A.B. 198 Assembly Bill No. 198--Committee on Government Affai rs February 21, 1995 _____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY--Creates alternative method of providing, and increases fees for, services of constable. (BDR 20-201) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in bra ckets [ ] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to constables; providing an alternative method of carrying out the duties of a constable in certain counties; increasing the amount of fees and specifying additional fees to be charged; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 258.010 is hereby amended to read as follows: 258.010 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2, 3 and 4: (a) Constables [shall] \must\\ be elected by the qualified electors of their respective townships. (b) The constables of the several townships of the state [shall] \must\\ be chosen at the general election of 1966, and shall enter upon the duties of their offices on the first Monday of January next succeeding their election, and [shall] hold their offices for the term of 4 years thereafter, until their successors are elected and qualified. (c) Constables [shall] \are entitled to\\ receive certificates of election from the boards of county commissioners of their respective counties. 2. In any county which includes only one township, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, appoint the sheriff ex officio constable to serve without additional compensation. The resolution [must] \does\\ not become effective until the completion of the term of office for which a constable may have been elected. 3. In all counties whose population is less than 100,000, if the board of county commissioners determines that the office of constable is not necessary in one or more townships within the county, it may by ordinance abolish the office of constable in those townships. For any township in which the office of constable has been abolished, the board of county commissioners may by resolution appoint the sheriff ex officio constable to serve without additional compensation. 4. In any county whose population is 400,000 or more, [if] the board of county commissioners \may, in the alternative: (a) If it\\ determines that the office of constable is not necessary in one or more townships within the county, [it may] by ordinance abolish the office in those townships, but the abolition does not become effective as to any particular township until the constable incumbent on May 28, 1979, does not seek, or is defeated for, reelection. For any township in which the office of constable has been abolished, the board of county commissioners may by resolution appoint the sheriff ex officio constable to serve without additional compensation. \(b) By ordinance abolish the office of constable throughout the county and establish a department within the county government to serve all mesne and final process, and to execute writs of attachment, garnishment and execution issued by a court. If such a department is established: (1) The sheriff of the county shall make arrests and execute all criminal process. (2) The department has all the powers and duties of a constable not otherwise assigned to the sheriff of the county pursuant to subparagraph (1). (3) The department shall charge and collect the fees provided in NRS 258.125. \\Sec. 2. NRS 258.125 is hereby amended to read as follows: 258.125 1. Constables are entitled to the following fees for their services [:] \for any court:\\ For serving a summons or other process by which a suit is com- menced in civil cases................. [$10] \$ 13\\ For summoning a jury before a justice of the peace [5] ................................ \8\\ For taking a bond or undertaking.............. [3] \ 5\\ For serving an attachment against the property of a defen- dant...................................... [5] \ 8\\ For serving subpenas, for each witness........ [8] \ 10\\ For a copy of any writ, process or order or other paper, when demanded or required by law, per folio.... [2] \ 3\\ For drawing and executing every constable's deed, to be paid by the grantee, who must also pay for the acknowledgment thereof................................. [12] \ 15\\ For each certificate of sale of real property under execution........................... [3] \ 5\\ For levying any writ of execution or writ of garnishment, or executing an order of arrest in civil cases, or order for delivery of personal property, with traveling fees as for summons................................... [8] \ 10\\ For serving one notice required by law before the commencement of a proceeding for any type of eviction [15] \ 20\\ For serving not fewer than 2 nor more than 10 such notices to the same location, each notice.............. [12] \ 15\\ For serving not fewer than 11 nor more than 24 such notices to the same location, each notice.......... [10] \ 13\\ For serving 25 or more such notices to the same location, each notice.................................... [9] \ 12\\ For mileage in serving such a notice, for each mile necessarily and actually traveled in going only....... [1] \ 2\\ But if two or more notices are served at the same general location during the same period, mileage may only be charged for the service of one notice. For each service in a summary eviction, except service of any notice required by law before commencement of the proceeding, and for serving notice of and executing a writ of restitution............................. [15] \ 20\\ For making and posting notices, and advertising property for sale on execution, not to include the cost of publication in a newspaper................................. [5] \ 10\\ For each warrant lawfully executed.......... [35] \ 40\\ For mileage in serving summons, attachment, execution, order, venire, subpena, notice, summary eviction, writ of restitution or other process in civil suits, for each mile necessarily and actually traveled, in going only...... [1] \ 2\\ But when two or more persons are served in the same suit, mileage may only be charged for the most distant, if they live in the same direction. For mileage in making a diligent but unsuccessful effort to serve a summons, attachment, execution, order, venire, subpena or other process in civil suits, for each mile necessarily and actually traveled, in going only.......... [1] \ 2\\ But mileage may not exceed [$20] \$30\\ for any unsuccessful effort to serve such process. 2. A constable is also entitled to receive: (a) For receiving and taking care of property on execution, attachment or order, his actual necessary expenses, to be allowed by the court which issued the writ or order, upon the affidavit of the constable that the charges are correct and the expenses necessarily incurred. (b) \For receiving and paying over money on execution or process, where lands or personal property have been levied on, advertised or sold, on the first $500, 4 percent; on any sum in excess of $500 and not exceeding $1,000, 2 percent; and on any sum above that amount, 1 percent. (c) \\For collecting all sums on execution or writ, \without levy or where the lands or goods levied on are not sold,\\ to be charged against the defendant, on the first $3,500, [2 percent thereof,] \4 percent,\\ and on all amounts over that sum, [one-half of] 1 percent. [(c)] \(d)\\ For service in criminal cases, except for execution of warrants, the same fees as are allowed sheriffs for [like] \the same\\ services, to be allowed, audited and paid as are other claims against the county. 3. Deputy sheriffs acting as constables are not entitled to retain for their own use any fees collected by them, but the fees must be paid into the county treasury on or before the 5th working day of the month next succeeding the month in which the fees were collected. 4. Constables shall, on or before the 5th working day of each month, account for and pay to the county treasurer all fees collected during the preceding month, except fees which may be retained as compensation. Sec. 3. 1. This section and section 1 of this act become effective upon passage and approval. 2. Section 2 of this act becomes effective on July 1, 1995. -30-