Thursday, April 30, 2009

New Yawk New Yawk!!

My very good friend, Auntie Elaine, went to New Yawk last weekend and saw a show, "Chicago". AND SHE SENT MEEEEEEE A POST CARD. Oh, I was so happy! I danced...I hopped...I skipped. I sniffed it and I licked it and then I grabbed it and started to REALLY enjoy it when my mom snatched it away and said, "No! No!, Mary-Margaret! We'll put it with your collection". So there it sits on the shelf, way up high where I can't taste it any more. I can just LOOK at it. (sigh) But I am everly so grateful to her for even THINKING about me. Truly I am. How many pups have their own postcard collection, I ask you? Hmmmmmmm????



Here's my good friend, Jami, and her daughter, little Seka. They go with my Uncle Fidel to keep him company while he works. They come visit me about three times a week, usually for lunch. I don't mind sharing, and they really like my Eagle Pack Holistic Duck Kibble. Who wouldn't? Anyway, here they are all cuddled up together, sound asleep, while Uncle Fidel is driving about to his next assignment.

Don't you just LOVE having friends?

Mary-Margaret

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Our very favorite from Adam Lambert

You gotta click on the link. I guess we get in trouble if we post the whole video. Not that WE did, but some other pups did. So how come there's an "embed" code for the video on YouTube if they don't want us to "embed" it? Hmmmmmmmm???

Oh...back to (swoooooon!) Adam Lambert. Mom says he affects me like Elvis used to get her. Well, I can't help it. My heart just goes pitty-pat pitty-pat every time I hear his voice. Ok...here it is: "If I Can't Have You". It's so nice to hear all the music and feeling in his voice without hearing him .....um....scream? Yeah! That's it. He's got so much talent and we (me and Mom) like the music!

Love,

Mary-Margaret

PS - Off topic, but I gotta tell you. Mom bought me "Bolt" and we watched it this afternoon. That is ONE KEWL MOVIE. Yup. I loved it. OK, so I watched the last half while I was "resting my eyes", but I heard it all. It's way up there. Go watch it if you haven't already.

Chicken Watching

My mom and my Auntie Allie (from Hawaii) were watching Vasalini's Chicken Cam last night. It was pretty hard to see because it was 1:30AM on Martha's Vineyard and all the chickens were asleep. Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! All of a sudden they spotted a raccoon trying to get into the coop. Both Mom and Auntie Allie wrote to the chicken guy, all worried about the chickens. They thought they saw a raccoon with an EGG in his mouth, too. Sneaky little devils.

The chicken guy wrote back that there was an electronic gate on the coop and that (if it was working) the raccoon couldn't get in. He also mentioned that "Mr. Raccoon may be taking a vacation soon". What do you suppose that means? Hmmmmmmmm??

If you want to check on the chickens, click the link above, and wait for the "Gumby" picture to go away and then for the live video feed to load. Nothing like watching a bunch of chickens wander about, or listening to a rooster crow, or watching a sneaky raccoon trying to steal eggs in the middle of the night.

Love,

Mary-Margaret "The Cluckster Pupster" O'Brien

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hi Ho! Hi Ho!

It's off to work we go. Let's see. First off, we put my car seat in the back and Mom and Shannon drive out to Chihuahua Valley to serve a paper. I was pretty excited until I found out that there are NO chihuahuas there. Rotten trick, huh? But Shannon got so car sick from all the twisty turns that I thought things were gonna get pretty exciting. I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen, but Mom said she should go home and be sick. I was very disappointed.

We went to El Pollo Loco drive through before we got back to the office. I got a chicken leg off the dollar menu; Mom got a chicken breast, wilted salad and tortillas. Shannon just turned greener.

Tonight, I played "Hiding in Plain Sight" again. Boy, that was fun. I'd forgotten my mom doesn't see all that well in the dark. I just sat in the dirt planter on the side of the house watching the whole thing. Mom in her nightgown going "Mary-Margaret? Where ARE you?", and then slamming doors. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH (I said), and stayed really quiet.

She comes back out and checks the other side of the house where I am. I just sat there, blending in with stuff and she gets close and says, "I SEE YOU GET INTO THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" I don't move a muscle. She says "YOU GET..." and I raced as fast as I could, lickety-split, with her hot on my tail. She was laughing, too, so I knew everything was ok.

Now I'm giving her dictation. I'm curled up on my soft yellow towel that she folded up and put on her glass desk for me. She's sitting there typing away. Life is good.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Monday, April 20, 2009

The REALLY Important Stuff!!!


Ah, yes. The thrill of the hunt. I can hear them lurking on the other side of the fence, plotting their strategy and planning their next move. I mentioned that the little grey kitty is back, right?

