New York Summons in a Civil Case — 16 USC 1855(3)(A) is a document issued by the court to a defendant in a civil case. This document informs the defendant that they have been sued and must appear in court to answer the complaint. It contains the court's name, the case caption, the name of the plaintiff, the name of the defendant, the date of service, and a statement of the defendant's right to respond. There are two types of New York Summons in a Civil Case — 16 USC 1855(3)(A): Regular Summons and Special Summons. A Regular Summons requires the defendant to appear in court and answer the complaint within 20 days. A Special Summons requires the defendant to appear in court on a specified date and answer the complaint. Both types of summons must be served on the defendant by an authorized process server.