Koons v. Crane, 2021 Va. App. LEXIS 13
Feb 02, 2021OUTCOME: Affirmed.
In this published opinion, the Court of Appeals of Virginia agreed that – contrary to the conventional wisdom on the subject – Virginia law does not actually require contempt of court lawsuits to be se ... rved on the Defendant in-person (i.e., “personal service”). It is sufficient to use “substituted service” (i.e., whereby the process server goes to the Defendant’s home and either: A) hands the pleadings to an adult relative of the Defendant who lives there, or B) taping the pleading to the main entryway). Bottom line: When people fail to fulfill their court-ordered obligations, it is now a lot harder for them to dodge service, and a lot easier for the other side to get justice.
