Small Claims Court

A person can sue another person or a business in small claims court if the following three conditions are met: 1. The monetary amount the person is seeking does not exceed $2,000. 2. The money is owed directly to the person filing the claim. 3. The person filing the claim has made a written or oral demand for payment.

In a legal victory for Honda Motor Co., a judge has reversed a small-claims judgment that would have forced the automaker to pay a Civic hybrid owner nearly $10,000 for overstating the vehicle's fuel economy. But while the ruling ends a high-profile battle with hybrid owner Heather Peters, Honda still faces numerous legal fights in Small Claims Courts across the country. In an unusual move that garnered national attention, the Los Angeles woman rejected a class-action settlement that would have paid Civic hybrid owners as little as $100 to $200 each and rebates on a new Honda purchase.

A group of Avenida Cadiz homeowners who collectively said "No" have won a $76,000 judgment from an absentee landlord whose tenants were dealing drugs in their neighborhood. After nine months of crime and drug traffic at a rented house on their quiet street in southwest San Clemente, 29 residents banded together and took the homeowner to small-claims court last June. Their victory, upheld on appeal, handed down by Orange County Superior Court Referee Greer H. Stroud, was announced this week.

American Honda Motor Co. has won a reversal of a high-profile small-claims case that would have forced the automaker to pay a Los Angeles woman nearly $10,000 for overstating the fuel-economy claims on the Honda Civic hybrid. Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II ruled Tuesday that the automaker was within its rights to advertise the Environmental Protection Agency-derived fuel-economy ratings for the vehicle. "Federal regulations control the fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles and advertising claims related to those fuel economy ratings," Gray wrote in the ruling.

Mr. Kivowitz had this problem. Here he'd amassed 80,000 frequent-flier miles with United Airlines, and used them to take an 11-hour trip, but when the in-flight movie began, his individual viewing screen remained blank. Every seat on the plane was filled, so he couldn't move to another, and what was he supposed to do to pass the time? Walk up and down the aisle for 11 hours? Somebody was going to pay for this. But if Mr. Kivowitz thought he had a problem, he should have walked a mile in Mr.

If you have a dispute that can't be resolved, you may consider taking it to Small Claims Court, which is designed to be far cheaper and quicker than regular court. In this forum there are no attorneys or juries — you present your own case and the person you're suing gets the chance to tell his or her side of the story. Some key things to know: •How much can I ask for? The maximum amount an individual can sue for in Small Claims Court in California is $10,000. For businesses, the limit is $5,000.

Re "Full-Court Press on Small Claims Division," Feb. 21. Having been a claimant in the small claims court of Commissioner Martin Green, I'm afraid I have to take exception to reporter James Ricci's tribute. Even though I won a small victory in Division 114, I found Green to be a perfect example of judicial arrogance, a man with casual contempt for the law. If The Times finds Green praise-worthy, it's no wonder that most people regard the judicial system as a calamity beyond repair.

The owner of a Honda Civic hybrid won an unusual Small Claims Court lawsuit Wednesday against the auto giant that some legal experts believe could change strategies for both Small Claims Court and class-action litigation. A Los Angeles County court commissioner ruled that American Honda Motor Co. negligently misled Civic owner Heather Peters when it claimed the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon. Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan, who mailed his 26-page decision to Peters and Honda, awarded her $9,867.19 in damages.

It was Honda Motor Co. versus the little guy Tuesday, as a lone Civic hybrid owner faced off against the automaker in Small Claims Court in Torrance. Heather Peters, a 46-year-old Los Angeles resident, took the unusual tactic after learning of a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement that covered her 2006 vehicle. That settlement, over the Civic hybrid's worse-than-advertised fuel economy, would give trial lawyers $8.5 million while Civic hybrid owners would get as little as $100 and rebate coupons for the purchase of a new car. Peters opted out of the class action and instead filed suit in Small Claims Court, where California law prohibits defendants like Honda from bringing attorneys.

