Huntington National Bank loses foreclosure over botched service of process
In November 2025, Huntington filed the foreclosure action, alleging the borrower had defaulted and owed $63,569.95 plus interest and late charges.
Here is where the story turns. Huntington tried certified mail and a process server at the property address. The process server could not reach the borrower but reported that “contact cards have been removed without a callback,” a dog was barking inside, and a neighbor confirmed she lived there. No certified mail came back undeliverable.
Despite that, Huntington shifted attempts to a nearby but wrong address – 348 South Broadway. Certified mail went there three times. Each return showed the borrower did not live there.
Huntington then moved for service by publication, filing an affidavit stating the borrower’s residence was unknown. The trial court granted it. The borrower never responded, and the court entered a default judgment and decree of foreclosure in April 2026.
Representing herself on appeal, the borrower argued she had been “unaware of the progression of the foreclosure case” because documents went to the wrong address.
