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Hardin County resolves money disputes up to $20,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Hardin 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.
Hardin 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 Hardin County are handled at Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims in Kountze. The nearest counties to Hardin County are Liberty County and Jasper County.
This court works from paper filings, delivered in person or posted in. Squabble builds the packet so nothing is missing.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
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 Hardin County, Texas can bring small claims cases through the Justice Court of Texas system, which handles disputes up to $20,000. The Hardin County Justice Court, Precinct 3: Small Claims sits in Kountze at 1135 Redwood St, 77625, and can be reached at (409) 246-5115. The county has a population of 58,670 and includes the towns of Batson, Kountze, Lumberton, Saratoga, Silsbee, Sour Lake, Thicket, Village Mills, and Votaw, covering ZIP codes such as 77374, 77376, 77519, 77585, 77625, 77656, 77657, 77659, and 77663. Hardin County lies near Liberty County, Jasper County, and Tyler County. Electronic filing is not available for this court, so filings are handled in person or by other non electronic means at the courthouse address listed above. The court accepts and processes small claims matters that fall within the monetary limit set for justice courts in Texas.
Hardin County covers these 9 towns and cities:
Batson, Kountze, Lumberton, Saratoga, Silsbee, Sour Lake, Thicket, Village Mills, Votaw.
ZIP codes:
Hardin County holds about 58,670 people, 61st of the 254 counties in Texas. Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims in Kountze lies around 18 miles from the Liberty County courthouse in Liberty and 21 miles from the Jasper County courthouse in Jasper.
Counties nearest to this one:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Two venues are usually open: where events took place, or where the other side is based.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
Texas permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
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 Hardin County, population about 58,670. Hardin County is under the same limits as nearby Liberty County and Jasper County.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $20,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Hardin County takes in Batson, Kountze and Lumberton and the rest of the county. Hardin County has about 58,670 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 other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
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 Hardin County case takes, whether it starts in 77374 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims lists (409) 246-5115 as its number.
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.
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.
Courts set their own cut-off for how many days before the hearing notice must land. The clerk gives you that date along with the hearing date.
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.
Liberty County and Jasper County are the counties nearest to Hardin County. Addresses in Hardin County include places such as Batson, Kountze and Lumberton.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| What the claim is about | 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 Hardin County ZIP code to another, 77374 included. Hardin County, population about 58,670, 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.
The rate above is the one for Hardin County, population about 58,670. It is the same rate across all 9 Hardin County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Hardin 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).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
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 →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.
Hardin County takes in filings from 9 ZIP codes, 77374 first in the list. Hardin County papers go to Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims in Kountze.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Hardin County has about 58,670 residents. Hearings in Hardin County cases are listed at Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims in Kountze.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
The judgment in a Hardin County case comes from Hardin County Justice Court - Precinct 3: Small Claims in Kountze. Batson, Kountze and Lumberton are among the Hardin County places a judgment debtor may live in.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details 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 Hardin County case for you.
