I used to write off small claims court as a waste of time. Not anymore.
I had a tenant in Austin who skipped out on $1,800 in unpaid rent. I figured small claims would cost me more in filing fees and lost work than it was worth. But a buddy of mine who's a paralegal pushed me to file anyway, said most people just don't show up and you get a default judgment. I filed last March, he didn't show, and the judge granted me $1,800 plus court costs within 15 minutes. Has anyone else had better luck with small claims than they expected for a specific amount?