I completed my first process serving assignment and it seems like a simple addition to my business, like site inspections.
This assignment was easy, the home was close by (5 miles away) and just had to print 10 pages and deliver them to a person at the address assigned. My instructions were to make 3 attempts at different times of the day and knock on door. If they answer the door, ask if they the subject you are looking for, and if they are hand them the documents. Get a brief description of them - approx. age, height, weight, hair color, etc. . If no one is home, take a date/time stamped picture to document the attempt
My subject was home on my 2nd attempt and very cordial. When I returned home, I sent an email with the photo of residence and the subject description. I also emailed a Notarized Completion form that I served the legal papers.
I was paid $75 quickly by process serving company in Portland, which had the assignment but were too distant to perform themselves. They hired me to their out-of-town job because they found Notaries dependable and we all have printers and my Google listing popped up for this small town in Central Oregon.
After doing some research, I have found process serving is highly unregulated and not well paid, but it pays more than site inspections and collateral searched that pay $25 - $50. Every state has different rules too, like Notary work. In Oregon all you need is a pulse and be 18 to be a process server.
The biggest issue is that there really is no national equivalent of notary signing services for process servers. So I'm not sure how to market myself for local process server jobs.
The closest process server company to me is 50 miles one way, so there is vacant niche here, but I'm not sure if the volume of work will be worth the effort to market myself.
I welcome your feed back if this a worthwhile side business and your experience in this field. |
