Microsoft Word - A Guide to Alabama Small Claims Courts

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Updated08/19/2015

AGuidetoAlabamaSmallClaimsCourts

Thisguideisdesignedtohelpanyonewhoissuingorbeingsuedinsmallclaimscourt.Thisguideanswers

questionspeoplefrequentlyask,anditdescribesproceduresusedinmostsmallclaimscourts.Checkwiththe

SmallClaimsCourtClerkinthecountywherethepersonorbusinessthatistobesuedlivesorhasanofficebefore

filingaclaimtoverifyfilingfeesandassociatedcourtcosts.Thelawprohibitssmallclaimsclerksfromgivinglegal

advice.Contactanattorneyforlegalassistance.

ClickheretoviewtheSmallClaimsCourtforms.

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BASIC CONS IDERATIONSANDQUESTIONS

WhatistheSmallClaimsCourt?

SmallClaimsCourtisadivisionoftheDistrictCourt

designedtosettledisputesbetweenindividualsaswell

asbusinesses.Themaximumamountanindividualor

otherentitymaysueorbesuedforis$6,000.

Proceduresaresimple,informalandinexpensive.There

arenojuriesand,partiescanrepresentthemselves.

ShouldYouFileaSmallClaimsCase?

Beforeanindividualorentityfilesaclaim,contactthe

personorbusinessthatistobesuedandattemptto

settlethedisputeoutofcourt.Thisattempt,if

successful,willsavetimeandmoney.

WhoCan FileorDefendaClaim?

Withcertainexceptions,anyonecansueorbesuedin

smallclaimscourt.Generally,allpartiescanrepresent

themselves.



Anindividualcansueanotherindividualorabusiness.A

business,inturn,cansueanindividualoranother

business.



Tofileordefendacaseinsmallclaimscourt,an

individualmus

tbe(a)atleast19yearsoldorlegally

emancipated,and(b)mentallycompetent.



IFYOU’RETHEPLAINTIFF…

HaveYouAskedfor theMoneyorthe

Property?



Beforeasuitisfiled insmallclaimscourt,attemptto

contactthedefendantandaskforthemoneyand/or

propertyinwriting.Alwayskeepcopiesofanyletters

andotherwrittencommunications.Sendwritten

communicationsbymail,andaskthepostofficefora

returnreceiptthatcanbekeptasevidenceofservice.

WhereDo YouFile?

AcasemustbefiledintheSmallClaimsDivisionofthe

DistrictCourtinthecountyinwhichthedefendantlives

orhasanoffice.FileaStatementofClaim(Complaint)

formwiththeClerk.Afilingfeemustbepaidatthe

timeoffiling.ContacttheClerkfortheamountofthe

filingfee.AnAffidavitofSubstantialHardshipmaybe

filedtoaskthejudgetodelaypayment.

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Updated08/19/2015

IFYOU’RETHEDEFENDANT…

WhatShouldYouDoAfter YouReceive

theStatementofClaim(Complaint)?



After asuitisfiledinsmallclaimscourt,attemptto

contacttheplaintiffandsettletheclaimbeforethetrial

date.Allsettlementagreementsshouldbeinwriting.If

unabletoresolvethematterdirectlywiththeplaintiff,

filetheAnswerwithin14daysafterbeingservedwith

theComplaint.Plantoappearatthedate,time,and

placesetforthehearing.

WhatifYouOweAll orPartofthe

Plaintiff'sClaim?



Attempttowritetheplaintiffbeforethehearing.Offer

topaytheamountinweeklyormonthlypayments.

Next,asktheplaintifftodismissthecasewithout

prejudice(withtheresultthattheplaintiffcanre‐file

theclaimifthemoneyisnotpaid),andwriteouta

settlementagreementwithth

eplaintiff.

WhatIfthePlaintiffOwesYOUMoney?



Ifthedefendant believes theplaintiffhascausedinjury

oroweshim/hermoneyforanyreason,aCounterclaim

canbefiledagainsttheplaintiffinthesamesmall

claimscourtaction.Ifaclaimisfiledagainstthe

plaintiff,thesamebasicrulesandproceduresgenerally

apply.

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PLAINTIFFSANDDEFENDANTS:PREPARINGFORT RIAL

GatherDocuments

Gatherallpapersanddocuments(e.g.,bills,receipts,

photographs,letters,contracts,etc.)whichsupportthe

claim.Writedownthedetailsandfactsofthecaseto

assistinsupportingtheclaim.

ArrangeWitnesses

Anyonewithfirst‐handknowledgeoftheclaim maybe

ofhelp.Ifthereisanyreasontobelieveawitnesswill

notvoluntarilyappear,asktheclerktoissuea

Subpoena(OrdertoAppear).Awitnesssubpoenafeeis

required.

WhatShouldbeDoneifaSettlementis

ReachedBeforeTrial?

