Wayne County Small Claims Court

Types of Cases Filed in Wayne 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
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
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

How does the defendant learn of the case?

After the case is filed the court clerk serves the defendant with a copy of the claim along with a summons. The defendant has 30 days to respond or answer the claim.

How can I file a claim?

The case begins with the plaintiff filing 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:

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)
Amount of money plaintiff is seeking (sometimes called damages)
Detail why the defendant is being sued (and why this defendant owes the money)
Copies of all documents relevant to the claims (Keep the originals for your hearing)

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 entered, the plaintiff is awarded the amount that was requested in the claim along with 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.”

Defendant’s Counterclaim

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. A defendant’s counterclaim is generally heard at the same time and date as the plaintiff’s original claim.

When will my hearing date be?

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

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.

Wayne County Court Location

The magistrate court for Wayne County is located at:

PO Box 27

Jesup, GA 31598

The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Gary D. Browning. The telephone number for the court is: 912-427-5960. The fax number is 912-427-5962.

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 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 the parties cannot agree to settle the case, the the court will hear arguments presented by the plaintiff and the defendant. The court will also allow the plaintiff and defendant to question or dispute each other’s evidence during the hearing. When all parties are finished presenting their evidence, the court will render a decision. The court may award damages to the plaintiff, defendant, both, or none of the parties depending on what the facts of the case warrant.
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
continue the case.
Dismiss the case

If the defendant fails to appear at the hearing, the court may grant a default judgment against the defendant. 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).

Is Wayne 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 Wayne County, you can file the case in this County. If the defendant is a corporation, the claim must be filed in the county of the registered agent for the company. 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 business you are suing is unincorporated, you should file the case in the County where the business is physically located.
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. 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. 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. The clerk will also not be able to tell you whether he or she believes you will win your case.

In Wayne 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.
The purpose of magistrate court is to resolve claims in an informal manner for any amount less than $15,000. They are designed to quickly and inexpensively settle the dispute.

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. For the appeal, either party may request a jury trial (remember you aren’t entitled to a jury trial in magistrate court). The appeal must be filed within thirty days of the court’s decision.

How should I prepare for the hearing?

We recommend taking the following steps to prepare for your hearing:

Ensure you have all copies of any documents you need for the case. You should make at least two additional sets of copies (one for the court and one for the other party).
Contact any witnesses you need to call to prove your case and confirm that they will appear on the hearing date
If a witness is not cooperative or is not willing to appear, 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.

You can obtain a subpoena from the Wayne County Clerk for the Magistrate Court.