squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
Money disputes up to $7,000 are settled in the Oakland County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Oakland 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.
Oakland County hears small claims at several hub courthouses. The right one depends on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened. The court matches your ZIP code to a courthouse.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Unsure where to file? The court publishes a locator that turns a ZIP code into a courthouse, and Squabble handles that step for you. Coverage is updated periodically, so verify before filing.
Oakland County covers 88 ZIP codes, including the Auburn Hills, Berkley and Birmingham areas. Oakland County has 4 courthouses listed above; Oakland County District Court: 50th District - Pontiac is one of them.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
Small claims hearings are held in person at the courthouse.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Residents of Oakland County, Michigan, which has a population of 1,296,888 and includes communities such as Birmingham, Ferndale, Madison Heights, Novi, and Milford, along with ZIP codes including 48009, 48067, 48071, and 48084, can bring claims through the Michigan Small Claims Court. The claim limit in this court is $7,000. One location handling these matters is the Oakland County District Court: 50th District - Pontiac, at 70 N Saginaw in Pontiac, 48342, which can be reached at (248) 758-3800 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and closed Saturday and Sunday. Another is the Oakland County District Court: 48th District Court - Bloomfield Hills, at 4280 Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Twp, 48302, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and closed on weekends. Electronic filing is not available. Oakland County lies near Macomb County, Livingston County, and Genesee County.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
Oakland County covers these 42 towns and cities:
Auburn Hills, Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Township, Davisburg, Drayton Plains, Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Highland, Holly, Huntington Woods, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Lakeville, Leonard, Madison Heights, Milford, New Hudson, Northville, Novi, Oak Park, Oakland, Ortonville, Oxford, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac, Rochester, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Troy, Union Lake, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake, Wixom.
With about 1,296,888 residents, Oakland County ranks 2nd by population among the 83 counties of Michigan. From Pontiac, Oakland County District Court: 50th District - Pontiac is roughly 7 miles from the Macomb County courthouse in Shelby Township and 16 miles from the Livingston County courthouse in Howell.
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
Two venues are usually open: where events took place, or where the other side is based.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
Both sides appear without a lawyer at the hearing itself. Consulting one before or after is a separate matter.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
Oakland County has 4 courthouses listed on this page. Oakland County is under the same limits as nearby Macomb County and Livingston County.
Debts up to $7,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Oakland County has about 1,296,888 residents. Oakland County takes in Auburn Hills, Berkley and Birmingham 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.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Oakland County District Court: 50th District - Pontiac publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Oakland County District Court: 50th District - Pontiac lists (248) 758-3800 as its number.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed. The usual route in Michigan is delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, personal delivery by an approved server or the sheriff or constable.
Depending on the court: the sheriff or constable, a professional process server, the clerk by certified mail, or another adult who isn't part of the case. Methods and costs vary by county.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before 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.
An Oakland County address carries one of its 88 ZIP codes, 48007, 48009 and 48012 among them. Macomb County and Livingston County are the counties nearest to Oakland County.
You have a limited window to file, measured from when the dispute arose. File after it closes and your claim can be barred.
| What the claim is about | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Oakland County ZIP code to another, 48007 included. The same periods apply in Oakland County as in nearby Macomb County and Livingston County, which are in the same state.
In Michigan, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Mich. Comp. Laws §600.6013).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
It is the same rate across all 88 Oakland County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Oakland County, population about 1,296,888.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the Oakland County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $25–$65 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed 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.
Auburn Hills, Berkley and Birmingham are among the places in Oakland County that filings come from. Oakland County has a population of about 1,296,888.
These hearings are informal and do not take long. Neither side has a lawyer and the judge leads the questioning.
Oakland County hearings are held at one of its 4 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Auburn Hills, Berkley and Birmingham are among the Oakland County places a hearing can draw parties from.
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.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
An Oakland County judgment comes from one of its 4 listed courthouses. Auburn Hills, Berkley and Birmingham are among the Oakland County places a judgment debtor may live in.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
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 Oakland County case for you.
