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Hot take: Most small claims court cases get dismissed because people skip one simple step
I was suing my old landlord in Portland over a $1,200 deposit. Everyone told me to just show up with receipts. Then my paralegal friend said I needed to send a certified demand letter first. I did it, 30 days before court. Landlord settled for $900 the day before the hearing. Has anyone else seen a case turn around just from sending that letter?
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park.troy1mo ago
Yeah the part about "just show up with receipts" is exactly what my buddy thought too. He was suing a contractor who bailed on his bathroom remodel. His brother in law told him to send a certified letter first listing every single thing he wanted. He did it and the contractor actually called him back within a week offering to finish the job for free. He never even had to step foot in the courthouse. That letter seems to scare people into action way more than you'd think.
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lily3941mo ago
A certified letter only works if the other person actually cares about their reputation or has something to lose. What about guys who have already burned every bridge and are hiding behind an LLC? I knew a dude who sued a moving company that stole half his stuff and they literally just dissolved their business and started a new one under a different name the next week. The letter did nothing, the court case went nowhere, and he was out thousands in legal fees plus his furniture. People forget that the threat only works on people who have skin in the game, otherwise it's just paper.
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