Chatham County Small Claims Court

Chatham County Small Claims Court

Can the Defendant sue the Plaintiff?

Yes. This is called a counterclaim. The defendant can file this against the plaintiff’s original claim if it is related to the initial claim and the amount asked for by the defendant is les than $15,000. A defendant’s counterclaim is generally heard at the same time and date as the plaintiff’s original claim.

Which County do I file my case in?

The case must be filed in the County where the defendant (or the person you are suing) lives. If the defendant lives in Chatham County, you may file the case in this County. If you are suing a corporation, you must file your case in the County where the registered agent for service of process is located. In order to find the registered agent for service of process, contact the contact the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State either online or at 404-656-2817. If the defendant is an unincorporated business (fancy for is not a corporation), file the case in the county where the business is physically located (ie. if the business is located in Chatham County, file it here).
The plaintiff must also pay a filing fee. This filing fee includes the cost for the clerk to serve one defendant. The actual filing fee varies amongst counties but is usually between $45 and $55. If an additional defendant is named in the action, there is an extra charge for serving the additional party. The extra charge could is usually between $25-$35 (to serve the added party).
The Clerk for the Magistrate Court can direct you to the necessary forms (and review them for completeness) but is prohibited by law from giving legal advice. A clerk would be able to review your forms to make sure there is a signature in the appropriate blanks but will not be able to tell you which party you should sue. Additionally, the clerk will not be able to tell you if they think you will win your case (so don’t bother asking).

Defendant’s Time to Answer

After the plaintiff files the claim, the magistrate court will serve the defendant with a copy of the claim (including the sworn statement) and a summons (with the date and time of the hearng) to appear in court. After that, the defendant has thirty days to respond or answer the claim.

Filing Procedures for Chatham Small Claims Court cases

The plaintiff (or person filing the action) needs to file a sworn statement with the magistrate court clerk in the proper county. A sworn statement states the claims made against the defendant and includes the facts giving rise to the claim. The sworn statement should include the following details:

• The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff (and attorney if there is one)(Make sure this is correct as this is how the court will contact you if there are any issues)
• Name and street address of the defendant (this is what the court uses to serve the defendant)
• Include the amount of money you are asking for as the plaintiff
• Brief, succint statement detailing why the defendant is being sued (include dates of all relevant events)
• Include copies of all documents relevant to the claim (perhaps a contract for the purchase of a product, or lease)(Keep the originals with you for when you appear at the court trial)

Chatham County Small Claim courts may also be referred to as Magistrate Courts. These courts are used to resolve disputes if the parties are unable to resolve the dispute.
The purpose of magistrate court is to resolve claims in an informal manner for any amount less than $15,000. Because of this, the disputes in this court are handled quickly and inexpensively.

Can I hire an attorney?

In County cases, you may hire an attorney to represent you but are not required to do so. You can file the case on your own (without retaining an attorney). Small Claims court judges are heard and decided without a jury. Some courts utilize mediation as a tool to resolve a case without the time and expense of a trial. Some counties will even require a case to attempt to be settled at mediation prior to it being set for trial.

Which Types of Cases are Usually filed in Chatham County Small Claims Court?

Here are some examples of common case types which are filed in Chatham County Small Claims court:

• A tenant refuses to pay for damages which are more than the security deposit
• A landlord wants to evict a tenant for failure to pay rent
• Landlord fails to return the security deposit to the tenant
• Failure of a merchant to deal with faulty merchandise
• Borrower refuses to make payments on a loan
• Business loses or damages personal property and refuses to pay
• Automobile shop conducts unnecessary repairs or work on your car

What are the hearing procedures?

Some counties require the parties to attempt to resolve the case through mediation before the court hears the case (assuming the mediation is unsuccessful). Mediation is a dispute resolution tool designed to try and resolve the case by meeting with an independent third party who can evaluate the case and try to reach a settlement that is agreeable to all parties. Even if mediation is successful, a plaintiff can still seek to recover court costs. In the event the mediation does not resolve the claim, the case will proceed to the hearing. The court will also allow the plaintiff and defendant to question or dispute each other’s evidence during the hearing. When both parties are done, the judge will issue a decision (or judgment). The judge may award damages to the plaintiff, defendant, or both depending on the facts of the case.
The court has several options if the plaintiff does not appear at the hearing:

• The court can allow defendant to put on his or her evidence and then issue a decision without hearing from the plaintiff.
• Postpone the case until a later date
• dismiss the case.

If the defendant does not show at the hearing, the court has the authority to grant a default judgment against the defendant. The name comes from the fact that because the defendant does not show, the plaintiff wins the case by “default.” It is strongly recommended you attend the hearing whether you are the plaintiff or defendant (regardless of whether you believe the case to be strong or weak).

Chatham County Court Location

The magistrate court for Chatham County is located at:

133 Montgomery Street

Room 300

Savannah, GA 31401

The court can be reached by telephone at: 912-652-7187 and fax at 912-652-7195. The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Mary Kathryn Moss.

How do I pick a hearing date?

In Chatham County, the court selects the hearing date after the defendant responds to the claim. Hearing dates are usually 15 to 30 days after the date the answer was filed.

Preparing for the Hearing

Prior to the hearing you should:

• Make sure you have copies of all the documents you need for your case. Prepare copies to provide to the opposing party and the court.
• Communicate with any witnesses you intend to call to prove your case. Confirm they are available on the day of the hearing.
• If a witness is not cooperative or is not willing to appear, prepare a subpoena.

Similarly, if you need additional documents that are not in your possession, you can issue a subpoena for the documents as well.

• A subpoena is a command from the court for a person or documents to appear at a certain time and date to give testimony or produce evidence. You can obtain a subpoena from the Chatham County Clerk for the Magistrate Court.
  

  Appealing a Judgment

  A party that is not satisfied with the judge’s decision can file an appeal of that judgment. The appeal will be heard in the state or superior court of Chatham County. On the appeal, either party may request a jury trial (something you cannot have at the magistrate court level). Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the judge’s decision.

  Default Judgments

  When a defendant fails to appear at the hearing or respond to the claim, the court can grant a default judgment. If a default judgment is granted, the plaintiff is entitled to what he or she asked for in the action and court costs. If the plaintiff asks for damages that are not measured in money (like specific property), the court will likely conduct an additional hearing to place a dollar amount on the value of the property (or item being asked for). The defendant has only thirty days to respond to the claim. Once this time period passes, the defendant is in “default.”