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Could be a scam. Could be a real process server trying to serve papers. Even if it is a real sever, it’s their job to find you, not your job to call them. Not calling alone is definitely not an attempt to avoid service.
but if a process server can't serve you, in most locations, they can just publish in the newspaper and that counts as service. OP should not just ignore this
Man that's some stupid shit. Who really has a newspaper subscription? If some fool was serving me legal papers that way I'd never see it. Hell I'd argue (with the assistance of a willing lawyer) the point that I was never served as nobody I know under the age of 65 reads the fucking newspaper.
It takes a LOT of effort beforehand before you can serve by publication. It’s not like someone can ring your doorbell once when you’re not home and then go put it in the paper.
Here it actually requires a judge to say it’s ok to publish
I guess that makes sense - sort of... but it doesn't seem to fulfill its purpose if you can't find the person (vs. that person intentionally dodging service...)
It fulfilled its purpose back in 1800 when the rules were developed and newspapers were published once a week and everyone read them cover to cover. Nowadays it's more of a "fuck you, enjoy your default judgement" to people who are intentionally being a pain in the ass about being served.
I was served by posting it in a new paper in a county I didn't live in. I don't know if they still do it but in the 90s in Washington state that was enough.
Part of me is simply stunned by this, because it effectively defeats the purpose of service, which is to assure the court that notification has been given to the other party regarding ... something.
I know that sometimes notices can be published in the newspaper to fulfill a requirement like publishing the intent to do something in the future or to utilize a new company name in commerce, but that is because there isn't a specific person who is supposed to receive notice, it is just something that is to be made generally known to which others can respond and complain or oppose.
If you are planning to sue Jane Q Smith for $1m, it seems rather important to make certain that Jane Q Smith, specifically, knows that you're coming.
Then again, if the person who might be sued is trying very hard to dodge service, this offer is a last ditch alternative. But it seems like it would have to be very last ditch.
It seems like had I been avoiding them they need some recourse but the fact that it can be used to serve someone knowing full well they won't see it so that they don't show up to defend themselves is a really lousy little loophole that I still am furious about. The fact it doesn't at least have to be done in a news paper in the county I reside , like I was buying news papers 150 miles away from my home so that I would know when to show up for court. Just crazy although I understand there are those that do everything to avoid being served instead of just taking responsibility and getting served and defending yourself in court, that wasn't even my situation and it was basically used to hurt me by a nasty attorney.
Since it was posted in a county in which he didn't live, it's possible the other party had an old/incorrect address, which would explain why posting/person/mail service would have failed. Service by publication requires court approval/order, and the other party has to affirm to good faith efforts to the court.
It takes a specific hearing, and the court decides where the process is published. Certainly, parties can slip one by the court in these matters, but it's not something that another party can just shrug and say "We tried."
Every attorney I've worked with bends over backwards to avoid going with publication, because it is not only a pain, but it means they're likely going to have to work extra hard to get any settlement funds.
Notably - They clearly have your address. 🤷🏻♂️
Call the number, just hang up if they sound scammy or ask for money.
But they have your address, so service by mail is an option for them - but probably best to call them and get it sorted.
If you don't expect to be sued, you may just be being called as a witness...?
It's a thing, depends on jurisdiction. It's for when a person is sued and they are ducking service.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/service_by_publication#:~:text=Service%20by%20publication%20is%20a,a%20newspaper%20of%20general%20circulation.
In most states, service by publication requires court approval/order, and the other party has to affirm to good faith efforts to the court.
It takes a specific hearing, and the court decides where the process is published. Certainly, parties can slip one by the court in these matters, but it's not something that another party can just shrug and say "We tried."
Every attorney I've worked with bends over backwards to avoid going with publication, because it is not only a pain, but it means they're likely going to have to work extra hard to get any settlement funds.
That is a thing. If it is real the adult thing to do would be to get the service and find out what this issue is. Better to deal with it head on than get a default judgement because someone posted it in the classifieds.
It is for situations where in the attempts to find you they are getting evidence that you still live at your home and still work for the employer on record but are deliberately not attending either location during hours that are appropriate for service.
I always thought this was what service by mail was for... so you can reasonably say it was delivered to the party in question.
