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 your money.

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, general docket, 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.