Current law establishes a schedule of filing fees for litigants in
civil actions in county courts. The bill eliminates the fee for a defendant filing an answer in an eviction proceeding. Current law permits a party to submit and a county court to grant
a motion to waive filing fees in a residential eviction action. The bill removes the process for securing a waiver of these filing fees. Current law prohibits a county court from assessing fees when indigent parties e-file motions, answers, or documents in connection with evictions. The bill removes the reference to indigent parties and instead prohibits a county court from charging defendants fees for filing motions, answers, or other documents in evictions. The bill requires a county court to timely mail copies of any answers or other filings to a plaintiff on a defendant's behalf. The bill prohibits the court from charging a fee related to the mailing.
