Served with an Unlawful Detainer (eviction) Summons?
Served with an eviction summons? Respond before your deadline passes.
Filing the appropriate response to your case often lengthens the eviction timeline by about two months or more.* While your case is pending and you remain in your home, you may set aside the rent you would have otherwise paid to the property owner, and apply those resources towards your relocation costs, and also use the time to prepare your defenses or negotiate terms with the property owner.
*Every case has its own unique circumstances and time frame. No specific outcome or time frame can be guaranteed.
Have you received a Summons for Unlawful Detainer?
Did someone hand you, or leave at your home, court papers titled Summons and Complaint, Unlawful Detainer?
Summons and Complaint, Unlawful Detainer
This paper tells you that an eviction lawsuit has been filed against you. Received a Notice of Unlawful Detainer from the court in the mail instead? Start here.
Once you have been served, your case has been filed and the countdown towards your filing deadline may have begun. If you don't respond in time, the landlord can ask the court for a default judgment and a sheriff's lockout.
Call (657) 510-6534Make informed decisions. Plan your next steps with confidence.
By filing the appropriate initial response to your Unlawful Detainer (eviction) Summons you may:
- Secure the time that you need with your residence to relocate, prepare defenses, or negotiate a settlement agreement.
- Use that time to set aside the rent you would otherwise have paid to the property owner, and allocate that money towards your relocation costs.
- Propound written discovery on the property owner, collect records from municipal code enforcement and other third parties, document the property's condition, and build your defense or your negotiating position.
Protect your rental record
Under California Civil Code § 1952.3, if you return possession of the home before trial, the case can become an ordinary civil case instead of an eviction case. We'll explain how this works for your situation.
File your response to the Unlawful Detainer before your deadline.
Demurrer
We prepare and file a demurrer, protecting you from an entry for default judgment and a subsequent Sheriff's Lockout. A hearing, instead of a trial, is held 7 to 10 days after filing the demurrer. A demurrer asks the court to dismiss the eviction case due to procedural errors or mistakes made by the plaintiff on the Unlawful Detainer Complaint.
Answer to Unlawful Detainer Complaint
An Answer to an Unlawful Detainer Complaint raises your defenses against the eviction. Trial becomes scheduled after the Answer to the Unlawful Detainer Complaint is filed.
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Three simple steps
Call and send your Summons
Call (657) 510-6534, then email a scan or photos of your Summons and Complaint to intake@tenantevictiondefense.org.
We prepare and file
You review, approve, sign, and return the documents that we prepare. We file your documents and then forward the Court File Confirmation Receipt to you. All filings are submitted within 24 hours of collecting your Unlawful Detainer Summons and Complaint, and collecting payment of the Non-profit Program Fee. Same-day filing may be available.
Confirm filing and Discuss the next steps for your case.
You get copies of your filed documents and the court's filing confirmation. We walk you through what comes next and stay available until your case is resolved.
Non-profit Organization dedicated to serving California Tenants facing eviction
Tenant Eviction Defense is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving tenants in Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County.
- FEIN
- 41-3105953
- CA AG Registry
- CT0401198
- Office
- 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 250, Newport Beach, CA 92660
- Hours
- Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Phone consultations; in person by appointment.
Common questions
How long do I have to respond to the Summons?
It depends on how you were served. It can be as few as 10 court days, not counting weekends and court holidays. Call us and we'll help you confirm your date.
I received a Notice of Unlawful Detainer in the mail. What does that mean?
The court sent it because an eviction lawsuit has been filed against you. You should expect, or may already have received, the summons and complaint. Call right away.
Will I definitely get two more months?
No. For our clients, the eviction process often lasts approximately two months or longer after filing, but some cases move faster and no specific timeframe is guaranteed.
Can you guarantee the outcome of my case?
No one can guarantee a court result. We prepare and file your documents carefully, professionally, and on time.
Can I come to your office?
Yes, by appointment, at 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 250, Newport Beach (Fashion Island). Phone consultations need no appointment.
What areas do you serve?
Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.
Served with a Summons? Your deadline to respond may be approaching.
Call now and find out how much time you may have to respond.
Call (657) 510-6534