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Motion expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County, encouraging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to adopt a Rule of Civil Procedure allowing private process servers to serve original process within the Commonwealth in all civil actions.
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WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure provide rules that govern service of original process and other legal papers; and
WHEREAS, such rules provide that, with few exceptions, original process shall be served within the Commonwealth only by the sheriff; and
WHEREAS, in 1999 a rule allowing for original process in civil actions to be performed by the sheriff or a private process server was instituted and later rescinded by the Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, although some exceptions to process by the sheriff currently exist, a move to allow process in civil actions by private process servers will benefit the parties to the action and reduce the workload of the sheriff's office;
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is encouraged to adopt a Rule of Civil Procedure allowing private process servers to serve original process within the Commonwealth in all civil actions.