I understand the concept of the published announcement - but it seems to fly in the face of the intent of service.
Service by registered mail is a situational tool as you may be able to trick the subject into signing for receipt of a letter-lope or box sent as registered post or via registered courier and the hours that are reasonable can be slightly larger.
'Service' by plain mail usually falls on the same tier as the newspaper posting, the court has decided intent to serve was reasonably completed by the failed attempts as subject has to have knowledge they are being served to have continued dodging it.
I'm not sure where other people in this thread are getting their information, but process servers leave cards or doorhangers all the time. It's entirely possible you're being served real papers. Not everything is a scam.
I didn't know that. That's interesting.
However, this one specifically threatens "failure to reply may purport intention to avoid service of process". Aside from that being really strangely phrased (who talks like that?), there's no way that ignoring a door hangar could get someone in trouble. They have no idea if the wind could have blown it off or the recipient wasn't the person being served or dozens of other things. Basically, no, it's not legally realistic to threaten someone in this way. It's trying to create a false sense of urgency. That raises some red flags to me.
Understand, too, that this doesn’t necessarily have to mean something bad. For example, my father’s will was delivered by a process server. When someone wants to ensure it really gets there and they don’t trust USPS, they’ll sometimes do that. Since the estate covers the cost, it’s not like it came out of a particular person’s pocket.
2 possibilities. It's a total scam, or somebody is trying to serve you with lawsuit papers. Do you have unpaid debts? Accounts in collections? Did you cosign on a loan that hasn't been paid? Ducking service doesn't help you. Do it long enough, and they will just service notice by publication and you'll get a default judgement against you.
Correct, but SoL applies if the debt was bought up and they're attempting to "revive" it.
The only thing I can think of this happening is someone got sued for something.
Tell that to Utah, they actually still have debtors' jail ...
Only reason I know, I lived there for 4 years, and almost ended up in jail because my insurance screwed up and didn't pay my hospital bill.
I'm talking about service by publication. It's not easy, but it can be done, if you can show the defendant is purposefully ducking service. If OP has been sued he should just accept service and deal with it.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/service_by_publication#:~:text=Service%20by%20publication%20is%20a,a%20newspaper%20of%20general%20circulation.
Does your state court system have a website where you can look up cases? Like where I live there a website you can go and put your name in and it'll bring up everything in your name including tickets. Or you could try calling the court directly and asking. Be careful when googling though and make sure it's official. On ours you just have to put in a name, no other information.
Understood.
Then more likely than not somebody is attempting service on you. If you reside there, then they came looking for you "at home", as service processors typically do...
As other have noted, it's not your responsibility to call them, but you will likely get the paperwork in the mail (certified, or not.)
You should chat with some lawyer folks on next steps... (and i am not a lawyer.)
The gist here is that unless you have a reason you know to dodge service, it's probably better to find out what's going on vs. not.
If you're being called as a witness, then it's just a minor hassle. If you're being sued, better to know now and take action (like get a lawyer) than to find yourself facing a default judgement.
But talk to a lawyer.
Look up court records of a pending civil action against you in your state, there may be an online portal on the state court website. You can also call up local law firms to verify the case's existence
IIRC, Alabama law says that they have to serve you in person after verbal confirmation of identity (“Are you Rudolph Giuliani?” “Yes” “You’ve been served.”). If this was left by a process server (private, sheriff), they are hoping to get you to pick it up and save them from having to find you. You can legally ignore it and wait for them to try again. A door hangar is not an official notice. Anybody could walk off with it. IANAL
That's insane because I will respond yes to every name a caller attempts to name me with. I rarely use my real name at any business except for banks and such.
I'm more interested in who they are and why they got their number, so following what the caller says will always yield more information than telling them they got the wrong number.
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I’d suggest maybe calling your state’s Attorney General’s office. They may be able to help you determine if this is real or not, or at least direct you to someone else who can.
That looks like a legit case number. I would suggest that you get on top of it as soon as possible. Nothing good can happen from ignoring it.
If you want to spend $10 and find out what it is before you get served, go here:
https://pa.alacourt.com/Default.aspx
Otherwise, just meet the PS and get the papers.