A message from the command post comes through. I am requested to return immediately. I pretend I don't hear it, though. Static, maybe? It's a tough choice to make....Dinner? Or kitty? Kitty? Or dinner?

A decision is made. I go where I must go.

I shall report again from the field when contact with the Feline Patrol has been made.

Lt. Chaplain and Field Commander, Mary-Margaret O'Brien

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Mom's Soapbox - Service of Process

(The following is written by my mom who is a professional process manager and private investigator specializing in "due process")

Perjury is a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment or both. Falsifying or forging proofs "under penalty of perjury" or "under oath" is actually a widespread practice which we've come to find out via many of our process servers as they tell stories about other companies they work for. The following relates primarily to California services:

1) Servers sign blank pieces of paper that a proof is overlaid upon, and that's what's filed with the court. The idea is that it's an original signature, and the hope is that the typist doesn't make an error in the proof.

2) The server is called to testify in court, usually in Unlawful Detainer actions, and the server is unable to attend, so the "agency" sends someone else to pretend they're the actual server. According to one man, this happened recently at last three times that he knows of, since he was the one who served the papers but no one told him of the court appearance until after the fact, presumably because the agency hadn't paid him for a while.

3) Servers are asked to sign an "authorization" or so-called "power of attorney" that allows the agency to sign their names to the completed proof. Another large agency recently asked us and our servers to sign such a document so that they wouldn't have to bother us with signing originals. We told them that there was no way that we (or any of our servers) would do such a thing. We still get their work and send them a report, but we've yet to see a proof come back for signature.

4) Just last week we were told that another agency had one person in their office that signed ALL the proofs with the "signature" of the server in order to expedite the process of getting the proofs filed at court.

5) Servers are being told that the proofs won't be questioned because, as registered process servers, their word is as good as the sheriff, and it's up to the servee to prove they weren't served. A twist on the truth to the detriment of the meaning of "due process", in our opinion.

6) Servers will "share" registration numbers because, we're told, "no one ever really checks" to see if the number is current or actually belongs to the person signing the proof.

At RASCAL we don't agree with or participate in the above deceptions. Some other servers tend to scoff at our attention to fact and detail; others will sneer at our prices saying they can get the service done for less. If one cuts out the need for accurate proofs requiring actual signatures on them, we can see where the costs might be less, but the possible repercussions would have the plaintiff's toes curl.

Our investigative branch, RASCAL's Research & Location, specializes in Service of Process, as in locating defendants and witnesses for service AND in dissecting and aiding in correcting judgments based on erroneous or falsely signed declarations of service. We work for both judgment creditors and debtors. One of the FIRST things we check is that the registration number belongs to the person who signed the proof and that it was valid AT THE TIME of service.

Most recently we were hired by a Judgment Creditor (JC) who had obtained a default judgment based on what we found to be a bad service. He had also recorded a defective abstract against an individual that was not a party to the action and the JC was in the extremely precarious position of being successfully sued for damages by both the debtor (not served) and the wrongly named individual. The court, on it's own motion, has amended the abstract and arranged for it to replace the incorrect one with the county clerk; the defendant/judgment debtor is being served with an Order to Appear for Examination and he will either appear or have the opportunity to contest the original judgment.

The Constitutional concept of "Due Process of Law" is taking a beating lately, especially due to the astronomical jump in foreclosure and collection actions. A lot of unemployed individuals are becoming "process servers" in California because it's so darn easy: $50.00 for a bond, $135 (give or take) to register and record the bond, and maybe another $25 for fingerprints. If the applicant has no felony convictions, he's a "Registered Process Server". It's getting really hard to tell the difference between a professional, knowledgeable process server and a freshly sprouted one who's biding his time until he can find "a real job".

Thank you.

And thank you, Mary-Margaret, for allowing me to write a page in your diary that, hopefully, will provide some thought-provoking facts about some questionable practices in our industry.

Michele Dawn
Riverside County Registered Process Server #117
California Licensed Investigator #24790

PS - My mom is a very good lady who really tries to help people, so I don't mind sharing my diary with her once in a while. (ahem?...."Once in a while"??? Get it, Mom??) Love, MMOB

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hi, GrandPa!



This is how I relax after a hard day's work. I just sorta stretch out on the nice cool lawn and daydream. Yup! I just hang out and think about stuff. Mom thinks it's REEEEEAAAAL funny to say "Where's the Kitty" to me. Like I don't have her figured out, huh? But I humor her. It seems to make her happy to see me run around for nothing. Then she tells me what a good girl I am. Honestly. I find this VERY demeaning.

This morning, there really WAS a cat in my yard, though. I was on the hillside looking everywhere but into MY yard. It was just prancing around like it owned the place. I hate to admit it, but if Mom hadn't done her "There's a Kitty!" thing, it might still be there. I chased it out and then we played "peek-a-boo" over the back fence for a while. It's the little gray kitty from last year, only it's a lot bigger now.

