Small Claims Court
Small claims court is a court where disputes are resolved in a quick, inexpensive manner. Anyone 18 years or older can file a claim in small claims court. The person who sues is called the plaintiff and the person who is being sued is called the defendant.
Different types of cases are settled in small claims court, such as car accidents, property damage, landlord/tenant rent deposit disputes, and collection of money owed.
Small claims court allows plaintiffs to ask for no more than $7,500 in a claim. Business and government entities cannot ask for more than $5,000. There is a filing fee based on the amount of your claim and how many claims you have filed in the past year.
If you have filed less than 12 claims in the past year: |
|
| Amount of your claim: | Filing Fee |
| $0 to $1,500.00 | $30.00 |
| $1,500.01 to $5,000.00 | $50.00 |
| $5,000.01 to $7,500.00 | $75.00 |
If you have filed more then 12 claims in the past year: |
|
| Amount of your claim: | Filing Fee |
| $0 to $1,500.00 | $100.00 |
| $1,500.01 to $5,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $5,000.01 to $7,500.00 | $100.00 |
You will go to court within 20 to 70 days after you file your claim. A lawyer cannot represent you in small claims court.
The judge will listen to both sides of the dispute during the hearing. The judge will then make a decision at the end of your hearing, or mail it to you at a later time.
If you are the one that filed the claim, you cannot appeal the judge's decision. You can only appeal the decision if you lost the case as the defendant. When the defendant appeals the case, you will have a new hearing and will need to bring your evidence and present your position again. However, you can have a lawyer present to represent you during the appeal.
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