Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 28 : Section 1921


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 1921. United States marshal's fees

      (a)(1) The United States marshals or deputy marshals shall
    routinely collect, and a court may tax as costs, fees for the
    following:
        (A) Serving a writ of possession, partition, execution,
      attachment in rem, or libel in admiralty, warrant, attachment,
      summons, complaints, or any other writ, order or process in any
      case or proceeding.
        (B) Serving a subpoena or summons for a witness or appraiser.
        (C) Forwarding any writ, order, or process to another judicial
      district for service.
        (D) The preparation of any notice of sale, proclamation in
      admiralty, or other public notice or bill of sale.
        (E) The keeping of attached property (including boats, vessels,
      or other property attached or libeled), actual expenses incurred,
      such as storage, moving, boat hire, or other special
      transportation, watchmen's or keepers' fees, insurance, and an
      hourly rate, including overtime, for each deputy marshal required
      for special services, such as guarding, inventorying, and moving.
        (F) Copies of writs or other papers furnished at the request of
      any party.
        (G) Necessary travel in serving or endeavoring to serve any
      process, writ, or order, except in the District of Columbia, with
      mileage to be computed from the place where service is returnable
      to the place of service or endeavor.
        (H) Overtime expenses incurred by deputy marshals in the course
      of serving or executing civil process.

      (2) The marshals shall collect, in advance, a deposit to cover
    the initial expenses for special services required under paragraph
    (1)(E), and periodically thereafter such amounts as may be
    necessary to pay such expenses until the litigation is concluded.
    This paragraph applies to all private litigants, including seamen
    proceeding pursuant to section 1916 of this title.
      (3) For purposes of paragraph (1)(G), if two or more services or
    endeavors, or if an endeavor and a service, are made in behalf of
    the same party in the same case on the same trip, mileage shall be
    computed to the place of service or endeavor which is most remote
    from the place where service is returnable, adding thereto any
    additional mileage traveled in serving or endeavoring to serve in
    behalf of the party. If two or more writs of any kind, required to
    be served in behalf of the same party on the same person in the
    same case or proceeding, may be served at the same time, mileage on
    only one such writ shall be collected.
      (b) The Attorney General shall from time to time prescribe by
    regulation the fees to be taxed and collected under subsection (a).
    Such fees shall, to the extent practicable, reflect the actual and
    reasonable cost of the service provided.
      (c)(1) The United States Marshals Service shall collect a
    commission of 3 percent of the first $1,000 collected and 1 1/2 
    percent on the excess of any sum over $1,000, for seizing or
    levying on property (including seizures in admiralty), disposing of
    such property by sale, setoff, or otherwise, and receiving and
    paying over money, except that the amount of commission shall be
    within the range set by the Attorney General. if (!1) the property
    is not disposed of by marshal's sale, the commission shall be in
    such amount, within the range set by the Attorney General, as may
    be allowed by the court. In any case in which the vessel or other
    property is sold by a public auctioneer, or by some party other
    than a marshal or deputy marshal, the commission authorized under
    this subsection shall be reduced by the amount paid to such
    auctioneer or other party. This subsection applies to any
    judicially ordered sale or execution sale, without regard to
    whether the judicial order of sale constitutes a seizure or levy
    within the meaning of State law. This subsection shall not apply to
    any seizure, forfeiture, sale, or other disposition of property
    pursuant to the applicable provisions of law amended by the
    Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 (98 Stat. 2040).

      (2) The Attorney General shall prescribe from time to time
    regulations which establish a minimum and maximum amount for the
    commission collected under paragraph (1).
      (d) The United States marshals may require a deposit to cover the
    fees and expenses prescribed under this section.
      (e) Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, the United States
    Marshals Service is authorized, to the extent provided in advance
    in appropriations Acts - 
        (1) to credit to such Service's appropriation all fees,
      commissions, and expenses collected by such Service for - 
          (A) the service of civil process, including complaints,
        summonses, subpoenas, and similar process; and
          (B) seizures, levies, and sales associated with judicial
        orders of execution; and

        (2) to use such credited amounts for the purpose of carrying
      out such activities.



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