Case Information

*1 @ffite of tip 16lttornep 4heral Qtatt of Qtxae DAN MORALES septahr 3.1993 A,TORSEY GENERAL

lionorebleh4ikehireoll Opinion No. DM-250 ~cormtyAnornsy Re:Question8rd8tingtoselviceofprocess

1001 Preston, Suite634 injusticeccmsuadertbeTexasRuksof Houston, Tam 77002-1891

CiiRooabre (RQ-W Dear Mr. Drkoll:

Youuktbefiaowiqtwoquediantrboutraviceofprocusilltiases conrmencedilljurticeOftllC~OOUlt:*

1. wllobahwdtonerveprocusbyregisteredorartifitdmril

Mdcitetionbypublia!ion?

2. whtkestKddk~araviaofproauby~or

OdlkddiSlMdGbyillCdWkOfthejlUtiCCCOlUt? IneskingtbrfimqlK9th,we- youramcuntoktbepropa uaapmtionofnrle536ofthcTaprRukrofCii- WlliChSWCSillpWt:

(a) cii al other noticea mey be yal mlywke by (1) ~9hWiffOrOOlM8blCOrOtkpLT9OllMlthOWdbykarOr,(2)~

8ll&okdbyhworbywfittalorderoftbealurtwboisDot iii?bme&bteenyemofege. Nopemmwl~~isapmytoor ilmwledinthe otncomeofrcuit9lullcave8llyprocu9. serdce iyregidmda~ednrrdldb?itrdia,bypnbiiumalshaII*~ nqwsrcrl,bemo&bylhcd&rkofrlw~inwhi&lheca.wis ftendhg. TbeordaellwkhgrpaYontouavepfoa!sslluybe madewithoutwrittallnotionendno~ehallkimpoeed~ i9sumceofrmcb~.

HonomblehfikeDriscofl - Page 2 . @M-250)

p. 1303

HommbleMikehirooU - Page 3 (DM-250)

PatVoftbcTaprRulesofCivilPmctdm,’RuksofPraaiceiahmtice Carry”doesaot~erlulerboutwboLlutborizedtoKmbyplbticrtianhrjurtice wurtcuc~. Rule535oftbeTew1sRulesofCiiProcedw~rovides~tbetheof dt8tionbypubliatiollinjusticeaultsuitsby~tbetimetb8ttbe-musl ~erauuwerwhencitltionkbyplbticltion,butdoeonotnywhomrywrvedCaionby publiation injustice court asu. Howevu, NkS23St8tUt&t”[8JUNlUgOVdUgtbC district8ndcouIltycotutsab8ll8lsogoverntllejusticecourts,inrohr8stbeyc8nbe 8pp~afxptwbereotbawkspeci6allyprovidedbylmvorthesenlles.’ Tltwwe thinktheTexmSupremeCaurtwuuldrelyonthendesforravioebyplbiicrtion gpaningdistrict8ndcumtycourts. seeopiionsofs-onImapretuionof ndefollowhgnde535. AcundbgtonJel16,~onbypubliutiw’Wberawdby t&rbaifforurycomrrrbledrnycamtyortkStateotTauosbythcclakoftheoarrt inwbicbtbeuseispendhg.’

Tbe8nswatoyourseccdquestion8bouttbepenniniiletbe8justicecauRclerk3 amychqeforeffectingmviceofPmcesbyqistmedorcertihdmrilis6nmdin 8ectioas 118.121 and 118.122 oftheLoa! Oovmmmt Code. !kction 118.121 stat- in Pft:

Ajusticeofthepera#llauahctthefoll~ae,for8avices fCOddtO8llypWSOll:

(a) Services nadered befimjudgmau (Sec. 118.122): (A) Justicecolnl................................................. s15.00 (8)Thefkr0r'%WiCU~b8fhjld@IMdunda Section 118.121(l) is for all rquired &gs of doammts and all o!be?Jwocuss8ndprocedrmsin8civilmr#ai?l8jusricccuntor mMllcl8imscQm.

