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Contact Info
52-4 Troy District Court

248-528-0400

248-528-3588

520 W Big Beaver Rd
Troy, MI 48084

County Holiday Schedule

8:30am - 4:30pm

Small Claims at 52-4 District Court

If you feel an individual or a business owes you money, you can bring a lawsuit against that person or business in the Small Claims division of the District Court.

The Small Claims court is designed to quickly decide disputes involving amounts of $7,000.00 or less. In small claims you give up your right to a jury trial, to be represented by an attorney and your right to an appeal beyond this court.

The simple fact that the court decides in your favor does not automatically mean that the defendant will pay the judgment and costs. The court can only award judgments for money. You may have to take additional legal steps (ie. garnishment of wages) to obtain your money, and in the end, success in collecting may depend upon whether the other party has the money to pay you.

What Can I Sue for in Small Claims Court? You can sue only for money damages in Small Claims court, up to $7,000.00. You may have a valid claim for more than $7,000.00, but a judgment in Small Claims court cannot exceed $7,000.00.

You may also file a Small Claim for up to $3,000.00 due to an automobile accident under the Michigan No Fault law. You may file for more than $3,000.00 if you can prove that the defendant has no insurance. You will need a letter from the insurance company stating that the defendant is not insured. This letter MUST accompany your Small Claims form.

If you are filing for damages due to an accident, a copy of the police report and an estimate of the damage to your car is also required.

When you file in small claims court, you give up or waive the following rights:

  • The right to be represented by an attorney
  • The right to have a jury trial
  • The right to appeal the final decision of the court (unless the case is heard by an attorney/magistrate)

Below is a list of the commonly used Garnishment forms by the 52nd District Court, 4th Division - Civil Division:

Additional Garnishment Forms can be found at the Michigan Courts website.

Below is a list of the commonly used Small Claims forms by the 52nd District Court, 4th Division - Civil Division:

Additional Small Claims Forms can be found at the Michigan Courts website.

  • $30: Claim is $600.00 and under
  • $50: Claim is $600.01 - $1,750.00
  • $70: Claim is $1,750.01 - $7,000.00

Service options

**Please note: It is the responsibility of the parties, not the court, to arrange service of documents**

  • by a court officer (list below)
  • by certified mail “return receipt required” for business
  • by restricted certified mail “return receipt required” for individuals. With restricted, the individual being served must sign
  • by anyone over the age of 18 that is not associated with the case

Court Officers

To arrange service with a court officer, please contact one of the officers listed below directly to discuss fees and delivery of paperwork.

**Please note that all Evictions and Executions must be done by one of the court officers listed below.**

Collecting your Money

If you obtain a judgment, you may not be assured that you will be paid. You may have to pursue collection remedies. Please see below:

Showcause Hearing: If the defendant does not pay the judgment, begin to pay the judgment or complete the "affidavit of judgment debtor" form that is mailed to the defendant with the judgment within 21 days of the date of the judgment, the plaintiff may submit a request in writing to the court requesting that a show cause hearing be scheduled.

You will first need to know where the defendant lives and works, any other information which identifies the defendant and his/her property.

If you have the information described above, you can start the process by either filing an execution against property or a garnishment.

If you do not have any of the above information, you will need to order the defendant into court for questioning to try and find out information as to he/she assets. You can start this process by filing a discovery subpoena.

You must wait 21 days after your small claims judgment was signed before you can file a discovery subpoena. Go to the Small Claims Forms section and download the Subpoena - Order to Appear - MC 11 form.

You must complete the front of the subpoena and the affidavit for judgment debtor examination on the back of the form. The court will schedule the hearing date and the judge must sign the subpoena before it is effective. Once the subpoena is signed, the defendant must be served a copy of the subpoena.

The subpoena can be served to the defendant by a deputy sheriff, sheriff, bailiff, appointed court officer, legally competent adult who is not a party or an officer of a corporate party or by certified mail, return receipt requested (you may utilize this court's process server, see our fees for processing costs). The filing fee is $15.00 (make check payable to 52-4 District Court)

An order to seize property allows a court officer to seize property belonging to the defendant which can be sold to pay for your judgment.

You must wait 21 days after your small claims judgment was signed before you can file an execution against property. You must complete the request and order to seize property form. Go to Small Claims Forms section and download the Request and Order to Seize Property - MC 19 form.

Once you have completed the form and filed it at the court, the judge must sign the form and after the judge signs the form, the service copies of the form must be given to our court officer to be executed. The most that you will be billed by the process server is $35.00 and you will be billed only that amount if the defendant is collectable. The filing fee is $15.00. File the form on MiFILE and once accepted you will be directed to www.gouranger.com to arrange service with the court officer. Request and order to seize property can only be served by the court officer.

You must wait 21 days after your small claims judgment was signed before you can file a garnishment.

There are two types of garnishment: 1. periodic, and 2. non-periodic:

Periodic: garnishment is used to garnish the defendant's wages, rent payments, land contract payments, or other debt that is paid to the defendant on a periodic basis. The garnishment is valid for 180 days or until the judgment, interest and costs are paid off, whichever occurs first. Go to the Small Claims Forms section and download the Request and Writ for Garnishment-Periodic - MC 12 form. The filing fee is $15.00. For electronic service options, please go to www.gouranger.com

Non-Periodic: garnishment used to garnish the defendant's bank account or other property. Once money has been garnished or you have been notified that there is not any money to be garnished, that garnishment is no longer valid. If there is a remaining balance on the judgment, you must get another writ to collect more money. Go to the Small Claims Forms section and download the Request and Writ for Garnishment-Non-Periodic - MC 13 form. Fill in the names and addresses of both defendant and the garnishee on the request part of the form. The garnishee is the person or business who has control or possession of the defendant's money. After you complete the form, you must file it according to the MiFILE procedure at the district court where you filed your small claims case. The filing fee is $15.00. For electronic service options, please go to www.gouranger.com

The garnishee has 14 days after the garnishment has been served to file a disclosure that tells you if any money is available. If money is available, you will not receive any money until after 28 days from the date that the garnishee is served with a copy of the garnishment to allow the defendant time to file objections to the garnishment. If the garnishment is for periodic payments, money will continue to be sent to you as payments become due until the garnishment expires.

