Full question:
I am the owner of an Auto Repair Shop. I have had a couple of vehicles in storage for over a year. I have sent certifed letters to the address the owners to the address they provided, but the letters were returned. I can nott get a title because I do not know where the owners are. The Justice Court here said I need their address so they can send summons to them, but I do not know of any of their addresses. What other step can I take to get title for the vehicles?
- Category: Abandoned Property
- Date:
- State: Mississippi
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.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
