V.I. Code tit. 5, § 112 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 5 - Judicial Procedure|Subtitle 1 - Civil Procedure|Part I - General Provisions; Procedure Before Trial|Chapter 7 - Commencement of Actions; Service of Process|§ 112. Substituted service by publication

 (a) When service of the summons cannot be made as prescribed in Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the defendant after due diligence cannot be found within the Virgin Islands, and when that fact appears by affidavit to the satisfaction of the district court, or the Superior Court in an action therein, and it also appears that a cause of action exists against the defendant, or that he is a proper party to an action relating to real or personal property in the Virgin Islands, the court shall grant an order that the service be made by publication of the summons in any of the following cases: (1) When the defendant is a foreign corporation, and has property within the Virgin Islands, or the cause of action arose therein; (2) When the defendant, being a resident of the Virgin Islands, has departed therefrom with intent to defraud his creditors or to avoid the service of the summons, or with like intent keeps himself concealed therein, or has departed from the Virgin Islands and remained absent therefrom six consecutive weeks; (3) When the defendant is not a resident of the Virgin Islands, but has property therein, and the court has jurisdiction of the subject of the action; (4) When an action is to have a marriage declared void, or for a divorce in the cases prescribed by law; (5) When the subject of the action is real or personal property in the Virgin Islands, and the defendant has or claims a lien or interest actual or contingent therein, or the relief demanded consists wholly or partly in excluding the defendant from any lien or interest therein; or (6) When the action is to foreclose, satisfy, or redeem from a mortgage, or to enforce a lien of any kind on real estate in the Virgin Islands, or satisfy or redeem from the same. (b) The summons published shall contain the name of the court and the title of the cause, a succinct statement of the relief demanded, the date of the order for service by publication, and the time within which the defendant is required to answer the complaint. (c) The order shall direct the publication to be made in a newspaper of general circulation in a jurisdiction designated by the court as the most likely to give notice to the person to be served for such length of time as may be deemed reasonable, not less than once a week for four weeks. In case of publication, the court shall also direct a copy of the summons and complaint to be forthwith deposited in the post office, directed to the defendant at his place of residence, unless it shall appear that such residence is neither known to the party making the application nor can with reasonable diligence be ascertained by him. Alternatively, the order shall direct a copy of the summons and complaint to be forthwith deposited in the post office, directed to the defendant, by any form of mail requiring a signed receipt therefor. The defendant shall appear and answer within 30 days after the completion of such period of publication, and in the case of any form of mailing requiring a signed receipt within 30 days from the date of receipt as indicated by the signed receipt. (d) Personal service of a copy of the summons and complaint out of the Virgin Islands shall be equivalent to publication and deposit in the post office. In case of personal service out of the Virgin Islands the defendant shall appear and answer within thirty days from date of service. (e) The defendant as to whom publication is ordered, or his personal representatives, on application and sufficient cause shown, at any time before judgment shall be allowed to defend the action. The defendant as to whom publication is ordered, or his representatives, may in like manner, upon good cause shown, and upon such terms as may be proper, be allowed to defend after judgment and within one year after the entry of such judgment on such terms as may be just; and if the defense be successful, and the judgment or any part thereof have been collected or otherwise enforced, such restitution may thereupon be compelled as the court shall direct. But the title to property sold upon execution issued on such judgment to a purchaser in good faith shall not be thereby affected.