Jan van Eck… Really some states? Which states? Name one! You can’t because it is simply not true. Do you have idea what you are talking about? How many services do you think take place annually in the USA that are performed by private process servers? Many millions. Are there stories about a handful of bad actors? Yes, in Florida and NYC and those folks were dealt with, perhaps not a severely as I would like especially in Florida. You make it would as though there is a massive problem. Yet you cite no evidence and use false statements to make you argument. Your comments about the Federal Courts could not be more off base. Perhaps you don’t know that in the Federal Courts by comparison to the state court there are very few service of process transactions and of those service events even fewer are served by private process servers. That is because parties in Federal cases are encouraged to mail the summons and complaint along with an acknowledgment. If the intended recipient refuses to acknowledge they can be required to pay the cost incurred by the initiated party to perform the physical service of process. Why does the Federal system encourage notice and acknowledgment you ask? It was instituted as a cost savings measure. Did you also know that in some states process servers are finger printed, licensed, bonded and that there background is checked by the Department of Justice? Somehow I doubt criminals and liars are attracted given all the oversight. It is true that in many states there is no regulation. But that does not mean that fraud is rampant.

The bigger problem area is the Federal Courts, which allow use of these private servers. If the “server” is being paid $20 to do service on someone 40 miles away, do you seriously think he is going to drive all the way out there on the outside chance the recipient named on the papers is actually on deck (and comes to the door)? And back? That $20 does not even cover the fuel bill. So you get “sewer service.” If it is “personal service,” who is to say that the person came to the door, or will? Remember the “server” is a private individual, not a court officer, so he can and will flat-out lie. The further problem, remembering the economics of “servers,” is that the recruits to that industry these days are from the criminal underclass. Going out to “serve” in a rural area? House shielded by trees from the neighbors? Nobody home? No problem; jimmy the door with a tire iron, steal whatever is lying around in 30 seconds, and take off. If the cops stop you somewhere else, hey, you are a “process server” and yes, you were there (somebody saw the plate and called it in), but no, when you were there, there was nobody home. The cops do not go look in your trunk. Perfect cover for a criminal. That is Exactly the type of person being attracted to the process-server field: liars and criminals.

Process servers, suck balls!

@bobbi swann I agree there are some real doozies out there.Wa stste is a non judicial state and the process servers here have little to no respect for themselves or the clients that they serve for.Mine took place with me standing there at 10:00 on a Saturday morning with my front door open and watching the guy tack the notices to my house.Whaen I walked outside and said”sir I am at home no need to go to all that work and holes in the house just come to the door I will sign for the papers”.He took off like a scared rabbitt and ran.Guess thats why there are proffesionals and non professionals.

@G-man,I thank you sir for your response to my remarks,having said that perhaps my remarks were somewhat off base.My concern level was for the child and spouse involved in this paticular article.I’m sure there are a lot of good process servers and I have run into a few and it is like you said the good one’s are human and can somewhat empathise with the people they are serving and work to diffuse volitile situations.The rest don’t deserve to have thier jobs and are in my estimation hacks so to speak.The police as far as I’m concerned are as “useless as teats on a boar hog” as my grandmother would have said.I have had them act worse than some process servers.Thier are good and bad in every walk of life whether it be lawyers,doctors,process servers, or just regular people.My remarks were because of this gentleman’s personal choice to place not only his spouse but his child no less in a situation where a common sense person would have said”you know this isn’t professional so don’t let me do it”. I don’t see that it is good idea to involve innocent parties in a proffesional workplace inviroment where they have a high risk of becomind a statistic,especially not a child.There is enough going on right now to support this.Bad choices are made everyday and by almost everyone including myself.An adult can make the choice to ride along or stand at the end of a road until the job is done.A child not so much,I’m sure had the choice been given to the child who almost got his/her head chopped off they probably would’ve opted not to ride alongKids are pretty down to earth and resolute about things.I do appreciate your insight to an industry that few people have a concept for and I do stand corrected for my remarks.May this find you and yours having a blessed Christmas season.Regards,Pamela Edwards.

I agree with you and have been served by some of the best and the worst.However;I’ve never been served by anyone with a child or family just riding along.All I’m saying here is that was one of the dumbest things that guy could have picked to do.As to process servers themselves I have been served by people who are proffesionals and they are courteous and polite do thier job and move on and I’ve been served by the worst people who tack paperwork to your house and run because they are idiot sticks and don’t do the job the way it is supposed to be done.The ones who do thier job I will agree don’t deserve to be demonized for being in the industry the ones that don’t well I’m sorry I don’t have anything nice to say about them,except they don’t deserve the job.Thank you for your insight to the industry and may you and yours enjoy a wonderful Christmas season.

To TheHutMaster-Do you have any idea what you’re talking about?
It appears from your comments, that you have maybe a more “personal” stake in the matter?

FACT: Many Sheriff’s Offices across the nation are reducing their civil process staff to “enforceable process” only. Others are replacing the sworn officers with non-sworn (ie: civilian for lack of a better word) process servers.
Budgets and manpower dictate these moves, and as Jeff mentioned, rightfully so! As a retired LEO, law enforcement needs to concentrate on public safety first. Resources need to be expended in that arena before worring about non-criminal matters.

While I have no love lost for the banks/mortgange companies, the hack law firms that have in the past represented them, Provest, or any of the others that have served for them, the fact is, the holder of a loan has a right to ensure that the property they hold mortgage on, and have a financial interest in, is still present and in reasonable condition. They have a right to certain inspections, and photographs. Placing no tresspassing signs and MAKING FALSE POLICE REPORTS is a CRIMINAL ACT, and makes you no better than the “thugs” you complain about.

Calling the police will do no more than tie up law enforcement unnecessarily, in an attempt to suit your own needs.