Filing a Small Claim in Broward County, Florida

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Courthouse

Small claims courts are courts of limited jurisdiction that are designed to hear civil cases between private litigants. Their purpose is to prevent clogging up the formal court system with relatively petty matters through a less formal forum.  Small claims courts also limit the judgments awarded. This limit is generally set at $5,000 – though it may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

 

The rules of civil procedure and evidence are typically simplified in small claims proceedings so as to allow non-lawyers to litigate their matters without the help of a costly attorney. Formal and costly procedures such as depositions are not allowed in small claims, and generally speaking, neither is a trial by jury.

 

Filing Small Claims in Broward County

 

Any individual over the age of 18 can file in Broward County Small Claims Court for damages up to $5,000.  You may bring an action in Broward County if the defendant resides there, the cause of action occurred there, or any property involved with the action is located there. In order to file your claim, you will first need to bring all of the information and paperwork to the proper courthouse and fill out the appropriate forms.  If you need help, a deputy clerk will be there to assist you.

 

There is a court fee that varies based on the amount of your claim.  For claims up to $100, the fee is $55.  For claims over $100 up to $500, the fee is $80.  For claims over $500 up to $2,500, the fee is $175.  Any claim over $2,500 up to the $5,000 limit will cost $300 to file.

 

After you file your claim, the next step is to serve the defendant.  You must know the full name of the individual you want to sue and an address at which he or she can be served.  In the case of filing a claim against a business, the process depends on whether or not the business is incorporated.  If it is incorporated, you have to include the name under which it is incorporated as well as a name and address of either a corporate officer or the registered agent.  If you have trouble finding this information, you may contact the State of Florida Corporate Information Department.

 

This service may be carried out in one of two ways.  You can have either the sheriff or a certified process server serve the summons and a copy of your lawsuit on your behalf.  The court’s administrative office can give you a list of certified process servers should you choose this method.  You may also attempt to execute service of a summons on any party within the state of Florida via certified mail with a return receipt requested.  If you choose to execute service this way, you can receive assistance from a deputy clerk at the courthouse.

 

For additional information and legal assistance concerning the Broward County small claims process, visit the Broward County Court’s website.

 

Comments

My lease ended on January

My lease ended on January 31st by mutual agreement
with the Landlord and we left the unit in good conditions (he rented it
again on February 1st). The Landlord did not file any claim against us for
damages to the property but he has not refunded my security deposit.

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I am trying to obtain

I am trying to obtain information on how to process a small claim regarding a friend that borrowed $5,000 with an agreement to pay me back within 3 weeks. Its been almost 3 months and he hasnt paid me back anything. But i see him spending money and other friends told me, hes spending unnecessary.. That they know he has my miney, but just doesnt want to pay me back. Tells me he has nothing from me. I have a 2yr old baby and am now about to lose the roof over my head and need to get my money back that he refuses to pay me back. He just opened a New business also. I need guidance and information on how to put a claim in against him to get my money back.

We need help because very

We need help because very large tree fell in the patio of my house, this one was in the canal and now is in the pool in the yard and part of the porch of mu house; nobody wants to take responsibility, insurance says that corresponds to the city. Please, we need your help. My E-mail pattygarcia1404@aol.com. This happened with Hurricane Irma and we have many problems with the water of the pool and the mosquitoes that enter my house and neighboring house. We expect a quick response from you, Thank you.

We were behind on the

We were behind on the mortgage of our rental property. We were working very hard to paint the house and do minor repairs so we could sell the house. We worked on the house on Sunday, took Monday off and went back Tuesday. The bank sent someone over to change the locks on Monday. Tuesday, we removed the lock and noticed some of our equipment was stolen. We called the bank and then the police.
Every so often we would go to do something and notice more things missing. We would then update the stolen list with the police.
The bank just called and said they were not covering our loss because we have no proof! They said when they changed the locks our contractors were there. We do not have contractors. We could not afford contractors. Did they let unauthorized people into our house who then removed our things? Did the bank steal our stuff?
How many other people have been robbed?
We borrowed money and brought the house current but, we should not have to replace stolen equipment.

We contacted the bank again and asked for a description of the contractors and they refused to give it to us. They said it was my husband and myself. How do we get a description of the contractors the bank claims were there.

I need some help locating he

I need some help locating he owner of a business that took my money to install shutters on my home. The company is Miller Spec Creations, Inc. and the president is Jeff Miller. The address on the quote he provided me is a private home, not a business. There are numerous comments on Yelp of other people that were robbed of their money. I would like to file a claim against the company and Jeff Miller but I'm not sure how to do that if I can't locate him. He took $2,500 of my money as a deposit to start the work. I've had no contact with him since 01/20/2018. He does not answer his phone, text messages or emails. He has been on Channel 10 'Leave it to Layron' for the same reason...taking someone's money and not doing the job.

