Cal. Civ. Code § 326
Service of notices, orders and summonses
Operative Text
§ 326. Service of notices, orders and summonses. 1. Every notice, order or summons relative to a dwelling shall be served five days before the time for compliance therewith. The posting of a copy of such notice, order or summons in a conspicuous place in such dwelling, together with the mailing of a copy thereof, within five days of such posting, to each person whose name has been filed with the department of health or the department charged with the enforcement of this chapter, in accordance with the provisions of section three hundred twenty-five, at his address as therewith filed, shall be sufficient service thereof, except as provided in subdivision three. 2. Except as provided by the provisions of this chapter which are less restrictive than the provisions of this subdivision, if any notice, order or summons is directed to any person pursuant to any provision of this chapter, including the provisions of subdivision two of section three hundred nine, and if the address of such person is not registered or, in any case for which personal service is provided, if such person cannot with due diligence be served personally, then such notice, order or summons may be served by posting a copy thereof in a conspicuous place upon the premises within which a violation is alleged to have been placed or a condition complained of is alleged to exist, and by sending a copy thereof by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to such person at his last known address or place of residence. 3. In the case of a summons if the address of any agent or lessee whose name and address have been filed in accordance with the provisions of section three hundred twenty-five is in the city in which the dwelling is situated, then a copy of the summons shall also be delivered at such address to a person of lawful age, if upon reasonable application admittance can be obtained and such person found; and provided also that personal service of the summons upon the owner of such dwelling shall be sufficient service thereof upon him. 4. Notwithstanding any inconsistency with this section, in a city, having a population of one million or more, a local law may provide for the manner of serving civil process for the enforcement of penalties, sanctions and remedies provided in such local law.
New York Multiple Dwelling Law § 326 establishes the methods by which government notices, orders, and summonses related to dwellings must be delivered to owners, agents, and other responsible parties. As a general rule, these documents must be served at least five days before any required compliance deadline, and service can be accomplished through a combination of conspicuous posting on the premises and mailing to addresses on file with the relevant enforcement agency. When a person's address is not registered or personal service cannot be achieved despite reasonable effort, the law permits an alternative method of posting plus registered mail to the last known address. In cities with a population of one million or more, a local law may separately govern how civil process is served for enforcement of penalties.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 326, property owners and their agents are well-served by keeping current contact information on file with the department of health or the enforcement agency, as required under § 325, since that registered address is the one used for official service of notices and orders. Compliant operators generally treat a properly posted-and-mailed notice as legally effective service, meaning the five-day compliance clock can begin running even without direct hand delivery. Owners who have registered an agent or lessee with a city address should be aware that § 326(3) may also require personal delivery of a summons to that address, making accurate and up-to-date registration a practical operational priority.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 326 governs how enforcement agencies must deliver official notices, orders, and summonses to building owners and responsible parties — a process that directly affects how quickly violations must be corrected. When an owner claims not to have received notice of a violation, the service methods outlined in § 326 — including conspicuous posting and registered mail — may be relevant to whether that notice was legally effective. Tenants who believe enforcement actions are being delayed or ignored can look into filing a complaint with the local housing or building enforcement agency, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization for general information about how the notice and compliance process works in their jurisdiction.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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