Chattooga County Small Claims Court

How do I appeal a judgment?

If a party is not satisfied with the court’s decision, that party may file an appeal. The appeal will be heard by either the state or superior court in the county. On the appeal, either party may request a jury trial (something you cannot have at the magistrate court level). The appeal must be filed within thirty days of the court’s decision.

Which County do I file my case in?

If you are suing a person, you must file the case in the County where they live. If the defendant lives in Chattooga County, you can file the case in this County. If the person you are suing is a corporation, the case must be filed in the County where the registered agent for service of process is located. To find the registered agent, contact the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State either online or at 404-656-2817. If the business you are suing is unincorporated, you should file the case in the County where the business is physically located.
Plaintiff has to also pay a filing fee which is submitted with the initial paperwork. 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 is usually between $25 to $35 and caries by county.
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. For example, the court clerk would be able to review your completed forms to make sure your signature is in the appropriate blanks but is not able to tell you which defendant you should sue. The clerk will also not be able to tell you whether he or she believes you will win your case.

Defendant’s Time to Answer

After the case is filed the court clerk serves the defendant with a copy of the claim along with a summons. After that, the defendant has thirty days to respond or answer the claim.

How do I pick a hearing date?

In Chattooga 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.

In Chattooga County, small claims court is sometimes called magistrate court. These courts are used to resolve disputes if the parties are unable to resolve the dispute.
Small Claims courts handle cases where the amount in dispute is less than $15,000.00. The process is designed to be quick and inexpensive.

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

These are some examples of the types of cases that are filed in magistrate court:

Renter does not or will not ay for damages to rental property
A landlord wants to evict a tenant for failure to pay rent
Tenant moves out and landlord refuses to return security deposit
A merchant refuses to repair, replace, or refund faulty merchandise
A person who borrowed money refuses to return it
Business loses or damages personal property and refuses to pay
Unnecessary repairs or work done on a car by a mechanic

Default Judgments

If the defendant fails to answer the claim or appear at the hearing, the judge can issue a default judgment without hearing from defendant. If a default judgment is entered, the plaintiff is awarded the amount that was requested in the claim along with court costs. If the plaintiff is asking for non-monetary damages (like property), the court has to conduct a separate hearing to determine the dollar amount of the damages. The defendant has a 30 day window to respond to plaintiff’s claim. Once this time period passes, the defendant is in “default.”

Hearing Procedures and Mediation

Some counties require you to go to mediation before a hearing in front of a judge. 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 the parties agree to settle the case out of court, the plaintiff may still ask the defendant to pay court costs (costs for filing the case, serving defendants, any subpoenas issues, etc.). If the parties cannot agree to settle the case, the the court will hear arguments presented by the plaintiff and the defendant. The court will hear evidence and provide an opportunity for both the plaintiff and the defendant to introduce their evidence (and allow each side to comment on the evidence introduced by the other party). 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.
If the plaintiff does not appear at the hearing, the court may do any of the following:

Allow the defendant to present evidence and render a decision without hearing from plaintiff
Postpone the case until a later date
dismiss the case.

If the defendant fails to appear at the hearing, the court may grant a default judgment against the defendant. The lesson to be learned is make sure you attent the hearing regardless of whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant.

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.
Contact any witnesses you need to call to prove your case and confirm that they will appear on the hearing date
If you need to bring in a witness to prove your case and the witness is not being cooperative with you, prepare a subpoena.
If you need additional documents for your case, you can issue a subpoena for those documents to obtain documents from other parties.
A subpoena is a documnt which can be completed by you and issued by the court which commands a person to appear in court and may require them to bring certain documents to court as well.

A subpoena can be obtained from the clerk’s office of the Magistrate Court for Chattooga County.

Do I need to 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). All cases are tried and heard before a judge, without a jury. You should remember that the procedures and rules for small claims court cases are designed so that a party should not need to have to retain an expensive attorney in order for their case to be effectively presented. Sometimes, mediation is recommended or required before the judge will hear the case.

Locations for Chattooga County Small Claims Court

The Chattooga County magistrate court is located at:

120 Cox Street

Summerville, GA 30747

The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Tracy L. Maddux. The telephone number for the court is: 706-857-0711. The fax number is 706-857-0675.

Can the Defendant sue the Plaintiff?

The defendant is able to issue a claim against the plaintiff. This is called a counterclaim. The defendant can file this against the plaintiff’s original claim if the defendant’s claim is related to the plaintiff’s initial claim and the amount asked for by the defendant is less than $15,000. The counterclaim will likely be heard the same day as the plaintiff’s claim.

Filing Procedures for Chattooga 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. The sworn statement simply spells out the claims made against the defenant and includes the facts on which the claim is based. The sworn statement should include the following details:

Name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff (and attorney if the plaintiff has one)
Name and street address of the defendant (this is what the court uses to serve the defendant)
The amount of money the plaintiff is requesting
Explain why the defendant is being sued (and why the defendant owes the money)
Copies of all relevant documents regarding the claim (for example, any contracts, receipts, etc.)