Service fees double for most civil court processes

YOUNGSTOWN -- Service fees for all civil processes through the courts were increased today, in most cases doubling what they had been.
The increase was mandated by the Ohio Legislature as part of the state's budget, which was passed in July, said Kathi McNabb Welsh, chief deputy Mahoning County clerk of courts.
The new fees, which go into effect today, are similar to the Legislature's doubling of recorder's fees in Ohio, McNabb Welsh said.
By law, the sheriff's department is designated to serve court papers such as writs and subpoenas. The cost of serving those papers varies, depending on the type of action, said Sheriff Randall Wellington. Wellington said deputies serve about 1,200 civil process documents per year in Mahoning County.
In the past, those fees ranged from $1 to $25. Under the new schedule, the fees range from $3 to $50. Wellington said the increases were required by the state to help offset cost overruns incurred by county sheriffs all over the state. The money collected through service fees goes into the county general fund, not to the sheriff's department, he said.