Specialized Eviction-Related Process Serving
Serving unlawful detainer notices must be done with precision or your entire case could be delayed. Landlords and attorneys trust us to get it right.
We understand the stress and urgency behind eviction-related cases. We follow court-specific protocols to ensure each serve is valid and unchallengeable.
Whether it's a 3-day notice or final writ of possession, we get it where it needs to go. We can also provide documented proof for court, including video or photo evidence.
When things get tense, we stay professional and get it done.
How We Handle Unlawful Detainers
Service Timeline
From Notice to Judgment: The California UD Chain
An unlawful detainer is a chain, and it breaks at whichever link was handled casually. Most of the cases we're called in to rescue didn't fail at trial — they failed at step one, months earlier, when nobody documented how the termination notice was served.
1. The termination notice
A 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, a 3-day notice to perform or quit, or a 30-, 60-, or just-cause notice depending on the tenancy. The notice period has to run out before a complaint can be filed, and the manner of service is now a pleaded fact — so how it was delivered, and when, matters immediately rather than eventually.
2. The UD complaint — CCP § 1166
As amended by AB 747, CCP § 1166 requires the complaint to state the specific method, date, time, and location of service of the termination notice. If your record of that service is "we posted it sometime that week," you cannot plead it accurately. This is the single biggest upstream change for landlords and property managers.
3. Summons and complaint on every occupant
Personal service under CCP § 415.10 first. After reasonable diligence — three good-faith attempts, on three different days, at three different times under AB 747's standard, operative January 1, 2027 — substituted service under CCP § 415.20 becomes available: leave with a competent adult 18 or older at the residence, then mail a copy, with service complete 10 days after the mailing. Posting and mailing under CCP § 415.45 requires a court order and is a true last resort. Full detail on the three methods is on our service of process page.
What Changed for Landlords & Property Managers
Notice service is now upstream evidence. Historically, plenty of landlords served their own 3-day notices and reconstructed the details later. With CCP § 1166 requiring method, date, time, and location in the complaint, that reconstruction becomes a pleading you have to stand behind. The practical fix is simple: have notices served the way summonses are served — by a registered process server, with a photograph, a GPS stamp, and a declaration written the day it happened. Our AB 747 guide covers the full set of changes taking effect January 1, 2027.
Filing locations changed in March 2026. As of March 3, 2026, Los Angeles Superior Court assigns limited-jurisdiction unlawful detainer cases to all courthouses rather than the previous designated hubs. The zip-code hub tables still published on competitor sites are obsolete. Confirm with the LASC Filing Court Locator, or ask us — we serve San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire properties daily and track where cases are actually landing.
A workflow that holds up. For portfolio managers we run the same loop on every unit: notice served and documented, notice period calendared, complaint filed with the service details pleaded from our declaration, summons served on the named tenants plus all occupants, and proofs returned electronically within hours so filing isn't waiting on paperwork. Per-serve costs, including the additional-occupant and posting fees, are published on our pricing page.
General information, not legal advice.
Good to Know
- Additional $40 fee per additional person at the same address
- Posting and mailing service starts at $50 for one attempt
- Weekend service available with an additional Special Time fee
- We do not e-file — client is responsible for court filing of proofs
Unlawful Detainer FAQ
Who can serve a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit in California?
Anyone 18 or older who is not a party to the action can serve a termination notice — including a landlord's employee or agent. That is the legal minimum, not the practical standard. Because CCP § 1166 (as amended by AB 747) requires the unlawful detainer complaint to plead the method, date, time, and location of notice service, whoever serves the notice needs to produce a record precise enough to be pleaded and defended. A registered process server with photo and GPS documentation does that by default.
How does a landlord get from a notice to an unlawful detainer judgment?
The chain is: serve the termination notice (3-day, 30-day, 60-day, or the applicable just-cause notice), let the notice period run without cure or surrender, file the unlawful detainer complaint, serve the summons and complaint on the named tenants and any occupants, and then proceed to default or trial. Each link depends on the one before it. A notice that was served in a way you cannot document undermines a complaint that has to describe that service on its face.
What does CCP § 1166 now require in an unlawful detainer complaint?
Under CCP § 1166 as amended by AB 747, the complaint must state the specific method, date, time, and location of service of the termination notice. This moves notice service from a background fact to a pleaded element — meaning the quality of your notice service is tested at the very start of the case rather than at trial. It also means notice service should be documented the same way summons service is, from the day the notice goes out.
What happens if the tenant avoids service of the UD summons?
The sequence still applies. Personal service under CCP § 415.10 is attempted first. After reasonable diligence — under AB 747, at least three good-faith attempts on three different days at three different times, operative January 1, 2027 — substituted service under CCP § 415.20 becomes available: leave the papers with a competent adult 18 or older at the residence, then mail a copy, with service complete 10 days after the mailing. Posting and mailing under CCP § 415.45 requires a court order and is a genuine last resort.
Where do I file an unlawful detainer in Los Angeles County?
As of March 3, 2026, Los Angeles Superior Court assigns limited-jurisdiction unlawful detainer cases to all courthouses rather than the old designated hubs, so zip-code hub tables published on other sites are obsolete. Confirm your filing location with the LASC Filing Court Locator or ask us when you place the serve. Properties in West Covina, Covina, El Monte, Baldwin Park, and Pomona are handled in the East District.
General information, not legal advice.
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