I got a memo from our county clerk today concerning filing fees to file civil actions in the state courts. I’m still reeling from the sticker shock on the small claims actions, so I haven’t even registered what it’s going to cost to file plenary actions. A small claims action will increase from $46 to $70 PLUS $10 for each additional defendant including garnishee-defendants.
So, to take an extreme example, if you’re a landlord with four tenants you want to evict, get a judgment for back rent and property damage, and garnish their wages, it’s going to cost you:
$70 base filing fee, PLUS
$30 for the 3 additional defendants, PLUS
$40 for the 4 garnishee-defendants.
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$140 to do what used to cost you $46. That’s more than a 300% increase.
Call it what you want, it sure feels like an increased tax to me.
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