Legal Issues in Small Claims Court and Appeals

Landlord - Tenant Rights
How do you resolve your landlord-tenant issue? Over the
years, we have represented landlords and tenants in
disputes over security deposits, duties to pay rent, terms of
a lease, penalty provisions in a lease and other matters.
Does a landlord owe the tenant interest on the security
deposit while the landlords holds it, we are asked? We
handle evictions and disputes over damages to rental
properties, fixtures, and over reaching by both tenants and
landlords. We see the problems that arise when a lease is
not specific enough, or when there are multiple tenants
that sign a lease (and one housemate moves out
prematurely). We also see civil rights violations by
landlords and we advise how landlords should select
tenants, and how tenants should select landlords, and what
to do when a dispute comes about. We often suggest that a
tenant look for alternatives to breaking a lease to move
out, cessation of rent payment, and how the landlord can
accommodate the tenant's needs to relocate, etc. We also
address issues of normal wear and tear versus damage
caused by the tenant for which the landlord can recover.

Breach of Contract
What happens when the other party to your contract fails to
honor the contract or warranty? We are a nation of
consumers who enter into countless agreements every
year: some deals are large, some small. Unfortunately, not
always do people honor (or corporations) honor their side
of the agreement. This happens every day. We see dry
cleaners who fail to return shirts to customers. We see the
seller of a hot tubs (or pools, or pool tables, or furniture)
fail to deliver a quality product and/or honor the seller's
warranty. Perhaps a restaurant failed to cook food and
gave you food poisoning. Or you have a small company
and your supplier failed to provide goods, or your
customer failed ot pay for serices. You need to know how
to protect your rights whenever a breach of contract for
goods or services occurs, or if the product you buy is
defective. You may be entitled to your money back,
damages for your expenses, and the cost of filing a claim
in small claims courts. You need to know your rights.

Significant Accidents
If you sustained major injuries, you do NOT want to file a
small claims court case. This is true for several reasons.
Contact our lawyers about how to proceed. We handle
general docket, significant cases in state and federal court
in Pennsylvania.

Minor Accidents
What do you do when you have sustained minor injuries or
property damage in an accident? In cases where your
damages are limited to property (collision work), you may
want to consider a small claims court action. Likewise, if
you have sustained personal injury that is not significant
(minor soft tissue injury and quick recovery), a personal
injury attorney may not want to take your case. You may
want to file a small claims court action after speaking to a
lawyer. We handle cases involving damage to property
from car accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, and other
incidents. Often, your medical bills will be insignificant
and you will need how to recover only a few hundred
dollars. You need to know how to proceed in small claims
court to recover.

Interference With Property
What happens when your neighbor (or a utility company)
interfers with your use of your property? We often see
cases a property owner sees the value of his prperty fall
because others interfere by damaging grass, bushes, or
trees, or by otherwise creating a nuisance nearby. In other
cases, a neighbor will allow a tree on his property to lean
dangerously close to falling on his neighbor's property.
What are the rights and duties of each property owner?
Likewise, when can you be liable for harm to those coming
onto your property? With property ownship comes rights
and responsiblities. You need to know how to use the
courtroom process to advance your interests to maximize
the use of your property and to prevent others from taking
advantage of you.

Emergency Protection From Abuse Order
What happens when you need an emergency protection
from abuse order? You can get an emergency protective
order in Pennsylvania by going to your local magistrate,
which is the same place for small claims court. You can do
this yourself without assistance of an attorney. In
Pennsylvania, the order lasts only twenty four hours and
you then need to follow up through the family court
system.

Limits to Small Claims Court
What limit are there to filing a claim in small claims court?
Through small claims court, the magistrate will not take
jurisdicton over such issues as: divorce, support, custody,
adoption, title to real property, claims for an injunction, or
claims for money in excess of the limit of small claims
court (between $3,000 and $10,000 depending on the state).
Moreover, many claims must be filed through an
arbitration process or an administrative process (other than
small claims court), depending on the situation. Depending
on your situation or the law in your state, your claim for a
lemon law issue, or employement discrimination (or other
matters), or claim against your attorney for excessive
billing may have to be filed through an arbitration process
or an administrative process rather than small claims court.

Our Appeals From Small Claims Court Practice
handles disputes over money, landlord and tenant matters,
eviction, rent, lease issues, personal injury matters, and
breach of contract. We also handle other small cases in
Pittsburgh, Beaver County, and Western Pennsylvania. We
have offices in in Western Pennsylvania: Allegheny County,
Beaver County, and Washington County, serving Pittsburgh,
McKees Rocks, Ross, Bellevue, Avalon, Sewickely, Shaler,
Monroeville, Monongahela, Moon, Fox Chapel, Oakmont,
Ross (North Hills), Evans City, McCandless, Brighton
Heights, the Monroeville areas. We also handle adoption
cases throughout Beaver County, including Monaca,
Hopewell, Ambridge, Center Township, Aliquippa, and
Beaver Falls. Schedule an appointment today for a
Pittsburgh family law attorney lawyer to protect your rights.

Our Perfect Option lets you get representation if you are
not in Pennsylvania. So long as your case is here in
Pennsylvania, it will make no difference whether you now
live or work in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and
Wyoming. We encourage you to speak to an attorney every
time you are harmed, injured, sued, or otherwise need to
protect your rights.

Our Landlord Tenant Practice will help you with disputes
over the use of leased property. Do you face an issue over
a security deposit or breach of a lease agreement. We
handle small claims court matters involving landlord and
tenant (renter) issues, including issues over the installation
and removal of fixtures, damage to premises, penalties in
leases, multiple leases, sub-letting, subleasing, warranties,
and other issues in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Talk to
an attorney about the best way to resolve your eviction
notice issue and/or your claim for damages to property.
Likeise, we represent tenants whose property or security
deposition has been wrongfully witheld. When can you move
out? Can you sublease the property? Can your landlord
impose a penalty provision in the lease? Should your
security deposit generate interest while the landlord controls
it? How clean must the property be? Who is responsible for
normal wear and tear? We can give you the answers.