The Small Claims Court of the North County Municipal Court will relocate to Escondido on Monday, freeing up the courtroom it had used in San Marcos for use as a second traffic court, officials said Thursday. The Small Claims Court, where disputes of claims of $5,000 or less are argued directly by the parties without benefit of attorneys, will operate out of the Escondido branch of the Municipal Court, 600 E. Valley Parkway. The Small Claims commissioner is Tony Brandenburg.

If you have a dispute that can't be resolved, you may consider taking it to Small Claims Court, which is designed to be far cheaper and quicker than regular court. In this forum there are no attorneys or juries — you present your own case and the person you're suing gets the chance to tell his or her side of the story. Some key things to know: •How much can I ask for? The maximum amount an individual can sue for in Small Claims Court in California is $10,000. For businesses, the limit is $5,000.

Except for saying that it will appeal, American Honda Motor Co. has not talked about its loss in a high-profile Civic hybrid lawsuit this week over fuel economy claims. But Thursday evening, the automaker issued a statement on why it believes a Torrance Small Claims Court commissioner ruled in error when he awarded Civic owner Heather Peters $9,867.19 in damages. He ruled Wednesday that Honda negligently misled Peters when it claimed the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon.

The owner of a Honda Civic hybrid won an unusual Small Claims Court lawsuit Wednesday against the auto giant that some legal experts believe could change strategies for both Small Claims Court and class-action litigation. A Los Angeles County court commissioner ruled that American Honda Motor Co. negligently misled Civic owner Heather Peters when it claimed the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon. Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan, who mailed his 26-page decision to Peters and Honda, awarded her $9,867.19 in damages.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details. There's a chess game afoot involving three distinct parties in the Honda Civic hybrid Small Claims Court case. Each will try to figure out what the nearly $10,000 award to Civic owner Heather Peters of Los Angeles means to its interests and will then map out a strategy. Trial attorneys have issued statements attempting to shore up support for a class-action litigation settlement between other Civic hybrid owners and the automaker that would pay the lawyers $8.5 million.

The owner of a Honda Civic hybrid won an unusual Small Claims Court lawsuit against American Honda Motor Co. Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan ruled that the giant automaker mislead Civic owner Heather Peters when it claimed that the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon. Peters said the Torrance Small Claims Court commissioner awarded her $9,867 in damages, very close to the maximum $10,000 allowed in Small Claims Court that the Los Angeles resident was seeking.

Honda Civic owners from Sacramento to Carlsbad, Calif., took off from work to attend an unusual Small Claims Court case in Torrance, where a lone consumer has sued American Honda Motor Co. over fuel economy claims. The hearing Wednesday represented round two of a case that has garnered national attention pitting Honda Civic hybrid owner Heather Peters against the automotive giant. Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan heard testimony from Peters and Honda.

There is an effort under way in Sacramento to make the people's court a richer place to visit. A state assemblyman has introduced a bill to increase the amount you can win in small claims court. The current limit is $1,500, while the amended bill increases the cap to $2,500. And thanks to Judge Joseph A.

Question: If I'm holding airline tickets for an upcoming Costa trip - the Concordia, which collided with rocks and ran aground on Jan. 13, was scheduled to sail again from Rome (Civitavecchia) on Jan. 20 - will Costa give me back my money? Answer: It should, but whether it will remains unclear. The issue for passengers on upcoming cruises is this: If they bought an air-sea package - that is, their cruise fare and airfare together - from Costa, they might have some recourse.

It was Honda Motor Co. versus the little guy Tuesday, as a lone Civic hybrid owner faced off against the automaker in Small Claims Court in Torrance. Heather Peters, a 46-year-old Los Angeles resident, took the unusual tactic after learning of a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement that covered her 2006 vehicle. That settlement, over the Civic hybrid's worse-than-advertised fuel economy, would give trial lawyers $8.5 million while Civic hybrid owners would get as little as $100 and rebate coupons for the purchase of a new car. Peters opted out of the class action and instead filed suit in Small Claims Court, where California law prohibits defendants like Honda from bringing attorneys.