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A Lawsuit has been filed against you in the Municipal Court in Ohio -

For info on your case, scroll down to find your court, then do a case search to find your case info

You’ve probably never been sued in Municipal Court before. Here’s what you need to know. We have provided a list of all county municipal courts and city municipal courts in Ohio, as well as a summary outline of the process.

Municipal Court

Summary of the Lawsuit Process:

  • When you are sued, you have to file a document called an answer if you want a trial.
  • If you don’t file the answer in court, you will lose by default.
  • If you file an answer you may get a pre-trial conference to try to settle your case.
  • If you don’t settle, your case will go to trial.
  • At a trial you are held to the same standards a licensed attorney.
  • Most trials result in judgment for the creditor.
  1. Step 1 – A Lawsuit has Been Filed

    The creditor has sued you in Municipal Court. This lawsuit will probably end with a judgement against you. After that, the creditor suing you can collect from you by “all legal means,” which include wage garnishment and bank account attachment. They can do both at the same time.

    The Municipal Court normally sends certified mail to you. It’s from the Municipal Court, not the creditor. This is how you know that you are being sued and it’s not just a threat. This is real.

    If you don’t pick it up, or if you refuse to accept it, the suit will still go forward. You will get a regular mail copy of the suit.  You can’t avoid the suit by avoiding service.

    Once the suit is filed, the attorney suing you in Municipal Court will NOT generally dismiss the suit. The attorney will not stop until there is a Court Judgment against you. This is important to understand.

  2. Step 2 – File an Answer Within Twenty Eight Days

    You will notice on the cover page (also called a summons) that you have 28 days to serve an answer on the plaintiff, and must file the answer with the clerk and serve the same on the opposing counsel within 3 days.

    What does this mean in plain English?  Translated, this means that you have to write an answer to the complaint, and mail it to the clerk and the attorney who sued you within 3 days of filing with the court.

    After 28 days from the day that you get “served” with the complaint, meaning the day you signed for the certified mail letter, or were handed the complaint by a court officer, like a bailiff or sheriff, or the court mails you a copy regular mail, the creditor is then able to ask the court to grant “default judgment” against you, assuming that you did not file an answer (or one that the court found to be acceptable).

    What then?  Once the Municipal Court grants judgment against you, the creditor is now a “judgment creditor” and can use the power of the court to collect from you.  At this point they can go after your paycheck and bank accounts.

  3. Step 3 – The Trial (and optional pre-trial) after you file an answer

    If you filed an answer that the court found to be acceptable, then the Municipal Court Judge or Magistrate would either schedule a trial, or a pre-trial hearing.

    A trial is where the creditor has to prove its case, and I have a link for information about representing yourself in court.

    Click this link Representing Yourself in Court  for more information.

    A pre-trial is not a trial. It’s generally a conference, in person, on the phone, or sometimes even in a court room. It is an opportunity for you to try to settle the case or, if you cannot, to narrow down what issues the Municipal Court Judge needs to decide.

  4. Step 4 – Pre-Trial

    A typical outcome of a pre-trial is a settlement. The creditor may try to get you to agree that you owe the money and perhaps set up a payment arrangement. If you are agreeable to this, then this may resolve the lawsuit. The court cannot make you agree. If you do agree, then the creditor wins, but you can get a payment agreement that, if kept, provides an agreement that the creditor will not try to garnish your wages or your bank account.

  5. Step 5 – Trial

    If you do not have a pre-trial conference or you simply want your day in Municipal Court, the matter will be set for a trial to the judge or magistrate.

    You should know that a trial will probably be difficult for you to do. You are probably not trained in trial procedure, evidence, local rules, etc. The attorney who is suing you is very well trained and probably does several of these trials every week.

    Click this link for information about representing yourself in court.

  6. Step 6 – Collection of the Judgment

    Creditors are not limited to only one means of collection against you, they can garnish your wages at the same time that they wipe out your bank account.

    A judgment accrues interest, just like the balance on a credit card. Judgments can grow quite large over time. I often see judgments grow to TEN TIMES the original amount.

Call for a Free Phone Appointment to Discuss All Your Options

Usually, when you are sued, this is not the only debt that you owe. A lawsuit often indicates that your finances have gotten out of hand, and you need some help to get things back under control. What kind of help is needed depends on a number of different factors.

Sometimes there are several solutions which will work, and I can help you decide which one is right for you by considering your short and long term goals, your family situation, and your own personal values and feelings.

That’s exactly what I do, but that’s because I AM a certified consumer bankruptcy specialist, a certified credit counselor and a certified debt arbitrator. I ALWAYS compare ALL the different ways to eliminate debt, unlike ordinary credit counselors, debt management plans and non-certified attorneys.

When you are being sued in Municipal Court, you are out of your league, and need help and advice. You can call us for a free consultation, and get information to help you make the right choice during this difficult and stressful time.

Free Evaluation & Consultation

List of Ohio Municipal Courts and links to find your case information

You can find a full list of Ohio Municipal Courts below by county or by city. Pay attention to the local rules for each jurisdiction and we have included address, directions, phone, and links to search for case information for each location.

County Municipal Courts in Ohio

Area I Court
Address: 118 West High Street Oxford, OH 45056

Phone: (513) 523-4748

Directions


Area II Court
Address: 101 High St, Hamilton, OH 45011

Phone: (513) 887-3459

Directions


Area III Court
Address: 9577 Beckett Rd # 300, West Chester Township, OH 45069

Phone: (513) 867-5070

Directions


 

Website: http://www.bcareacourts.org/

Case Information: http://www.bcareacourts.org/index.cfm?page=docket

Western Division

Address: 195 S Clayton Rd, New Lebanon, OH 45345

Phone: (937) 687-9099

Directions


Eastern Division

Address: 6111 Taylorsville Rd, Dayton, OH 45424

Phone: (937) 496-7231

Directions


 

Website: https://www.mccountycourts.org/

Case Information: https://pro.mcohio.org/pro/

Address: 119 N Main St, Washington Court House, OH 43160

Phone: (740) 636-2350

Directions

Website : https://74.219.179.50/

Case Information: https://74.219.179.50/search.shtml

City Municipal Courts in Ohio

Address: 218 Cleveland Ave SW, Canton, OH 44702

Phone: (330) 489-3184

Directions

Website: https://www.cantoncourt.org/Forms/Default

Case Information: https://www.starkcjis.org/

Address: 5555 Powers Blvd, Parma, OH 44129

Phone: (440) 887-7400

Directions

Website: https://parmamunicourt.org/

Case Information: https://parmamunicourt.org/info/index/5

Address: 245 James Bohanan Dr #2, Vandalia, OH 45377

Phone: (937) 898-3996

Directions

Website: https://vandaliaohio.org/177/Vandalia-Municipal-Court

Case Information: https://docket.vandaliaohio.org/

Overview: Local municipal court rules very greatly though out municipalities in Ohio. It is your job to educate yourself and follow them if you are planning on proceeding pro se, or on your own. It is recommended that you should always have the advice of an experienced attorney.