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In Columbus County, money disputes up to $10,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Columbus County, how notice reaches the other party, the time limits, and the filing steps. Squabble can prepare and lodge the paperwork when you decide to go ahead.
There is more than one hub courthouse in Columbus County. Which one takes a case turns on the defendant's address or the location of the dispute, matched by ZIP code.
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 Columbus County are Brunswick County and Bladen County. About 50,054 people live in Columbus County.
You can open a small claims case here online, without travelling to the courthouse to hand the papers in.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Residents of Columbus County, North Carolina, a county of 50,054 people, can bring small claims cases through the North Carolina Small Claims Court. The Columbus County Small Claims Court sits at 113 Courthouse Square in Whiteville, 28472, and the Columbus County Courthouse is located at 100 Courthouse Circle, also in Whiteville. Both locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and are closed Saturday and Sunday. They can be reached at (910) 641-4400, and further information is posted at https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/columbus-county. The claim limit in this court is $10,000. The county covers communities including Whiteville, Chadbourn, Tabor City, Lake Waccamaw, Fair Bluff, Riegelwood, and Cerro Gordo, along with ZIP codes such as 28472, 28431, 28463, and 28450. Columbus County lies near Brunswick County, Bladen County, and Robeson County. Electronic filing is available in this county.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
These 14 places sit inside Columbus County:
Bolton, Brunswick, Cerro Gordo, Chadbourn, Clarendon, Delco, Evergreen, Fair Bluff, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, Nakina, Riegelwood, Tabor City, Whiteville.
ZIP codes:
Columbus County holds about 50,054 people, 52nd of the 100 counties in North Carolina. Columbus County Small Claims Court in Whiteville lies around 18 miles from the Brunswick County courthouse in Bolivia and 10 miles from the Bladen County courthouse in Elizabethtown.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
This state ties venue to the defendant's residence rather than to the events.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
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? 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.
Columbus County has 2 courthouses listed on this page. These are the limits for Columbus County, population about 50,054.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $10,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
Columbus County has about 50,054 residents. Columbus County takes in Bolton, Brunswick and Cerro Gordo 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.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
Columbus County Small Claims Court lists (910) 641-4400 as its number. This is the route a Columbus County case takes, whether it starts in 28423 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself. delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it or the sheriff or constable is what courts in North Carolina normally accept.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change 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. Service must be completed within 5 days of hearing. NC has close hearing dates.
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.
A Columbus County address carries one of its 14 ZIP codes, 28423, 28424 and 28430 among them. Addresses in Columbus County include places such as Bolton, Brunswick and Cerro Gordo.
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 | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Columbus County ZIP code to another, 28423 included. Columbus County, population about 50,054, is covered by the table above.
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).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
It is the same rate across all 14 Columbus County ZIP codes. Columbus County is under the same state rate as nearby Brunswick County and Bladen County.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File at the Columbus County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $30–$96 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.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
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 →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
Columbus County has a population of about 50,054. Columbus County takes in filings from 14 ZIP codes, 28423 first in the list.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Columbus County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Bolton, Brunswick and Cerro Gordo are among the Columbus 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.
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.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
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.
A Columbus County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses. Brunswick County and Bladen County are the counties nearest to Columbus County.
Checked August 2026. Because courts revise fees, limits and procedures, confirm the current position before filing.
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 Columbus County case for you.
