132 Ga. App. 794 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1974
The plaintiff, Stanco, on February 16, 1973, filed a form affidavit before the State Court of DeKalb County averring that the defendant, Van Schallern, was holding over and beyond the term for described premises; that "Rental for the months of January and February 1973 in the sum of $500 are now past due”; and that the affidavit was made so "that a warrant may issue for the removal of the ... defendant together with his property from” the
Code § 61-302 (a) and (b), as amended, provides in pertinent part that after the making of the affidavit required by Code § 61-301, a summons shall issue and be served on the defendant and "(b) The summons served on the defendant pursuant to subsection (a) shall command and require the tenant to appear at a hearing on a day certain not less than five nor more than 20 days from the date of actual service.” The summons issued here did not comply with this mandatory statutory provision. The return of service only reasonably informed defendant that after the lapse of seven days the marshal would execute the warrant by evicting the defendant. There is no command to appear at a hearing on a day certain. The issue of possession of the premises, of course, was mooted but nonetheless the defendant was given no notice of a hearing on the issue of past due rent which was required by the statute. It is a basic proposition that every litigant is entitled to notice and a hearing and the benefit of
Judgment reversed.