How do I file a small claim in Hillsborough County and what information is required ...

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How do I file a small claim in Hillsborough County and what information is required

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Filing a small claims action

Filing a small claims action may be a good option for you if the damages in your case equal $5,000 or less and you do not want to hire an attorney to assist you with your case. To file a case in Hillsborough County, the defendant must live in the county, property that is the subject of the dispute must be found in the county, or the cause of action must have occurred in the county. To complete the necessary paperwork to file a small claims case, you will need some general information about the defendant including the defendant’s name, address and telephone number. In addition, the small claims form will ask you to describe the facts of your case and the amount of damages you are requesting.
You will need to pay a filing fee at the time you submit your small claims form. The fee to file differs according to the amount of damages you are requesting in your case, so ask the clerk at the court what fees are applicable to your case.
Next, you must provide the defendant with a copy of the small claims form you filed with the court, and the summons describing the date and time the defendant must appear in court. You have the option of asking the sheriff to serve the paperwork or you can hire a private process server. However, you cannot serve the paperwork yourself.
Finally, appear before the judge at the scheduled date and time and provide as much evidence to support your claim as possible. If you have further questions you can contact the Hillsborough County Court’s website, http://www.hillsclerk.com/publicweb/Home.aspx.

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Filing a small claims action

Filing a small claims action may be a good option for you if the damages in your case equal $5,000 or less and you do not want to hire an attorney to assist you with your case. To file a case in Hillsborough County, the defendant must live in the county, property that is the subject of the dispute must be found in the county, or the cause of action must have occurred in the county. To complete the necessary paperwork to file a small claims case, you will need some general information about the defendant including the defendant’s name, address and telephone number. In addition, the small claims form will ask you to describe the facts of your case and the amount of damages you are requesting.
You will need to pay a filing fee at the time you submit your small claims form. The fee to file differs according to the amount of damages you are requesting in your case, so ask the clerk at the court what fees are applicable to your case.
Next, you must provide the defendant with a copy of the small claims form you filed with the court, and the summons describing the date and time the defendant must appear in court. You have the option of asking the sheriff to serve the paperwork or you can hire a private process server. However, you cannot serve the paperwork yourself.
Finally, appear before the judge at the scheduled date and time and provide as much evidence to support your claim as possible. If you have further questions you can contact the Hillsborough County Court’s website, http://www.hillsclerk.com/publicweb/Home.aspx.