That 'small claims court max' varies by state and I found out the hard way

So I'm dealing with this neighbor who let his tree fall on my fence during a storm back in March. I figured I'd just take him to small claims court and get it sorted quick. But then I started looking up the limits here in Ohio and it's only $6,000, which barely covers the fence repair and cleanup. Meanwhile I found out Texas has a $20,000 limit for small claims, which seems crazy high to me. My cousin in Jersey said theirs is $5,000, so it's all over the place. Why isn't there a standard federal limit for this kind of thing? Has anyone else run into a situation where your damages exceeded the court limit and you had to decide between dropping it or getting a real lawyer?

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2 Comments

patel.leo3mo ago

Keep your receipts and photos handy. Judge might still award you the max but you'll eat the rest. Sucks hard. I hit the cap in Michigan once. Had to settle for half what I was owed. Neighbor knew it too. That's the real slap in the face.

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miawalker3mo ago

Bet the neighbor's smirking was worse than the money lost.

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