- When the Clerk of Court receives a ruling on a forcible entry and detainer action in your favor you will need to request a Writ of Possession and deliver it to the Sheriff’s Office. It will not be done automatically
- Contact the sheriff’s office at 641-782-7322 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule an eviction time. We will not schedule an eviction for the same day you have contacted us. We do not have staff available to do evictions on the weekend. The eviction must be completed by 4 p.m. so we will schedule with that goal in mind.
- The sheriff’s office will be delivering a copy of the writ along with a courtesy letter stating the date of the eviction to the address of the defendant. It is not necessary to serve this letter on the defendant so we will post it on the door if no one is available to receive it. There is no charge for this service.
- The day of the eviction we will expect the plaintiff or his agent to check the location to see if the defendant has vacated voluntarily. Please call our office to either confirm or cancel the eviction. If you discover that the defendant has vacated previous to the eviction date please inform our office so we can use that time for other purposes.
- At the time for the eviction we will expect the plaintiff to provide enough manpower to complete the eviction in approximately one hour. We recognize that unusual situations requiring more time will occur occasionally. If the plaintiff comes to the eviction grossly understaffed, we will reschedule for a time that enough staff can be provided. Our function is to provide the authority, keep the peace, and direct the procedure.
- We request that the plaintiff provide enough boxes and large trash bags to facilitate efficient moving of property. If a waterbed needs to be drained we may request that you bring a pump in the interest of time. It is recommended that you wear protective gloves and keep in mind the danger of sharp objects and blood borne pathogens. The eviction may be postponed by the sheriff if weather conditions are severe.
- We have the plaintiff move the property to the area where garbage pickup is done. If this is not feasible alternatives should be arranged in advance whenever possible. Be prepared to deal with abandoned vehicles through your local law enforcement agency at the time of eviction.
- We will expect the plaintiff to remove all property/garbage from the location, including any storage areas or garages. We will not be involved in determining what is valuable and what is not. If the defendant vacates voluntarily it is up to the plaintiff to decide if they want to have our office stand by while any remaining property is removed. If the eviction procedure is cancelled the plaintiff accepts any liability for property left behind.
- Our fees for service of a Writ of Possession (an eviction) are $30.00 plus mileage and $25.00 per hour attendance fee.
