Small Claims Processing
6) How old can the bad check or bad debt be for me to bring it into Small Claims Court?
For written contracts, (which includes checks), you can sue four (4) years from the date your Defendant broke, or defaulted on your contract, or written agreement; for oral agreements you have two (2) years.
For property damage (ie: auto accidents) you have two (2) years. This is referred to as the "Statute of Limitations".
7) Can I sue for damages for a bad check?
YES, Civil Code Section 1719 allows for three (3) times the amount of the check, to a maximum of $1,500.00.
8) What if I do not have a current address for my Debtor?
We can perform a skip trace on your Debtor(s), and determine their current address for process serve.
Note: There is a separate fee for this service.
9) Once I receive the Judgment from the court, on my Debtor/Defendant, then what?
A Judgment not only allows you to place a lien on your Defendant's assets, but also allows you to take such collection actions as a "Bank Levy", and/or "Wage Garnishment". We perform these
procedures as well, for a separate fee; with the court once again adding a portion of our fee on top of your judgment.