EZRCP · New Mexico · Part 1 - District Court Rules · Form 4-204 NMRA

Form 4-204 NMRA. — Civil summons.

New Mexico · Part 1 - District Court Rules

Open on EZRCP

Rule text

[For use with Rules 2-202 and 3-202 NMRA]

STATE OF NEW MEXICO ________________ COURT ________________ COUNTY

_______________________________, Plaintiff,

v. No. __________ Judge assigned: ___________________

_______________________________, Defendant.

CIVIL SUMMONS

TO: ________________________________________________________, Defendant 1

ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________

GREETINGS: THIS IS A COURT-ISSUED SUMMONS.

A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST YOU. A copy of the lawsuit (complaint) and a response form (answer form)2 are attached. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FILE A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT WITHIN TWENTY (20) DAYS AFTER THE SUMMONS HAS BEEN SERVED ON YOU. You must file (in person or by mail) your written response with the court. When you file your response, you must give or mail a copy to the person who signed the complaint.

IF YOU DO NOT FILE A WRITTEN RESPONSE WITH THE COURT WITHIN THE TWENTY (20) DAY PERIOD, NO COURT DATE WILL BE SET, AND THE COURT MAY ENTER A DEFAULT JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU FOR THE MONEY OR OTHER RELIEF REQUESTED IN THE COMPLAINT. A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MEANS YOU LOSE THE CASE AND YOU OWE THE PLAINTIFF.

IF YOU DO NOT FILE A WRITTEN RESPONSE WITH THE COURT YOU MAY BE GIVING UP ANY DEFENSES YOU MAY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU DO NOT OWE THE PLAINTIFF OR THAT TOO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED.

You may wish to consult a lawyer. For help finding a lawyer, you may consult the online bar directory on the State Bar of New Mexico's website at https://www.sbnm.org/For- Public/I-Need-a-Lawyer/Online-Bar-Directory.

You are entitled to a jury trial in most types of lawsuits. To get a jury trial, you must request one in your written response, and you must pay a jury fee when you file your response.

If you need an interpreter, you must ask the court for one in writing.

Your answer must be filed with the court, which is located at: ____________________________________________________ (street address of court)

A copy of your answer or responsive pleading must be mailed to: (name and address of plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney)

Name: ________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________

_______________________ Clerk

RETURN

STATE OF NEW MEXICO ) ) ss COUNTY OF _____________ ) (complete the following, unless service by sheriff or deputy)3

I, being sworn, state that I am over the age of eighteen (18) years and not a party to this lawsuit, and that I served this summons in __________________ county on the ________ day of ______________, ________, by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer (indicate below how served):

(complete if service by sheriff or deputy)3

I certify that I served this summons in __________________ county on the ________ day of ______________, ________, by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form in the following manner:

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(person serving summons must check one box and fill in appropriate blanks)

[] by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to the defendant, __________________ (used when defendant receives copy of summons or refuses to receive summons).

[] by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to __________________, a person over fifteen (15) years of age and residing at the usual home of the defendant, __________________, located at ______________________________ (address) (used when defendant is not presently at the home).

[] by posting a copy of the summons, complaint, and an answer form in the most public part of the usual home of __________________ (name of defendant) located at _______________________ (address) (used if no person found at home or usual place of residence).

(If service is by posting, a copy of the summons, complaint, and an answer form must also be mailed to the person served. The person serving by posting and the person serving by mail must each sign a return. The person mailing must check and complete the certificate of mailing at the end of this summons.)

[] by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to __________________, an agent authorized to receive service of process for defendant.

[] by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to __________________, (parent) (guardian) (custodian) of defendant (used when defendant is a minor or an incompetent person). [] by delivering a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to __________________ (name of person), __________________, (title of person authorized to receive service) (used when defendant is a corporation or an association subject to a suit under a common name, a land grant board of trustees, the State of New Mexico or any political subdivision).

[] by service by mail.

