Upson County Small Claims Court

How Much Time Does a Defendant Have 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.

Procedures for the Hearing

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 mediation is successful, a plaintiff can still seek to recover court costs. If the parties cannot agree to settle the case, the the court will hear arguments presented by the plaintiff and the defendant. The court takes in evidence and provides for all parties for an opportunity to present their case. When both (or all parties) are done presenting evidence, the judge will issue a decision. The court could award damages to the plaintiff, the defendant, or both depending on the merits of the case.
If the plaintiff fails to appear at the hearing, the court may:

allow defendant the opportunity to put on evidence and issue a decision without the plaintiff present.
The court can continue the case to 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.” 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).

Upson 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.
Small Claims courts handle cases where the amount in dispute is less than $15,000.00. They are designed to quickly and inexpensively settle the dispute.

How can I file a claim?

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 usually include the following:

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)
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)

Can I file my case in Upson County?

If the defendant is a person, the case must be filed in the County where they live. If you are suing a corporation, you must file your case in the County where the registered agent for service of process is located. (Contact the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State either online or at 404-656-2817 to find out if a business is a corproation and the name and address of the registered agent). If you are suing an unincorporated business, you must file the case where the business is physically located. If the business is in Upson County, you can file 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. There is an extra charge for service for any additional defendants (if you are suing more than one person). This extra charge could be between $25 and $35.
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. Also, the clerk will not be able to tell you if they think you will win.

Locations for Upson County Small Claims Court

The Upson County magistrate court is located at:

P.O. Box 890

Thomaston, GA 30286

The court can be reached by telephone at: 706-647-6891 and fax at 706-647-1248. The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Danny C. Bentley.

Can I hire an attorney for my Upson 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.

Types of Cases Filed in Upson 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
Renter fails to pay rent or Owner seeks to evict renter
Tenant moves out and landlord refuses to return security deposit
Failure of a merchant to deal with faulty merchandise
A person who borrowed money refuses to return it
A dry cleaner will not pay for clothing which was damaged or lost
Unnecessary repairs or work done on a car by a mechanic

What’s a default judgment?

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 entered, the plaintiff is awarded the amount that was requested in the claim along with court costs. An additional hearing by the court will be necessary if the plaintiff asked for something that does not have a specific dollar amount. The defendant has only thirty days to respond to the caim. If the defendant fails to respond, the defendant is in default.

How do I appeal 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 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.

Hearing Date for my Small Claims Case

The court selects the hearing date after the defendant responds to the claim in Upson County. The date for the hearing is generally 15 to 30 days after the defendant files his or her answer.

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 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.

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.
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 will not agree to appear, you need to subpoena them.
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.