Section 67. Fees of public officers  


Latest version.
  • 1. Each public officer upon whom a duty
      is  expressly  imposed  by  law,  must  execute  the same without fee or
      reward, except where a fee or other compensation therefor  is  expressly
      allowed by law.
        2.  An officer or other person, to whom a fee or other compensation is
      allowed by law, for any service, shall not charge or receive  a  greater
      fee or reward, for that service, than is so allowed.
        3. An officer, or other person, shall not demand or receive any fee or
      compensation,  allowed to him by law for any service, unless the service
      was actually rendered by him; except  that  an  officer  may  demand  in
      advance his fee, where he is, by law, expressly directed or permitted to
      require payment thereof, before rendering the service.
        4.  Money  received  by a public officer, or which shall come into his
      possession or custody, in the performance of his official duties  or  in
      connection  therewith  or  incidental  thereto,  shall be held by him in
      trust for the person or persons entitled thereto  or  for  the  purposes
      provided  by  law  and  all interest or increments which shall accrue or
      attach to such money while in his possession or custody shall  be  added
      to, and become a part of, the money so held and no part of such interest
      or  increments  shall be retained by such officer to his personal use or
      benefit, except legal fees allowed by law for receiving  and  disbursing
      the same, notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law.
        An  officer  or  other  person,  who violates either of the provisions
      contained in this section, is liable,  in  addition  to  the  punishment
      prescribed  by  law  for the criminal offense, to an action in behalf of
      the person aggrieved, in which  the  plaintiff  is  entitled  to  treble
      damages.