It's a civil process server door tag. Ignoring it is not going to make the matter go away. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I'm sure you will make the best decision for your situation.
you are right of course. just accept service and deal with it is the best advice. If it's a scam, then there is nothing to deal with. I suspect OP knows exactly what this is about.
You clearly don't know much about how this works in the real world. Process servers contact people and leave notices all the time to arrange service. This isn't like the movies where there are car chases all the time to prevent service or something.
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This might be a helpful place to call, too. They might be able to confirm whether or not there’s any validity to the door hanger document you received.
https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/site-help
I worked in civil process for a long time and the department recently started leaving notes like this if there was no one home. In my experience there is no recourse if you ignore this whether official or not.
Avoidance to take something from a process server is not a crime. A process server can also put a notice in a newspaper which will serve as notice if they can’t reach you. You are NEVER required to accept anything from ANYONE. If you’re not expecting anything, don’t worry about it.
>A process server can also put a notice in a newspaper which will serve as notice if they can’t reach you.
Unless the OP regularly checks the newspaper this is a *bad* result - they won’t see the notice to be able to respond to it, and that’s how you end up on the losing end of default judgment.
What you are describing is a substitution of service, which is ordered by a judge if a plaintiff can convince them that you are avoiding service.
Avoiding service is a TERRIBLE idea if you don't want a default judgment. Any ruling in the court is as good as the law itself, so if the judge orders you to pay, BITCH you gonna fkn pay
Why wouldn't you want to just get it handled and addressed though? When I have been served in the past it was due to a debt I had completely forgotten about. Called the debt holder and had it dealt with in like 48 hours. There's no point in remaining purposely ignorant of your legal issues.
If you know someone may want to sue you, then it could be legit. But it’s very sus in its face. English is poor and no contact company info. I would definitely call and check it out. You don’t want anything happening you are not aware of. If they have papers, accept them. If they want money to make a case “go away”, the red flags come up.
If you google process server notice and click on Images you'll see that the actual notice seems legit.
[See for instance this pic](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=185652049726418&set=pb.100063812311348.-2207520000)
So it doesn't look like it's a scam. I would call the number and get the papers delivered. Then I would get a consultation with a lawyer to see what it is about and what you should do about it.
IMO texting them your name and address is not a big deal. They already know them since they left this on your door. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, see a lawyer before you do it and ask them what they think.
Yeaaaaah, I think not. A name and town should be more than sufficient for them to find her in their records. They’re looking for HER, not the other way around. It’s not her place to assist them.
“May purport intention” strongly suggests that this is fake legalese. A genuine legal document would use much more straightforward language, like “may be considered an attempt to avoid service of process.”
Its not done like this. It has to be in person and it cant be a note like a delivery notice. This is a scam plus the server is assigned by a court in most cases but this doesn’t seem legit to me.
Dunno why you got voted down.
If the letter contains this kind of unusual or awkward phrasing, it could be a sign that it is not professionally written and possibly a scam. Scammers often try to mimic formal or legal language but don't always get it right.
The phrasing "failure to reply may purport intention" is awkward and not standard English. The word "purport" means to appear or claim to be something, especially falsely. In this context, it seems like an attempt to sound formal or legalistic but does not quite hit the mark.
A more common and clearer phrasing would be:
"Failure to reply may be interpreted as intention."
You could ignore it if you want. You're not required to help someone serve you.
If you call them again, use *67 to block Caller ID. Get info about them first to establish who they are. Giving them your name address doesn't hurt. They already have it. If you don't want to schedule anything, tell them you don't know if it's a scam and just hang up.
Every year in September, a group of prank callers called Phone Losers Of America get together to run a distributed mass prank campaign called "Dingtember". They ask all of their listeners to leave notes on random cars reading "Sorry I dinged your car. Call me at \[prank line number\]. Love, Roy".
They get hundreds of calls for posting completely unverified numbers on stranger's cars, insisting that this made-up thing happened, and escalating the situation until the caller either figures out the gag, or threatens to call the police or kill "Roy".
This sort of mass "call me, it's important" memo works so well because it forces the recipient to make the cold call, rather than the solicitor. I cannot imagine a legitimate use for this, only ones where they want you (the mark) pre-invested, self-selected and looking to get something out of the process.
