Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial, Unlawful Detainer

Caption must identify the attorney or self-represented party, with name, address, telephone, and (for attorneys) State Bar number.

• Filers leave the caption block blank because they are pro se. The block is required for self-represented filers too; identifies who the court reaches with orders.
• Filers list a friend's address because they're 'staying there'. Use the address where the court can actually reach the filer; an unstable address means missed hearing notices.

Caption telephone number is mandatory.

• Filers list a phone they no longer use. The court calls this number for hearing notifications; pick a reachable number.
• Filers list a work number where they cannot speak privately about the case. Use a personal number when possible.

Fax is listed in rule 2.111(1) but is essentially never required for self-represented filers in practice.

• Filers leave fax blank and worry the form will be rejected. It will not; pro se filers without a fax line correctly leave this field empty.
• Filers paste their phone number here. Fax and phone are different fields; if there is no fax, leave blank.

Email is listed in rule 2.111(1) but California courts routinely accept paper UD-150 from pro se filers with the email blank.

• Filers paste an email they rarely check. If the case later moves to e-service, this becomes the address the court uses; pick one the filer actually monitors.
• Pro se filers worry a blank email gets the form rejected. It does not for paper UD filings; clerks accept blanks for self-represented filers.

Identifies who the filer represents.

• Pro se filers leave this blank or write 'myself'. Use 'Plaintiff in Pro Per' (landlord side) or 'Defendant in Pro Per' (tenant side); the court needs the role.
• Tenants write 'Tenant' instead of 'Defendant'. Use the case-caption role; 'Tenant' is the substantive label, 'Defendant' is the procedural one the form expects.

Court county required on caption.

• Filers list the county they live in instead of the county where the case is venued. UD venue is set on the complaint; copy from the complaint caption.
• Filers add 'County of' as a prefix when the form already pre-prints 'COUNTY OF'. Type only the county name.

Court street address required on caption.

• Filers list the courthouse name instead of its street address. Use the street address.
• Filers use an old courthouse address after a relocation. Verify against the county's current Find Your Court page.

Optional; only filled when the court's mailing address differs.

• Filers fill this when the courthouse uses the same address for mail. If court mailing equals court street, leave this blank.
• Filers paste the filer's own P.O. Box. This is the court's mailing address.

Court city and ZIP required on caption.

• Filers list only the city and skip the ZIP. The caption needs both for routing in counties with multiple courthouses.
• Filers use the ZIP of an old courthouse location. Verify against the court's current website.

Required for routing in counties with multiple courthouses.

• Filers leave this blank in counties with multiple branches (LA, San Diego, Orange, Sacramento). Routing to the wrong branch means the file gets stuck in inter-branch transfer.
• Filers type the courthouse's informal name instead of the official branch name. Use the formal name from the court's website.

Case number required on every page.

• Filers type the docket-card number with hyphens different from the official case number. Match the case number on the complaint's file-stamp exactly.
• Filers omit the leading prefix ('22STUD' vs '22UD' for LA) thinking it is optional. The full case number with prefix is what clerks search.

Plaintiff name required on caption; must match the original complaint.

• Filers shorten a business name ('Smith Properties' instead of 'Smith Properties LLC'). The caption must match the complaint exactly.
• Filers list only one plaintiff when the complaint had multiple. Use the same caption block as the complaint, including 'et al.' if used.

Defendant name required on caption; must match the original complaint.

• Filers list only the named defendants and skip 'DOES 1-X' if the complaint included Doe defendants. Match the complaint caption.
• Tenant filers list only their own name, omitting co-tenants who were also sued. Mirror the complaint caption regardless of which side the filer is on.

Form is bidirectional. The filer must indicate whether they are filing FIRST (Request) or RESPONDING to the other side's UD-150 (Counter-Request). Failing to check exactly one box is a clerk-rejection blocker.

• Tenants check 'Request' instead of 'Counter-Request' when responding to a landlord's UD-150. The first-filed UD-150 is the Request; the second is the Counter-Request.
• Filers check both boxes thinking it covers either case. The form needs exactly one box; the clerk rejects forms with both.

Filer must indicate whether they are the plaintiff (landlord) or defendant (tenant). Mismatch with the actual case caption is a clerk-rejection blocker.