This information attempts to explain briefly the procedures to collect your judgment. Clerks of the court will be happy to assist in the processing of your claim, but they are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice. For further collection methods, please go to Small Claims Forms section and download the Collecting Your Money from a Small Claims Judgment - DCI 84 form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before commencement of a trial, the plaintiff or defendant may, upon filing a demand, require that the trial be conducted before a district court judge and not a magistrate, or may remove the case from the small claims division to the general civil division of the district court.

Go to the Small Claims Forms section above and download the Demand and Order for Removal - DC 86 form.

You must file your small claims case in the court which has the venue (the court in which proceedings may be instituted) for the particular area where the defendant lives or where the action arose.

You can start a lawsuit against a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation.

A corporation, sole proprietorship, or corporation as plaintiff or defendant may be represented by a full time employee who has direct and personal knowledge of the facts in dispute. Partnerships may be represented by a general partner.

Within a district court division, a person cannot file more than five (5) claims in the small claims division in one (1) week.

Once you have established the proper venue (the court in which proceedings may be instituted), you have to complete an Affidavit and Claim - DC 84 form.

To complete this form, you need to know:

  • The defendant's (person that you are suing) correct name and address - (if you are suing a business, you must indicate whether it is a partnership or a corporation)
  • Reasons for the claim
  • The date the claim arose
  • Amount of money claimed - (You may ask for court costs on the affidavit and claim by writing the amount of money claimed plus costs) (example: amount of money claimed, $35 plus costs) The Court will determine if costs will be awarded (costs include the filing fee and service fee).
  • You must sign the form in the presence of a deputy clerk or a notary public.
  • Go to the Small Claims Forms section above and download the Affidavit and Claim - DC 84 form.
  • Visit the Small Claims Fees above to find about costs associated with starting a case.

Service options

**Please note: It is the responsibility of the parties, not the court, to arrange service of documents**

  • by a court officer (list below)
  • by certified mail “return receipt required” for business
  • by restricted certified mail “return receipt required” for individuals. With restricted, the individual being served must sign
  • by anyone over the age of 18 that is not associated with the case

Court Officers

To arrange service with a court officer, please contact one of the officers listed below directly to discuss fees and delivery of paperwork.

**Please note that all Evictions and Executions must be done by one of the court officers listed below.**

When you file your small claims, the court date will be "to be determined" until the case is served. Please advise the clerk if there are any days you are unavailable when filing your small claims case. You will be notified of a court date once your case has been served.

Call the Court before your court date in order to prevent an extra trip to the court on your hearing date. It is advisable to call the court two days before the hearing date to ensure that the court date is still going forward.

Only for good cause shown will the court consider rescheduling your court date. Usually this requires to you contact the other party to the action and ask for their consent before you make the request to the court. This cannot be done by telephone, the proper paperwork must be filed.

Your case will be heard by an attorney/magistrate. The magistrate's decision can be appealed within seven (7) days from the date of the judgment. If the magistrate's decision is appealed, the case will be scheduled to be heard before the assigned Judge. Once the Judge makes a final decision, it is final and you have no right to appeal.

If the magistrate/judge renders a judgment in your favor, the court will prepare the appropriate judgment and the defendant will have 21 days from the date of the judgment to pay the amount of the judgment to you. The court does not collect the judgment for you. If the defendant does not pay you within 21 days from the date of the judgment, you may start collection procedures. Please refer to Collecting Your Money from a Small Claims Judgment - DCI 84 to find out procedures on how to collect your money.

If you (the plaintiff) fail to appear for your hearing, the case will be dismissed. If the defendant fails to appear, a default judgment will be entered in your favor. The court will prepare the appropriate judgment. Both parties in these instances would have the right to file a motion to set aside the dismissal/default judgment within 21 days from the date the dismissal or the default judgment is signed. Visit the Small Claims Forms section above and download the Motion to Set Aside Default and Order - MC 99. If the motion is granted, a trial date could occur immediately following the outcome of the motion or a new trial date may be held.

If the lawsuit is settled before the hearing date, you must prepare a "dismissal" form to submit the court before the hearing date. Go the Small Claims Forms section above and download the Voluntary Dismissal - MC 09 form.

A small claims judgment is valid for ten (10) years from date of entry.

When you are paid in full, you must complete a satisfaction of judgment form and send it into the court. Go to the Small Claims Forms section and download the Satisfaction of Judgment - MC 17 form.

This information attempts to explain the procedures for filing a small claims case. Clerks at the courts will be happy to assist you in the processing of your claim, but they are not attorneys, and cannot give out legal advice.

If you require special accommodations to use the court because of disabilities, please contact the court immediately to make arrangements.

Contact Info
52-4 Troy District Court

248-528-0400

248-528-3588

520 W Big Beaver Rd
Troy, MI 48084

County Holiday Schedule

8:30am - 4:30pm