How do you best delay being served?

[FreshStart31]

[endisnear]

Even if they were awarded the judgement against you, if you are unemployed there's no wages that they can garnish. You'd simply include the judgement on your petition.

[frogger]

Depends on how bad they want you. As long as they are sending someone from the Sheriff Department, they are pretty easy to avoid. You can see them coming and get behind a locked door. They can't force you to open the door.

The problem comes in when the private process server is hired after the Sheriff's Department can't get you. This is going to be a person that blends in, that watches you, that follows you, and will get you. It might be in the grocery store or the barber shop, but you'll feel the tap on the shoulder, a paper placed in your hand, and the words "You've Been Served".

Just depends on how bad they want you.

[whipster1]

Best delay is get served and file a response. You would buy a lot of time, and you can send in the response by mail to the court.

[123ABC]

Dont get the certified mail. Eventually they will standard mail it or leave it on your door step. In ohio at least you have 28 days to answer. File your answer with the court on day 28. it will take another 15 days or so for the judgement to be rendered. then they have to petition for the lien. that takes another 10 days. then they petition to go into your bank account. you have 14 days to respond to that. respond and you will buy yourself another 19 days. All in all you can hold the process off almost 6 months before they start trying to get any money from you. Then file. Thats what I did. I actually held it off for over a year.

[backtoschool]

If you know for sure that you are going to file in the next six months or so, then let them get a default judgement. The judgement will be discharged in the bankruptcy, and if you want it off your credit reports, you can pay your lawyer a bit more to file the necessary post discharge paperwork to get the judgement vacated and off your credit reports.

[FreshStart31]

Thanks very much for the advice guys! The information you've provided has helped me to develop a better understanding of the serving and judgment process, and I'm now confident that I will be able to do the relevant things to prevent a judgment from occurring before I am ready to file.