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CIVIL BUREAU

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Sheriff's Office Civil Bureau 400 County Center, 3rd Floor Redwood City, CA 94063 Telephone: (650) 363-4497 Fax: (650) 363-4833 Business Hours: Monday - Friday (excluding holidays) 8:00 am - 5:00 pm * Note: Closed between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. Process Service Hours: Monday - Friday (excluding holidays) 10:30 am - 7:30 pm Legal Admonition: The Sheriff's Office Civil Bureau is not authorized to give personal legal advice. Any information that is provided should not be construed as legal advice. Legal advice should be referred to an attorney.   QUICK LINKS: List of Legal Process Servers. Sheriff's Sales / Public Auctions. FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions). California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.legalselfhelp.ca.gov) Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov)   FORMS: Letter of Instructions (Temporary Restraining Order) Complete Letter of Instructions (Eviction) on-line  with TurboCourt: TYPES OF SERVICES & LEVIES- The following Civil Process Services are handled by the Sheriff's Office: NOTE: Bank levies and wage garnishments are served by Registered Legal Process Servers and enforced by the Sheriff's Office. For a list of Process Servers, click here. Evictions - $125 ($28 cancellation fee). Keeper Levies. $205 [8 hours]. $1,200 [48 hour Seize & Sell]. Auto Levy* - $1,500. Banks, Third Party Levies [Private Process Server] - $30. Attachment Levy [Private Process Server] - $30. Attachments for Real Property - $80. Civil Bench Warrants - $105. Domestic Violence Restraining Orders - FREE. Earning Withholding Order [Private Process Server] $25. In Forma Pauperis [Court ordered fee waiver]. Personal/Real Property Writs of Sale. Temporary Restraining Orders [Move-out Orders]. Till Tap $85. Writs of Execution requiring enforcement. Real Property* [Writ of Execution] - $1,000. Writs of Possession. * Deposit only, additional fees may be required and are subject to change.   NON-MANDATED Civil Process can be legally served by anyone over the age of 18 and not a party to the action. As an alternative, Registered Legal Process Servers may serve non-mandated papers. The Civil Bureau DOES NOT provide service of the following non-mandated Civil Process, unless a Court Ordered Waiver is issued: Summons and Complaints. Citations / Petitions. Subpoenas. Claim of Defendants. Claim of Plaintiffs. Default Judgments. Dissolutions. Executions: Bank Levies. Earning Withholding Orders. Rent Levies, Third Party Levies. Wage Assignments [Fixed Wage Garnishment]. Order to Show Cause. Judgments [Order of Court]. Notices [Notice of Court Action]. Statements [Foreign Support Order]. ADDITIONAL CHARGES - The Sheriff's Office will charge for the actual expenses incurred for the inspection, checking, releasing or any other handling of property under his custody, charge, or keeping pursuant to any process, writ, order, paper, or notice, and actual postal charges paid for mailing by registered mail or certified mail any notice or demand required or authorized by law to be sent registered mail or certified mail (26748 GC). A $10 assessment fee is collected from the judgment debtor on each disbursement of money (paid to the judgment creditor) collected under a Writ of Attachment, Execution, Possession, or Sale; excluding all child support obligation action by the District Attorney's Office (26746 GC). GENERAL SERVICE INFORMATION - All requests for service must be accompanied by a letter of instructions, signed and dated by the attorney of record or the plaintiff where there is no attorney. Instructions must include the name of the person being served and the address where service is to be made. For service we require: a copy of the document front and back, for each person served plus an additional copy for our file. levies and evictions we require the original Writ of Execution and 3 copies, front and back. Please include more copies if there is more than 1 levy. All documents must be accompanied by the appropriate fee or a signed, court ordered waiver. SALES - Notices of Sheriff's Sales are posted on the public bulletin board, First Floor, Hall of Justice and Records, 400 County Center, Redwood City. Real Property sales are published in the San Mateo County Times and posted on the Sheriff's website. The Sheriff's Office does not maintain a mailing list for auctions. Prospective bidders should refer to Section 701.510 to 701.680, inclusive, of the Civil Code of Procedure for provisions governing the terms, conditions, and effect of the sale and the liability of defaulting bidders. (701.547 CCP). DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS - Monies received by the Sheriff for a levy are held between 10 and 30 days before being released to the judgment creditor or refunded to the judgment debtor. EVICTIONS - Evictions are normally posted the day after the Writ of Possession of Real Property has been received by our office. Evictions are scheduled for enforcement by their location in the county. Eviction enforcement days are: Tuesday - South County (East Palo Alto through Belmont). Wednesday - Central County (Foster City through San Bruno). Thursday - North County (South San Francisco, Daly City, and Coast). The Civil Bureau will contact you or your agent to schedule an appointment to meet us at the property. Be prepared to provide the deputies with entry into the residence. A locksmith is recommended. If the defendants are present the deputies will remove them from the residence and restore the property to you. A Restoration Notice will be posted on the premises and a copy given to you for your records. After the deputy has enforced the eviction and returned possession of the property to you, report any violations by the former tenant to your local law enforcement agency. Complete Letter of Instructions (Eviction) online with: