Hi. I was served a summons in the State of Washington (Seattle) for a debt. The server gave me a form to sign, stating it is an acknowledgment that I received the summons. I was quite nervous, but now I am thinking it could have been something else. I didn't look at it close enough because I never really had to deal with anything like this. It says I have 20 days to respond. I'm worried about what I signed now...Could the server have lied?
Could this have been a judgement by consent? Would I be required to recieve a copy of this? Damn man, I m a fool if it was...
Did you read the document before you signed it? Even if you didn't, how did the process server "force" you to sign? I know of no statute, Federal or State, that requires you to sign any document if you do not want to. Your signature, unless you can prove otherwise, was given voluntarily.
Yeah I know. He did say that the document was indicating I received the summons and to sign anywhere. It was sort of covered. I didn't think there was anything shady until I started googling things. Any thought of the worst thing it could be?
Didn't he leave you a copy? If I were you, I'd head to the court house first thing Monday and see what's been filed.
This is a good lesson for everyone read or don't sign.It's like getting your checking account checks and going to your house and asking you to sign them.You wouldn't do that.
When I called the court nothing had been filed. Any ideas what it could have been? I was thinking back on it and of course it's dumb, but like I said, I've never really dealt with anything like that so I didn't know and he did have it covered up. Does that matter? Does it matter he said that it indicates I have received the summons?
Since you say that nothing has been filed the question I have is whether or not he was driving a clearly marked police car of some kind and whether or not he was in uniform of some kind? In a few states summons can be served prior to actual filing of the case with the court.
This advice needs to be repeated over and over and over in every advice forum on every website. Never, ever, EVER sign something until you have read it and fully understand it. In relation to our topic here, no legitimate process server will balk at you for reading before you sign. That being said, there are times when your signature only acknowledges receipt, not necessarily agreement. If this is the case, it will likely say so somewhere in easy-to-find wording.
Compare it to a traffic ticket which when you sign is a promise to appear or pay a fine not an admission of guilt.If you don't sign the ticket you go to jail.Now you don't have to read it to know that.A summons is asking you to appear so signing it is not neccessary because you don't have to appear.So read and sign or read and don't.My advice DON"T SIGN.
