Oglethorpe County Small Claims Court

Can I file my case in Oglethorpe County?

If you are suing a person, you must file the case in the County where they live. If the defendant lives in Oglethorpe 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 Oglethorpe County, file it here).
The plaintiff must also pay a filing fee. The filing fee includes the cost to serve one defenant. The filing fee varies by each county but is generally between $45 and $55. There is an extra charge for service for any additional defendants (if you are suing more than one person). The extra charge is usually between $25 to $35 and caries by county.
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. Also, the clerk will not be able to tell you if they think you will win.

Defendant’s Counterclaim

The defendant is able to sue 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. The counterclaim will likely be heard the same day as the plaintiff’s claim.

Can I hire an attorney for my Oglethorpe County Small Claims Court case?

We cannot tell you whether or not you should hire an attorney. However, you may hire an attorney if you wish, but are not required to do so. You are able to file the case on your own completely without the assistance of an attorney. These cases are tried and heard in front of a judge, without a jury (again, they are designed so a party does not need to retain an expensive attorney to represent them in a case). Mediation is a tool that is sometimes used to help resolve a case without a trial. Some counties offer this as a service, and some counties require a case be sent to mediation prior to it being heard at a trial.

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

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

Renter does not or will not ay for damages to rental property
Renter fails to pay rent or Owner seeks to evict renter
Renter moves out and Owner fails to return deposit
A Merchant fails to address issues with 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

Hearing Procedures and Mediation

In some counties, the court requires both parties to attempt to resolve the case through mediation before the court will hear the case (if 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 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.). 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:

Allow the defendant to present evidence and render a decision without hearing from plaintiff
The court can continue the case to 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.” The lesson to be learned is make sure you attent the hearing regardless of whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant.

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 is heard in the state or superior court of Oglethorpe County. Either party may request a jury trial for purposes of the appeal (something which is unavailable at the magistrate court level). The appeal must be filed within thirty days of the court’s decision.

Filing Procedures for Oglethorpe Small Claims Court cases

The case begins with the plaintiff filing 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. At a minimum, the sworn statement should include the following facts:

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)
Include the amount of money you are asking for as the plaintiff
Detail why the defendant is being sued (and why this 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)

What is a default judgment and why is it bad?

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 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 caim. Once defendant fails to respond, the defendant is in “default.”

In Oglethorpe County, small claims court is sometimes called magistrate court. If a dispute arises between parties that cannot be resolved, a party can file the matter in magistrate court.
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.

Preparing 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 is not cooperative or is not willing to appear, prepare a subpoena.
If in preparing your documents you find that you need additional documents, you can subpoena documents from other parties 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. A subpoena can be obtained from the clerk’s office.

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.

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.

Locations for Oglethorpe County Small Claims Court

The magistrate court for Oglethorpe County is located at:

P.O. Box 356

109 East Boggs Street

Lexington, GA 30648

The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Gail Smith. The telephone number for the court is: 706-743-8321. The fax number is 706-743-3177.