Riverside County covers an enormous amount of ground, from the western Inland Empire cities that sit an hour from Los Angeles out through the Pass and into the Coachella Valley. What that means practically for a tenant facing eviction is distance: distance to the courthouse, distance from a landlord who may be managing the property remotely, and distance between you and any office open at the hour you actually read the papers.
Our phones are answered 24 hours a day and our (951) number is local to this county. We have been preparing and filing eviction responses for California tenants for thirty years.
The court
Unlawful detainer cases in this county are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Because the county is so large, filings are directed to the courthouse serving the area where the property sits, and your summons names the correct one. Given the driving distances involved here, confirming the location before you go is worth the two minutes.
Cities we serve in Riverside County
We work throughout the county, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Perris, and Indio, along with the surrounding communities and unincorporated areas.
What we prepare
- Unlawful Detainer Answer, form UD-105. Filed before your deadline so no default judgment can be taken.
- Stay of eviction requests. Emergency filings when a notice to vacate has been posted at the property.
- Notice response guidance. Review of your 3-day, 30-day, or 60-day notice for the defects that come up most often.
- Motions and demurrers. Challenges to the notice or the complaint itself.
- Foreclosure evictions. For tenants and former owners after a trustee’s sale.
- Filing and deadline tracking. Every date calendared, with 24/7 online access to check your file.
Your deadline
Served with a summons and complaint? You generally have 5 court days to file a written response. Court days do not include Saturdays, Sundays, or court holidays.
That deadline does not extend because you live an hour from the courthouse, and it does not extend because the papers arrived while you were at work. If nothing is on file when it passes, the landlord can request entry of default, and a judgment, a writ of possession, and a sheriff lockout can follow in short order.
What we see most often in Riverside County
Two things come up repeatedly in this county. The first is service problems. A lot of Riverside County rental housing is single-family homes and newer tract housing managed at a distance, and process servers who cannot reach anyone often fall back on posting and mailing. Whether that was proper matters, because it affects both your deadline and whether the court has jurisdiction over you at all.
The second is timing. People here frequently call us on day four or five of a five court day window, having spent the first days trying to reach a landlord or a management office. A conversation with your landlord does not stop a default judgment. Only a filing does, and there is nothing stopping you from doing both.
Start here
- How to respond to an unlawful detainer explains the UD-105 answer and the defenses that go in it.
- Eviction court dates and deadlines shows how to read your summons and count court days correctly.
- Can I stop an eviction after judgment? covers stays and post-judgment options.
- What is a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit? is where to start if you have a notice rather than court papers.
Call now
Call (951) 702-7771, any hour of any day. Read us the first page of what you were handed. The consultation is free, and by the end of the call you will know your deadline, what has to be filed, and what your realistic options are.
Riverside County questions
Which court handles evictions in Riverside County?
Unlawful detainer cases are heard in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. The county stretches from the Inland Empire out to the desert, and the courthouse assigned to your case depends on where the property is located. Your summons names it.
Do you have a local Riverside County phone number?
Yes. (951) 702-7771 reaches us directly, answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How long do I have to respond?
Generally 5 court days after service of the summons and complaint, counting only days the court is open. This is set by state law and applies throughout Riverside County, from Corona to Indio.
The sheriff posted a notice on my door. Is it too late?
Not necessarily, but the window is now very short, usually around five days. Emergency options including a request for a stay may still be available depending on the circumstances. Call immediately rather than waiting to see whether the sheriff arrives.
This website provides general information about the California eviction process and is not legal advice.