diff --git a/src/request-management/entities/db-service/blame-request.db.service.ts b/src/request-management/entities/db-service/blame-request.db.service.ts
index 3c5cccf..c5de222 100644
--- a/src/request-management/entities/db-service/blame-request.db.service.ts
+++ b/src/request-management/entities/db-service/blame-request.db.service.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ export class BlameRequestDbService {
     return this.blameRequestModel.findOne(filter);
   }
 
-  async findById(id: string | Types.ObjectId): Promise<BlameRequestDocument | null> {
+  async findById(
+    id: string | Types.ObjectId,
+  ): Promise<BlameRequestDocument | null> {
     return this.blameRequestModel.findById(id);
   }
 
@@ -72,5 +74,11 @@ export class BlameRequestDbService {
       : this.blameRequestModel.find(filter);
     return query.exec() as Promise<BlameRequestDocument[]>;
   }
-}
 
+  async deleteMany(
+    filter: FilterQuery<BlameRequest>,
+  ): Promise<{ deletedCount: number }> {
+    const result = await this.blameRequestModel.deleteMany(filter);
+    return { deletedCount: result.deletedCount };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/request-management/request-management.service.ts b/src/request-management/request-management.service.ts
index b5c58f1..235e9e2 100644
--- a/src/request-management/request-management.service.ts
+++ b/src/request-management/request-management.service.ts
@@ -4367,6 +4367,17 @@ export class RequestManagementService {
     // For IN_PERSON files the phone + userId are stored when verify-party-otp is called.
     const parties: any[] = [{ role: PartyRole.FIRST, person: {} }];
 
+    // Before creating, clean up any orphaned IN_PERSON shell from this expert
+    // that never had its first party OTP verified.
+    if (dto.creationMethod === CreationMethod.IN_PERSON) {
+      await this.blameRequestDbService.deleteMany({
+        initiatedByFieldExpertId: expertId,
+        creationMethod: CreationMethod.IN_PERSON,
+        "workflow.currentStep": firstStep.stepKey, // still at CREATED
+        "parties.0.person.userId": { $exists: false }, // no verified party yet
+      });
+    }
+
     const created = await this.blameRequestDbService.create({
       publicId,
       requestNo: publicId,