In General

The Civil Court has monetary jurisdiction up to $50,000.00, including replevin when the value of the chattel does not exceed that amount. It has jurisdiction of real property actions, such as partitions, and foreclosures, within the monetary limit. The Civil Court also has equity jurisdiction limited to real property actions, ejectment actions, and actions to rescind or reform a contract not involving more than the $50,000.00 jurisdictional limit.

Cases filed in the Civil Court are varied, but in general seek an award of a money judgment. Some of the kinds of cases most often filed in the Civil Court and decided in the civil parts include the following:
1. Small loans: e.g., banks, credit cards, personal, home improvement, and student loans
2. Goods sold and delivered: e.g., to recover money due for items ordered
3. Labor and Services: e.g., to recover money due for work done
4. Hospital Bills: e.g., to recover money due for rooms, medicine or medical procedures
5. Professional Services: e.g., to recover money due for dental or legal work
6. Trade Services: e.g., to recover money due for plumbing or electrical work
7. Personal Property: e.g., to recover for injury to property such as auto accidents, damage to a house
8. Personal Injury: e.g., to recover for injuries to a person
9. Subrogated Claims: e.g., where an insurance company pays its clients under "no fault" and later sues the responsible party to recover the money
10. Rent Payment when the tenant is no longer in the apartment
11. Commercial landlord-tenant cases

Cases brought by self-represented litigants are automatically placed on the court’s Personal Appearance Part calendar for conference when an answer is filed. Likewise, when an answer is filed by a self-represented litigant in a case started by an attorney, the case is also placed on the Personal Appearance Part calendar. The Judges presiding in this Part oversee all conferences, discovery and in some boroughs all motion practice, up until the trial.

For more information during the various stages of your court case, click on Legal and Procedural Information.