10 Feb 2018

Serving Documents on Squatters

Squatters have got to be a property owner or land owner’s biggest headache!

Help is at hand, if you follow the correct process, they can be removed by using an interim possession order (IPO) or making a claim for possession. These documents need to be served on the defendants in the correct manner and on time.

So how can Arkline’s Process Servers in the UK help you serve these documents?

Arkline has a field force of over 70 experienced, licensed agents who can be mobilised same/next day for service. Our agents can issue/collect the documents from court and travel to the property or site and serve. These documents are usually a claim form, particulars of claim and may have witness statements.

In cases where the documents are issued against ‘persons unknown’, Arkline will serve those persons by:-

  1. Attaching the claim form and associated documents to the main door or some other part of the land so that they are clearly visible and if possible inserting copies of the documents in a sealed transparent envelope addressed to ‘the occupiers’ through the letterbox.
  2. Attaching to posts, or placing stakes in the land where they are clearly visible and attaching to each post or stake copies of the documents in sealed transparent envelopes addressed to ‘the occupiers’.

Arkline will then prepare a certificate of service outlining how the documents were served including dates and times which will be signed by our process server. In urgent cases a copy of this certificate can be scanned and emailed to you and/or posted guaranteed next day delivery.

Actual Instruction:

Day 1 – Arkline was requested by a solicitor to arrange an agent to collect documents from their offices and then attend court to issue them the following day, time to be provided in the morning.

Day 2 – time agreed at 14:00 hours. Agent attended court, delays at court, agent waited and obtained documents at 3:20pm. Agent travelled to site which was a car park. Agent attached documents in transparent envelopes on post at access point to car park and on other prominent posts all of which were clearly visible around the site. Agent did not attach documents to caravans on site in case of accusations of damage by defendants. Agent took photographs. Agent was courteous and mannerly to defendants on site at all times and managed to hand one copy to a defendant, name not provided. 4:30 pm certificate of service prepared and send to agent for signing.

Day 3 – copy of certificate of service scanned to client and original sent in the post/DX. 

Sources and for further information go to:- https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part55