THE DISTRICT COUR T OF MARYLAND RIGHT TO A JURY …

1 THE DISTRICT court OFMARYLAND The DISTRICT court of MARYLAND has exclusivejurisdiction in civil matters of claims involving $5,000 or involving amounts above $5,000 and below $25,000may be filed in the Circuit court as well as in the DistrictCourt. The DISTRICT court does not have jurisdiction of claimsinvolving amounts in excess of $25,000 except in Landlord-Tenant matters or in replevin. The procedures for handling all claims filed in theDistrict court are the same. However, special rules provide fora simpler procedure for the trial of small claims. What is MARYLAND Small Claims court ? Small Claims court is a division of the DISTRICT Courtof MARYLAND . It handles disputes involving no more than$5,000, and does so with less formality than other Marylandcourts.

2 The court 's rules of procedure and evidence arerelaxed to make it easier for persons to represent themselveswithout hiring attorneys, although parties may have attorneysrepresent them if they choose. An officer of a corporation mayappear on behalf of the corporation in a civil suit involving aclaim not exceeding $5,000. The cases are decided by thejudge. There is no jury. A lawsuit may be filed in Small Claims court in theDistrict court if: *The suit is for money only (not for the return ofproperty or performance of a service, for example). *The suit is for no more than $5,000 plus interest andcosts. *The person filing suit (plaintiff) is at least 18 yearsold. If the plaintiff is not 18 years old, another personwho is at least 18 years old must sue on the plaintiff sbehalf.

3 BEFORE YOU SUE Settlement Procedures Many cases come to trial needlessly because theparties have not attempted to communicate with each filing suit, you should make every effort to resolve thedispute by settling it out of court . There are drawbacks to going to trial. It may be timeconsuming, and even if you win your case, you may havetrouble collecting the money. Also, if you win, the defendantmay appeal the decision, and you may have to go through anew trial in Circuit court . Therefore, you may decide to settlefor a lesser amount rather than go to trial. If you cannot settlethe claim before filing suit, you may still settle after filingsuit. In deciding the amount you will accept as a settlement,remember to consider any amount already spent in court filing suit, it is advisable to send a letter to theintended defendant warning that you will sue unless yourclaim is satisfied within a stated period of time.

4 The lettershould be sent by certified mail, with return receipt you see an attorney? There are times when it may be necessary or advisableto consult an attorney, for example: *If your case involves personal injury and medicalexpense. You should see an attorney in almost all suchcases, for they may not be appropriate for Small ClaimsCourt. *If your case involves damages resulting from a trafficaccident. If the defendant is insured, he probably will berepresented by an attorney provided by the insurancecompany, and you may also wish to have an attorney. *If you have difficulty filling out the forms or haveunanswered questions about preparing your case. An attorney may be available under the terms of one ofseveral programs now in effect. Check with the LawyerReferral Service listed in your telephone book or with LegalAid.

5 WHEN TO FILE SUIT File your case as soon as it is reasonably possible. If youwait too long, the defendant may be able to defeat your claimby raising the statute of limitations , the law which requiresthat suits be brought within a certain period of time. InMaryland, most cases must be filed within three years of thetime when it was first possible to sue, but some must be filedsooner and some may be filed later. HOW TO FILE SUIT In order to commence an action, you must file aComplaint which will be supplied to you by the clerk of thecourt and you must pay certain court costs. There are also feesfor delivery of the papers to each defendant. If you areuncertain as to how to complete the form, you may seek theassistance and advice of the clerk, as to procedural mattersonly.

6 WHERE TO FILE SUIT You should file your complaint in a contract action in thecounty where the defendant resides, carries on a regularbusiness or is employed. If there are multiple defendants, youmay file in the county where any of them could be sued. Acorporation which has no principal place of business in theState may be sued where you reside. In a tort action you mayfile the suit where the cause of action arose. The defendantmay claim improper venue. This is done by a motion filedwith the court and delivered to court may transfer the case to any county in which itshould have been brought. RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL There is a RIGHT to a trial by jury where the amount incontroversy exceeds the sum of $10,000. The plaintiff mayrequest a jury trial at the time of filing the complaint.

7 The defendant may elect a trial by jury by filing awritten demand within 10 days after the time for filing aNotice of Intention to Defend. COMPLETING THE FORM Name of Defendant When filling out the form, you must have the correctname of the defendant. If you are suing: *A business which must be licensed, you may findthe legal name on a certificate posted on the premises,or you may try to obtain the name from theappropriate licensing office of the state or localgovernment. Do not hesitate to ask the business forsuch information. *A corporation, you generally must include both thelegal name of the corporation and the name andaddress of the Resident Agent, President, Secretary, orTreasurer, who must receive the suit papers.

8 You mayobtain these names from the MARYLAND StateDepartment of Assessments and Taxation inBaltimore. *An individual, and need more information about hisor her name and address, you may may be able toobtain it from the Motor Vehicle Administration ifyou know the person's license plate number. *As a result of a traffic accident, you must sue thedriver, not the owner's insurance company. The Circuit court may have records which help persons or corporations doing business under a nameother than their own must file a certificate with the localCircuit court naming the owners of the business. If they failto do so, they may be sued under their business name. Contract or Tort? Your suit will be in "Contract" or "Tort".

9 You mustcheck the appropriate box on the form. You are suing in: *Tort--if your property is damaged or if you areinjured through the negligence or wrongful act of thedefendant (example: traffic accident). *Contract--if someone has failed to comply with awritten or oral agreement with you. For example, youagreed to pay the defendant for goods and/or services,and you believe the goods or services were of inferiorquality or not what you bargained for, or thedefendant agreed to pay you for goods or serviceswhich you provided and you are not paid as may want to sue two or more defendants in thesame suit. To do this, list the names and addresses ofeach defendant. Amount of Claim When deciding the amount of your claim, rememberthat in Small Claims court you may not sue for more than$5,000 plus interest and costs.

10 Consider all the costs youincurred because of defendant's wrongdoing. For example, ifthe case is based on a car accident, include towing and repaircosts, the cost of renting a car, if that was necessary, and otherexpenses. Normally you cannot recover: *The cost of hiring an attorney, unless your suit isbased on a written contract that provides for attorney'sfees if the contract is breached. *The cost of replacing damaged property. Generally,you may recover the cost of repairs or the "fair marketvalue" of the property immediately before it wasdamaged, whichever is less. "Fair market value" is theamount for which the item could have been sold onthe open market. Even if you are owed more than $5,000, you may wantto avoid formal court proceedings, and limit your claim to$5,000 so you may sue in Small Claims court .