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The small-claims court in York County handles money disputes up to $12,000, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in York 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.
There is more than one hub courthouse in York 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.
Picking the right building matters. A ZIP code lookup on the court's official locator will name it, or Squabble pinpoints it automatically. Assignments do change, so confirm it first.
York County covers 50 ZIP codes, including the Airville, Brogue and Codorus areas. The nearest counties to York County are Lancaster County and Adams County.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
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 York County, Pennsylvania, which has a population of 471,240 and lies near Lancaster County, Adams County, and Dauphin County, can file small claims through the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court system, which handles claims up to $12,000. Magisterial District Court 19-1-01, presided over by Judge Thomas L. Harteis, sits at 1285 East Princess Street in York, 17403, and can be reached at (717) 771-4787. That office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and it is closed Saturday and Sunday. Magisterial District Court 19-2-01, with Judge Barry Bloss, is located at 3568 Concord Road in York, 17402, with a phone number of (717) 840-7233, and it opens at 7:30 AM Monday through Thursday, closing at 4:00 PM, with Friday hours of 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The county includes communities such as Dallastown, Hanover, Dillsburg, Glen Rock, and Delta. Electronic filing is not available.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
These 38 places sit inside York County:
Airville, Brogue, Codorus, Craley, Dallastown, Delta, Dillsburg, Dover, East Prospect, Emigsville, Etters, Fawn Grove, Felton, Franklintown, Glen Rock, Glenville, Hanover, Lewisberry, Loganville, Manchester, Mount Wolf, New Freedom, New Park, Porters Sideling, Railroad, Red Lion, Rossville, Seven Valleys, Shrewsbury, Spring Grove, Stewartstown, Thomasville, Wellsville, Windsor, Wrightsville, York, York Haven, York New Salem.
Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, York County is 8th by population at roughly 471,240 people. Magisterial District Court 19-1-01: Judge Thomas L. Harteis, in York, is about 12 miles from the Lancaster County courthouse in Lancaster and 13 miles from the Adams County courthouse in Bonneauville.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
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
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Lawyers are allowed at a Pennsylvania hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
They are the same across all 50 York County ZIP codes, from 17019 onward. These are the limits for York County, population about 471,240.
Debts up to $12,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
York County takes in Airville, Brogue and Codorus and the rest of the county. York County has about 471,240 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to it.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
This is the route a York County case takes, whether it starts in 17019 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Magisterial District Court 19-1-01: Judge Thomas L. Harteis publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
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. Pennsylvania courts usually take delivery by delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, certified mail, the sheriff or constable or personal delivery by an approved server.
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.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set. Service must be at least 10 days before hearing. With exception of Philadelphia, all counties do certified mail.
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 York County address carries one of its 50 ZIP codes, 17019, 17302 and 17309 among them. Lancaster County and Adams County are the counties nearest to York County.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
York County, population about 471,240, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in York County as in nearby Lancaster County and Adams County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in Pennsylvania generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (41 P.S. §202).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
The rate above is the one for York County, population about 471,240. York County is under the same state rate as nearby Lancaster County and Adams County.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File at the York County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $30–$100 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.
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.
A York County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Magisterial District Court 19-1-01: Judge Thomas L. Harteis among them. York County takes in filings from 50 ZIP codes, 17019 first in the list.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
York County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. York County has about 471,240 residents.
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.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings 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.
Lancaster County and Adams County are the counties nearest to York County. Airville, Brogue and Codorus are among the York County places a judgment debtor may live in.
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 York County case for you.
