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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?

2 comments

2 Comments

norag6627d ago

Yeah I did the same thing with a deadbeat contractor who owed me 1200 bucks and it was shockingly easy.

terry_lewis2127d ago

Deadbeat contractors are the WORST because they know most people won't actually do anything about it. Filing in small claims court is surprisingly straightforward, you just need the paperwork and a fee that's usually way less than what they owe you. Once they get that court summons they suddenly remember they "lost" your number or "had an emergency." I had one guy try to pay me with a crumpled check the DAY before the hearing after ignoring me for 3 months. The system actually works if you push it, people just don't think it's worth the 30 minutes of paperwork.