N.H. Cir. Ct. Dist. Div. R. 5.9

A. The Landlord and Tenant Writ shall incorporate or have attached to it the following notice:

If you desire to be heard on the matters raised in these papers, you must notify the Court by filing an appearance form with the Clerk of Court on or before the date specified on this writ next to the words "RETURN DAY". (These forms are available at the Clerk's Office.) Once you have filed your appearance, a date for a hearing will be set by the court and you will be notified by mail. You do not have to physically appear in court on the RETURN DAY since there will be no hearing on that day. If the landlord claims unpaid rent and if you file a claim or counterclaim which offsets or reduces the amount owed to the landlord, you must file the claim or counterclaim on or before the RETURN DAY shown on this Landlord and Tenant Writ. Space is provided on the appearance form for making the claim or counterclaim. IF YOU DO NOT FILE AN APPEARANCE FORM, IT WILL BE ASSUMED YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTEST THE ACTION, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT WILL BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU, WHICH MAY INCLUDE ANY UNPAID RENT CLAIMED BY THE LANDLORD, AND A WRIT OF POSSESSION MAY ISSUE.

B. Whenever the defendant does not file an appearance on or before the return day, the Clerk’s notice of default shall include the language set forth in Rule 5.4. Whenever the defendant fails to appear for trial, the Clerk’s notice of default shall include the language set forth in Rule 5.7(A)(1).