A Practical Guide to Notifying Debtors and Partners with Legally Significant Consequences
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You sent a claim to the debtor, but they say they didn’t receive it. How can you prove otherwise?
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Did you know that different delivery methods have different legal force—and that choosing the wrong method could void your notice’s legal effect?
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From what moment is a notice considered received by law—and does this depend on whether the addressee has read it?
The landlord sent the tenant a notice of termination via email. The tenant responded three weeks later: “I didn’t receive it; the post office wasn’t working.” There was no confirmation of delivery. The email was never opened. The contract is still formally in effect.
A single, proper sending tool would have solved this problem in fifteen minutes. Instead, we’re facing a lawsuit.
Method one: registered letter
Legal implications: According to the Latvian Civil Procedure Code, a notice sent by registered mail is considered received on the seventh day after dispatch. This applies even if the recipient intentionally fails to receive the letter at the post office.
How it works: Send a registered letter with a delivery confirmation to your registered legal address (for companies) or declared address (for individuals). Keep the delivery receipt.
Strength: High - Courts recognize this method as standard evidence of notice.
Method two: personal delivery with signature
Legal implications: the most reliable method. The date of receipt is the date of delivery. The recipient signs a copy of the document.
How it works: Come in person or have a courier deliver the document, and ask them to sign the second copy and date it. If they refuse to sign, draw up a denial report in the presence of a witness.
Strength: Maximum - direct evidence of the fact and date of receipt.
Method three: email
Legal implications: According to amendments to the Law on Arbitration Courts and General Practice, an email is considered received on the next business day after it is sent to the address specified in the contract or used by the parties for communication.
How it works: Send to the email specified in the contract. Request a read receipt. Save the email in your sent folder. If you responded, save the reply.
Important: If the contract does not specify email as an acceptable method of notification, its evidentiary value is reduced. The defendant may claim that this address is not official.
Method four: notary
Legal consequences: maximum evidentiary value. The notary certifies the fact of sending and the content of the notice. This is virtually indisputable in court.
How it works: you contact a notary, they issue a certificate of delivery of the notice and its contents, and the notary sends the letter themselves.
Price: Notary fee. Use for particularly important notices, such as termination of significant contracts and claims for large sums.
Method five: e-adrese
Starting in 2024, all Latvian companies are required to have an activated official electronic address (e-address). Notifications sent to an e-address are legally equivalent to official notices and are considered delivered from the moment they are sent, regardless of whether the recipient opens them.
This is especially convenient for official requirements to companies – it’s fast, free and legally secure.
What should be recorded
Dispatch date
Shipping method
Address to which it was sent
Contents of the notification (copy or receipt)
Confirmation of dispatch (mail receipt, screenshot of e-mail address, reply letter)
Confirmation of receipt if possible
What to include in the contract
Add the following to the notification procedure section: “The parties agree that the following forms of notification shall be deemed proper: registered mail to the registered/declared address, email to the address specified in the agreement, or notification via e-mail. Notification shall be deemed received: registered mail – on the 7th day after sending, email – on the next business day.”
Receiving a notification isn’t a matter of trust. It’s a matter of having the right document.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.