Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court , Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court

Table of Contents......Page 10
Introduction......Page 16
A. First Things......Page 20
B. Checklist of Things to Think About Before Initiating or Defending Your Case......Page 22
C. Legal Jargon Defined......Page 25
D. Legal Research......Page 30
2. Do You Have a Good Case?......Page 34
A. Stating Your Legal Claim in Court Papers......Page 35
B. But Is My Case Really Any Good?......Page 36
C. How to Approach a Breach of Contract Case......Page 39
D. How to Approach a Breach of Warranty Case......Page 47
E. How to Approach a Case When Your Property Has Been Damaged by the Negligent or Intentional Acts of Someone Else......Page 50
F. How to Approach a Personal Injury (and Mental Distress) Case......Page 53
G. How to Approach a Case When You Are Injured by a Defective Product (Doctrine of Strict Liablility)......Page 55
H. How to Approach a Case When Your Rights Under State Law Have Been Breached......Page 56
I. Professional Malpractice......Page 57
J. How to Prove a Nuisance Case......Page 58
3. Can You Recover If You Win?......Page 60
4. How Much Can You Sue For?......Page 64
B. Splitting Small Claims Court Cases......Page 65
C. How to Compute the Exact Amount of Your Claim......Page 67
D. Computing an Exact Amount—Malpractice Cases......Page 77
E. Equitable Relief (Or, Money Can’t Always Solve the Problem)......Page 78
5. Is the Suit Brought Within the Proper Time Limits (Statute of Limitations)?......Page 80
A. Statute of Limitations Periods......Page 81
B. Computing the Statute of Limitations......Page 84
C. Defendant Should Tell the Judge If the Statute of Limitations Has Run Out......Page 86
6. How to Settle Your Dispute......Page 88
A. Write a Formal “Demand” Letter......Page 89
B. Try to Negotiate a Settlement......Page 97
C. Write Down the Terms of Any Settlement......Page 98
D. Bring in a Mediator......Page 105
7. Who Can Sue?......Page 110
A. Participation by Attorneys and Bill Collectors......Page 112
C. Class Actions (Group Lawsuits)......Page 115
E. Business Owners Who File Claims Do Not Always Have to Personally Appear in Court......Page 116
8. Who Can Be Sued?......Page 118
B. Suing Two or More People......Page 119
C. Suing an Individually Owned Business......Page 120
D. Suing Partnerships......Page 121
E. Suing a Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC)......Page 122
G. Special Procedures for Suits Against Minors......Page 123
H. Special Rules for Suits Against Government Agencies......Page 124
I. Special Procedures for Suits Against the Estates of Deceased People......Page 125
9. Where Can You Sue?......Page 126
A. When the Defendant Is Out of State......Page 127
B. When the Defendant Is in Your State......Page 128
A. How Much Does It Cost?......Page 134
B. Filling Out Your Court Papers and Getting Your Court Date......Page 135
C. The Defendant’s Forms......Page 138
E. Changing a Court Date......Page 141
F. If One Party Doesn’t Show Up......Page 143
11. Serving Your Papers......Page 148
C. How to Serve Papers on an Individual......Page 149
D. How to Serve Papers on a Business......Page 153
F. Notify the Court That Service Has Been Accomplished (“Proof of Service”)......Page 154
H. How to Serve a Claim of Defendant......Page 156
I. How to Serve Papers on Someone in the Military—Declaration of Nonmilitary Service......Page 157
K. Time Limits in Which Papers Must Be Served......Page 158
12. The Defendant’s Options......Page 160
A. Claim Improper Service or Another Technical Defense......Page 161
B. You Have a Partial Defense—Try to Compromise......Page 162
D. You Want to Avoid Conflict—Try to Mediate......Page 163
E. Have Your Case Transferred to a Formal Court......Page 164
F. Fight Back......Page 165
G. You, Not the Plaintiff, Were Wronged—File a “Claim of Defendant”......Page 167
13. Getting Ready for Court......Page 168
A. Interpreter Services......Page 169
C. Private Lawyers......Page 170
D. Mediation and Arbitration......Page 171
F. Court Times......Page 172
G. Understanding the Courtroom and Basic Procedure......Page 173
H. Dealing With Your Opponent......Page 174
I. Dealing With the Judge or Commissioner......Page 175
J. Organizing Your Testimony and Evidence......Page 177
14. Eye and Expert Witnesses......Page 180
B. Subpoenaing Police Officers......Page 183
C. Subpoenaing Documents......Page 185
D. Written Evidence......Page 188
E. Judges as Witnesses......Page 191
F. Testimony by Telephone......Page 192
A. Uncontested Cases—Getting a Judgment by Default......Page 194
B. Contested Cases......Page 195
C. Don’t Forget to Ask for Your Costs......Page 202
16. Motor Vehicle Repair Cases......Page 204
B. Can I Prove the Defendant’s Negligence Caused My Loss?......Page 205
A. New Vehicles......Page 212
B. Used Vehicle Dealers......Page 217
C. Used Vehicles From Private Parties......Page 220
A. Small Claims Court Is a Good Place to Sue on Bad Debts......Page 224
B. Bad Debt Cases From the Plaintiff’s Point of View......Page 226
C. Debt Cases From the Debtor’s Point of View......Page 231
19. Vehicle Accident Cases......Page 236
B. Was There a Witness to the Accident?......Page 237
D. Determining Fault......Page 238
E. Diagrams......Page 239
G. Estimates......Page 240
H. Your Demand Letter......Page 241
I. Appearing in Court......Page 242
20. Landlord-Tenant Cases......Page 244
A. Security Deposit Cases......Page 245
B. Unpaid Rent, Rent Withholding and Other Money Damage Cases......Page 253
C. Obnoxious Behavior......Page 258
D. The Landlord’s Right of Entry and the Tenant’s Right of Privacy......Page 259
E. Evictions......Page 261
F. Discrimination......Page 262
A. Clothing (Alteration and Cleaning)......Page 264
B. Dog-Related Cases......Page 266
C. Damage to Real Property (Land, Buildings and So On)......Page 267
D. Police Brutality/False Arrest Cases......Page 269
F. Suits Against Airlines or Hotels......Page 270
22. Disputes Between Small Businesses......Page 272
B. Try Negotiation and Mediation Before Suing......Page 274
C. Organizing Your Case......Page 276
D. The Drama of the Distraught Designer......Page 280
E. Old Friends Fall Out......Page 283
A. The Judgment......Page 288
B. Time Payments......Page 289
D. The Satisfaction of Judgment......Page 292
E. The Appeal......Page 295
F. Filing Your Appeal......Page 298
G. Arguing Your Appeal Without a Lawyer......Page 299
H. Further Appeals......Page 300
24. Collecting Your Money......Page 302
A. The Timing of Collecting Your Money......Page 303
B. Finding the Debtor’s Assets......Page 306
C. Creating Property Liens......Page 307
D. Levying on Wages, Bank Accounts, Business Assets, Real Property and So On......Page 308
F. Renew Your Judgment......Page 316
25. Where Do We Go From Here?......Page 320
Appendix Small Claims Court Rules for the 50 States (and the District of Columbia)......Page 326
Related Products......Page 370