County weighs reduction in eviction fees

GONZALES — County commissioners are considering lowering service fees for landlords in the process of evicting leaseholders for non-payment. Officials say lower rates will make it easier for landlords to make sure each delinquent leaseholder on a property will be served simply because it’s cheaper.

“The law has changed to where each person on the lease has to be served, and with each service comes a service fee,” Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Darryl Becker told commissioners on Monday.

Gonzales County’s current fee is $100 per person, along with a $41 filing fee. 

“What I’m asking commissioners to do is if it’s the same residence and same service is lower the service fee for the second leaseholder and other leaseholders,” Becker said. “This would make it easier on the landlords. It ensures that every person on the lease can be served, and allows every person who is being evicted the right to due process.”

Commissioners tabled the item, allowing time to consider an appropriate rate. Commissioners speculated that the first leaseholder service fee would be $100, with additional fees set at $50. Discussion on the matter will resume during commissioner’s next meeting on March 8.

Also, commissioners voted to authorize the sale of sheriff’s office’s old phones and phone system via an online auction on GovDeals. The phones are from 1995, and were replaced with a new system in 2013. Commissioners said that if no bids are placed on GovDeals, the system will be destroyed or otherwise disposed of.

In other business, commissioners:

•Approved an LCRA TSC electric line easement and right-of-way agreement for CR 173

•Tabled a lighting proposal from E3 for the offices in the county annex currently occupied by the highway patrol and driver’s license offices

•Received Constable Pct. 4 policy and ethics manual

•Declared two 2013 Chevy Silverados and one 2013 Chevy Tahoe as surplus and authorized trade-ins toward replacement vehicles