• Tenants writing 'Plaintiff' because they are the moving party of this motion. UD-150 uses the case-caption roles, not the motion roles; tenants are 'Defendant' even when initiating the request.
• Filers leave both boxes blank thinking the caption already says it. The form needs the box checked; an unchecked filer-party box is a clerk-rejection blocker.

Filer represents to the court that all parties have been served and have appeared (or been defaulted/dismissed). A trial cannot go forward with unserved defendants. Plaintiffs filing this who have an unserved defendant should first dismiss that defendant or complete service.

• Plaintiffs file UD-150 while a co-defendant remains unserved. Trial cannot proceed against unserved parties; either dismiss the unserved defendant or complete service first.
• Filers check this box without realizing it is a representation under penalty of perjury. If service is incomplete, do not check; correct the case first.

Item 1a (still in issue) triggers legal preference under CCP 1179a, which gives unlawful detainer cases priority on the trial calendar (the 20-day clock is enforced against the court). Item 1b (no longer in issue) signals the tenant has vacated and only money damages remain, dropping the case to a normal civil track. Exactly one box must be checked.

• Tenant has vacated mid-case but landlord still checks 'still in issue' (1a). Use 1b once the tenant moves out; the case drops off the legal-preference fast track.
• Filers check both 1a and 1b thinking it covers either possibility. The form needs exactly one; check 1a if possession is still contested, 1b if not.

Full premises address required so the court can confirm legal preference applies (item 1a). Should match the address on the original complaint.

• Filers shorten the premises address ('123 Main' instead of '123 Main Street, Apt 4B'). Use the full address from the complaint, including unit number; this is what the court uses to confirm legal preference applies.
• Filers list a different address than the complaint (e.g., the landlord's mailing address). The premises address is the rental property, not the parties' addresses.

Mutual-exclusive choice between jury and nonjury. Jury demands carry a $150 deposit (CCP section 631) due at least 5 court days before trial. A party who fails to deposit the fee is treated as having waived the jury. Either party can demand a jury; the demand on UD-150 is the standard procedural moment to do so. Tenants frequently demand a jury via Counter-Request.

• Tenants demand a jury without budgeting for the $150 deposit. The deposit is due at least 5 court days before trial under CCP 631; fail and the jury is waived.
• Filers check both 'jury' and 'nonjury' thinking it covers either. The form needs exactly one; check the actual demand.

Mutual-exclusive choice between days and hours. Most pro se UD trials are estimated in hours (1-3 hours typical).

• Filers check 'days' for a typical 2-3 hour pro se UD trial. Most UD trials take hours, not days; use 'hours' unless multiple-day witnesses are scheduled.
• Filers check both boxes hoping the court picks. Pick one; the form needs a single answer.

Numeric estimate of trial days. Required if 'days' is selected; blank if 'hours' is selected.

• Filers fill this when 'hours' was selected. Leave blank when the trial is estimated in hours.
• Filers overestimate to hedge ('5 days' for a simple eviction). Most pro se UDs take 0.5-1 day max if 'days' applies; over-estimating delays calendar slot assignment.

Numeric estimate of trial hours. Required if 'hours' is selected; blank if 'days' is selected.

• Filers underestimate to '1 hour' when there are multiple witnesses. The court calendars the slot; under-estimating means the trial gets cut off mid-witness and continued to a new date.
• Filers fill this when 'days' was selected. Leave blank when the trial is estimated in days.

Optional. The court will avoid the listed dates within the 20-day window when feasible. Specific dates with reasons are more likely to be honored than general 'unavailable in March.'

• Filers list general blocks ('all of March'). Specific dates with reasons are far more likely to be honored than general unavailability.
• Filers list dates outside the 20-day legal preference window. The court must set trial within 20 days; unavailable dates only matter within that window.

Form text states 'Complete in all cases.' Software is not a UDA; only paid non-attorney humans count. Truthful answer for self-help users using only software is 'did not.' Failing to check either box is a clerk-rejection blocker.

• Filers worry that using legal-tech software (Ezel, LegalZoom) makes them a UDA user. Software is not a UDA; the truthful answer for self-help users is 'did not.'
• Filers who DID use a paid UDA leave this blank to avoid disclosure. The disclosure is mandatory; non-disclosure is grounds for sanctions.

