Morgan County Small Claims Court

Small Claims courts are also called Magistrate Courts in Morgan County. 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. The process is designed to be quick and inexpensive.

What are the procedures for filing a case?

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 describes the charges made against the defendant (the person or business that is being sued by the plaintiff). The sworn statement should include the following details:

Name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff (and attorney if the plaintiff has one)
Include the name and street address of the defendant (this is what the court will use 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)
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)

Can the Defendant File a Claim Against 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 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.

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 are able to file the case on your own completely without the assistance of 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.

How does the defendant learn of the case?

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

Types of Cases Filed in Morgan County Small Claims Court

Here are examples of cases that are often found in small claims court:

A tenant refuses to pay for damages which are more than the security deposit
Tenant fails to pay rent and landlord wants to evict tenant
Landlord fails to return the security deposit to the tenant
A merchant refuses to repair, replace, or refund faulty merchandise
A person who borrowed money refuses to return it
Dry cleaning business damages or loses items and refuses to pay for damage or loss

Unnecessary repairs or work done on a car by a mechanic

Is Morgan County the “proper” County for my case?

If you are suing a person, you must file the case in the County where they live. If the defendant lives in Morgan County, you can 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 Morgan County, file it here).
The plaintiff must also pay a filing fee. The filing fee includes the cost to serve one defenant. 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. This extra charge could be between $25 and $35.
The court clerk can direct you to the necessary forms and will check them for completeness once you have filled them out. However, the clerk is prohibited by law from giving legal advice. For example, a clerk could review your forms to make sure there is a signature where it is required but cannot tell you who you should name as a defendant. The clerk will also not be able to tell you whether he or she believes you will win your case.

When will my hearing date be?

The court will select a hearing date after the defendant files an answer to the claim. Hearing dates are usually 15 to 30 days after the date the answer was filed.

Morgan County Court Location

The magistrate court for Morgan County is located at:

P.O. Box 589

Madison, GA 30650

The court can be reached by telephone at: 706-342-3088 and fax at 706-343-6364. The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Connie J. Holt.

What is a default judgment and why is it bad?

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.”

Procedures for the Hearing

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 way for both parties to meet with an independent third party who can evaluate the case and try to reach a settlement that is agreeable to both parties. Even if the parties are agreeable to settling the case through mediation, a plaintiff may still ask the defendant to pay court costs. If mediation is not successful, 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 (or all parties) are done presenting evidence, the judge will issue a decision. 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 defendant the opportunity to put on evidence and issue a decision without the plaintiff present.
Postpone the case until a later date
The court can dismiss the case

If the defendant does not show at the hearing, the court has the power to grant a default judgment against the defendant. It is called a default judgment because the plaintiff wins the case by “default.” We recommend making sure you attend the hearing regardless of whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant (regardless of whether you think the case is good or bad).

Appealing a Judgment

If you are not happy with the court’s decision (and generally at least one party, sometimes both, are not satisfied with the judgment), the party may file an appeal (or ask a higher court to review the judgment). The appeal will be heard in the state or superior court of Morgan County. On the appeal, either party may request a jury trial (something you cannot have at the magistrate court level). The appeal needs to be filed within thirty days of the court’s decision.

How do I prepare for the hearing?

The following steps are recommended to prepare for the hearing:

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.
Speak with all witnesses you intend to call to support your case. You should confirm they are available and willing to appear on the hearing date.
If a witness will not agree to appear, you need to subpoena them. 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 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.