Orange County Small Claims Court

Orange County Small Claims Court

Am I eligible to sue in small claims court?

Small clams court is open to any party who is a person 18 years of age or older. If someone is younger than 18, a parent or legal guardian is able to bring an action on behalf of the minor. Corporations, partnerships, and other corporate entities must bring their action in Commercial Claims Court and are not able to act as plaintiffs in small claims court. These corporate entities are able to be sued in small claims court. When a business, corporation, or other entity is sued, the entity is able to authorize a person (usually an employee, director, or attorney) to appear on its behalf.

Are there appeals in small claims court cases?

The window for filing an appeal is thirty days from the judgment (or thirty-five if you received the judgment in the mail). There are fees for filing a notice of appeal as well as additional costs for purchasing a transcript (if a court reporter was present). The small claims court clerk has specific information regarding fees associated with appeals. Remember, an appellate court will only overturn a judgment if the ruling is “clearly erroneous.” Some parties benefit from consulting with an attorney prior to filing an appeal (to determine if it is even worthwhile).

What about a jury trial for a small claims court case in Orange County?

Only a defendant can make the request for a jury trial. The demand must be made prior to the hearing. (The reason a plaintiff cannot demand a jury trial is because if the plaintiff files the case in small claims court the court deems the plaintiff consenting to have factual issues determined by the judge and not a jury, otherwise the case would be filed in the regular civil part). An affidavit (sworn statement) has to be filed which identifies the factual issues a jury is needed to hear. The judge can either transfer the case to the regular civil part of the court (where regular evidentiary rules apply) or remain in small claims court. If the case remains in small claims court, only six jurors are used.

Where are the Small Claims Courts located in Orange County?

Each town and village has its own court to handle cases from there. In Orange County, there are [COURTSNUM] separate courts for the following villages or towns:Blooming Grove Town, Chester Town, Chester Village, Cornwall Town, Crawford Town, Deerpark Town, Florida Village, Goshen Town, Goshen Village, Greenville Town, Greenwood Lake Village, Hamptonburgh Town, Harriman Village, Highlands Town, Maybrook Village, Minisink Town, Monroe Town, Monroe Village, Montgomery Town, Montgomery Village, Mount Hope Town, New Windsor Town, Newburgh Town, Otisville Village, Tuxedo Park Village, Tuxedo Town, Unionville Village, Walden Village, Wallkill Town, Warwick Town, Warwick Village, Washingtonville Village, Wawayanda Town, and Woodbury Town.

The small claims court locations are:

