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1. Do you have a claim to file in Conciliation Court?

You can file a claim in conciliation court for an amount up to the limit set by law.

Conciliation Court will not accept a claim that exceeds the limit set by law. You can reduce the amount of your claim so it can be heard in Conciliation Court. If you do reduce your claim to the limit of Conciliation Court, you will not be allowed to ask for more money later. You may not file any other claims related to the same incident.

Note: This rule may apply to any other claims related to the same incident.Obtaining a judgment in Conciliation Court may prevent you from bringing any other claims based on the same transaction or occurrence.

In deciding whether to file your claim, be aware that obtaining a judgment in conciliation court does not guarantee payment. You should consider whether the person the claim is against (the defendant) will be able to pay you. Although you may win your case, Conciliation Court is not a collection agency. As you attempt to collect the judgment, you will have out of pocket expenses for filing fees, transcription costs and other costs of collecting a judgment. Separate information about the collection process is available.

For additional information, visit the Minnesota’s state court website.

2. Where do you file a claim in Conciliation Court?

The person against whom you are making a claim is called the defendant and you must file your complaint in the county where the defendant lives. You may, however, seek recovery for dishonored checks in the county where the check was issued. You may make a claim for a security deposit on rental property in the county where the rental property is located. You may sue corporations in the county where their business office or branch office is located.

3. How do I pay the judgment?

The Court recommends that payment be made directly to the creditor (the party you owe money to). Remember, judgment records are public and credit bureaus routinely take information from them. If your judgment is not paid before it becomes final, it may have an adverse affect on your credit rating.

When you pay the creditor, obtain a statement of payment called a Satisfaction of Judgment from the party you paid and file it with the court. If this is not done, your record will show an unsatisfied judgment, which may affect your credit rating.