5 Matters that Aren’t Worth Taking to Small Claims Court

Heading to small claims court can be a great way for individuals to receive money that is owed to them or something similar to that. Nearly anyone can file a claim against another person, assuming he or she is of legal age. Of course, you need to bring proof to your hearing to ensure that you get a judgment in your favor. Unfortunately, some matters just aren’t worth taking to small claims court or any other court for that matter. Here are some matters that just aren’t worth taking someone to court over.

1. Matters involving amounts owed to you under $300.
For the most part, you shouldn’t bother taking someone to court over amounts owed that are less then $300 unless you are absolutely certain that you will win. Failure to receive a judgment in your favor will result in a loss of court fees, which can cost more than $300 in some case. It isn’t worth it to take someone to court for such a small amount of money unless you have a concrete case that can’t be beaten by the defendant. In the end, you will regret losing $600 rather than $300 or less.

2. Disputes involving buyer’s remorse or seller’s remorse.
Individuals buy and sell things from others all the time. Of course, buyer or seller’s remorse is bound to pop up at different times. You might feel as though you sold something for way less than it was worth or that you bought something that was way overprice. Neither of these events are reasons to take someone to small claims court. In fact, a judge will almost always throw out such a case, leaving you with nothing but the filing and court fees. Buyer and seller’s remorse is no reason to take someone to court.

3. Cases that are overly subjective in nature.
Subjectivity is a huge problem in small claims courts because a judge usually won’t make a ruling if there isn’t enough evidence or if it’s all opinion. With that in mind, you shouldn’t file cases that can’t be backed up by solid and factual evidence A subjective case usually won’t turn out well for you and could even result in a judgment against yourself. Obviously, you won’t get the money you are seeking back and will have to pay for the other person’s court fees plus your own.

4. Problems that can’t be solved in small claims court.
Small claims courts are very limited in the types of cases that they can handle. On that note, you shouldn’t even try to file a claim for something involving large amounts of money over the court limit or cases that are outside of the court’s jurisdiction. You can find out what types of cases can be heard by going to your local small claims court website, but you better not try to file such a claim. In the end, you might be able to file the case, but the judge will throw it out right away, and you will lose your court fees under all circumstances.

5. Matters based upon personal grudges rather than actual legal matters.
In some cases, individuals file cases that are based more on grudges than an actual legal matter. You can’t just take everyone that angers you to small claims court. If the matter is completely personal rather than legal, then the judge will more than likely toss the case out. At that point, you will have lost money and time put into filing the claim and going to court. Don’t try to settle your personal rivalries inside small claims court or any other type of court unless there is a legal matter at hand.

Small claims court doesn’t always help!
Without a doubt, small claims court can be a great way to acquire money that is owed to you. A legal ruling in your favor can be a great incentive for a person to pay you the money they owe to you. Nevertheless, you can’t always bring a case to small claims and expect to win. You will simply end up losing court fees and possibly have to pay the defendant’s fees too. Don’t make the mistake of filing cases that will more than likely lead to a judgment against you or a tossed case.

For more information, visit How Do I File a Claim in Small Claims Court?.