@)TbefeeLpridbythe@hr.ifforthepvtyiahtingrhc 8cti~cross8cti~tbirdp8lty8ction,orintavcntion8ttbetbnetbe qplicableactioni8iuiti8tul. Tbe&cisplidon&awtin#ibre8cb of those 8ctiolls.

Wetbhk”~OthpfOCUSUdprocsdrmrbI8dV8~bI8jUSdu~~uada rcction118.122hrcMerraviaofprocasbyteeirtendacatitiedmrilincivilcuer.

We &r&ore caclude thnt plrnunt to rcctic~r 118.121 md 118.122 of tk Loal

p. 1304 *4 (DM-250) .

Homable Mike Driswll - Page 4 OovermaentCodc,ravice~~bydiS8”8aVifXreadaedbCfOfCjUd~‘tb8t tiacldsdinthg15.00filiqsfccertrblirbedforrrjvilMnaintbejurricecourt. ThiS condusiondispelstbeuggestiwthMtbejusticeoftbepacoccurtderkm8ycJurgetbe smefeeuthu&mfgedby8blai&forvrviaofprocarbymril;thtderkoftbe~ courtm8ycollecttbenme&eutb8toftbesbaifftbrservicebym8il. bc8lCWtCode 00 118.052(3)(E), 118.063.

(l)adk!ct8dv8nCeJ?8ymmtfkrbeurmJcortoftbC post8gerclqealtoserveordeavrrtbeprocerr;or (2) 8ssastbeex$wudpost8ge8swsts.

(b)cbargatmderthisnctionrreio8ddidontootberdurges lnowedbylawfbr8efvicesperhmedbytheo5chl8avingthe procero.

Ciw.Pr8c.&Rem.Code~17.025. l%m18nttorule536,8justi~caurtckrkb8public offid8lpamittedtosemlegdprowssbymail. Thuqseuion17.0250fttIecivilmctice radRanediescode~owsthejurticecourttoco~ectrdvrnceprymcnt~r~woortof post8gemless8uotberst8tuteexanpt8the,party~p8yingor~8ewrlty. See. r~.,id&6@naaUyexaqthggo1mmml aItitkshaladvmcepBymentofKnlrt W~incivil~);Prob.Code§12(acrmptins8Eaat-lgpointsde~Or ~stntorlcthrghrhir~ehrncta~providiagrtorconr);TlxCode

$8 33.48, 33.49 (uanpthg taxing units htn UabiUty for costs atising in action for wlleaion of delinquent taxes); Attomcy Gamal Opinions MW470, MWa7A (1982). See gweml~ 16 TEX NR cacts $0 13.42.

SUMMARY

Pummnttorule536oftbeTexasRulesofCiRocedure,the d&Of8jUStiCCCUWtmurtWVCCit8tiOllbydWplbliatiOllif mkedtodoso. Rule536oftbeTcxasRulcaofCiiProcedm permits8nyihaifSamst8bleor8nyperswPltborizedbyl8wor8ny pSOll8UtbO~byWWt~GfWbOiS8tlerstGigbt~yCKSOldtO 8uveprowssiujusticecoultalsesbyregideredorartifiedm8il. Rule116authorkssavicebypublicationinjwtice~ase8by *5 Honorable MikeDriswU - Page 5 (DM-250)

thcrhaifformyconotrbleofyrcountyinTapsorthe~~Otthe courtinwbicbtbecaseispending Pmswntto8ections 118.121 and 118.122 of the Lucal Govemment COd~thejWtiUWW&ClakUl8y dmrge 8 fee of S15.00 for m-vice of proas by registered or oa-t5edmd. Tbejusticecolutddmaywuect8dvwcep8ymm ibrtheexpemeofpostageforwvingprocusbymdunlaslDotha 8t8tuteexemptstbep8rty&omp8yingsucbwsts.

DAN MORALES Attorney Gamd of Texas WlU PRYOR

FlkStAUiStWtAttOlllC)ft3Uld

MADELEINE B. JOHNSON

cb8ir.opinioncommittee