper Documents to Be Filed .. II-3. 2. Filing the Instrument .. II-3. 3. Recording the Instrument .. II-4. 4. Indexing the II-5. C. ELECTRONIC FILING OF REAL PROPERTY RECORDS .. II-6. D. TYPES OF INSTRUMENTS FILED IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE .. II-7. 1. Deed Records .. II-7. 2. Deeds of Trust .. II-8. 3. Liens and Abstracts .. II-8. a. Liens in General .. II-8. b. Liens - Specific Direction to County Clerk .. II-9. c. Abstracts of Judgment .. II-13. 4. Miscellaneous Records .. II-14. a. Official Bonds .. II-14. b. Occupational Bonds .. II-14. c. Plats .. II-15. d. Military Discharge II-17. e. Lis Pendens .. II-17. f. Writ of II-18. g. Earmarks, Brands, Tattoos and Electronic Devices .. II-18. h. Estrays.

3 II-19. i. Other Animal Records .. II-19. j. Assumed Name Certificates .. II-19. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-1. k. Condominium Records .. II-20. l. County Surveyor's Records .. II-20. m. Unknown or Abandoned Cemeteries .. II-20. n. Others .. II-20. E. CERTIFIED COPIES .. II-21. F. FRAUDULENT RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS .. II-21. G. COUNTY CLERK'S RECORDING FEES .. II-23. 1. Real and Personal Property .. II-23. 2. Federal Liens Recording Fee .. II-24. 3. Oath Administration Fee .. II-24. 4. Bond Approval Fee .. II-24. 5. Brand Registration Fee .. II-24. 6. Plat Application Fee .. II-24. 7. Assumed Name Certificate Fee .. II-25. 8. Mental Health Background Check II-25. 9. Certified or Non-certified Papers II-25. 10. Records Management and Preservation Fee and Records Archive Fee.

4 II-25. 11. Courthouse Security Fee .. II-27. 12. Returned Check Fee .. II-27. 13. Other Fee Provisions .. II-27. a. Reasonable II-27. b. Ex officio services .. II-27. c. Fees must be paid .. II-28. d. Penalty for Clerk's failure to collect a fee .. II-28. e. No charge for certain II-28. f. Free access to records .. II-28. g. Payment by credit .. II-28. CHAPTER 3 SUPPORTING THE CRIMINAL COURTS. A. introduction TO THE CRIMINAL COURTS .. III-1. B. THE CLERK'S ROLE IN A CRIMINAL CASE .. III-1. C. FILING A CRIMINAL CASE .. III-1. 1. introduction .. III-1. 2. Initial Filing Procedures .. III-2. 3. Subsequent Filing Procedures .. III-3. D. FILING AND DISPOSING OF EXHIBITS .. III-3. E. ISSUING PROCESSES .. III-5. 1. Capias .. III-5. 2. Alias III-5. 3. Capias Pro Fine .. III-5. 4. Bill of Costs.

5 III-5. 5. Subpoena .. III-6. 6. Subpoena Duces Tecum .. III-6. 7. Witness Expense Payments .. III-6. 8. Commitments .. III-7. F. DOCKETS .. III-7. 1. Judge's Docket .. III-7. 2. Criminal File Docket .. III-8. 3. Case Jacket .. III-8. 4. Fingerprint on Docket Sheet, Judgment or Probation Order .. III-9. 5. Notice of Criminal Court Docket Settings .. III-9. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-2. G. INDEX TO THE CRIMINAL MINUTES .. III-9. H. PREPARATION AND RECORDING OF MINUTES .. III-10. 1. Preparation of Minutes .. III-10. 2. Recording of Minutes .. III-10. I. COLLECTION OF FINES, FEES AND COURT COSTS .. III-10. J. CURRENT FEES AND COURT COSTS .. III-11. K. INDIGENT DEFENDANTS AND DEFENDANTS WHO REFUSE TO PAY .. III-11. L. BONDS .. III-12. 1. Personal or Surety Bond .. III-13. 2. Cash Bond.

6 III-13. 3. Payment by Surety when Posting Bond .. III-14. M. BOND FORFEITURE .. III-14. 1. Release of Surety .. III-15. N. APPEALS FROM LOWER COURTS .. III-15. O. WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS .. III-15. 1. introduction .. III-15. 2. Pre-Conviction Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus .. III-16. P. APPEALS OF CRIMINAL CASES .. III-17. 1. Jurisdiction .. III-17. 2. Perfecting Appeal in a Criminal Case .. III-17. a. Notice of Appeal .. III-17. b. Certification of Defendant's Right of Appeal .. III-17. c. Clerk's III-17. d. Effect of Appeal .. III-18. 3. The Appellate Record .. III-18. a. The Clerk's Record (formerly called the "transcript") .. III-18. b. The Clerk's Responsibility .. III-19. c. Indigent Criminal Defendants .. III-19. 4. Criminal Appellate Process and Timelines .. III-19. 5.

