You may file with a District Justice if you
have a complaint against a person or a store
and wish to recover money totaling less than
$8,000. This limit excludes the cost of the suit
itself; if you win you are entitled to
reimbursement for court cost.
SELECTING DISTRICT COURT
For assistance in finding the correct court, you
can call (610) 565-6990 or (610) 891-4865.
file a complaint on a form, which
you can obtain at the District Court office.
Your name and address.
Business name and address.
Amount for which you are suing.
A short statement of why you believe you
are entitled to the money. Be sure to
provide enough information so that the
person you are suing knows why they are
being sued.
Suits from $4001.00 to $8000.00 – $117.50
Once you have filed the complaint you will
receive a hearing date in the mail. The date
must be between 10 and 60 days from the
date you filed. The law requires that before
the hearing, the other party must receive a
copy of your complaint. This can be done in
two ways:
1. Request that the complaint be sent by
certified mail.
2. Request that a Constable hand deliver
the complaint. There is an additional charge,
but if you win, these costs can be reimbursed.
In short, have the police deliver the complaint.
Constables in the Commonwealth are not exactly police. They have many of the powers and duties of regular police, but they are primarily officers of the court.
Not to put too fine a point on it, they are the Magistrate's personal goon squad, and they are mercenaries. You probably DO want to use them.
PA's law system is just plain weird. Magistrate is an elective judge, and his powers are pretty intense. I would advise any of you who go before a magistrate in PA to have your arguments well in place, your paperwork ready, and a deferential attitude. If the Magistrate is on your side, or if the other side gets cocky (likely in this instance) You will have an openly biased person of power in your corner, and they can't be discredited for that bias. It's not a very just system, but it can be worked. If a magistrate likes you, you swing a mighty hammer.
Most of 'em can also be bought, but not for the money we're talking here.