Opinion ID: 6320572
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Which statute dictates who must serve the

Text: citation? Section 1051.103(a) states that “[t]he sheriff or other officer” shall personally serve citation of an application for guardianship on those for whom personal service is required, including a proposed ward who is twelve or older. Throughout the proceedings below, and in their briefing to this Court, both parties appear to assume this section governs the question of who should serve the application and citation. The parties’ briefing thus focuses on whether “other officer” as used in Section 1051.103(a) includes a private process server. The court of appeals rejected Juliette’s contention that “officer” as used in Section 1051.103(a) is limited to a sheriff, constable, or other elected official and concluded that “James was served in conformity with section 1051.103(a).” 604 S.W.3d at 457. Amicus Texas College of Probate Judges (TCPJ) contends that the court of appeals should have looked instead to Section 1051.051. According to TCPJ, Section 1051.051 is the more specific statute with respect to who is authorized to serve citation in a guardianship proceeding. Juliette appeared to adopt this position at oral argument. We agree that Section 1051.051 is the controlling statute here. Section 1051.103(a) identifies those individuals who must receive personal service of an application for guardianship. Section 1051.051 specifies who may serve when personal service is required and how service must be effected. 18 Section 1051.051 sets forth three different groups of persons who may serve, depending on whether the person to be served is represented by counsel and where the person is located. Under subsection (a), if the person to be served has an attorney of record in the proceeding, the citation must be served on that attorney. TEX. EST. CODE § 1051.051(a). Section 1051.051(a) then refers to Section 1051.055 for the method of service on an attorney. Id. (“Notwithstanding the requirement of personal service, service may be made on that attorney by any method specified by Section 1051.055 for service on an attorney of record.”). Section 1051.055(c) provides that a citation may be served on an attorney by (1) another party, (2) another party’s attorney, (3) a sheriff or constable, or (4) any person competent to testify. Id. § 1051.055(c). Subsection (b) applies if the person to be served does not have an attorney of record or if service on the attorney is unsuccessful. Id. § 1051.051(b). In that case, the method of service is determined by the location of the person who must be served. If that person is in Texas, subsection (b)(1) provides that “the sheriff or constable shall serve the citation” by delivering a copy in person. Id. § 1051.051(b)(1). If the person to be served is either absent from or not a resident of Texas, however, subsection (b)(2) provides that citation may be served by “a disinterested person competent to make an oath that the citation . . . was served.” Id. § 1051.051(b)(2). Nothing in the text of Section 1051.103(a) suggests that the reference to service by a sheriff or “other officer” (an otherwise undefined term) was itself intended to limit those who could serve citation for guardianship applications. We instead read “other officer” as a 19 reference to those persons who are authorized to serve citation elsewhere in the Estates Code. As noted above, depending on the circumstances, Section 1051.051 expressly allows for service of citation to be performed by a sheriff or constable, a disinterested person competent to make an oath, another party, another party’s attorney, or any person competent to testify. Accordingly, we conclude that, for those persons entitled to personal service of an application for guardianship under Section 1051.103(a), the method of service (including who must serve the application and citation) must comply with Section 1051.051.