Civil Process

Information presented here is not comprehensive. It does not provide legal advice, nor does it attempt to suggest a course of action if there are legal issues to be resolved. If you need legal advice, contact an attorney. The County Attorney's Office is not permitted to provide legal advice nor can it recommend an attorney.

For more information, contact the Rice County Sheriff's Office Civil Division at 507-332-6009

Bankruptcy

Find Information about filing for bankruptcy in Rice County here.

Conciliation Court

Conciliation Court, also known as Small Claims Court, was created to allow residents to bring legal claims to the court without expensive costs or complicated legal procedures. Conciliation Court can accept claims for filing that are at or below the limit set by law. Currently the limit is $7,500. Learn more here.


Divorce

Find information about how to file for divorce, including Summons and Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, options for serving papers and the role of the Sheriff's Office here.

Harassment orders

Learn how to obtain a Harassment Restraining Order and information explaining what harassment is here.

Mortgage foreclosures

Mortgage Foreclosures are legal actions taken to foreclose upon real estate, as opposed to personal property. These are covered by Minnesota Statutes Chapters 580 – 582. Learn more here.


Orders for Protection

Victims of domestic violence may seek an Order for Protection (OFP) from Family Court. Learn more here.

Redemption of foreclosed property

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, most properties sold in a Mortgage Foreclosure action can be redeemed by the mortgagor. The published Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure Sale usually contains a paragraph indicating the length of the redemption period. In most cases this is six months. Minnesota Statutes Chapters 580-582 regulate these redemptions. However, some mortgage foreclosures are subject to federal regulations, in which case there is no redemption period. Learn more here.

Sale guidelines

Find more about relevant Minnesota state statutes regarding Sales Guidelines such as retaining, right of detainer, sale, conduct of sale and others here.


Sales

The Rice County Sheriff's Office conducts various types of sales under the appropriate statutes. In most cases the Sheriff's Office is simply an auctioneer. Learn more here.

Subpoena

Subpoenas can be obtained from the Court Administrator's Office in the county where the court action is filed. Someone who is not part of the court action can make Service of the Subpoena. County Sheriff's civil department serves subpoenas. Learn more here.

Summons and complaints

If a plaintiff wants the Sheriff's Office to serve a Summons and Complaint in a Civil Court action, the plaintiff should provide the Sheriff's Office with the original summons and a copy of the Summons and Complaint for each defendant in the action. Learn more here.

Unlawful detainer action

An Unlawful Detainer Action is required in order to evict a tenant from rental property. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B regulates these actions. Learn more here.

Writs of execution

Writs of Execution are orders issued by District Court directing the sheriff to satisfy a judgment. They must be directed to the sheriff of the county in which the assets to satisfy the judgment are located and they may be for personal or real property. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 550 applies to executions. Learn more here.