Q: A tennant is trying to serve me papers. I am out of the country, can anything happen before i get back
An old tennant broke the lease, damaged the property and had an illegal tennant living there. They are trying to serve me papers to recover their lease break fee. I am out of the country till June 1. Can anything happen if I am not there to be served?
A:
Yes. If they know what they are doing, they can try a few times to serve you, and if unsuccessful, apply to the court to have you served by publication. If you are served by publication, unless you read the court notices section of the paper, you would be served and not know it. There are also some other potential ways for you to be served.
If you were served, there is a good chance that you could then be defaulted since you will be out of the country for so long. If you are defaulted, then you lose. I would suggest hiring an attorney to deal with it, and they can even agree to accept service on your behalf so you know exactly when you are served.
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