Small Claims Court guide

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TiggyWilliams said:

Private landlords don’t look after their properties which has caused my home to be devalued can I take them to court?

You can bring a claim against any party or parties you wish.

The court will decide if your claim has any merit, and if so (and the defendant(s) denies the claim with a realistic defence), then the court will decide if a hearing would be necessary.

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AndyCHill said:

Can a small business use this to take another small business through court?

Absolutely (where appropriate)

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1bentpipe said:

Hi
Hoping I can get some advice on a problem I’m having related to my employer 
I have worked as a Mobile Service Engineer with my current employer for seven years and during this time have provided tools to carry out my Job servicing and repairing of Airport ground support equipment 
Just before Christmas I foiled a break in attempt of my van
I immediately contacted the work’s office and asked how much insurance cover we had for tools and had no response 
I contacted work a week later and asked the same question again and got a vague response of £3000
Shortly after I was sent details of the policy and much to my alarm discovered tools aren’t insured between the hours of 9pm and 6am
I contacted work again and told them the insurance wasn’t suitable and also nowhere near enough in terms of value and asked for it to be amended and still haven’t had a reply 
Fast forward to the night of January 12th and my van was broken into and £3500 worth of my tools and £1000 of company tools taken
We asked two years ago about tool insurance and was told not to worry (yes I have witnesses)
The company says they are trying to claim off their insurance as they didn’t know about the 9pm - 6am clause and waiting for broker to get back to them
I have also had comments from the director of “its very low on my priority list” “it will eat into my pension fund” and various other comments 
Is the small claims court able to help with matters such as this

It can, but surely your grievance is with the scumbag who stole your tools?
The difficulty that usually arises is that the culprit will probably claim they don't have two pennies to rub together, hence why the criminal courts so often only impose punishment rather than the alternative (or additional) option of ordering compensation towards the victim(s).

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carly2020 said:

Can I go to court if someone owes me over £4000 in child maintenance, need some help as hes not being reasonable hes just always abusive

You can absolutely file a financial claim in the small claims court. But do you need to if a child maintenance order already exists?

If someone is being continually abusive towards you, then that may be a criminal matter which you can ask the police to investigate.

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sidney57 said:

Hi, I submitted my small claim using Money Claims Online~ it's a negligence claim, but forgot to add quite an important point on this initial claim. Can I add it to my statement to be presented to the court hearing or is it too late? Thanks! 

To amend the particulars of claim after service, you would need to apply to the court for leave (permission) to do so and further fees will be incurred.

Ask yourself how vital it is to your claim that the initial particulars need to be amended.
Perhaps the defendant will admit your claim in full as it was originally drafted?
If not, then you will be asked to disclose full details of your claim / evidence in due course.
But this should not change the value of your claim, nor introduce new matters not covered by your original particulars of claim.

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FoxyLady1959 said:

I paid over £10,000 to take someone to small claims, I won (2 years ago) and they now owe me, with interest £30,000 plus.  How can I get the money without spending more, which we don't have?  There is nothing to make they pay, so now I'm in debt.  Small claims don't tell you this???

This does not sound like a claim handled through the small claims track, where claims are limited to a maximum of £10,000, as specified in the MSE guide linked to in post#1 of this thread.

Ali995

Thanks fo this

SallyAnn289

Hi all, 
I submitted a small claims online which has progressed to the point that I requested a CCJ against the defendant - this was at the start of April. I was told to expect a response within 10 days, which I knew would be delayed because of the coronavirus crisis. I've been waiting since but have heard nothing - I have emailed the contact centre but they've sent an automated response saying they'll aim to reply within 15 days. I've also been checking the response times for claims on the government website and its changed several times to now saying I can expect to wait up to 30 days for a response but its now been longer than that. I just wondered if anyone else is in a similar boat and has experienced lengthy delays? I know it can't be helped but I'm also confused slightly by the online system. The email I was sent when I requested the CCJ said that I would receive the judgement by letter - can I expect the online case to be updated when the judgement is made or is it all done via paper copies from this point on? I'm also wondering if it's possible for the judgement to have been made but my letter has got lost in the post. Thanks in advance for any help. 

Chickenbrain2009

Help! I am so frustrated. I was sent a letter from the claims court on the 24th of March,telling me to file any documents in May and to pay  court fees by June. But I don't know what to do. I have been stuck at home and at the moment I am in isolation. I can't find any updates on the Court website, my computer has broken down and I only have a phone. I can't pay by cheque because I don't have a cheque book and attempts to ring the court have been unsuccessful. I phoned a helpline and they told me the courts are closed but I am elderly and its worrying me to death as I can't get advice and don't want to be penalised. Can anyone tell me what's happening with the Courts please? I have never used one before but have a builder who has ripped me off and plays the system. Tried mediation etc, he just strings along I have a hearing date set for July. I am losing sleep over it. Thanks 

waamo

Is there a friend, relative or neighbour who can pay the fee for you?