Woody is a small unincorporated community in northern Kern County. The Census Bureau counted 108 residents in the Woody Census-designated place in 2020. There's no city government: a CDP is a statistical boundary, and the County of Kern provides local government here.
Valpro Attorney Services serves summonses, small claims, eviction papers, subpoenas and family law documents at Woody homes and rural parcels. Woody requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 249 miles away in a straight line.
Where Woody cases are filed
Kern County routes cases by ZIP Code. Local Rule 1.7.4 sets venue according to Appendix A, the court's venue table, and the current appendix (with changes effective January 9 and March 12, 2025) lists Woody, 93287, under the Metropolitan Division. So does Granite Station, which shares the ZIP Code. For a Woody case that means:
| Woody case | Courthouse |
|---|---|
| Limited and unlimited civil | Metropolitan Division Justice Building, 1215 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield |
| Unlawful detainer (eviction) | Justice Building |
| Small claims | Justice Building (or Small Claims Night Court on request) |
| Civil harassment and name changes | Justice Building |
| Divorce, custody, support, paternity, domestic violence, adoption | Justice Building, family law |
| Probate, guardianship, conservatorship | Juvenile Justice Center, 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield |
| Criminal | Metropolitan Division, 1415 Truxtun Avenue |
In a straight line from Woody's Census center point, the Justice Building is about 25.8 miles away and the Juvenile Justice Center about 24.1. The probate location comes from Local Rule 1.7.5(m), which puts probate and guardianship cases at 2100 College Avenue. The court's probate page adds conservatorships, minor's compromises where no civil case exists, and petitions to establish a fact of birth, marriage or death.
Not every hill community nearby files in Bakersfield
The venue table doesn't follow the map in an obvious way. Woody and Granite Station (93287) and Glennville (93226) are Metropolitan. But the same table sends Alta Sierra, Shirley Meadows, Wofford Heights and Keyesville (93285) and Lake Isabella (93240) to the Ridgecrest branch courthouse. A party at one of those addresses has a case in Ridgecrest, not Bakersfield.
Tulare County is close too. The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to county file places all of 93260, the ZIP Code for Posey, and all of 93207, for California Hot Springs, in Tulare County. A case keyed to one of those addresses belongs in Tulare County's court, not Kern's. Check the defendant's actual ZIP Code against the appendix before filing, and send us the address as it reads on the papers.
A large ZIP Code area with few people
The Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file shows how little of 93287 is in any named community:
- 93287 covers about 72 square miles of land.
- The Woody CDP takes up about 4 square miles, about 6% of it, and lies entirely inside 93287.
- A small part of the Glennville CDP, about 1%, is also in 93287.
- About 93% of the ZIP Code area is outside any city or CDP.
So most 93287 addresses are scattered rural parcels, not a town grid. A street address alone may not tell a server which driveway, gate or ranch road to take. Census ZIP Code areas approximate postal ZIP Codes, and the venue table follows the postal ZIP Code of the address.
Serving a rural Woody address
Our turnaround terms say remote areas are subject to different timelines, and a Woody parcel is a good example of why. The things that help most:
- A parcel number (APN) from the county assessor, along with the street address.
- Directions from the nearest named road, including which gate or turnoff to use and whether the road is paved or dirt.
- Gates, dogs and livestock. Say whether a gate is usually locked, and whether animals are loose on the property.
- The person's routine. Someone who works away from home may only be there early or late.
- A photo and vehicle description, so the server knows they have the right person at a remote place.
- Any second address in Bakersfield or elsewhere, which can be the better first attempt.
- Which dwelling, if the parcel has more than one home or a trailer, and who lives in each.
Substituted service has a rural catch. Under CCP § 415.20, if personal delivery fails after diligent attempts, papers can be left at a home, usual place of business or usual mailing address with a competent adult or the person in charge, then mailed, but a U.S. Postal Service post office box doesn't qualify. If the only address on file is a box, a skip trace can look for a physical one before the first trip.
From January 1, 2027, AB 747 changes how diligence is shown. Good-faith attempts at personal delivery on three different days at three different times will show reasonable diligence for substituted service (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). At a remote address those attempts take longer to schedule, so leave room in the calendar. Our AB 747 guide explains the change, and our proof of service guide shows what the server signs. We make no guarantees for service.
