§5202. Jurisdiction
A. A small claims division shall be a court not of record and shall have civil subject
matter jurisdiction in cases where the amount in dispute does not exceed five thousand
dollars, exclusive of interest, court costs, attorney fees, or penalties, whether provided by
agreement or by law, provided that not more than ten parties plaintiff shall be joined in the
same action pursuant to Article 463 of the Code of Civil Procedure and that there shall be
no class certification pursuant to Articles 591 through 597 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
B. A small claims division shall have authority to grant any appropriate relief,
including money damages and equitable relief. Injunctions and restraining orders shall not
issue from a small claims division, except to arrest the execution of its own writ. Class
actions, summary proceedings, and executory proceedings shall be prohibited.
C. The judges and clerks of the respective courts shall serve as the judges and clerks
of the small claims divisions, except that an attorney appointed by the judges may serve as
arbitrator as hereinafter provided.
D. Each court may by court rule establish mass filing limitations on all parties filing
claims in the small claims divisions.
E. In the City Court of East St. Tammany, the small claims division shall have civil
subject matter jurisdiction in cases where the amount in dispute is the same as the amount
established for civil jurisdiction in a justice of the peace court, exclusive of interest, court
costs, attorney fees, or penalties, whether provided by agreement or by law, provided that not
more than ten parties plaintiff shall be joined in the same action pursuant to Code of Civil
Procedure Article 463, and there shall be no class certification pursuant to Code of Civil
Procedure Articles 591 through 597.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 710, §1. Amended by Acts 1979, No. 46, §3, eff; Jan. 1,
1980; Acts 1982, No. 286, §1; Acts 1985, No. 298, §1; Acts 1987, No. 256, §1; Acts 1999,
No. 312, §1; Acts 2008, No. 195, §1; Acts 2012, No. 209, §1; Acts 2020, No. 205, §1, eff.
June 11, 2020.