CIVIL PROCESS

The Court Resources Division prepares, organizes, processes, files, tracks and reports all civil documents.  All the documents processed through the Howell County Sheriff's Office are served by the Civil Process Officer under the Judicial Division.  Civil documents are served on behalf of individuals, private attorneys, the court, county departments, offices and other agencies.  These documents can be served by private process servers, however many people choose to use the Sheriff's Office.

Pursuant to RSMo §57.280, Sheriffs shall receive a charge for service of any summons, writ or other order of court, in connection with any civil case, and making on the same either a return indicating service, a non est return or a nulla bona return, the sum of twenty dollars ($20) for each item to be served, except that a Sheriff shall receive a charge for service of any subpoena, and making a return on the same, the sum of ten dollars ($10); however, no such charge shall be collected in any proceeding when court costs are to be paid by the state, county or municipality.  In addition to such charge, the Sheriff shall be entitled to receive for each mile actually traveled in serving any summons, writ, subpoena or other order of court the rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for all allowable expenses for motor vehicle use expressed as an amount per mile, provided that such mileage shall not be charged for more than one subpoena or summons or other writ served in the same cause on the same trip.

All of such charges shall be received by the Sheriff who is requested to perform the service.  Except as otherwise provided by law, all charges made pursuant to this section shall be collected by the Court Clerk as court costs and are payable prior to the time the service is rendered; provided that if the amount of such charge cannot be readily determined, then the Sheriff shall receive a deposit based upon the likely amount of such charge, and the balance of such charge shall be payable immediately upon ascertainment of the proper amount of said charge.

A Sheriff may refuse to perform any service in any action or proceeding, other than when court costs are waived as provided by law, until the charge provided by this section is paid.  Failure to receive the charge shall not affect the validity of the service.  The Sheriff shall receive for receiving and paying moneys on execution or other process, where lands or goods have been levied and advertised and sold, five percent (5%) on five hundred dollars ($500) and four percent (4%) on all sums above five hundred dollars ($500), and half of these sums, when the money is paid to the Sheriff without a levy, or where the lands or goods levied on shall not be sold and the money is paid to the Sheriff or person entitled thereto, his agent or attorney.

The party at whose application any writ, execution, subpoena or other process has issued from the court shall pay the Sheriff's costs for the removal, transportation, storage, safekeeping and support of any property to be seized pursuant to legal process before such seizure.  The Sheriff shall be allowed for each mile, going and returning from the courthouse of the county in which he resides to the place where the court is held, the rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for all allowable expenses for motor vehicle use expressed as an amount per mile.  The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to garnishment proceeds.

Sheriffs shall receive up to fifty dollars ($50) for service of any summons, writ, or other order of the court in connection with any eviction proceeding, in addition to the charge for such service that each Sheriff receives under this section.  All of such charges shall be received by the Sheriff who is requested to perform the service and shall be paid to the county treasurer in a fund established by the county treasurer, which may be expended at the discretion of the Sheriff for the furtherance of the Sheriff's set duties.  All charges shall be payable prior to the time the service is rendered; provided that if the amount of such charge cannot be readily determined, then the Sheriff shall receive a deposit based upon the likely amount of such charge, and the balance of such charge shall be payable immediately upon ascertainment of the proper amount of said charge.