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In Austin County, money disputes up to $20,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Austin 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.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. Austin County confirms the venue from the defendant's address or where the events happened.
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 32,546 people live in Austin County. Austin County covers 9 ZIP codes, including the Bellville, Bleiblerville and Cat Spring areas.
This court works from paper filings, delivered in person or posted in. Squabble builds the packet so nothing is missing.
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 Austin County, Texas, bring small claims cases through the Justice Court of Texas system, which handles claims up to $20,000. The Austin County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 sits in Bellville at 265 N. Chesley Street, Suite 2, 77418, and can be reached at (979) 865-9171 or online at https://www.austincounty.com/page/austin.Justice. The court serves a county of roughly 32,546 people, covering communities such as Bellville, Bleiblerville, Cat Spring, Industry, Kenney, New Ulm, San Felipe, Sealy, and Wallis, along with ZIP codes including 77418, 77452, 77473, 77474, 77485, 78931, 78933, 78944, and 78950. Austin County lies near Colorado County, Waller County, and Washington County. Electronic filing is not available for this court, so filings are handled in another manner. Questions about case procedures, filing paperwork, and court locations can be directed to the Precinct 1 court by telephone or through the county website listed above.
These 9 places sit inside Austin County:
Bellville, Bleiblerville, Cat Spring, Industry, Kenney, New Ulm, San Felipe, Sealy, Wallis.
ZIP codes:
With about 32,546 residents, Austin County ranks 90th by population among the 254 counties of Texas. From Bellville, Austin County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 is roughly 7 miles from the Waller County courthouse in Hempstead and 9 miles from the Washington County courthouse in Brenham.
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.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Texas allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
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.
Austin County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 is the courthouse listed for Austin County. These are the limits for Austin County, population about 32,546.
Debts up to $20,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Austin County has about 32,546 residents. Austin County takes in Bellville, Bleiblerville and Cat Spring 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.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing 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.
This is the route an Austin County case takes, whether it starts in 77418 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Everything below applies to a case filed in Austin County, at the Bellville courthouse.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself.
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.
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 is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Austin County include places such as Bellville, Bleiblerville and Cat Spring. An Austin County address carries one of its 9 ZIP codes, 77418, 77452 and 77473 among them.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Austin County as in nearby Colorado County and Waller County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Austin County ZIP code to another, 77418 included.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
Austin County is under the same state rate as nearby Colorado County and Waller County. It is the same rate across all 9 Austin County ZIP codes.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Austin County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $45–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
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.
Austin County has a population of about 32,546. Austin County papers go to Austin County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 in Bellville.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Austin County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 sits at the 77418 address shown above. Austin County has about 32,546 residents.
The ruling establishes the debt. Recovery is a further step, supported by enforcement measures that are set by each state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
Bellville, Bleiblerville and Cat Spring are among the Austin County places a judgment debtor may live in. Colorado County and Waller County are the counties nearest to Austin County.
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 Austin County case for you.
