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The small-claims court in Caldwell County handles money disputes up to $10,000, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Caldwell 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.
One courthouse takes small claims for Caldwell 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.
Confirm the courthouse before you file. The court's own small-claims page carries its current filing location and hours, and Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
Caldwell County Courthouse, in Lenoir, is the courthouse listed for Caldwell County. Caldwell County covers 7 ZIP codes, including the Collettsville, Granite Falls and Hudson areas.
You can open a small claims case here online, without travelling to the courthouse to hand the papers in.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Caldwell County, North Carolina, which has a population of 80,739, can file small claims cases through the North Carolina Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $10,000. Cases are heard at the Caldwell County Courthouse, located at 216 Main St SW in Lenoir, 28645. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. It can be reached by phone at (828) 759-3503, and information is posted at https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/caldwell-county/caldwell-county-courthouse. The court serves the entire county, including the communities of Collettsville, Granite Falls, Hudson, Lenoir, Patterson, and Rhodhiss, and ZIP codes such as 28611, 28630, 28633, 28638, 28661, and 28667. Caldwell County lies near Burke County, Avery County, and Watauga County. Electronic filing is available for small claims matters in this county, in addition to filings made at the courthouse during its regular business hours.
These 6 places sit inside Caldwell County:
Collettsville, Granite Falls, Hudson, Lenoir, Patterson, Rhodhiss.
ZIP codes:
Caldwell County is the 35th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with about 80,739 residents. From Lenoir, Caldwell County Courthouse is roughly 7 miles from the Burke County courthouse in Morganton and 12 miles from the Avery County courthouse in Newland.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
You generally file where the other party lives, not where the dispute happened.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
North Carolina permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
Over the limit? A claim above the ceiling can be trimmed to fit, or filed in full in the ordinary civil court. Trimming generally means writing off the remainder.
They are the same across all 7 Caldwell County ZIP codes, from 28611 onward. Caldwell County Courthouse is the courthouse listed for Caldwell County.
If someone owes you money, up to $10,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Caldwell County takes in Collettsville, Granite Falls and Hudson and the rest of the county. Caldwell County Courthouse is the Caldwell County courthouse listed below.
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.
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.
Caldwell County Courthouse lists (828) 759-3503 as its number. Caldwell County Courthouse publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. North Carolina courts usually take delivery by delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it 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. Service must be completed within 5 days of hearing. NC has close hearing dates.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court 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.
A Caldwell County address carries one of its 7 ZIP codes, 28611, 28630 and 28633 among them. Burke County and Avery County are the counties nearest to Caldwell County.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| Type of claim | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
Caldwell County, population about 80,739, is covered by the table above. They do not change from one Caldwell County ZIP code to another, 28611 included.
Money owed under a contract in North Carolina generally accrues interest at 8% per year before judgment (N.C. Gen. Stat. §24-1, §24-5).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
Caldwell County is under the same state rate as nearby Burke County and Avery County. It is the same rate across all 7 Caldwell County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Caldwell County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $30–$96 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.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
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.
Caldwell County takes in filings from 7 ZIP codes, 28611 first in the list. Collettsville, Granite Falls and Hudson are among the places in Caldwell County that filings come from.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Hearings in Caldwell County cases are listed at Caldwell County Courthouse in Lenoir. Collettsville, Granite Falls and Hudson are among the Caldwell County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
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.
Collettsville, Granite Falls and Hudson are among the Caldwell County places a judgment debtor may live in. Burke County and Avery County are the counties nearest to Caldwell County.
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 Caldwell County case for you.
