Title CCP — California Code Civ. Proc.

Nothing in this article shall prevent a representative of an insurer or other expert in the matter before the small claims court from rendering assistance to a party in the litigation except during the conduct of the hearing, either before or after the commencement of the action,…

(a) Except as permitted by this section, no individual other than the plaintiff and the defendant may take part in the conduct or defense of a small claims action. (b) Except as additionally provided in subdivision (i), a corporation may appear and participate in a small claims a…

(a) Notwithstanding Section 116.540 or any other provision of law, the Department of Corrections or the Department of the Youth Authority may appear and participate in a small claims action through a regular employee, who is employed or appointed for purposes other than solely re…

(a) Whenever a claim that is filed against a person operating or doing business under a fictitious business name relates to the defendant’s business, the court shall inquire at the time of the hearing into the defendant’s correct legal name and the name or names under which the d…

(a) Any party may submit a written request to postpone a hearing date for good cause. (1) The written request may be made either by letter or on a form adopted or approved by the Judicial Council. (2) The request shall be filed at least 10 days before the hearing date, unless the…

(a) The small claims court shall give judgment for damages, or equitable relief, or both damages and equitable relief, within the jurisdictional limits stated in Sections 116.220, 116.221, and 116.231, and may make any orders as to time of payment or otherwise as the court deems …

(a) The judgment debtor shall pay the amount of the judgment either immediately or at the time and upon the terms and conditions, including payment by installments, which the court may order. (b) The court may at any time, for good cause, upon motion by a party and notice by the …

The court may, at any time after judgment, for good cause, upon motion by a party and notice by the clerk to all affected parties at their last known address, amend the name of any party to include both the correct legal name and the actually used name or names of that party.

(a) The plaintiff in a small claims action shall have no right to appeal the judgment on the plaintiff’s claim, but a plaintiff who did not appear at the hearing may file a motion to vacate the judgment in accordance with Section 116.720. (b) The defendant with respect to the pla…

(a) A plaintiff who did not appear at the hearing in the small claims court may file a motion to vacate the judgment with the clerk of the small claims court. The motion shall be filed within 30 days after the clerk has mailed notice of entry of the judgment to the parties. (b) T…

(a) A motion to correct a clerical error in a judgment or to set aside and vacate a judgment on the ground of an incorrect or erroneous legal basis for the decision may be made as follows: (1) By the court on its own motion at any time. (2) By a party within 30 days after the cle…

(a) A defendant who did not appear at the hearing in the small claims court may file a motion to vacate the judgment with the clerk of the small claims court. The motion shall be filed within 30 days after the clerk has mailed notice of entry of the judgment to the parties. (b) T…

(a) If the defendant was not properly served as required by Section 116.330 or 116.340 and did not appear at the hearing in the small claims court, the defendant may file a motion to vacate the judgment with the clerk of the small claims court. The motion shall be accompanied by …

The clerk shall collect a fee of twenty dollars ($20) for the filing of a motion to vacate.

(a) An appeal from a judgment in a small claims action is taken by filing a notice of appeal with the clerk of the small claims court. (b) A notice of appeal shall be filed not later than 30 days after the clerk has delivered or mailed notice of entry of the judgment to the parti…

(a) The appealing party shall pay a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75) for filing a notice of appeal. (b) A party who does not appeal shall not be charged any fee for filing any document relating to the appeal. (c) The fee shall be distributed as follows: (1) To the county law lib…

(a) The appeal to the superior court shall consist of a new hearing before a judicial officer other than the judicial officer who heard the action in the small claims division. (b) The hearing on an appeal to the superior court shall be conducted informally. The pretrial discover…

(a) The judgment of the superior court after a hearing on appeal is final and not appealable. (b) Article 6 (commencing with Section 116.610) on judgments of the small claims court applies to judgments of the superior court after a hearing on appeal, except as provided in subdivi…

If the superior court finds that the appeal was without substantial merit and not based on good faith, but was intended to harass or delay the other party, or to encourage the other party to abandon the claim, the court may award the other party (a) attorney’s fees actually and r…

(a) The superior court may dismiss the appeal if the appealing party does not appear at the hearing or if the appeal is not heard within one year from the date of filing the notice of appeal with the clerk of the small claims court. (b) Upon dismissal of an appeal by the superior…

(a) (1) A petition that seeks a writ of review, a writ of mandate, or a writ of prohibition relating to an act of the small claims division, other than a postjudgment enforcement order, may be heard by a judge who is assigned to the appellate division of the superior court. (2) A…

(a) Enforcement of the judgment of a small claims court, including the issuance or recording of any abstract of the judgment, is automatically suspended, without the filing of a bond by the defendant, until the expiration of the time for appeal. (b) If an appeal is filed as provi…

(a) The judgment of a small claims court, or the judgment of the superior court after a hearing on appeal, may be enforced by the small claims court as provided in Title 9 (commencing with Section 680.010) of Part 2 and in Sections 674 and 1174 on the enforcement of judgments of …

(a) At the time judgment is rendered, or notice of entry of the judgment is mailed to the parties, the clerk shall deliver or mail to the judgment debtor a form containing questions regarding the nature and location of any assets of the judgment debtor. (b) Within 30 days after t…

(a) At the option of the judgment debtor, payment of the judgment may be made either (1) to the judgment creditor in accordance with Section 116.850, or (2) to the court in which the judgment was entered in accordance with Section 116.860. (b) The small claims court may order ent…

(a) If full payment of the judgment is made to the judgment creditor or to the judgment creditor’s assignee of record, then immediately upon receipt of payment, the judgment creditor or assignee shall file with the clerk of the court an acknowledgment of satisfaction of the judgm…

(a) A judgment debtor who desires to make payment to the court in which the judgment was entered may file a request to make payment, which shall be made on a form approved or adopted by the Judicial Council. (b) Upon the filing of the request to make payment and the payment to th…

(a) Sections 16250 to 16381, inclusive, of the Vehicle Code, regarding the suspension of the judgment debtor’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle for failing to satisfy a judgment, apply if the judgment (1) was for damage to property in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) o…

(a) If the judgment (1) was for one thousand dollars ($1,000) or less, (2) resulted from a motor vehicle accident occurring on a California highway caused by the defendant’s operation of a motor vehicle, and (3) has remained unsatisfied for more than 90 days after the judgment be…

(a) The Judicial Council shall provide by rule for the practice and procedure and for the forms and their use in small claims actions. The rules and forms so adopted shall be consistent with this chapter. (b) The Judicial Council, in consultation with the Department of Consumer A…

(a) Each small claims division shall provide in each courtroom in which small claims actions are heard a current copy of a publication describing small claims court law and the procedures that are applicable in the small claims courts, including the law and procedures that apply …

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or in rules adopted by the Judicial Council, which are consistent with the requirements of this section, the characteristics of the small claims advisory service required by Section 116.260 shall be determined by each county, or by…

(a) This section shall become operative only if the Department of Consumer Affairs determines that sufficient private or public funds are available in addition to the funds available in the department’s current budget to cover the costs of implementing this section. (b) There sha…