QUESTION
Am I obligated to accept a certified letter from an attorney addressed to "Homeowner-Owner of the Dog" at my address. Thank you.
Asked on Jul 05th, 2023 on Animal Law - Florida
More details to this question:
On May 22, 2023 (approx) a man dressed in long jeans, tee shirt and sneakers came to our front door, rang the bell and my wife opened the door slightly to see who it was. He asked if this was 1205 Hampstead Ln, my wife said no it was not. At that time a friend of ours small dog (10 lbs) ran out and POSSIBLY nipped at the mans foot or leg, my wife doesn't know, she did not see the dog do that. The man did not seem hurt, and said "Sorry, that's what I get for going to the wrong address". He left calmly. On June 3 we got a certified letter from Dewitt Law Firm addressed to "The Dog Owner". We did not accept the letter. On July 3 we got another letter from Dewitt Law Firm addressed to "Homeowner-Owner of the Dog". Am I obligated to accept the letter since it is not addressed to me or my wife personally?
1 ANSWER
Consumer Debt Collector Harassment & Abuse Attorney serving Tampa, FL
Partner at
Tischhauser Law Group
2 Awards
Nope. No obligation at all. Just like the lawyer has no obligation to send such letters. They can simply sue you and the dog owner forcing you hire a lawyer to defend the case, likely at your expense, as most homeowner's coverages exclude dogs bite cases. That said, its probably easier to simply accept the letterand address the issue directly.
Answered on Jul 25th, 2023 at 5:46 AM
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