Releases

Tenants weren't the only ones victimized when Dallas County constables allegedly failed to serve notices of lawsuits filed as part of the eviction process, says Martha Hofmeister, whose legal practice includes representing professional service firms, real estate developers, manufacturers and financial institutions at Dallas' Shackelford Melton & McKinley. The landlords who justifiably relied upon constables to serve such notices might now find themselves targets of legal complaints alleging that the eviction process was flawed. "The landlord is responsible for properly conducting an eviction," she says. "From what I read in the paper, these constables might face some criminal consequences for their failures to deliver required notices. Even so, a landlord for whom those notices were not delivered may not have conducted a proper eviction, through no fault of his own." Unfortunately, adds Hofmeister, there might be no satisfactory legal remedy for either the tenant or the landlord. For information, contact Dave Moore at 800-559-4534 or dave@androvett.com.