I was summoned by a court 3 hrs away and I need to answer, do i need to answer now or can i request a transfer of venue and wait to answer?

Question

I was summoned by a court 3 hrs away and I need to answer, do i need to answer now or can i request a transfer of venue and wait to answer?

Answer

You must answer now or you may be defaulted which means that you lose immediately. So, it's best to file your answer and then request your reasons for change of venue. Distance isn't necessarily a ground for determining proper venue.