Rule 2 - Jurisdiction; Place of Suit; Filing Fee(a)Jurisdiction. Actions on claims for money damages not exceeding $10,000.00 may be brought under these rules, except claims based on defamation. But no claim may be brought for collection of any debt greater than $5,000.00 arising out of: (1) a consumer credit transaction as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1679a; or(2) medical debt as defined in 18 V.S.A. § 9481.Claims for relief other than money damages may not be brought under these rules. A claim in excess of $10,000.00 may not be split into two or more claims under these rules.
(b)Place of suit. An action under these rules may be brought in the superior court of the county in which the plaintiff or the defendant resides. On motion by a party or on the judge's initiative, for the convenience of the parties, witnesses, or counsel and in the interest of justice, the judge may order that the place of trial be changed to the superior court of another county in which a party resides.(c)Judicial bureau decisions. A certified copy of a judgment of the judicial bureau which has become final and requires the payment of a penalty not exceeding $10,000.00 may be filed under these rules and will be deemed a final small claims judgment. Such a small claims judgment is deemed to have been entered retroactive to the date it was entered in the judicial bureau and is not subject to appeal under these rules.(d)Filing fee. The required filing fee, as specified in a current schedule published by the Court Administrator, must be paid.(e)Nontransferability. A claim or counterclaim filed in the small claims docket of a superior court may not be transferred to the civil docket of a superior court.Vt. R. Small. Claims. P. 2
Adopted Mar. 6, 2002, eff. 9/1/2002; amended June 1, 2007, eff. 7/1/2007; amended August 14, 2023, eff. 8/14/2023.Reporter's Notes-2007 Amendment
This emergency amendment is made to conform with an amendment to 12 V.S.A. § 5531(a) and (c). See Act No. 39, 2007.
Reporter's Notes-2023 Amendment
This emergency amendment is made to conform with an amendment to 12 V.S.A. § 5531 raising the jurisdictional limit to $10,000.00, except for certain debt collection actions. See 2023 Acts No. 46, § 9.