Supreme Court of the United States
Greene v. Lindsey
May 17, 1982456 U.S. 444
Summary
The Court affirmed the Sixth Circuit, holding that Kentucky's statutory scheme of posting a summons on a tenant's apartment door does not satisfy the Fourteenth Amendment due process requirement for notice in forcible entry and detainer actions. The decision rests on the inadequacy of posting where notices are frequently removed and the availability of more reliable alternatives such as mail. Justice O’Connor’s dissent argues that the majority oversteps the record and improperly displaces longstanding statutory practices.
Holding
- Whether posting a summons on a tenant’s apartment door under Ky. Rev. Stat. §454.030 satisfies the Fourteenth Amendment’s due‑process notice requirement.. Posting notice alone under §454.030 is constitutionally inadequate because it is not reasonably calculated to apprise tenants of the proceedings.
Docket 81-341