If the defendant refuses to accept documents, what happens next?

• A. The server may choose to abandon service.
• B. Substituted service may still be valid if allowed, and the server should document the refusal.
• C. The court will automatically grant a new date.
• D. The defendant is automatically served again.

Answer: (B)

When someone won’t take the papers, you don’t stop the process—you switch to an allowed substituted method and document it. In Arizona practice, if personal service is refused, you can still achieve valid service by substituted service if the rules permit it (or a court order allows it). The crucial steps are to record the refusal clearly in your proof of service and proceed with a method that's authorized—usually leaving a copy at the defendant’s dwelling or place of business with a person of suitable age and discretion, and then mailing a copy to the defendant, or using another approved substitute method. Once this substituted service is properly completed and documented, your service is valid and starts the clock for any response.

The other options aren’t correct because abandoning service isn’t allowed simply due to a refusal, the court won’t automatically grant a new date, and the defendant isn’t automatically considered served again without a proper substituted service or other authorized method.