Cats are everly SOOOO rude, in general!! The little gray kitty and me are sort of pals, as much as a pup can be pals with a cat, anyway.

Love,

Mary-Margaret "The Cat Catcher" O'Brien

Sunday, April 12, 2009

"The Prayer"

Adam Lambert and Noa Dori singing "The Prayer" by Steven Foster at a Memorial Service for Yitzhak Rabin at the University for Judaism on November 29, 2005.



And here is Adam, Noa Dori and Maya Haddi singing "Shir lashalom" (Song for Peace) in Hebrew:



As Lieutenant Chaplain of the Yorkie Brigade, my prayer is that Adam Lambert wins and then goes on to inspire the whole world to be tolerant of one another regardless of their religion, beliefs, abilities, looks, or species. Yup. God made us all.

Amen

Happy Easter and/or Chag Sameach to everyone!!

Mary-Margaret "The Chaplain" O'Brien

Seka Visits!



I just LOVE babies, don't you? I won't have any of my own, though. It's enough for me to take good care of my mom, you know. But I am "Auntie" to lots of babies. This is Jami's little daughter, Seka. She sure is a handful, and she's only THREE months old. Her dad is Louie. He's on my blog maybe a year ago. If you want to see him just enter "Louie" in the search bar.

I'm very patient and kind. I think it's important to teach by example, and to reward good behavior. That's how I was raised, and personally, I think I turned out pretty good! Yup!

Mary-Margaret "The Mentor" O'Brien

Saturday, April 11, 2009

A Temecula Attorney Service

If you are looking for a professional process server or private investigator in the Temecula, California area, try RASCAL, which is where I work. Yup. That's me over there. I'm the receptionist, and I'm very good at my job, too. I'm also in charge of Public Relations. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my clients.
When someone comes to our door, I get up and go greet them. I sniff them, and if I'm not otherwise busy, I might hop into their lap and see if I can get my shoulders or ears rubbed, or maybe even a belly rub (if I'm lucky). Sometimes they even bring me presents or treats.

Lots of people think Process Servers are like delivery people, but there's a lot more to it. The biggest difference is knowing what laws govern the type of process that's being served and what manner of service has to be made. For example, a Claim of Plaintiff and Order (California's version of the Small Claims), has to be personally served no less than fifteen days before the hearing, or sub-served AND mailed no less than twenty-five days before the hearing IF the hearing is in the same county as the defendant lives. If the hearing is in a different county, but still in California, then it's personal no less than twenty days, and sub and mail no less than thirty days before the hearing.

If someone calls us to serve papers, we always ask when the hearing is. If we don't think we have enough time to properly serve the defendant, we ask our clients to please reset it so they don't have to pay twice if we can't get the defendant in time. They appreciate that. We are told that some process servers don't tell people about the time thing, and they just take their money and either serve it too late, or return it without serving it at all. That's everly so rude, don't you think?

We'll also file your proofs of service if your hearing is in a Riverside County court. Otherwise, we'll return an original and one copy of the proof to you with a note that you have to file it at least five days before the hearing. Another thing I bet you didn't know, huh? People don't like it when they get their papers served and they go to court and find out that the proof isn't on file. Then, the judge has to set a new date and he tells them to serve it again. Nope. That means they have to pay double, plus they lose a whole lot of time.

We keep working the papers until they're either served, out of time, or the address isn't any good. We call you when it's done or if there are any problems. We'll help you find a new address, too, if you want.

If you have any questions about any type of papers from any state at all, please call us at 951-693-0165 or email us at RASCAL email and we'll be happy to answer them for you.

I just can't WAIT to meet you.

Cheers...

Mary-Margaret "The Receptionist" O'Brien

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Three Barks for ADAM LAMBERT!!!



Oh, my heart be still. I have NEVER in my whole three and one half years felt like this. Mom says it's just a "crush", but honestly! I think it's TRUE PUPPY LOVE. Yesssssssssssss!!! It's going to take a few days for me to figure out how to speed dial Mom's phone, but when I do, I'm voting for ADAM LAMBERT for the next "American Idol".

(sigh.....swoon.....!!)

Love and schlurpies....

Mary-Margaret "The Fan" O'Brien

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Ambushed at the Elevator

When we left the office last night to go to an appointment there was a photographer waiting just outside the elevator. He was very friendly to me so I let him take a few "pix". I even smiled a little for him. Then he started really snapping away. Wow! (I thought). So this is what a "super model" feels like. Woo hoo.

