Serve It Legal 1 of 24

Server training

Delivering notices the right way

About 8 minutes. Swipe left to start, or jump to a part:

Questions any time: Randy, 312.725.6323

The job

You deliver. You record.

You bring a landlord's notice to a tenant at home and write down exactly what happened.

Your record is the productA notice that was delivered but written up badly is worth nothing later.

You are a messenger. You do not collect rent, explain the notice or give advice.

The job

What you are carrying

5-day notice

The tenant is behind on rent. This is most of what you deliver.

10-day notice

The tenant broke a lease rule. You will see a few of these.

Both come from the landlord, AMH. You treat them the same way.

Most of these tenants pay every month, just late. Many have seen a server at the door before. Most stops are calm.

The job

Up to 3 tries per home

A new batch arrives each month. Every notice has to be delivered within 7 days.

Mix up your times

Try a different day or time of day each visit: morning, afternoon, evening, weekend.

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. onlyNo knocking outside those hours.

Three tries and nobody answers? Turn it in. The office mails it.

The job

When you pull up

  • Park legally on the street. Do not block the driveway.
  • Check the house number against your sheet.
  • Read the names on the notice before you get out.
  • Take a photo of the front with the number showing.
  • Notice what is there: cars, lights, packages, a dog.
  • Carry your photo ID and Serve It Legal ID.

Keep notices and route sheets out of sight in your car. Never leave them in it overnight.

On the property

Where you can walk

Back yard: stay out Side yard House never go inside Garage Porch Front walk Drive Street and sidewalk
Green onlyThe same path a mail carrier uses. Knock, wait about a minute, leave.

No back yards, garages, fences or locked gates. No looking in windows.

At the door

Knock, step back, guess the name

You read the names on the notice in the car. Match them to who opens the door and ask by name.

"Hi, are you Maria?"

Two names that could fit?

Two women on the notice and a woman answers: "Are you Maria or Dana?"

Then: "I'm with Serve It Legal. I have a notice for you."

People answer to their own name. It is the easiest way to learn who you are talking to.

At the door

The named tenant answers

Hand it to themThis is the best result.

Then, before you drive off, log their name, the exact time and what they look like.

If they ask what it means: "I can't give legal advice. The phone number is on the notice." If they say they already paid, do not argue. Still deliver it.

At the door

Someone else answers

If they opened the door, assume they live there. No need to ask.

Hand it to themSay who it is for. If your name guess missed, ask theirs.
"I don't live here"Be skeptical. People say it to dodge a notice. Keep it, log their exact words and what you saw, and call Randy.

At the door

A kid answers

"Is a parent or another adult home?"

Clearly a teenager: hand it over13 or older can take it. No need to ask.
Could be 12 or 13? Ask."How old are you?" Log the age they give.
Under 13: neverKeep the notice and come back.

Stay on the doorstep. No photos of minors.

At the door

Who can't take it

Only people you meet away from the front door, or who are plainly just working there:

  • A neighbor next door or on the street
  • A contractor or landscaper working outside
  • A property manager or gate guard
  • A child under 13
Keep the noticeLog who you spoke to and come back.

Someone who opens the front door from inside is treated as living there.

At the door

"I'm not taking that"

If you are sure it is the named tenant:

Set it down and goTell them what it is, set it down in front of them, leave.

Log their exact words.

Never throw it, push it through a door or follow anyone. Not sure who it is? Keep it and call Randy.

At the door

They answer on a doorbell camera

"Are you Maria? I have a notice for you."

Tenant tells you where to leave itThey confirm they are the tenant and say "under the mat," "in the door" or "in the mailbox." Leave it there. Mark it personal service.
  • Photo of the notice where you left it
  • Notes: "by doorbell camera," their name, their words

Won't say who they are? Keep it and come back.

Nobody home

Nobody answers

Knock, wait, knock again. Then look for signs someone lives there: a car, lights, TV, a dog, toys, trash cans, packages.

Lived in: do NOT postLog what you saw. Come back on another day or time.

Nobody told you to leave it? Then not under the mat, not in the door, not in the mailbox.

Nobody home

The home is clearly empty

Empty rooms through the front door glass, a lockbox, utilities tagged off, a neighbor who tells you they moved.

Post it on the front doorPhoto of the notice on the door. Write down why you know it is empty.
Not sure? Treat it as lived inDo not post. Call Randy.

On the property

Told to leave? Leave.

"Understood."

Walk back to the street. Log the time and the words they used. The try still counts.

No Trespassing sign

Take a photo and call Randy before you go in.

Gate guard or locked gate

Ask politely. Never follow a resident through. If you can't get in, log it and call.

Your record

Log it before you drive off

  • Date and exact time (3:12 p.m., not "around 3")
  • Photo of the house with the number showing
  • What you saw: cars, lights, dog, packages
  • Who answered and what they said
  • Result: delivered, not home, refused, vacant, unsafe

If you delivered it

Their name, sex, race, about how old, height, build, hair. If you asked a kid their age, the age they gave.

Your record

You sign under penalty of perjury

The office turns your log into a sworn statement. You read it and sign it.

A false one is a felonyNever sign for a stop you did not make.
  • Never guess a time, a name or a description
  • Never give your notices to someone else to deliver

Made a mistake? Tell Randy before it is signed. Fixing it costs nothing.

The rules

Never

  • Leave a notice with a neighbor
  • Leave it in a mailbox, under a mat or in the door unless the tenant told you to
  • Post a notice on a home someone lives in
  • Say or hint that you are police or from the court
  • Step inside, even if invited
  • Take rent, cash or a promise to pay
  • Tell a neighbor what the notice is about
  • Carry a weapon on a route
  • Throw away an undelivered notice
  • Post about tenants or addresses online

Check yourself, 1 of 4

A 12-year-old answers. "Mom's at work."

Check yourself, 2 of 4

Third try. No answer. Car in the driveway, TV on.

Check yourself, 3 of 4

A voice on the doorbell says "Yes, I'm Maria. Just leave it under the mat."

Check yourself, 4 of 4

The tenant opens the door and says "I'm not taking that."

Safety

No notice is worth getting hurt

Feel unsafe? Leave.A weapon, a loose dog, threats, someone impaired. Call 911 if anyone is in danger.

Randy Weinstein

312.725.6323
Call Text
rweinstein@serveitlegal.com

Not sure it counts as delivery? Call before you leave the notice.

On a route, keep the Road Guide open.