Date the filer signs under penalty of perjury. Without a date the verification is invalid.

• Filers post-date the signature thinking the form will be filed later. Use today's date; if filing is delayed, re-sign and re-date.
• Filers sign before completing the form. The verification certifies that everything above is true; sign last.

Printed name of filer. Required for the clerk to identify the party who signed.

• Filers print a nickname under the signature. Print the legal name as it appears in the caption.
• Filers leave the printed name blank because the cursive signature is 'enough'. Print legibly so docket entries use the right spelling.

Server's residence or business address, used to establish that the server is a person located within the county where mailing took place. Server must be over 18 AND not a party.

• Server lists a P.O. Box without a street. POS section needs a residence or business address per CCP 1013(a); a P.O. Box alone is not enough.
• Server uses the same address as the filer when they are roommates. The address must be the server's, not the filer's.

Mutual-exclusive: USPS deposit (the typical pro se choice) or business-practice collection (only for organizations with a regular mail-collection process).

• Filers check 'business practice' (item 3b) when they personally dropped the envelope at a mailbox. 'Business practice' is for organizations with regular mail-collection processes; pro se filers use USPS deposit (item 3a).
• Filers leave both boxes blank because the proof of service feels procedural. The clerk rejects the form when item 3 is unchecked.

Date the envelope was deposited with USPS. Service is complete on this date under CCP section 1013(a).

• Server post-dates because the form will be filed later. Use the actual deposit date; the date determines when service is complete under CCP 1013(a).
• Server lists the date the form was signed instead of the date mailed. Sign and mail the same day to keep dates consistent.

City and state where the envelope was deposited.

• Server lists only the city. The form expects city AND state; '[City], CA' is the standard format.
• Server lists where the mail was addressed instead of where it was deposited. The form asks where the envelope was mailed FROM.

Date the server signs the proof of service. Usually the same as the mailing date.

• Server signs days after mailing. Best practice: sign and mail the same day; mismatch between signature and mailing date can be challenged.
• Server signs but leaves the date blank thinking the signature alone is enough. The date is required for a valid POS.

Server's printed name. Critical: must NOT be the same as the filer (the form's instructions explicitly say the filer cannot mail their own papers).

• Filer signs as the server. The server CANNOT be a party to the case; the form's instructions say so explicitly. Have a friend, roommate, or family member over 18 do the mailing.
• Server is under 18. Server must be 18+; check the age before delegating.

Name of the first recipient served. If the opposing party has counsel of record, mail to counsel (not the party directly). Pro se opposing parties get served at their home or mailing address.

• Filer mails to the opposing party directly when the opposing party has an attorney of record. Per CCP 1015, mail goes to counsel, not party, once counsel appears.
• Filer types only the law firm name without identifying the lead attorney. Name the attorney first ('John Smith, Esq., Smith & Co.').

Address used on the envelope. Must match an actual mailable address.

• Filer uses the premises address as the tenant's mailing address. The tenant may have moved; use the address on the most recent appearance or pleading.
• Filer omits the unit number. P.O. Boxes and apartment numbers are required for actual delivery.

Optional second recipient (e.g., co-counsel for the opposing party).

• Filer fills only one recipient when there are multiple opposing parties or co-counsel. List every party who needs service; one envelope per recipient.
• Filer adds a recipient who is not actually a party (e.g., a witness or interested non-party). List only parties or their counsel.

Optional second recipient address.

• Filer fills the address but leaves recipient_2_name blank. Both fields go together; an orphan address is not a valid POS entry.
• Filer reuses recipient_1_address for a different recipient. List each recipient's actual address.

Optional third recipient.

• Filer puts a third recipient when only two parties exist. List only actual recipients; padding the table can be challenged as a misrepresentation.
• Overflow runs past three rows but filer crams names into one cell. Use MC-025 attachment for 4+ recipients.

Optional third recipient address.

• Filer fills address with recipient_3_name blank. Both fields go together.
• Filer pastes a generic 'address on file' without spelling it out. Per CCP 1013(a), the POS must include the actual mailing address.