Judges: WRITTEN BY: Paul L. Douglas, Attorney General, Michaela M. White, Assistant Attorney General
Filed Date: 10/12/1983
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/5/2016
REQUESTED BY: Charles A. Kandt, Lincoln County Attorney Must the court appoint a person not a party to the action to serve process on a case by case basis?
Yes.
Section
(1) Unless the plaintiff has elected service by certified mail, the summons shall be served by the sheriff of the county where service is made, by a person otherwise authorized by law, or by a person not a party to the action specially appointed by the court for that purpose.
You have asked this office's opinion on a question relating to Section
We have reviewed the test of Section
The legislative history of LB 447, of which Section
Service of all process shall be made by a United States marshal, by his deputy, or by some person specially appointed by the court for that purpose, except that a subpoena may be served as provided in Rule 45. Special appointments to serve process shall be made freely when substantial savings in travel fees will result.
From our review of Wright and Miller, 4 Federal Practiceand Procedure §§ 1089, 1091 (1969) and the cases cited therein, it appears that federal courts have interpreted Rule 4(c)(1) to require the appointment of a person, other than the marshal or his deputy, to serve process on a case by case basis. Furthermore, appointment for this purpose are made pursuant to motion and are left to the court's sound discretion.
Rule 4.02 of the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure provides:
The sheriff of the county in which the defendant is found may made service of summons and other process, and fees and mileage shall be allowed therefor. Any person not a party to the action may made service of a summons.
Private process servers have flourished in Minnesota since it is not necessary to be appointed `specially' by the court for that purpose.
In view of the language similarity between Section
Very truly yours, PAUL L. DOUGLAS Attorney General Michaela M. White Assistant Attorney General APPROVED:Paul L. Douglas Attorney General