Small Claims Court procedures???

[txrigdiver]

Does anyone have any general guidlines to filing suit in a small claims court?, what's typically entailed who do I do it through, how long does it take? just a bunch of questions like that.
(serious trouble with some subs)
Thanks,

[Jeffery (LCLA)]

Try this link. It has links to all of the precincts in Harris County http://www.jp.hctx.net/

[Frank J. Festa, Jr.]

Does anyone have any general guidlines to filing suit in a small claims court?, what's typically entailed who do I do it through, how long does it take? just a bunch of questions like that.
(serious trouble with some subs)
Thanks,

In New Jersey it is the Superior Court, Special Civil Part, each County has one, if you call the general telephone number and ask for the "SCP" after you are connected ask for a "Pro Se Packet."

Also, each State has a web page on that page you should find the section for your State Court, most have the name of the Small Claims Court with a telephone number, call and ask for the "Pro Se Packet."

Good luck, Frank

[Katheryn]

Well, you are in luck. I have been to Small Claims Court numerous times, always as a Plaintiff. So far, have won every case I filed. Judge Yoeman's court is very good. I believe he is in your area. If you can, I would file there. Get all the written instructions from his clerk. Be well prepared with all of your evidence. Your word is not sufficient. You must prove your case with evidence. It's inexpensive and simple. If you need the other party to bring something you need, you can ask to subpeona those records.

[dealmaker]

Here's another vote for Judge Yeoman! Not sure if it's still true but at one time he was either the busiest or second busiest JP in the State of TX.

The only advice I can add to Katheryn's is this: Go and sit in the court on a previous date and judge observe how it operates. In Judge Yeoman's case he runs a real production line.

BTW, what are you hoping to get from these subs? Is there work undone? Are you still holding anything of value of theirs? 99.999999999% of ALL small claims judgements are WORTHLESS. Possibly higher in TX as there is nothing that can be attached.

Good luck

Dealmaker

[Bill H]

ntntntntnt

[txrigdiver]

I appreciate everyone's contribution here. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

I'm having a problem with a window contractor. He said I needed to pay for the windows up front and then installation when they were done. I've waited so long that I ended up studding the opening and going with hardiplank on the exterior where the windows were and drywall inside. Man I can hear the backlash coming from you guys now and you know what you are right. This is not what I should have done when working with a contractor and it's not how I typically do business with anyone but referrals from trusted sources. I still trust my source but you never can tell with contractors from one job to another. I once had a contractor do all the drywall and painting on three houses back to back then on the fourth he took off owing me a little over $7K no ones heard anything from him and being the researcher I am I found his family and started making calls. His dad who actually owned the business and retired from it and gave it to his son, reimbursed me in full in about 45 days. I digress, this window company has been in business since the 1980's, and he's having some pretty hard times with his health and has basically lost his entire business. So it sucks to be him, the truth of the matter is that you still can't let personal matters, your health, your families health or anything else (man this is going to bite me in the ass, just for saying it) get in the way of business and you have to show integrity in your dealings with people. I listened to excuses for months, he could have, or should have done something differently and everyone would have come out of this better. Don't fumble, hand the ball off to someone else, I don't know what he could have done but I manager 7 rentals for investors and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year buying properties and rehabbing them for other people and I have things set up that if I ever become incapacitated (dead) at the worst, My wife can step in. She knows where everything is and has access to accounts and even though she has a full time job I have her interface with contractors, hiring, signing contracts ,writing draw checks, all of it. She knows the book system and could take over very quickly to at least finish the projects I have going on. She owns her own commercial web site which does pretty good (for all of you cross stitchers out there her web site is www.stitchersdream.net (http://www.stitchersdream.net)) so probably would focus on that instead of doing real estate. The point is we aren't promised tomorrow and yesterday is already gone. Be prepared