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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Greene v. Lindsey Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States1982Docket #114863
72 L. Ed. 2d 249 102 S. Ct. 1874 456 U.S. 444 1982 U.S. LEXIS 114 Civil Procedure Constitutional Law Property

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: The Supreme Court held that posting an eviction summons on a tenant’s apartment door is unconstitutional notice when there is evidence that such notices are frequently removed, as it is not a method reasonably calculated to apprise the tenant of the pending lawsuit.

Legal Significance: This case refines the Mullane standard for notice, establishing that the constitutional adequacy of a service method depends on its practical reliability in specific circumstances and the availability of feasible, more dependable alternatives like mail service.

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Appellees, tenants in a Louisville public housing project, were subject to forcible entry and detainer (eviction) actions initiated by the local housing authority. Service of process was made pursuant to a Kentucky statute, which permitted posting a summons on the premises if an officer could not personally serve the defendant or a family member on the first attempt. Accordingly, summonses were posted on the appellees’ apartment doors. The tenants alleged they never saw the posted notices and only learned of the eviction proceedings after default judgments had been entered against them. Crucially, undisputed testimony from process servers indicated that in this housing project, posted notices were “not infrequently” removed by children or other tenants before the intended recipients could see them. The tenants filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming this method of service violated their Fourteenth Amendment due process rights.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a state statute permitting service of process in an eviction action by posting a summons on a tenant’s apartment door satisfy the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when, under the specific circumstances, such a method is known to be unreliable?

No. The Court held that service of process by posting the summons Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et do

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Legal Issue

Does a state statute permitting service of process in an eviction action by posting a summons on a tenant’s apartment door satisfy the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when, under the specific circumstances, such a method is known to be unreliable?

Conclusion

This case establishes that the constitutionality of a method of service is Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi u

Legal Rule

The Due Process Clause requires "notice reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupi

Legal Analysis

The Court applied the flexible, context-specific standard from *Mullane*, moving beyond the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • A Kentucky statute allowing service of process for eviction by posting
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat

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