How might I gain clear title to vehicles left at my shop after failed attempts to notify owners?
Full Question:
Answer:
In order to dispose of abandoned property, notice must be served on the property owner so he has an opportunity to respond to the claim. When the defendant cannot be located, it may be possible to conduct an Internet search, such as at www.zabasearch.com. Another alternative is to hire a professional investigative service.
If you are unable to locate a defendant and can show to the court that you have made reasonably diligent attempts to do so, you can ask the court’s permission to serve the lawsuit by ‘publication’ as a last resort in some states. Service by publication involves running a notice of the lawsuit in the local newspaper for a specified period of time. After the final notice has been published, the defendant will be deemed served, despite not having actual notice. Service by publication will only be granted if you can show that the defendant’s address cannot be found. Locating the defendant, their place of employment, and/or location of their assets will still be needed to collect on a judgment.