What If My Process Server Can’t Find the Person to be Served?

You decide to sue the person who hit your car in that Wal-Mart parking lot and didn’t stay behind to give you his insurance information. The trouble is, he knows you’re trying to find him, and he will do anything he can to avoid getting those papers, which will move the lawsuit forward. If you can’t serve those papers, you can’t get the justice you want. So what do you do?

Working with a process serving company can help you find the person and get your case moving. An experienced process server has learned a number of tricks to find people or to get them to accept service of process. They also know Arizona law concerning service of process and know the alternatives that are available. Here are some of the things that they may do:

Investigative Tools

Part of what a process server has to do is track down people. They use software and databases that most people don’t have access to in order to find the people they need to serve. They can use social media, public records, and other online information to find out not only where people live and work, but also where they are likely to be at any given time.

For example, they may note from online check-ins that a person likes to work out every morning or go to the Starbucks around the corner from work on the morning commute. They can then show up at these locations to surprise the person with the legal papers.

Seasoned process servers have also figured out ways to surprise elusive clients and to get them to accept papers when they don’t want to. They can do this and get evidence of service of process using both legal and ethical means.

Substitute Service

A good process serving company will know what documents need to be personally served and what documents can be substitute served at someone’s place of service.

Publications and Mail

It may be that a person just can’t be found, not that they are elusive. If a process server has gone through every other option for finding the person, service of process may be allowed through a published notice in a newspaper, magazine, or other local publication.

Since this is considered a last resort, you’ll have to show that you’ve made many other attempts to provide service in person. A good process serving company will have experience with this situation and can help you make a stronger argument before the court.

The process server may also be given the option to perform service of process through the mail. Some courts may ask that a secondary method like posting also used with service of process through the mail.

By working with a reputable process serving company, you make it all but a surety that you will either find the person you need to serve or that you will be able to use some other legal method to move your case forward. With a good process server on your side, you’ll be able to explore the alternative options for service of process when the defendant in your case is especially hard to track down or to serve.

ASAP Serve is a trusted process serving company in Arizona. We help people, agencies, and law firms track down the people for service of process. We specialize in being able to find those who don’t want to be found, whether they are near or far. In those rare cases that we can’t find the person for service of process, we know what information to present to a judge to get approval for alternate processes. Call us in Arizona to discuss your needs or to learn more about our processes. You can also submit your request online.

Published By – ASAP Serve, LLC

*ALL LOCATIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY