Governor Culver claims that the bill he signed on May 27, 2009, did not raise taxes – but as a result of that bill you can definitely expect to pay more if you are headed to court.
Regarding criminal matters, the criminal-penalty surcharge has increased from 32 percent to 35 percent of the amount of the fine imposed. This is applicable in all criminal cases filed on or after July 1, 2009.
The amount of court costs assessed in simple misdemeanors has increased from $50.00 to $60.00.
This means an Iowa City PAULA ticket will now cost $330.00, instead of the “reasonable” previous sum of $314.00.
In civil matters, it now costs twice as much to file for a divorce with an agreement of the parties attached – it’s now $100 instead of $50. The fee for filing a small-claims case has also increased from $50 to $85, while the fee for filing a civil petition, including a petition for divorce, went from $100 to $185. Other fees more than doubled: The fee for filing a statutory lien, as well as the fee for a change of title in real estate, went from $20 to $50.
The increases, estimated to raise more than $16 million per year, are meant to help fund a court system that’s seen significant budget cuts, along with the rest of state government. The judicial branch has also implemented unpaid furlough days for court staff, and has closed court offices some days to deal with budget cuts.
For more information and a complete list of all the fee increases, go to www.legis.state.ia.us/index.html and enter SF478 in the Quick Find: Bills & Iowa Code box at the top of the page.