My landlord is threatening my

My landlord is threatening my 2 month security deposit. It's been 26 days since I vacated the property and I left it in perfect condition. The new tenants moved into the apartment the next afternoon. Obviously no damage if someone was able to move in the next day. What are my options?

Two residences behind my

Two residences behind my property have set up bright street style lights in their backyards. The houses at this location are close. The lights shine into my home like they are inside the house. They refused to put lights that only illuminate the ground underneath when asked. The city informed one resident they have a wiring code violation but will not followed up. The inspector hinted that it is a civil matter. All three lights that impact me are still on. There are lights in the front yard that don't impact me but still violate the city's statute on outdoor lighting. Can I sue the two for loss of the use of my property from the glare, loss of enjoyment of my property, and loss of property value?

6 friends decided to get an

6 friends decided to get an apartment together and split the rent. in Ft Lauderdale as we were all being assigned there (we are flight attendants) 1 friend found the house and said the house was in great condition to move in sent pictures that looked like it was. The condition was we had to pay money up front. deposit plus rent. So we sent money. nothing was in writing although we continued to ask as was being told that we would get it. 1 friend backed out so that left 5 we had to come out of pocket with addition $60. Total 660. when we arrive to the house we found it to be horrible refrigerator not working, water leaking toilet insect and rodent infestation. So myself and another friend quickly relocated within 2 to 3 days of arriving. We asked for a refund and a prorate of rent from our friend who told us that we had to find another person to replace us each then we would get our money back. We also found that the cost per month of house which the friend told us it was 1500 per month was really 1800 per month. we never dealt with the landlord we only dealt with the friend.we never saw a lease or even met the owner. Trying to get our money back we took picture and video of the house as it really is and compared it and there is a big difference. Please advise. we have receipt through vinmo that we paid the friend

I was recorded without my

I was recorded without my consent and then that individual shared that recording to several people which now has tarnished my image
All I want is that this is recorded through the courts in case she continues sharing it with people and there are consequences. Can someone please guide me on what to do with this matter.

I am requesting return of

I am requesting return of security deposit for rental of a condo owned by out of country person. I have name of a contact in USA. How do I do this?

an employer owes me around $5

an employer owes me around $5,000 for unpaid wages. They've been promising to pay me for over two months and today I contacted a labor department and they told me they could only give me minimum wage if I go through them... I'm a truck driver and I spent three weeks on a road working my butt off only to get minimum wage? Also I spend a lot of money out of my own pocket That was supposed to be reimbursed to me later which never happened

I hired Jiro Rizo Jr and his

I hired Jiro Rizo Jr and his father Jiro Rizo to do my kitchen. We signed a hand written contract and I gave him a $5000.00 check. He did bring me cabinets [some were the wrong size and some where just not there] He spent less than $2000 for the cabinets than walked away with my $3000. I want my additional money back.

Hello

Hello

I just left a room in a house after my 3 months lease ended. The following month on the 20th i gave them 30 days notice to move out. I ended up moving out on the 21 st because they didnt have another tenant moving in right away and verbally we agreed that i would move out on the 21st. However they have not given me the prorated month rent and no sign of returning my security deposit. They sent me some riduculously small amount without explaining what that was for. It certainly was not the amount I was expecting for the prorated month rental return. What can be done about this? And it's hard to get a hold of them and they will not call me back or text me back anymore. They're giving an excuse that the toilet valve leak and flooded the whole house whether there's no proof or evidence that I've seen yet. I had even gone back and replaced the hose in the valve for the toilet. And it has worked fine and there is no leakage

Hello

Hello

I just left a room in a house after my 3 months lease ended. The following month on the 20th i gave them 30 days notice to move out. I ended up moving out on the 21 st because they didnt have another tenant moving in right away and verbally we agreed that i would move out on the 21st. However they have not given me the prorated month rent and no sign of returning my security deposit. They sent me some riduculously small amount without explaining what that was for. It certainly was not the amount I was expecting for the prorated month rental return. What can be done about this? And it's hard to get a hold of them and they will not call me back or text me back anymore. They're giving an excuse that the toilet valve leak and flooded the whole house whether there's no proof or evidence that I've seen yet. I had even gone back and replaced the hose in the valve for the toilet. And it has worked fine and there is no leakage

We moved out of an Apartment

We moved out of an Apartment 03-14-2020.
Landlord owns us $2,100.00 Last month + Security .
Landlord lives in South America
She has Bank Account. First American in USA
We requested several payments, NO RESPONDS