7 Format of the Clerk's Record .. III-20. Q. EXPUNCTION OF CRIMINAL RECORDS .. III-20. 1. Right to Expunction .. III-20. R. ORDER OF NONDISCLOSURE .. III-21. CHAPTER 4 SUPPORTING THE CIVIL COURTS. A. introduction TO THE CIVIL COURTS ..IV-1. B. COSTS ON APPEAL TO COUNTY COURT ..IV-2. C. 1. Fees Generally ..IV-2. 2. Fees Collected in Some Cases, Depending on the Governing Body of the County ..IV-8. 3. Additional Filing Fee for Basic Civil legal Services for Indigents ..IV-10. 4. Family Protection Fee ..IV-10. 5. Jury Fees ..IV-10. 6. Fee for Support of the Judiciary ..IV-10. 7. Court Reporter Fee ..IV-10. 8. Expungement Suit 9. Fees for Administration of Registry Funds ..IV-10. 10. Interpreter Fee ..IV-11. 11. Supplemental Court-Initiated Guardianship Fee ..IV-11. 12. How Fees and Costs May be Paid.

8 IV-11. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-3. D. FILING A CIVIL CASE ..IV-11. 1. Initial Filing Procedures ..IV-12. E. SERVICE OF PROCESS MAIL COSTS AND FEES ..IV-13. 1. Assessment of Cost of Postage for Service of Process by Mail ..IV-13. F. FOREIGN JUDGMENTS ..IV-13. 1. Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (Enforcement of Judgments of Other States)..IV-13. 2. Uniform Foreign Money-Judgment Recognition Act (Enforcement of Judgments of Other Countries)..IV-14. G. SUBSEQUENT FILING PROCEDURES ..IV-14. H. SPECIAL FILING PROCEDURES ..IV-16. 1. Answers and Amended Petitions ..IV-16. 2. Cross Actions and 3. Appeal from Department of Public Safety Ruling ..IV-16. 4. Bond Forfeitures ..IV-16. 5. Motion to Transfer Venue ..IV-16. 6. Depositions and Exhibits ..IV-17. 7. Multidistrict Litigation.

9 IV-17. I. ISSUANCE OF PROCESSES ..IV-18. 1. Citation ..IV-18. 2. Return of Service ..IV-19. 3. Citation for Delinquent Taxes ..IV-19. 4. Citation by Publication ..IV-20. 5. a. Witness Fees ..IV-20. b. Fees for Witnesses Summoned by State Agency ..IV-20. 6. Bill of Costs ..IV-21. 7. Writ of 8. Notice of Default Judgment ..IV-21. J. SPECIAL TYPES OF SERVICE ..IV-21. 1. Service by Registered or Certified Mail ..IV-21. 2. Service by Authorized Persons other than Sheriffs or Constables ..IV-21. 3. Substitute Service ..IV-22. 4. Serving the Secretary of State ..IV-22. 5. Out-of-State Service ..IV-23. 6. Out-of-County Service ..IV-23. K. DOCKETS ..IV-23. 1. Civil File Docket ..IV-23. 2. Court Docket ..IV-24. 3. Case File Folder ..IV-24. L. INDEX TO THE CIVIL MINUTES ..IV-25. M. RECORDING OF CIVIL MINUTES.

10 IV-25. N. VEXATIOUS LITIGANTS ..IV-26. O. APPEALS OF CIVIL CASES ..IV-29. 1. Appeals Procedures ..IV-29. 2. Timetables for Civil Cases ..IV-30. a. Ordinary Appeal WITHOUT Motion for New Trial or Request for Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law ..IV-30. b. Ordinary Appeal WITH Motion for New Trial, Motion to Modify Judgment, Motion to Reinstate under Rule of Civil Procedure 165a, or Request for Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law ..IV-30. COUNTY CLERK MANUAL. 2013 Edition i-4. c. Accelerated Appeal (Quo Warranto and Interlocutory Appeals) ..IV-30. d. Restricted Appeal ..IV-31. e. Interlocutory Appeal ..IV-31. 3. Notice of Appeal ..IV-31. a. Contents of Notice ..IV-31. b. Service of Notice ..IV-32. 4. Motion for New Trial ..IV-32. 5. Request for Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.