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Flo Rida's Facebook Wall Served with Lawsuit

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on May 04, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

An Australian music festival promoter has taken to the wall -- Flo Rida's Facebook wall, that is. The hip hop artist was apparently scheduled to perform at the Fat as Butter festival in October. But instead of showing up, he took the $55,000 fee and ran.

As expected, promoter Brent Lean filed a lawsuit. But when he was unable to physically locate the star, an Australian judge gave him permission to serve Flo Rida on his Facebook wall.

Lean has since posted a link on Flo Rida's fan page, directing him to the court papers.

Service by Facebook is not unprecedented in Australia. It's also been used in New Zealand, Canada and the U.K. These courts have generally required a showing that the individual is avoiding service or is incredibly difficult to find.

Before heading to court, Lean tried to serve Flo Rida multiple times while he was in the country, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Unfortunately, his bodyguards made it nearly impossible.

It's not known whether service by Facebook has been used in the U.S. However, defendants who don't want to be found can still be served. Most states allow what is called substituted service. Court papers can be left with an adult at the defendant's home or business. There's also service by publication, which requires the plaintiff to post ads in local newspapers.

So while Lean probably wouldn't have been able to utilize Flo Rida's Facebook wall if this were a U.S. lawsuit, he still probably would have been able to serve the musician.

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