Limited, unlimited and the e-filing rule
The court's civil page sets the tiers: small claims up to $12,500 for a case brought by a natural person, limited civil up to $35,000, and unlimited civil above $35,000. Kern's Local Rule 1.7.5(b) keeps unlimited cases in the Metropolitan Division, which for Woody is where every civil case goes anyway. Rule 1.7.5(a) adds that limited civil and unlawful detainer appeals are heard in the Metropolitan Division as well, and that an appeal in any case type except small claims may be filed there.
Kern's Local Rule 1.10, revised July 1, 2026, makes e-filing mandatory for parties with counsel in limited and unlimited civil, family law, probate, parentage cases, CEQA, civil writs and unlawful detainers. Self-represented parties can still file on paper. Our Kern County court filing page explains how a filing can be added to a service on one request.
Papers to serve in Woody?
At the Justice Building
The court's page for the Justice Building lists hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Friday, with the main number (661) 610-6000. The building is on the southeast corner of Truxtun Avenue and L Street, and the page says to enter from the south side, where officers screen everyone with metal detectors.
The Friday cutoff matters for a deadline. A filing that has to be stamped at the counter on a Friday has to arrive before noon.
Help for self-represented Woody filers
For someone handling their own Woody case, the Justice Building is also where the court's free help is. The Self-Help Center on the first floor keeps the same hours as the clerk, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until noon on Friday. Its page lists help preparing guardianship petitions, divorce and parentage petitions, custody and support requests, default divorces and small claims.
Two other resources sit alongside it. The Kern County Law Library, (661) 610-6325, gives procedural help with civil harassment petitions and with starting or answering a civil case. The court's Landlord/Tenant Assistance Center, (661) 610-6299, takes calls from landlords and tenants on eviction procedure. None of these offices gives legal advice, and the court's page says staff may help the other side too.
Once the papers are prepared and filed, the service step is where we come in. Upload the filed copies so the case number and hearing date are on what the server delivers.
Small claims from Woody
Woody small claims are heard at the Justice Building unless the plaintiff asks for night court. The court's page lists three ways to file: e-filing through an approved provider, in person at the courthouse where the claim will be heard, or by mail, sending the original claim, one copy for each defendant and one for the plaintiff, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. A plaintiff who can't make a daytime hearing can ask the clerk for Small Claims Night Court at 3131 Arrow Street when filing. The court's Small Claims Advisor, at (661) 610-6518, explains the steps at no cost, first come, first served.
For service, the state court self-help page says the claim must reach the defendant at least 15 days before the court date, or 20 days if the defendant is in a different county from the court. A defendant over the line in Tulare County gets the longer window. The plaintiff can't serve the claim personally. Send us the filed claim and the date, and the server completes Proof of Service form SC-104.
Evictions and family cases
A Woody unlawful detainer is filed at the Justice Building. Send the filed summons and complaint, the notice that started the case, every adult occupant's name, and directions to the unit, especially if it's a second dwelling on a larger parcel. A tenant handed the papers in person has 10 court days to answer, according to the state court self-help page. Substituted service or posting gives more time, and posting needs a court order under CCP § 415.45.
Woody divorce, custody, support, paternity and domestic violence cases go to the family law side of the Justice Building. Once the petition or request for order is filed, send it with the hearing date and any temporary orders. A restraining order has to be handed to the restrained person, so the routine and vehicle details above matter even more.
Probate for Woody estates
Probate, guardianship and conservatorship cases from Woody are filed at the Juvenile Justice Center, 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield. The court's probate page lists (661) 610-6000, option 1 then option 5, for the probate clerk. When a petition needs notice to heirs or interested persons, send every name and address. Family members may live in Kern, Tulare or other counties, and each address may need a separate attempt.
Suing the county or a local district
Since Woody has no city, a claim against local government usually means the County of Kern or a special district. A public entity is served by delivering the papers to its clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or other head of its governing body (CCP § 416.50). A suit for money generally follows a written government claim presented to the entity first (Government Code § 945.4). Ask your attorney about the deadlines; this is general information, not legal advice.
What a Woody Service Request needs
- Attach up to 5 PDFs to the Service Request.
- Name each person or entity exactly as the papers do.
- Give the address, APN, directions, gate and animal details, and any second address.
- Choose Rush or Standard, and add a Bakersfield filing if you need one.
Get status updates by email, call 855-582-5776, or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com.
Near Woody
Glennville, also in the Metropolitan venue, is 5.7 miles away. Posey, 10 miles off, and California Hot Springs, 15.3, are in Tulare County. McFarland is 23.6 miles and Edison 25.1. Every place we serve in the county is on our Kern County page.