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Small claims in Cameron County covers money disputes up to $20,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Cameron 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.
Cameron County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location 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.
Small claims filings from Cameron County are handled at Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 in Brownsville. About 431,874 people live in Cameron County.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Small claims cases in Cameron County, Texas, are heard through the Justice Court of Texas system, which handles claims up to $20,000. Cameron County has a population of 431,874 and includes communities such as Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Port Isabel, Los Fresnos, La Feria, Rio Hondo, and South Padre Island, along with ZIP codes including 78520, 78521, 78550, 78566, 78578, 78586, and 78597. The county lies near Willacy County, Kenedy County, and Hidalgo County. One venue for these matters is the Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1, located in Brownsville at 835 E Levee St, 2nd Floor, 78520. The court can be reached by telephone at (956) 544-0857, and further information is posted at https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/cameron-county-justice-of-the-peace/#1584117002206-d41f38d6-f5da. Electronic filing is not available for this court, so filings are handled in person or by other non-electronic means. The justice court accepts and processes these claims, schedules hearings, and issues judgments within the limits set for the court.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 14 communities:
Brownsville, Combes, Harlingen, La Feria, Los Fresnos, Los Indios, Lozano, Olmito, Port Isabel, Rio Hondo, San Benito, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, South Padre Island.
ZIP codes:
Cameron County holds about 431,874 people, 13th of the 254 counties in Texas. Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1, in Brownsville, is about 22 miles from the Willacy County courthouse in Raymondville and 23 miles from the Hidalgo County courthouse in Pharr.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
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? 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.
These are the limits for Cameron County, population about 431,874. They are the same across all 21 Cameron County ZIP codes, from 78520 onward.
Debts up to $20,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Cameron County takes in Brownsville, Combes and Harlingen and the rest of the county. Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 is the Cameron 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.
Expect a brief session rather than a trial, in person or by video where available, with a decision at the end or soon after.
Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 lists (956) 544-0857 as its number. This is the route a Cameron County case takes, whether it starts in 78520 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.
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.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set.
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.
Willacy County and Kenedy County are the counties nearest to Cameron County. Addresses in Cameron County include places such as Brownsville, Combes and Harlingen.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Type of claim | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Cameron County ZIP code to another, 78520 included. Cameron County, population about 431,874, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
Cameron County is under the same state rate as nearby Willacy County and Kenedy County. It is the same rate across all 21 Cameron County ZIP codes.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Cameron County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $43 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
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 →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.
Cameron County papers go to Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 in Brownsville. Brownsville, Combes and Harlingen are among the places in Cameron County that filings come from.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Hearings in Cameron County cases are listed at Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 in Brownsville. Brownsville, Combes and Harlingen are among the Cameron 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.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from 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.
The judgment in a Cameron County case comes from Cameron County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 2, Place 1 in Brownsville. Brownsville, Combes and Harlingen are among the Cameron County places a judgment debtor may live in.
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 Cameron County case for you.
