If you recently began renting out a home that you purchased and the tenant has failed to pay rent in a timely manner, you may need to take legal action against the individual. A process server can be hired to deliver papers to the person who hasn't complied, notifying them of the issue and their responsibilities necessary to rectify the situation.
The Purpose Of Serving Papers
A process server is someone who is a legal adult and who is not affiliated with the case that you have against your tenant. You can request the delivery of paperwork that you intend to seek an eviction if the rent money is not paid to you within a specific amount of time.
This is usually the first stage in an eviction, and it must be completed exactly as stated by the laws that are mandated in the jurisdiction where your tenant lives. A process server will attempt to deliver legal documents during daytime hours and will visit a residence more than once, if they are unable to contact anyone during their initial visit to a residence. If service is not possible, a server may give the paperwork to a relative, or they may post the papers in a conspicuous area.
Your Duties
If you are going to seek money that is owed to you and will continue to allow your tenant to reside in the property if they manage to catch their payments up, you can seek paperwork that is designated for remedying the current relationship between you and the tenant.
The paperwork that you will file through the court house will be stamped with the date that you filed the paperwork, and it will contain information about how much money is owed and the timeframe in which your tenant must pay what is owed. If they fail to pay the money within the allotted time, more paperwork can be filed, which will aid with opening an eviction case against your tenant.
With both types of paperwork, you will need to have a copy of the papers served to your tenant. This means that you may need to hire a process server on separate occasions to ensure that both transactions are completed legally. Your process server can sign an affidavit once they have delivered the papers.
The affidavit is a sworn statement that vouches that the server completed the job that was requested of them. You can also request to be furnished with a copy of a receipt that the tenant signs. This receipt will alert you to the fact that the tenant has received the paperwork that you filed.