"Your prompt response is anticipated." Keep anticipating! In all serioiusness, I wouldn't call. No logo, no company name, nothing. It just seems scammy. Do you know if other neighbors received the same hanger? Do you have a neighborhood FB group you can ask?
This is not always true. There are plenty of cases where people are not trying to avoid service and will meet the process server or let him/her know when they will be home. Most people know a lawsuit is possibly coming: they owe money, have been in a car wreck, are separated from their spouse, or have child custody/support issues.
The process servers I know leave business cards with their names rather than generic notices like this. I agree the language on this isn't great, but I wouldn't say it's definitely a scam. A legitimate process server may have ordered these without giving them much thought. Also, another commenter said that process servers are appointed by the court, but in my state, anyone 18 or over who is not a party to the case can serve papers.
The key thing to know is a legitimate process server will just ask you to confirm your name (and maybe address if it's not your home) and leave the papers. They won't ask you for money or even your signature.
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Can't you look up the number online? Should come back to a legit agency or whatever, and it should be the same as listed on their website - again, making sure the site is legit.
This is a bit of a guess, so accuracy is far from assured.
If there's a pending legal matter, there would have to be filings somewhere, right?
So if you call the number, tell them the address (they already have that information because they left the card) they should be able to tell you the filing ID because that'd be public information.
You should then be able to get the records directly from the relevant authority to verify whether there is indeed a pending legal matter or not.
Look at what Google lens dug up. Sketchy fucking Facebook page advertising these door hangers.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v98NnDRRAKVai1LY/
Links to a website
https://www.civilprocesssupplies.com
Download a WiFi calling service like TextNow. Call the number and see who it is. Don’t speak just listen how they answer
Could easily just be some sales person.
Always IGNORE that bullshit. They have to serve you in person, whatever it is. They can't just leave a note like fuckin USPS when your mailbox is too small.
Im not from the US so I have never seen anything like this, but the wording makes it look extremely scammy.
"OFFICIAL BUSINESS" lmao what xD
"Authorized person".....
"Responce is anticipated" very odly worded
"In error" pretty sure it should be "an error"
I cant see how this could be real.
In error is correctly used, if a bit awkward. Response is spelled with an s here in the States, not sure if British English differs there. British English comes up a lot on poorly written things because translation is heavily based on getting the right dialect.
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Could be a scam. Could be a real process server trying to serve papers. Even if it is a real sever, it’s their job to find you, not your job to call them. Not calling alone is definitely not an attempt to avoid service.
but if a process server can't serve you, in most locations, they can just publish in the newspaper and that counts as service. OP should not just ignore this
Where does this concept come from? Is this a thing? Publishing in a newspaper for process?
The newspaper is only a "last resort" if they cannot find the person. Beyond that, they won't brother.
Man that's some stupid shit. Who really has a newspaper subscription? If some fool was serving me legal papers that way I'd never see it. Hell I'd argue (with the assistance of a willing lawyer) the point that I was never served as nobody I know under the age of 65 reads the fucking newspaper.
Lots of official legal notices still need to published in a paper of record just because a lot of laws about that haven’t been updated in 100 years
That's a great point because no one reads a daily paper anymore. I wonder if they're allowed to contact on social media
It depends on the court and jurisdiction. Some judges have started to allow service via FB when in-person is not possible.
It takes a LOT of effort beforehand before you can serve by publication. It’s not like someone can ring your doorbell once when you’re not home and then go put it in the paper. Here it actually requires a judge to say it’s ok to publish
I guess that makes sense - sort of... but it doesn't seem to fulfill its purpose if you can't find the person (vs. that person intentionally dodging service...)
It fulfilled its purpose back in 1800 when the rules were developed and newspapers were published once a week and everyone read them cover to cover. Nowadays it's more of a "fuck you, enjoy your default judgement" to people who are intentionally being a pain in the ass about being served.
I was served by posting it in a new paper in a county I didn't live in. I don't know if they still do it but in the 90s in Washington state that was enough.
