Good Service

Singh v. Gill reminds of the importance of strict compliance with Tex. R. Civ. P. 106, the substituted-service rule:

• Location. “Gill’s affidavit stated only that Gill did not know where Singh could be found. Her attorney’s affidavit recounted e-mail and telephone conversations with Singh in which he refused to provide his location. Neither affidavit, however, stated facts showing that service under rule 106(a) had been attempted. … “
• Attempts. “Moreover, the affidavits do not exhibit the diligence necessary to support substituted service. ‘A diligent search must include inquiries that someone who really wants to find the defendant would make, and diligence is measured not by the quantity of the search but by its quality.’ Here, there is no indication that Gill’s diligence included searching public data or ‘obvious inquiries’ a prudent investigator would have made,’ such as attempting service by mail to obtain a forwarding address or locating and contacting other persons who would likely have information about Singh, beyond Singh’s immediate family in India.”

No. 05-19-01146-CV (Jan. 20, 2021) (mem. op.).