i do not know what this civil action is asking me to do. "serve a copy of your written answer" what kind of answer?

An "answer" is a legal term meaning response.  It is your opportunity to respond to the allegations made by the opposing party. If you are being sued for a collections action, you should speak with a local consumer rights attorney.  There are various federal, local, and state consumer protection statutes that may protect your rights and a local consumer rights attorney will be able to determine which laws apply.   Most consumer rights attorneys offer free initial consultations to determine what options are available. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.