Service of process.

(a) This section shall only apply to Lowndes County.

(b) The Lowndes County Sheriff Service of Process Serving Fund is created and hereinafter referred to in this section as the fund.

(c) The Sheriff of Lowndes County, except for warrants for arrest, may contract with or enter into contract or agreement with a private, public, or governmental entity for the purpose of service of process.

(d)(1) In addition to all existing charges, fees, judgments, and costs of court, the clerk, sheriff, or other appropriate court official in the criminal division of the district and circuit courts of Lowndes County, shall increase the fees by fifteen dollars ($15) per document for the fund.

(2) In addition to all existing charges, fees, judgments, and costs of court, the clerk, sheriff, or other appropriate court official in the civil division of the district and circuit courts of Lowndes County shall increase the fees by fifteen dollars ($15) per document for the fund.

(3) The court official designated in Lowndes County by law for the respective courts shall collect the additional service of process fee designated in subdivisions (1) and (2) and remit the fees collected to the sheriff for deposit in the fund.

(e) The sheriff may use the monies generated by this section for law enforcement purposes in Lowndes County, as the sheriff sees fit, including contracting with or entering into a contract or agreement with a private, public, or governmental entity for service of process of documents from the civil or criminal division of the district or circuit court. The funds shall not revert to the general fund of the county at the end of fiscal year.

(Act 2004-272, p. 378, §§ 1-5.)