Service Was Not Complete Because Wife Never Touched the Papers
Greco Law successfully defended a client in a battle over service and jurisdiction. Husband and wife had filed competing divorce cases in Franklin County and Pickaway County. Husband filed the Pickaway County case, while Wife had filed the Franklin County case. In his Franklin County case, Husband asserted that Wife had been “personally served” with the Husband’s divorce papers, by a court-appointed process server. However, the court determined that she had not been personally served, resulting in the dismissal of the Pickaway action.
Court Ruled Service Was Incomplete
In this case, Husband claimed although the process server made his service attempt at night, never got within 50-ft of the Wife, and never physically handed the papers to her, that wife had been personally served. Further, he argued, that this meant that the venue was proper in Pickaway County.
The Court determined that the Wife had not been personally served as required by Civil Rule 4.1 (B), because the process server failed to “tender process to the wife personally.” The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s decision that service was incomplete “because the process server did not personally touch [wife] with the papers and she did not acknowledge service, and his having left them in the door was not sufficient because they fell to the ground when she opened the door and she left the papers there.” This outcome allowed our client to proceed with her divorce action in her preferred venue, Franklin County.
Contact Us
Attorney Anthony W. Greco has over 25 years of experience fighting for his clients. Our firm consists of numerous talented attorneys, each with the extensive knowledge and skill necessary to protect our clients’ interests. As a result, every member of our team treats each client’s case as unique, focusing on what is important to that individual client. We have represented numerous clients in disputes regarding nearly all matters within family law, including fights over service and jurisdiction. Contact us and see what sets us apart from other firms.