Lindsay Lohan Gets Served in Beverly Hills

A woman posing as an autograph-seeker surprises the actress with legal papers

Lindsay Lohan got a shock when a woman posing an as autograph-seeker instead served her with legal papers on Friday.

The actress was at the 21st Annual American Cinematheque Award Gala honoring George Clooney in Beverly Hills, when on her way out, she was met with the usual throng of fans and photographers – including a legal processor who was there to present Lohan with a subpoena.

“The processor ran up and acted like a fan. She handed her a pen and paper. The pen was a decoy to get her to think she was a fan who wanted an autograph,” an observer told PEOPLE on Monday. “When Lindsay took the papers, the processor said loudly, ‘You ve been served.'”

According to the observer, Lohan dropped the papers and attempted to catch up with the processor who left the scene immediately.

“Lohan kept saying ‘Wait, wait!’ and yelling after her, but the processor kept going. She never caught up with her,” said the observer.

Lohan was served with a subpoena to compel the actress to give a deposition in a fraud lawsuit against her mother, Dina Lohan, according to the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, Mitchell Chait and Antonio Almeida.

“Lindsay was served a deposition subpoena because she’s a witness in a case in which her mother is a defendant,” the attorney, Charles Coate, told PEOPLE.

Chait and Almeida allege in their lawsuit that Dina signed her daughter to a record deal with them, but did not comply with the contract.

“The plaintiffs are suing for compensatory and punitive damages for breach of contract fraud and the breach of fiduciary duties,” said Coate.

As for the method used to serve Lohan, Coate said, “I can’t comment on the method in which she was served, but we’re glad it was finally carried out. We had been trying unsuccessfully to serve Lindsay for some time, as her mother knows.”

Representatives for Lohan could not be reached for comment.