| Letters to the editor
Letters are not published under noms de plume. However, letters from practising attorneys who make their identities and addresses known to the editor may be considered for publication anonymously. |
Sheriff’s artful use of longer route
Our offices instructed the Sheriff’s offices to serve combined summons on a defendant.
On receiving the return of service, our offices were suspicious of the travelling amount that was charged.
It was queried with the returns clerk of the Sheriff’s offices, who informed us that it was 20 km to the service address.
The travel distance was then researched by our offices and it was found that there were two routes to the service address, one being approximately 14,9 km and the alternate route as approximately 21,5 km.
By making use of the longer route, it would mean travelling in the opposite direction and re-joining the route to the destination – a deliberate departure from convention as a shorter route runs closer to the office of the Sheriff and it would be logical to use this route to serve on the defendant.
We have yet to receive the Sheriff’s satisfactory explanation for this unusual state of affairs.
Thirusha Muthen, attorney, Durban
This article was first published in De Rebus in 2016 (March) DR 4.
