Not being a small claims lawyer ...
1, No - and the claimant is on course for the day in court !
2. everyone is ill when they get a claim. You have given an address to the claimant for communication and honestly you must take steps to use it
3. contact the claimant and ask him to email / fax his claim to you
making it clear that you wish to defend the claim
I mean for gods sake why have you got a poste restante which you know doesnt work ? Here is my address for correspondence o by the way I wont answer anything you send there ....
[esp if you know you are gonna be sued]
3. Contact the court - great ! what reference are you going to use ? You need a claim number and just putting SMith v Brown MAY work but you can 't be sure that it will hit the right file
I had a judge say he would do that [ send papers to the defendant who had managed to persuade the police to issue a PIN saying I shouldnt go near her ] and in a later hearing
the judge said 'no one says that .... can I see his order ? '
and when I produced it - he just said nope ....no go
Yes mediation is offered at this point
but guess what -
you have to be available for the mediation meeting / telephone call
well that is my advice ....
which can be summed up as - stop shooting yourself in the foot for a start