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Small claims in Houston County covers money disputes up to $20,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Houston County: the limit, filing fees, which courthouse to use, how to serve the other side, your deadlines, and how to file. When you're ready, Squabble prepares everything and files it for you.
One courthouse takes small claims for Houston County, shown below. The court checks the location against the defendant's address and the place of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 18,352 people live in Houston County. Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center, in Caledonia, is the courthouse listed for Houston County.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
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 Houston County, Minnesota, bring small claims cases through the Minnesota Conciliation Court, which handles claims up to $20000. These cases are heard at the Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center, located at 306 South Marshall in Caledonia, 55921. The court office can be reached at (507) 724-7002, and more information is posted at https://www.co.houston.mn.us/departments/court-administration/. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Friday, with the office closed Saturday and Sunday. The court serves a county of about 18,352 people and covers communities including Brownsville, Caledonia, Eitzen, Hokah, Houston, La Crescent, and Spring Grove, along with ZIP codes such as 55919, 55931, 55941, 55943, 55947, and 55974. Houston County lies near Winona County, Fillmore County, and Olmsted County. Electronic filing is available for cases in this county, in addition to filings made at the court administration office in Caledonia.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 7 communities:
Brownsville, Caledonia, Eitzen, Hokah, Houston, La Crescent, Spring Grove.
ZIP codes:
Houston County holds about 18,352 people, 51st of the 87 counties in Minnesota. Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center sits about 28 miles from the Olmsted County courthouse in Rochester.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Minnesota conciliation court rules allow a party to be represented by a lawyer admitted to practice in Minnesota, and the judge decides the extent and manner in which the lawyer participates at the trial (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 512(d), as amended effective July 1, 2026). Corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and similar entities may instead appear through an officer, manager, partner, or authorized employee under Minn. Stat. 491A.02, subd. 4.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
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.
These are the limits for Houston County, population about 18,352. They are the same across all 7 Houston County ZIP codes, from 55919 onward.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $20,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Houston County has about 18,352 residents. Houston County takes in Brownsville, Caledonia and Eitzen 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.
Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center lists (507) 724-7002 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
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.
Winona County and Fillmore County are the counties nearest to Houston County. Addresses in Houston County include places such as Brownsville, Caledonia and Eitzen.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Type of claim | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 6 years |
| Personal injury | 6 years |
Houston County, population about 18,352, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in Houston County as in nearby Winona County and Fillmore County, which are in the same state.
In Minnesota, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Minn. Stat. §549.09).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
The rate above is the one for Houston County, population about 18,352. Houston County is under the same state rate as nearby Winona County and Fillmore County.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Houston County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $35–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Once the court fixes a date, have the papers served and return the proof of service to the file.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
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.
Houston County has a population of about 18,352. Houston County takes in filings from 7 ZIP codes, 55919 first in the list.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Houston County has about 18,352 residents. Hearings in Houston County cases are listed at Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center in Caledonia.
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.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
The court can additionally require the debtor to appear and answer under oath about what they earn and own. An unsatisfied judgment usually carries statutory interest until it is paid.
Brownsville, Caledonia and Eitzen are among the Houston County places a judgment debtor may live in. The judgment in a Houston County case comes from Houston County District Court: Concilliation - Houston County Justice Center in Caledonia.
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 Houston County case for you.
