Filing Claim in Another State

[haacked]

Hello, if you file a small claim against a defendant who lives in another state (for example I'm in CA and he's in PA), do you have to show up personally for the court date or are there other options?

In my situation, the cost of flying and hotel is a significant portion of my claim (which would be around $1300).

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Originally posted by haacked
Hello, if you file a small claim against a defendant who lives in another state (for example I'm in CA and he's in PA), do you have to show up personally for the court date or are there other options?

In my situation, the cost of flying and hotel is a significant portion of my claim (which would be around $1300).

It is possible that you may wish to have someone represent you in court and you can sign an affidavit stating your side of the story. It is not optimal but if it is a simple case, e.g. you sent money and they never delivered the goods, the dispute is pretty easily understood. I'll check into whether or not a personal appearance is required as some judges don't want to take affidavits at all in small claims -- although usually that is with regard to witnesses.