Warning: small claims court in Ontario took 14 months for a $900 dispute

I filed a claim against a contractor in Toronto who bailed on a deck repair back in April 2023... thought it would be quick. The whole process dragged through mediation, then a settlement conference, then the actual hearing just last month. Learned the hard way that small claims timelines are way longer than the court website says, so factor that in before you file.

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_butler2728d ago

holy crap 14 months? that is insane lmao. i was looking into filing over a $500 deposit my old landlord ghosted me on but i think im good on that now. like the time alone is not worth the headache and the filing fees too. glad you got your hearing done but damn that's brutal.

zarab2416d ago

Honestly, I get why that sounds brutal but $500 is still $500 and filing fees are way less than that, so I'd still say it's worth it if you have the proof. Tbh, the time drags but at least you get your day in court and contractors shouldn't get a free pass just because the system is slow.

phoenix2928d ago

Mediation took 8 months alone on my $600 claim.