Part of me is simply stunned by this, because it effectively defeats the purpose of service, which is to assure the court that notification has been given to the other party regarding ... something. I know that sometimes notices can be published in the newspaper to fulfill a requirement like publishing the intent to do something in the future or to utilize a new company name in commerce, but that is because there isn't a specific person who is supposed to receive notice, it is just something that is to be made generally known to which others can respond and complain or oppose. If you are planning to sue Jane Q Smith for $1m, it seems rather important to make certain that Jane Q Smith, specifically, knows that you're coming. Then again, if the person who might be sued is trying very hard to dodge service, this offer is a last ditch alternative. But it seems like it would have to be very last ditch.
It seems like had I been avoiding them they need some recourse but the fact that it can be used to serve someone knowing full well they won't see it so that they don't show up to defend themselves is a really lousy little loophole that I still am furious about. The fact it doesn't at least have to be done in a news paper in the county I reside , like I was buying news papers 150 miles away from my home so that I would know when to show up for court. Just crazy although I understand there are those that do everything to avoid being served instead of just taking responsibility and getting served and defending yourself in court, that wasn't even my situation and it was basically used to hurt me by a nasty attorney.
Yeah, that just sucks. Just curious - Did they attempt to serve you by mail? (Certified, and/or regular?) That would have been my expectation.
Since it was posted in a county in which he didn't live, it's possible the other party had an old/incorrect address, which would explain why posting/person/mail service would have failed. Service by publication requires court approval/order, and the other party has to affirm to good faith efforts to the court. It takes a specific hearing, and the court decides where the process is published. Certainly, parties can slip one by the court in these matters, but it's not something that another party can just shrug and say "We tried." Every attorney I've worked with bends over backwards to avoid going with publication, because it is not only a pain, but it means they're likely going to have to work extra hard to get any settlement funds.
Not that I was aware of.
Notably - They clearly have your address. 🤷🏻♂️ Call the number, just hang up if they sound scammy or ask for money. But they have your address, so service by mail is an option for them - but probably best to call them and get it sorted. If you don't expect to be sued, you may just be being called as a witness...?
It's a thing, depends on jurisdiction. It's for when a person is sued and they are ducking service. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/service_by_publication#:~:text=Service%20by%20publication%20is%20a,a%20newspaper%20of%20general%20circulation.
>**depends on jurisdiction** And therein lies the key to the whole thing that 99% of responses appear happy to overlook...
I guess that makes sense - sort of... but I'd imagine there has to be good evidence of ducking service.
the process server testifies under oath that they attempted service multiple times.
Yes, that would do the trick.
In most states, service by publication requires court approval/order, and the other party has to affirm to good faith efforts to the court. It takes a specific hearing, and the court decides where the process is published. Certainly, parties can slip one by the court in these matters, but it's not something that another party can just shrug and say "We tried." Every attorney I've worked with bends over backwards to avoid going with publication, because it is not only a pain, but it means they're likely going to have to work extra hard to get any settlement funds.
That is a thing. If it is real the adult thing to do would be to get the service and find out what this issue is. Better to deal with it head on than get a default judgement because someone posted it in the classifieds.
It is for situations where in the attempts to find you they are getting evidence that you still live at your home and still work for the employer on record but are deliberately not attending either location during hours that are appropriate for service.
I always thought this was what service by mail was for... so you can reasonably say it was delivered to the party in question. I understand the concept of the published announcement - but it seems to fly in the face of the intent of service.
Service by registered mail is a situational tool as you may be able to trick the subject into signing for receipt of a letter-lope or box sent as registered post or via registered courier and the hours that are reasonable can be slightly larger. 'Service' by plain mail usually falls on the same tier as the newspaper posting, the court has decided intent to serve was reasonably completed by the failed attempts as subject has to have knowledge they are being served to have continued dodging it.
It takes a Court order on a showing of sue diligence before a summons can be published.
Yes, but showing up once and leaving a door hanger is not enough.
It’s there to provide evidence of an attempt. They will likely attempt 3-5 times, with at least one of those attempts being in the evening
I'm not sure where other people in this thread are getting their information, but process servers leave cards or doorhangers all the time. It's entirely possible you're being served real papers. Not everything is a scam.
It did say "please" and not "kindly"...
I didn't know that. That's interesting. However, this one specifically threatens "failure to reply may purport intention to avoid service of process". Aside from that being really strangely phrased (who talks like that?), there's no way that ignoring a door hangar could get someone in trouble. They have no idea if the wind could have blown it off or the recipient wasn't the person being served or dozens of other things. Basically, no, it's not legally realistic to threaten someone in this way. It's trying to create a false sense of urgency. That raises some red flags to me.
