Small Money Claim, Big Service
Many of us don’t know, but the UK's Money Claim Online system was created as a way for people to legally pursue outstanding claims without paying expensive court fees. The system is designed to ensure that legal costs are kept to a minimum and anyone can submit a claim through the service regardless of their income. It is sad, that many people are put off claiming the money owed to them because they think it is too much hassle. This is bad news for the claimant and good news for their creditors who keep as much of the debt as possible. By pushing people away from making a small claim, they may be losing out on thousands of pounds.
If you decide to lodge a small claim, remember: you must write a letter before action, and serve it on the defendant to tell them what it is you are disputing and why. You need to do this even if you've already written to them to complain. If the matter is not resolved by the letter, you can then start your small claim by filling in a form.
What if we are being taken to a Small Money Claim Court? Being threatened with a small money claim can put your head in pain if you are not familiar with the process. Not knowing where, how or who to start is enough to make you feel as helpless as a small child. Don’t panic. Everything can be sorted out quickly and cost-effectively.
Small claims are never usually for more than £10,000. There is not a minimum amount, therefore, even if someone owes you £10 you may take it to small claims and any additional costs, like court or legal fees, that you will be charged in the process, will then be added to the claimed amount.
Small claims are usually made for things like:
faulty products
poor services
refunds
tenant vs. landlord disputes, for example, if they haven’t done necessary repairs
being owed money for work you provided
accidents and injuries, for example, a car accident
Whatever your position is: claimant or defendant, remember: Small Money Claims Service has been designed to make your matter easier and cheaper to handle. It is there to help both parties to go through the disagreement in a competent way. There is a lot of free help as well, including free advice from https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/.