Fees: __________________

________________________________ Signature of person making service ________________________________ Title

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ________ day of ______________, ________

______________________________ Judge, notary, or other officer authorized to administer oaths3

______________________________ Official title

(To be completed if service is made by posting)4

I, being sworn, state that I am over the age of eighteen (18) years and not a party to this lawsuit, and that I served a copy of this summons on the ________ day of ______________, ________, by mailing first class mail, postage prepaid, a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, and an answer form to:

_______________________________________________ (name of person served)

_______________________________________________ (address where mailed)

_______________________________________________ (county)

_______________________________________________ (city, state, and zip code)

_____________________________________ Signature of person making service

_____________________________________ Title _____________________________________ Place of mailing

_____________________________________ Date

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ________ day of ______________, ________

______________________________ Judge, notary, or other officer authorized to administer oaths3

______________________________ Official title

(To be completed if service is made by mail)5

I, being sworn, state that I am over the age of eighteen (18) years, and that I served a copy of this summons on the ________ day of ______________, ________, by mailing first class mail, postage prepaid, a copy of this summons, a copy of the complaint, an answer form, and two (2) copies of the notice and acknowledgment and a return envelope, postage prepaid, addressed to:

____________________________________________ (name of person served)

____________________________________________ (address where mailed)

____________________________________________ (county)

____________________________________________ (city, state, and zip code)

____________________________________ Signature of person making service ____________________________________ Title ____________________________________ Place of mailing ____________________________________ Date

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ________ day of ______________, ______ ______________________________ Judge, notary, or other officer authorized to administer oaths3

______________________________ Official title

USE NOTES

1. A separate summons must be used for each defendant.

2. An answer form must be attached to the summons at the time of service. For answer forms, see Forms 4-301, 4-301A, and 4-302 NMRA.

3. If service is made by the sheriff or a deputy sheriff of a New Mexico county, the signature of the sheriff or deputy need not be notarized.

4. For use if service is by posting.

5. If service is by mail, Form 4-208 NMRA must be completed and mailed with this summons.

[As amended, effective January 1, 1987; January 1, 1990; July 1, 1990; October 1, 1991; January 1, 1993; May 1, 1994; September 2, 1997; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. 16-8300-032, effective for all cases pending or filed on or after December 31, 2016; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. 21-8300-012, effective for all cases pending or filed on or after December 31, 2021; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. S-1-RCR-2025-00175, effective for all cases pending or filed on or after December 31, 2025.]

Notes

ANNOTATIONS

The 2025 amendment, approved by Supreme Court Order No. S-1-RCR-2025-00175, effective December 31, 2025, updated certain website information, removed a provision related to a request for proceedings to be tape recorded, and revised the Use Notes; after "State Bar of New Mexico's website at" deleted "www.nmbar.org" and added "https://www.sbnm.org/For-Public/I-Need-a-Lawyer/Online-Bar-Directory", after "If you need an interpreter, you must ask the court for one in writing" deleted "(The following paragraph is for use only if summons issued by the Metropolitan Court.) IF YOU WANT A TAPE RECORDING OF ANY PROEEDING, YOU MUST REQUEST IT BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCEEDING. IF YOU DO NOT ASK FOR A TAPE RECORDING, YOU WILL NOT HAVE A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE TO THE DISTRICT COURT FOR ANY APPEAL."; and in the Use Notes, in Use Note 2, after "see" deleted "Rules" and added "Forms", and after "4-301," added "4-301A". The 2021 amendment, approved by Supreme Court Order No. 21-8300-012, effective December 31, 2021, revised contact information for the State Bar of New Mexico for help in finding a lawyer, made changes to conform with applicable rules, made technical changes, and revised the Use Notes; in the "IF YOU DO NOT FILE A WRITTEN RESPONSE WITH THE COURT" portion of the form, changed "1-800-876-6657" to "1- 800-876-6227"; and in the "RETURN" portion of the form, under the certification to be completed if service is made by mail, after "eighteen (18) years", deleted "and not a party to this lawsuit".

The 2016 amendment, approved by Supreme Court Order No. 16-8300-032, effective December 31, 2016, rewrote the form.

The 1997 amendment, effective September 2, 1997, inserted "Civil" and deleted "The State of New Mexico" in the form heading, substituted "pleading" for "motion" throughout the form, substituted "and an answer form are attached" for "is attached" in the first paragraph, inserted "or responsive pleading" in the fifth paragraph, deleted the former sixth paragraph relating to witness by a magistrate or municipal court judge and substituted "clerk" for "judge" below the signature line at the end of the form, rewrote the return, and made stylistic changes throughout.

The 1994 amendment, effective May 1, 1994, added the present third paragraph relating to tape recordings and the instruction parenthetical relating to the Metropolitan Court.

The 1993 amendment, effective January 1, 1993, in the "Summons", added the second sentence and third and fourth paragraphs, inserted "plaintiff or" near the end, and made stylistic changes.

The 1991 amendment, effective October 1, 1991, added the space for "Judge assigned" near the beginning of the form and for "abode located at" in two places near the middle.

The 1990 amendment, effective July 1, 1990, in the first two paragraphs of the "Return" form substituted "(in said county) (in .... County)" for "in said county".