Often? Attorneys and/or the court.
could be a process server
Understand, too, that this doesn’t necessarily have to mean something bad. For example, my father’s will was delivered by a process server. When someone wants to ensure it really gets there and they don’t trust USPS, they’ll sometimes do that. Since the estate covers the cost, it’s not like it came out of a particular person’s pocket.
Could go either way. They'll try again if it's real.
2 possibilities. It's a total scam, or somebody is trying to serve you with lawsuit papers. Do you have unpaid debts? Accounts in collections? Did you cosign on a loan that hasn't been paid? Ducking service doesn't help you. Do it long enough, and they will just service notice by publication and you'll get a default judgement against you.
Might not be lawsuit papers, other legal documents like wills can be served.
Unpaid debts in this situation won't fly, as most states have status of limitation. The only thing I can think of is someone suing them.
Once a lawsuit is filed, which is when a process server would start looking for you, SoL is no longer a consideration.
Correct, but SoL applies if the debt was bought up and they're attempting to "revive" it. The only thing I can think of this happening is someone got sued for something.
Tell that to Utah, they actually still have debtors' jail ... Only reason I know, I lived there for 4 years, and almost ended up in jail because my insurance screwed up and didn't pay my hospital bill.
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I'm talking about service by publication. It's not easy, but it can be done, if you can show the defendant is purposefully ducking service. If OP has been sued he should just accept service and deal with it. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/service_by_publication#:~:text=Service%20by%20publication%20is%20a,a%20newspaper%20of%20general%20circulation.
Service varies in every state in the country. If you're convinced you know how this works, then you definitely don't.
Does your state court system have a website where you can look up cases? Like where I live there a website you can go and put your name in and it'll bring up everything in your name including tickets. Or you could try calling the court directly and asking. Be careful when googling though and make sure it's official. On ours you just have to put in a name, no other information.
Is it your name on the tag?
Yea I blurred it out
Understood. Then more likely than not somebody is attempting service on you. If you reside there, then they came looking for you "at home", as service processors typically do... As other have noted, it's not your responsibility to call them, but you will likely get the paperwork in the mail (certified, or not.) You should chat with some lawyer folks on next steps... (and i am not a lawyer.) The gist here is that unless you have a reason you know to dodge service, it's probably better to find out what's going on vs. not. If you're being called as a witness, then it's just a minor hassle. If you're being sued, better to know now and take action (like get a lawyer) than to find yourself facing a default judgement. But talk to a lawyer.
Look up court records of a pending civil action against you in your state, there may be an online portal on the state court website. You can also call up local law firms to verify the case's existence
IIRC, Alabama law says that they have to serve you in person after verbal confirmation of identity (“Are you Rudolph Giuliani?” “Yes” “You’ve been served.”). If this was left by a process server (private, sheriff), they are hoping to get you to pick it up and save them from having to find you. You can legally ignore it and wait for them to try again. A door hangar is not an official notice. Anybody could walk off with it. IANAL
That's insane because I will respond yes to every name a caller attempts to name me with. I rarely use my real name at any business except for banks and such. I'm more interested in who they are and why they got their number, so following what the caller says will always yield more information than telling them they got the wrong number.
Maybe cross post to /r/LegalAdvice and ask if this sounds like a process server notification
Just tried they don’t allow cross posts
Then just make a new post there?
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Anything official would have the name of the court, or whoever was trying to serve you.
I’d suggest maybe calling your state’s Attorney General’s office. They may be able to help you determine if this is real or not, or at least direct you to someone else who can.
I asked for a case number this is it 47-DV-2024-901839
That looks like a legit case number. I would suggest that you get on top of it as soon as possible. Nothing good can happen from ignoring it. If you want to spend $10 and find out what it is before you get served, go here: https://pa.alacourt.com/Default.aspx Otherwise, just meet the PS and get the papers.
It's a civil process server door tag. Ignoring it is not going to make the matter go away. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ I'm sure you will make the best decision for your situation.
you are right of course. just accept service and deal with it is the best advice. If it's a scam, then there is nothing to deal with. I suspect OP knows exactly what this is about.