Blooming Grove Town Court

Route 94 & Horton Road
PO Box 358
Blooming Grove, NY 10914

Chester Town Court

1786 Kings Highway
Chester, NY 10918

Chester Village Court

47 Main Street
Chester, NY 10918

Cornwall Town Court

183 Main Street
Cornwall, NY 12518

Crawford Town Court

121 State Route 302
Pine Bush, NY 12566

Deerpark Town Court

420 Route 209
Drawer A
Huguenot, NY 12746

Florida Village Court

33 South Main Street
PO Box 643
Florida, NY 10921

Goshen Town Court

41 Webster Avenue
P.O. Box 667
Goshen, NY 10924

Goshen Village Court

276 Main Street
Village Hall
Goshen, NY 10924

Greenville Town Court

1537 Us Highway 6
Port Jervis, NY 12771

Greenwood Lake Village Court

PO Box 1705
Greenwood Lake, NY 10925

Hamptonburgh Town Court

18 Bull Road
Campbell Hall, NY 10916

Harriman Village Court

1 Church Street
PO Box 706
Harriman, NY 10926

Highlands Town Court

254 Main Street
Highland Falls, NY 10928

Maybrook Village Court

111 Schipps Lane
Maybrook, NY 12543

Minisink Town Court

PO Box 349
Westtown, NY 10998

Monroe Town Court

17 Lake Street
Monroe, NY 10950

Monroe Village Court

7 Stage Road
Monroe, NY 10950

Montgomery Town Court

110 Bracken Road
Montgomery, NY 12549

Montgomery Village Court

133 Clinton Street
PO Box 116
Montgomery, NY 12549

Mount Hope Town Court

11 Baker Street
PO Box 872
Otisville, NY 10963

New Windsor Town Court

555 Union Avenue
Town Hall
New Windsor, NY 12550

Newburgh Town Court

311 Route 32
Newburgh, NY 12550

Otisville Village Court

66 Highland Avenue
Otisville, NY 10963

Tuxedo Park Village Court

Lorillard Road
PO Box 31
Tuxedo Park, NY 10987

Tuxedo Town Court

One Temple Drive
Tuxedo, NY 10987

Unionville Village Court

7 Main Street
PO Box 148
Unionville, NY 10988

Walden Village Court

Municipal Square
Walden, NY 12586

Wallkill Town Court

99 Tower Drive, Bldg B
Middletown, NY 10941

Warwick Town Court

132 Kings Highway
PO Box 489
Warwick, NY 10990

Warwick Village Court

77 Main Street
PO Box 369
Warwick, NY 10990

Washingtonville Village Court

29 West Main Street
Washingtonville, NY 10992

Wawayanda Town Court

80 Ridgebry Hill Road
Slate Hill, NY 10973

Woodbury Town Court

511 Route 32
PO Box 509
Town Hall
Highland Mills, NY 10930

Orange County Small Claims Court

Orange County Small Claims Court
Orange County Small Claims Court
Small Claims Court cases are heard in the town or village court for Orange County. The limit a plaintiff can ask for is $3,000. Small claims court cases are designed to be relatively informal (compared to normal civil cases). If your claim exceeds $3,000, you may not split them into two separate claims to bring it under the limit. A claimant or plantiff can only seek monetary relief in small claims court. You cannot ask the court to order a defendant to do something (like fix your property damage or fulfill the terms of a contract). Money is the only remedy available (on claims and counterclaims). A party may sue a municipality or other public entity. The law requires you to file a claim with that entity within 90 days of the incident which gives rise to your claim. If you do not do this, your case can be dismissed.

Should I use arbitration for my small claims court case?

Arbitration is a dispute resolution process that is binding. In arbitration, an arbitrator, who is often an experienced attorney, hears arguments, weighs evidence, and issues a final judgment on the merits of a claim. Arbitration can only be used when all parties agree (as the outcome is binding on all parties). If you do choose arbitration, your case can be heard far quicker than waiting for a judge to hear it (which is something to keep in mind if you want a quick resolution to your case). The arbitrator applies the same law to your case that the judge would. When an arbitrator decides your case, the decision is final. There is no appeal-by either party.

What do I do on the hearing date?

We recommend arriving to court at least fifteen minutes before your hearing. When you arrive, look for the small claims court calendar (or the clerk). Cases are listed on the calendar by the last name of the plaintiff and the last name of the defendant (or full name of the business or other entity). If you are unable to find your case on the calendar, you should contact the court clerk (or judge if there is no court clerk). Courtrooms have different procedures. In some courtrooms, the clerk checks in parties as they arrive. Some courts simply have you wait until your case is called.
When the judge or clerk calls your case, you should be prepared to tell the judge if you are ready for the case to proceed, ask for a continuance if you want one (and be ready to state a good reason for one), or any other request you may need to make. If both parties are ready, the case will proceed.

What are the fancy terms used in these cases?

A party is a person (or entity) on either side of the “v.” (plaintiff and defendant are each parties to the case). A “plaintiff” or “claimant” is the party who brings or initiates the action in Small Claims Court. The defendant is the party who is being sued. In certain cases, a third party (ie. not the plaintiff or defendant) is brought into a case (usually by a defendant who feels the third party is partly responsible for the damage to plaintiff). If you are interested in filing a third party claim (as a defendant), contact the local clerk for the filing fees and local procedures.

Can I hire an attorney?

You do not have to hire an attorney to represent you in small claims court (even if you are a business). The procedures and rules for small claims court are actually designed to be simple and informal so that a party does not have to hire an attorney and should be able to represent themselves. A plaintiff or defendant can choose to hire an attorney if he or she chooses. If there are attorneys representing both parties, the case may be transferred to the regular civil part of the court.

Mediation of Small Claims Court Cases in Orange County

Mediation is one way the court offers to try and settle your case without a trial. Mediation is a confidential way to try and resolve the case. It involves a mediator who will try and bring the plaintiff and defendant together to agree on a result that is fair to all (or, more likely, somewhat fair to each party). In Orange County, the mediation provider is:

Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.

5 thoughts on “Orange County Small Claims Court”

  1. I lent a friend $1000 over a period of 1 year. the only proof i have is through a text message where he states “I am not paying you back because you are a loser and a degenerate and would only lose the money anyway.” Is this enough proof for me to take him to Small claims court??

    Reply
  2. I am a home owner // Had a company come from Goshen ny to spray foam in my home they took my money and never cam back paid in full .. They r a corpration in Goshen Where do I go after them .. pleasant valley ny or Goshen ny The money is around 3500.00 ..

    Reply
  3. I let someone borrow 400 dollars. They only paid back 150 and are ignoring my calls and text messages when I ask for the rest of the 250. I know who his employer is and have text messages showing that he said he’d pay me back. Is this sufficient enough to pursue in court?

    Reply

Leave a Comment