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St. Joseph County resolves money disputes up to $7,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving St. Joseph County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
St. Joseph County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
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.
About 61,171 people live in St. Joseph County. Small claims filings from St. Joseph County are handled at St Joseph County Circuit Court in Centreville.
Small claims are filed here on paper, at the counter or through the mail. Squabble prepares the full packet before it goes.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Have copies of your evidence for the bench and for the other party. Some courts take documents electronically before the hearing as well.
Residents of St. Joseph County, Michigan, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Michigan Small Claims Court, which handles disputes up to a claim limit of $7,000. Cases in this county are heard at the St Joseph County Circuit Court, located at 125 W Main St in Centreville, 49032, and the court can be reached by telephone at (269) 467-5500. The county has a population of 61,171 and includes the communities of Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, Constantine, Leonidas, Mendon, Nottawa, Sturgis, Three Rivers, and White Pigeon, along with ZIP codes such as 49030, 49040, 49042, 49066, 49072, 49075, 49091, 49093, and 49099. St. Joseph County lies near Kalamazoo County, Cass County, and Branch County. Electronic filing is not available for small claims matters in this county, so filings are handled at the courthouse in Centreville.
These 10 places sit inside St. Joseph County:
Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, Constantine, Leonidas, Mendon, Nottawa, Sturgis, Three Rivers, White Pigeon.
ZIP codes:
St. Joseph County holds about 61,171 people, 33rd of the 83 counties in Michigan. St Joseph County Circuit Court, in Centreville, is about 13 miles from the Kalamazoo County courthouse in Kalamazoo and 13 miles from the Cass County courthouse in Cassopolis.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, no attorneys at the hearing, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
Lawyers do not appear for either party at the hearing. You may speak to one before it or after it.
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.
St. Joseph County is under the same limits as nearby Kalamazoo County and Cass County. They are the same across all 10 St. Joseph County ZIP codes, from 49030 onward.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $7,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
St. Joseph County takes in Burr Oak, Centreville and Colon and the rest of the county. St. Joseph County has about 61,171 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
St Joseph County Circuit Court lists (269) 467-5500 as its number. Everything below applies to a case filed in St. Joseph County, at the Centreville courthouse.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. Michigan courts usually take delivery by 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.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned.
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.
Kalamazoo County and Cass County are the counties nearest to St. Joseph County. A St. Joseph County address carries one of its 10 ZIP codes, 49030, 49032 and 49040 among them.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| 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 |
St. Joseph County, population about 61,171, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in St. Joseph County as in nearby Kalamazoo County and Cass 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).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
It is the same rate across all 10 St. Joseph County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for St. Joseph County, population about 61,171.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the St. Joseph 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.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Describe the dispute to Eleanor. Squabble drafts the paperwork, puts it through a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and lodges it with the court.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
St. Joseph County papers go to St Joseph County Circuit Court in Centreville. St. Joseph County takes in filings from 10 ZIP codes, 49030 first in the list.
The hearing is brief and informal. No lawyers take part, and the judge puts questions to each side directly.
Hearings in St. Joseph County cases are listed at St Joseph County Circuit Court in Centreville. Burr Oak, Centreville and Colon are among the St. Joseph County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
Kalamazoo County and Cass County are the counties nearest to St. Joseph County. The judgment in a St. Joseph County case comes from St Joseph County Circuit Court in Centreville.
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 St. Joseph County case for you.