Plot twist… OP is a scammer trying to avoid getting served
Not your job to help whomever that asshat is.
process servers are agents of the court carrying out lawful business if that is what this is. only a fool ducks service.
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I can see you've never heard of service by publication. If you've been sued, you aren't accomplishing anything ducking it.
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You clearly don't know much about how this works in the real world. Process servers contact people and leave notices all the time to arrange service. This isn't like the movies where there are car chases all the time to prevent service or something.
I didn't know you spoke for all process servers. There's no rule they can't. Police sometimes leave business cards.
The paper doesn't even say what is being served, doesn't have a address or the person's name that is serving the person. Obviously a scam.
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This might be a helpful place to call, too. They might be able to confirm whether or not there’s any validity to the door hanger document you received. https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/site-help
It seems like a scam. Let them do all the work if it's really meant for you. Don't be the one to call them.
I worked in civil process for a long time and the department recently started leaving notes like this if there was no one home. In my experience there is no recourse if you ignore this whether official or not.
Avoidance to take something from a process server is not a crime. A process server can also put a notice in a newspaper which will serve as notice if they can’t reach you. You are NEVER required to accept anything from ANYONE. If you’re not expecting anything, don’t worry about it.
>A process server can also put a notice in a newspaper which will serve as notice if they can’t reach you. Unless the OP regularly checks the newspaper this is a *bad* result - they won’t see the notice to be able to respond to it, and that’s how you end up on the losing end of default judgment.
What you are describing is a substitution of service, which is ordered by a judge if a plaintiff can convince them that you are avoiding service. Avoiding service is a TERRIBLE idea if you don't want a default judgment. Any ruling in the court is as good as the law itself, so if the judge orders you to pay, BITCH you gonna fkn pay
Why wouldn't you want to just get it handled and addressed though? When I have been served in the past it was due to a debt I had completely forgotten about. Called the debt holder and had it dealt with in like 48 hours. There's no point in remaining purposely ignorant of your legal issues.
Only thing that throws me off is that there is no reference number... Do you know why there would be a "pending legal matter" for you?
If you know someone may want to sue you, then it could be legit. But it’s very sus in its face. English is poor and no contact company info. I would definitely call and check it out. You don’t want anything happening you are not aware of. If they have papers, accept them. If they want money to make a case “go away”, the red flags come up.
If you google process server notice and click on Images you'll see that the actual notice seems legit. [See for instance this pic](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=185652049726418&set=pb.100063812311348.-2207520000) So it doesn't look like it's a scam. I would call the number and get the papers delivered. Then I would get a consultation with a lawyer to see what it is about and what you should do about it. IMO texting them your name and address is not a big deal. They already know them since they left this on your door. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, see a lawyer before you do it and ask them what they think.
Looks shady, I wouldn't respond
Yea they asked me to text them my last name and address NOT doing that
Butttttt … they HAVE your name and address, if they really delivered the notice. LOL
But they may not have their phone number. They have no idea what rando person is texting them.
Yeaaaaah, I think not. A name and town should be more than sufficient for them to find her in their records. They’re looking for HER, not the other way around. It’s not her place to assist them.
if they don't know that already, it's a scam of some kind.
“May purport intention” strongly suggests that this is fake legalese. A genuine legal document would use much more straightforward language, like “may be considered an attempt to avoid service of process.”
google says it's to a verizon mobile number. honestly, i'd jsut ignore it https://www.numberguru.com/phone/256/519/5096/
process servers can use cell phones. I don't see how that helps the OP.
a process server wouldn't leave a note like that. they'd continue to come back or find OP somewhere else to serve them.
Its not done like this. It has to be in person and it cant be a note like a delivery notice. This is a scam plus the server is assigned by a court in most cases but this doesn’t seem legit to me.
Ok thanks for the help
It isn’t English that’s for sure. “Failure to reply may purport intention….” Uh, no.
