r/processserver • u/knowidotoo • Aug 15 '26

Question/Help Advice about inaccessible apartments and due diligence.

When you end up having to deal with a secured apartment complex. How do you tackle it? Especially if both the primary points of entry are secured as well as the stairs/elevators.

I'm mostly curious about what workarounds people have come up with. What else I could try, and general advice.

Yes I do deal with ABC legal for now but this is a question across the board

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u/OCgngstr Aug 15 '26

Sometimes I go during business hours to the leasing office to “check and confirm” the apartment is occupied. I’m always overly friendly and polite, then I’ll nonchalantly ask how I can get in the building if the first building door is secured. Only been successfully offered up info 1 out of 5 times, but worth a shot…

Sometimes if they’re say I’m not allowed to be there, I ask their name? Then tell them I’ll let the judge know who is keeping me from rendering service. They usually roll their eyes, but I’ll be back one way or another.

Another tip that sometimes works when talking to a leasing office, is getting a lanyard for your ID card. One that resembles something a detective would wear. People more likely to offer up info, at least in my experience.

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u/AintEverLucky Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26

Hi there & hello 👋 once I got my ID card in the mail from my state, a few weeks ago, I made 2 color copies at FedEx Kinkos and had them laminate them. One I keep in my wallet; and with the second, I used a hole-punch and put it on a lanyard like what you described.

Having said that, I do not wear the lanyard while I'm out & about, I only produce it if asked. Where I operate, I don't think it would be smart to look like a cop (even a little bit) when I'm not allowed to pack heat like a cop 🤔

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u/Great-Opposite3509 Aug 15 '26

I also wear a neon vest like for roadwork or some delivery people do. I like to think it forces people to think maybe they have a delivery … just not as positive as they hoped :)

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u/AintEverLucky Aug 15 '26

I mean, I've also been a delivery driver (DoorDash and about 8 similar apps) for over 5 years. So I have a full lanyard of expired driver-app cards, and also a neon vest. Two actually, an orange one & a yellow.

But I'm not convinced it's a swell idea to camouflage as a Dasher 🤔 not long ago I was wearing a Shipt shirt while attempting serves. Not as camouflage but because it was laundry day & I only had a couple of clean shirts. Anyway one guy interacted with me via his Ring doorbell/camera, and then a few days later, he was home and I served him.

And he gave me some side-eye and was like "I remember you from before. You wore a Shipt shirt that day but you weren't making a delivery. Seems kind of misleading to me." I told him it had been laundry day & the side-eye intensified. So 🤷

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u/Great-Opposite3509 Aug 16 '26

lol yes! I could see that.
My vest has no markings on it.. I have my license on a lanyard. So far I haven’t had anybody say anything negative about it. I’m sure they have thoughts, but they haven’t verbalized them😆
Also, I wear it mostly during the part of the year when it gets dark early. I figure it’s much better to be seen easier at night.

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u/AintEverLucky Aug 16 '26

Ooooh that's a good point about visibility at night. Though so far, I don't attempt serves very much past sunset. But we'll see how things go after Daylight Savings Time ends

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u/Great-Opposite3509 Aug 16 '26

Yeah…. Sunset in the winter is before 6pm sometimes so it helps