OCR Text |
Show Constables find big money in papewvork FARMINGTON Most people peo-ple complain about mountains of paperwork, but not constables. For them, there is big money in paperwork. Every paper served from the Davis County Courthouse carries a charge for delivery. If a summons is delivered five miles away, the total charge would be at least $11.25. If it required more than one trip, the .75 cent per mile delivery fee could be charged up to three times, raising the cost of the one paper to as much as $31.25. Mike Funk, who has served as one of three Davis County constables con-stables for the past three years, said he has served as many as 3,000 papers in one month and an average of 1500 papers each month. "Many times as many as half have bad addresses ad-dresses and we need to start all over though," said Funk. "I had one really good year about three years ago when I served papers in Salt Lake, Weber and Davis Counties. My office made $300,000,' Funk said. "I was doing do-ing such a good job for Davis County Coun-ty at the time that I started getting calls from all over. I was working seven days a week, 24 hours a day," he said. Since that time there have been some restrictions imposed impos-ed which have made Funk concentrate concen-trate more fully on Davis County. Funk uses as many deputies as necessary to handle the work load. He said the deputies earn about 50 percent of the fee assessed for papers they deliver. Funk said his office is involved in a variety of paper serving. At times he will collect bail at the door when a summons is served. He also serves garnishment papers, and warrants for arrrests. The most lucrative part of Funks job comes as a result of serving execution ex-ecution orders. These orders require actual confiscation of property. Funk said if an individual owes as an example a medical bill, the constable con-stable may confiscate property to be sold at auction to pay the debt "We can take microwaves, or television, or video recorders. Whatever it takes to satisfy the debt, said Funk. He said they also repossess automobiles and sometimes pick up as many as two vehicles a week. The constable is paid two percent of the total recovered up to $1,500, and 1.5 percent of anything over that amount plus the mileage charge up to three trips. Sheriff Glenn Clary said he has never known an execution order to net less than $100. Funk has applied for the newly created appointed position of county coun-ty constable. County commissioners commis-sioners have agreed to appoint two new constables to six-year terms in March. |