Just as I was starting to really enjoy my "photo shoot", Mom said "Come ON, Mary-Margaret. We're LATE!". Well, rats. Fine!! (I said)

As we started to get into the elevator, the "paparazzo" asked Mom for a business card so he could send her a copy of my picture. I'm still waiting. Sheesh! (and waiting, and waiting......!) If I ever get it, I'll post it up here for you all. I got to see one of them and it came out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Maybe I'll see MEEEEE, "Miss Mary-Margaret O'Brien", waiting for an elevator on a billboard someday?

Blowing you all Hollywood air kisses...

MaMO*

*short for Mary-Margaret O'Brien like J-Lo is short for....um.....you know who!

Friday, April 03, 2009

FLOWERS! I got FLOWERS!

OHYMYGAWSH! One of my clients came by yesterday with FLOWERS. Mom got all embarrassed and blushed a lot. Silly woman. They were for me, I know, but I'm sure he handed them to her so as not to hurt her feelings. They are everly so bee-yoo-ti-full, see?



He came into our office maybe six months ago with a small claims to serve in Murrieta. Mom took one look at it and mentioned that perhaps the defendant was sued under the wrong name? He asked us to validate the serve for him. Sure enough, it turned out that the name of the furniture store was really another corporation doing business as a that furniture store. We printed out the information and he took it back to the court and asked them to correct his claim.

After he amended his claim, we served the agent for service in San Diego. Before his court hearing even got close, the furniture store paid him ALL of his money, including his court fees and his service costs. If we'd done it the way he originally brought it in, the defendant's people probably wouldn't have showed up in court at all, and our client would have gotten a judgment against the non-existent entity and NEVER collected. Nope! NEVER!

What I've learned since I've been working here: Make sure you sue the defendant EXACTLY as you plan on collecting from them. The original claim or complaint is the foundation for everything that's to follow, including successful settlement or post-judgment collection. Sure, you can always try to get everything corrected after the fact, but that can get complicated and expensive, and you might even end up having to start all over again from the beginning.

I GOT FLOWERS! WOO HOO! How many working pups do you know that gets flowers? Hmmmmmmmm?????

Love,

Mary-Margaret
validate defendant, validate serve, validate service, service of process, defendant validation

Thursday, April 02, 2009

"Bullet Proof" Service of Process

FYI...we are licensed investigators that specialize in the service of process. You can visit our web site at RASCAL for more information.

We stick to our little corner of the industry, specializing in the location of witnesses and defendants for service of process, defendant validation, doing some preliminary pre-judgment asset searches, and post-judgment collection investigations. We also work for clients who are looking to set aside a judgment based on what might be an improper service.

A Judgment Enforcement Specialist sent a Judgment Creditor (JC) to us as an Investigative Client in order to locate a new service address for post judgment collection and to find some assets, if possible.

We always go back to the very beginning and check each step of the case to make sure that it was done properly. The initial action and the manner of service is the foundation upon which everything that follows is built.

First off, the original proofs of service on this Small Claims action looked odd - both the business entity, an LLC, AND the named individual, who is also the manager of the LLC, were personally served at the LLC's Registered agents PERSONAL residence.

Second, the serve was made by an unregistered kid of 18 who was a trainee with another service company for a short time. They pulled their records and found that the named individual had actually been sub-served to the agent at the agent's residence address. They are going to file an amended proof of service even though the judgment was entered about six months ago. Definitely not compliant with California's CCP 415.10 or 415.20b regarding where service can be made. There is NO connection between the individual/manager and the agent's place of residence.

It gets worse.

The court issued both an abstract and a writ naming the individual/manager and the agent for service both as individuals only. The County recorder has recorded that Abstract. The credit bureaus will pick up that recording as a "judgment lien" on both individuals' credit reports.

Bottom line - the court never should have issued the Abstract if it didn't match the judgment, but they did. And now it's recorded. The first guy was never properly served; the second guy was only the agent for service for the first guy's LLC and not a defendant at all.

The court lady is in shock at the moment, and she's going to see how to un-snaggle or partially correct this mess as far as the court goes. The Plaintiff/JC may have to motion the court to actually set aside his 6 month old default judgment on at least one of the defendants. Meanwhile, Mom suggested the Plaintiff/Creditor contact an attorney for advice as to how to keep from getting sued in the event anyone's credit is damaged by the abstract on record, or either of the individuals suffer any losses because of it. She's also suggested that he not pursue any collection until he can straighten out the initial action, unless his attorney advises otherwise.

The LEAST expensive process server could be the MOST expensive, in the long run.

We serve process anywhere, and we stand by our work. It just makes me everly so mad when someone calls regarding price only, that I just want to bark. A professional process server works WITH you, and sticks by you for the long haul. Hmmmph!

Rant over. Going back to nap practice.

Professionally yours,

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

PS: Our website is at RASCAL if you want to visit us.

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