How to Serve Your Landlord With Your Small Claims Case
You must have someone serve your landlord with a copy of your small claims court paperwork. Your case cannot move forward unless you do this.
Service or serving is the process of officially giving someone court papers and letting them know that they’ve been named in a court case. There are lots of rules about how to serve someone. Calling, emailing, or texting your landlord about the case is not enough.
- How can I serve my landlord?
- What if I don't have a friend or relative that can serve my landlord?
- What if the server can't find my landlord to hand them papers?
How can I serve my landlord?
The simplest way to serve your landlord is to have a friend or relative personally hand them a copy of your court papers.
This person must:
- Live in Oregon,
- Be 18 or older, and
- They can't be part of your case.
What if I don't have a friend or relative that can serve my landlord?
If you don't have a friend or relative who can do this, you can pay the sheriff or a process server to deliver the papers.
What if the server can't find my landlord to hand them papers?
You can have a friend, the sheriff, or a process server serve them in another way:
- Substitute service: Have a server hand your papers to a person 14 years or older who lives at their home. Then mail a follow-up copy to their home address by first-class mail.
- Office service: If your landlord has an office, leave a copy of your court papers with a person in charge at the office, during normal business hours. Then send a follow-up copy to your landlord's home address or business address by first-class mail.
Use this website to look up your landlord's business address.