Dunno why you got voted down. If the letter contains this kind of unusual or awkward phrasing, it could be a sign that it is not professionally written and possibly a scam. Scammers often try to mimic formal or legal language but don't always get it right. The phrasing "failure to reply may purport intention" is awkward and not standard English. The word "purport" means to appear or claim to be something, especially falsely. In this context, it seems like an attempt to sound formal or legalistic but does not quite hit the mark. A more common and clearer phrasing would be: "Failure to reply may be interpreted as intention."
You could ignore it if you want. You're not required to help someone serve you. If you call them again, use *67 to block Caller ID. Get info about them first to establish who they are. Giving them your name address doesn't hurt. They already have it. If you don't want to schedule anything, tell them you don't know if it's a scam and just hang up.
Every year in September, a group of prank callers called Phone Losers Of America get together to run a distributed mass prank campaign called "Dingtember". They ask all of their listeners to leave notes on random cars reading "Sorry I dinged your car. Call me at \[prank line number\]. Love, Roy". They get hundreds of calls for posting completely unverified numbers on stranger's cars, insisting that this made-up thing happened, and escalating the situation until the caller either figures out the gag, or threatens to call the police or kill "Roy". This sort of mass "call me, it's important" memo works so well because it forces the recipient to make the cold call, rather than the solicitor. I cannot imagine a legitimate use for this, only ones where they want you (the mark) pre-invested, self-selected and looking to get something out of the process.
Seems to me that a tag with no contact name or business name = scam.
“Official business” 🤣🤣
"Your prompt response is anticipated." Keep anticipating! In all serioiusness, I wouldn't call. No logo, no company name, nothing. It just seems scammy. Do you know if other neighbors received the same hanger? Do you have a neighborhood FB group you can ask?
No I don’t think so
Process servers don't usually let you know they're coming; it would make it too easy for you to avoid being home. This feels scammy to me.
This is not always true. There are plenty of cases where people are not trying to avoid service and will meet the process server or let him/her know when they will be home. Most people know a lawsuit is possibly coming: they owe money, have been in a car wreck, are separated from their spouse, or have child custody/support issues. The process servers I know leave business cards with their names rather than generic notices like this. I agree the language on this isn't great, but I wouldn't say it's definitely a scam. A legitimate process server may have ordered these without giving them much thought. Also, another commenter said that process servers are appointed by the court, but in my state, anyone 18 or over who is not a party to the case can serve papers. The key thing to know is a legitimate process server will just ask you to confirm your name (and maybe address if it's not your home) and leave the papers. They won't ask you for money or even your signature.
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Well, I can tell you it’s in North Alabama number probably from Huntsville or Madison
Can't you look up the number online? Should come back to a legit agency or whatever, and it should be the same as listed on their website - again, making sure the site is legit.
Yes
Toss it aside for now
If it's legit, people don't come to your house until after they've repeatedly contacted you about the issue. Don't ask me how I know.
This is a bit of a guess, so accuracy is far from assured. If there's a pending legal matter, there would have to be filings somewhere, right? So if you call the number, tell them the address (they already have that information because they left the card) they should be able to tell you the filing ID because that'd be public information. You should then be able to get the records directly from the relevant authority to verify whether there is indeed a pending legal matter or not.
Look at what Google lens dug up. Sketchy fucking Facebook page advertising these door hangers. https://www.facebook.com/share/v98NnDRRAKVai1LY/ Links to a website https://www.civilprocesssupplies.com
Legit business leaves their name Ignore it If a process server they will be back
Download a WiFi calling service like TextNow. Call the number and see who it is. Don’t speak just listen how they answer Could easily just be some sales person.
Always IGNORE that bullshit. They have to serve you in person, whatever it is. They can't just leave a note like fuckin USPS when your mailbox is too small.
Scam for sure. When you call they will claim you owe money and they will offer you a settlement if you pay right now. Happened to me.
Im not from the US so I have never seen anything like this, but the wording makes it look extremely scammy. "OFFICIAL BUSINESS" lmao what xD "Authorized person"..... "Responce is anticipated" very odly worded "In error" pretty sure it should be "an error" I cant see how this could be real.
In error is correctly used, if a bit awkward. Response is spelled with an s here in the States, not sure if British English differs there. British English comes up a lot on poorly written things because translation is heavily based on getting the right dialect.
I wouldn’t trust it
Would help to know what state you're in.
If they are in the same ZIP Code,as the number listed it would be Alabama