Section 2335.24. Collection of costs - contracts for collection

(A) In all causes in any court, except as otherwise provided in section 2969.23 of the Revised Code, costs taxed and entered as provided by sections 2335.18 to 2335.23 of the Revised Code may be collected by the process provided by those sections.

(B)

(1) The clerk of a court may enter into contracts with one or more public agencies or private vendors for the collection of amounts due under judgments for costs. The contracts shall comply with division (B)(2) of this section. The amounts may include any interest that also is due on a judgment for costs. Before entering into or renewing a contract of that nature, the clerk of a court shall do all of the following:

(a) Comply with the provisions of sections 307.86 to 307.92 of the Revised Code that pertain to required competitive bidding. For purposes of complying with those sections, the clerk of the court shall be considered the contracting authority.

(b) Obtain the approval of the terms of the contract by the legislative authority associated with the court.

(2) A contract entered into or renewed by the clerk of a court pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section shall include all of the following terms:

(a) A requirement that the contracting public agency or private vendor must disburse the full amount collected by the agency or vendor that is due under the judgment for costs, including any interest that is also due on that judgment, to the contracting clerk of a court for disbursement to the appropriate entity as designated by the Revised Code;

(b) A provision that prohibits the contracting public agency or private vendor from deducting any fees or expenses that the agency or vendor incurs in the collection of the judgment from the amount collected that is due under the judgment including interest.

(3) As used in division (B) of this section, "legislative authority" has the same meaning as in division (B) of section 1901.03 of the Revised Code, if the clerk of the court involved is the clerk of a municipal court, and means a board of county commissioners, if the clerk of the court involved is the clerk of a county court or a court of common pleas.

Effective Date: 08-28-2002