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The small-claims court in Cass County handles money disputes up to $7,000, with simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Cass County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. Cass County confirms the venue from the defendant's address or where the events happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
The nearest counties to Cass County are Van Buren County and St. Joseph County. Small claims filings from Cass County are handled at Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT in Cassopolis.
Filings here are on paper, brought to the counter or posted. Squabble assembles the packet so it is complete when it arrives.
Small claims hearings are held in person at the courthouse.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Cass County, Michigan, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Michigan Small Claims Court, which in this county is handled by the Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT in Cassopolis. The court is located at 60296M, 62, in ZIP code 49031, and it can be reached by telephone at (269) 445-4412. Its public counter operates Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and it is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Electronic filing is not available, and additional information about the court is posted at https://casscourtsmi.org/. The claim limit in small claims is $7,000. Cass County has a population of 51,550 and includes the communities of Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Jones, Marcellus, Union and Vandalia, along with ZIP codes such as 49047, 49061, 49067, 49095, 49112 and 49130. The county lies near Van Buren County, St. Joseph County and Berrien County.
These 7 places sit inside Cass County:
Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Jones, Marcellus, Union, Vandalia.
ZIP codes:
Of Michigan's 83 counties, Cass County is 35th by population at roughly 51,550 people. Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT in Cassopolis lies around 11 miles from the Van Buren County courthouse in Paw Paw and 13 miles from the St. Joseph County courthouse in Centreville.
Counties nearest to this one:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, no attorneys at the hearing, and a cap on what can be claimed.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Neither side is represented by a lawyer at the hearing. You can consult one before or after.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
They are the same across all 7 Cass County ZIP codes, from 49031 onward. These are the limits for Cass County, population about 51,550.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $7,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT is the Cass County courthouse listed below. Cass County takes in Cassopolis, Dowagiac and Edwardsburg and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
Expect a brief session rather than a trial, in person or by video where available, with a decision at the end or soon after.
Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a Cass County case takes, whether it starts in 49031 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. Courts in Michigan generally rely on delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, personal delivery by an approved server or the sheriff or constable.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Van Buren County and St. Joseph County are the counties nearest to Cass County. Addresses in Cass County include places such as Cassopolis, Dowagiac and Edwardsburg.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Cass County as in nearby Van Buren County and St. Joseph County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Cass County ZIP code to another, 49031 included.
In Michigan, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Mich. Comp. Laws §600.6013).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
Cass County is under the same state rate as nearby Van Buren County and St. Joseph County. It is the same rate across all 7 Cass County ZIP codes.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Get the defendant's legal name right, set out the events, and break down how the figure is reached.
File with the Cass County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $30–$70 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Cassopolis, Dowagiac and Edwardsburg are among the places in Cass County that filings come from. Cass County papers go to Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT in Cassopolis.
Hearings run short and plainly. Lawyers do not appear, and questions come from the judge.
Cassopolis, Dowagiac and Edwardsburg are among the Cass County places a hearing can draw parties from. Cass County has about 51,550 residents.
Winning and being paid are two different things. The judgment records what is owed; collecting it is its own process, backed by court remedies that vary from state to state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Cassopolis, Dowagiac and Edwardsburg are among the Cass County places a judgment debtor may live in. The judgment in a Cass County case comes from Cass County 4TH DISTRICT COURT in Cassopolis.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Cass County case for you.