Bothsidesareencouragedtosettletheclaimpriorto

trial.Anysuchagreementshouldbeinwritingand

shouldincludewhoistopaycourtcosts.Ifthe

defendantdoesnotagreetopaythecourtcostsaspart

ofthesettlementoftheclaim,theplaintiffis

responsible.REMEMBER:Ifasettlementisacce

pted

beforetrial,theplaintiffmustnotifytheclerk,in

writing,thatthecaseistobedroppedbecauseithas

beensettled.

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Updated08/19/2015

WHATHAPPENSATTRIAL

BeOn Time

TheJudgemaydismissthe caseorenteradefault

judgmentifeitherpartyislate.Ifsomethingcomesup

whichwouldpreventeitherpartyfrombeingontimeor

appearingatthetrial,thepartyMUSTinformheclerk

assoonaspossibleandrequestacontinuance(delay)

beforethedateofth

etrial.

PresentingtheClaimorDefense

Whenthejudgeisreadytohearthecase,theclerkor

judgewillcallthenamesofallplaintiffsanddefendants

inthecase.Theplaintiff,defendant,andanywitnesses,

shouldthengoforwardtothetableinfrontofthe

judge.Theplaintiffwillpresentevidenceandwitnesses

first,andth

enthedefendantwillpresentevidenceand

witnesses.

Judgment

Afterhearingbothsidesofthecaseandlookingatthe

evidence,thejudgewillmakeadecisionandrendera

judgmentbasedonthelawandthefactspresented.

DefaultJudgment

Sometimes,oneofthepartiesdoesn'tcometothe

smallclaimshearing.Ifthedefendantdoesn'tappear,

thejudgewillconsidertheplaintiff'sevidenceand

decidethecase,evenifthedefendantisabsent.If

sufficientevidenceisprovided,thejudgemayaward

theplaintiffsomeoralloftheamountclai

med,and

possiblyalsocourtcostsandinterest.



Iftheplaintiffdoesn'tappearatthehearing,thecourt

maydismissthecase.



AFTERTHETRIAL

WhatCanYouDoifYouDisagreewith

theCourt’sJudgment?

Ifeitherpartydisagreeswiththedecision,aNoticeof

AppealformcanbefiledwiththeClerkoftheSmall

ClaimsCourtwithin14daysafterthedatethejudgment

isentered.



TheappealwillbeheardintheCircuitCourt.Theparty

filingtheappealmustbepreparedtopayafilingfee

andpostabondtocoveranyunpaidcourtcosts.

CollectingtheJudgment

Itisuptotheplaintifftocollectthe

udgmentifthe

defendantdoesnotpay.Thefollowingactionscanbe

takenbytheplaintiff:

• Execution–Obtainacourtorderauthorizing

thesherifftopickupanypropertybelongingto

thedefendantandsellittosatisfythe

judgment;or,

• Garnishment–Obtainacourtordertogar

nish

(withhold)thewagesofthedefendantto

satisfythejudgment.

Bothoftheseactionsrequireanadditionalfilingfee.

Afterthe Judgment is Paid

Afterthe

udgmentdebt hasbeenpaidinfull, a

SatisfactionofJudgmentshouldbefiledwiththeSmall

ClaimsCourt.

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Updated08/19/2015

Definitions

Appeal‐Newhearing ofalloftheclaimsbyadifferentjudgeofahighercourt.

Defendant‐Thepersonorbusinessagainstwhomaclaimisfiled.

Defendant’sAnswer‐Thelegalpaperfiledbythedefendantadmittingordenyingallorpartofthe

plaintiff’sclaim.

Defendant’sCounterclaim–Thelegalpap

erfiledbythedefendanttellingtheCourtandPlaintiffabout

aclaimhe/shehasagainstplaintiff.

Execution–Acourtorderauthorizingthesherifftopickupanypropertybelongingtotheotherparty,

andtosellittosatisfythejudgment.

Garnishment‐Acourtorderwithholdingtheotherparty'swagestopayaju

dgment.

Judgment–AfinaldeterminationbytheCourtoftherightandclaimsofthepartiesinanaction.

Party‐Apersonnamedasaplaintifforadefendantinasmallclaimscourtaction(maybeanatural

person,orafictitiouslegalentitysuchasacorporati

onorlimitedliabilitycompany).

Plaintiff‐Thepersonwhofilesaclaimagainstanotherpersonorbusiness.

Settlement‐Anagreementreachedbythepartiestoadispute—ofteninvolvingacompro miseofone

ormoreclaims—thatresolvesthedispute.Ittypicallystatestheterms(i

ncludingtotalamountand

paymentdates)towhichthepartieshaveagreed.

StatementofClaim(Complaint)– Thelegalpaperfiledbytheplaintiffbrieflydescribingtheclaim

againstthedefendant.

Subpoena‐Acourtorderthatrequiresanamedpersontocometocourttotestifyasawitness.



DISCLAIMER:

Thecontentinthisguideisofferedonlyasapublicservicetothewebcommunityanddoesnotconstitutesolicitationor

provisionoflegaladvice.Thisinformationshouldnotbeusedasasubstituteforobtaininglegaladvicefromanattorney

licensedorauthorizedtopracticeinAlabama.Consultasuitablyqualifiedattorneyregardinganyspecificlegalproblemor

matter.