Rules of Procedure for Small Claims

8/13/2019 Rules of Procedure for Small Claims

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- :ood cause !eans circu!stances su--icient to 7usti-y the re9uested order or other action, as deter!ined by the

7udge5 and

g A--ida+it !eans a written state!ent or declaration o- -acts that are sworn or a--ir!ed to be true.

#$. ;.App"%cab%"%t. " %he etroolitan %rial ourts, unicial %rial ourts in ities, unicial %rial ourts,

and unicial ircuit %rial ourts shall aly this 'ule in all actions which are4 a urely ci+il in nature where the

clai! or relie- rayed -or by the lainti-- is solely -or ay!ent or rei!burse!ent o- su! o- !oney, and b the ci+il

asect o- cri!inal actions, either -iled be-ore the institution o- the cri!inal action, or reser+ed uon the -iling o- the

cri!inal action in court, ursuant to 'ule 111 o- the 'e+ised 'ules O- ri!inal Procedure.

%hese clai!s or de!ands !ay be4

a For !oney owed under any o- the -ollowing4

1. ontract o- Lease5

2. ontract o- Loan5

3. ontract o- #er+ices5

;. ontract o- #ale5 or

contract5 or

3. ontract5

c %he en-orce!ent o- a barangay a!icable settle!ent or an arbitration award in+ol+ing a !oney clai! co+ered

by this 'ule ursuant to #ec. ;1? o- 'eublic Act ?1@0, otherwise (nown as the Local :o+ern!ent ode o- 11.

#$. # in dulicate, acco!anied by a

erti-ication o- Non>-oru! #hoing For! 1>A, #, and two 2 duly certi-ied hotocoies o- the actionable

docu!ent/s sub7ect o- the clai!, as well as the a--ida+its o- witnesses and other e+idence to suort the clai!. No


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e+idence shall be allowed during the hearing which was not attached to or sub!itted together with the lai!,

unless good cause is shown -or the ad!ission o- additional e+idence.

No -or!al leading, other than the #tate!ent o- lai! described in this 'ule, is necessary to initiate a s!all clai!s

action.

#$. @.5o%nder o# C"a%m&. " Plainti-- !ay 7oin in a single state!ent o- clai! one or !ore searate s!all

clai!s against a de-endant ro+ided that the total a!ount clai!ed, eclusi+e o- interest and costs, does not eceed

P100,000.00.

#$. ?.A##%dav%t&. " %he a--ida+its sub!itted under this 'ule shall state only -acts o- direct ersonal

(nowledge o- the a--iants which are ad!issible in e+idence.

A +iolation o- this re9uire!ent shall sub7ect the arty, and the counsel who assisted the arty in the rearation o-

the a--ida+its, i- any, to aroriate discilinary action. %he inad!issible a--ida+its or ortions thereo- shall be

eunged -ro! the record.

#$. 8. $ament o# 6%"%n+ 6ee&." %he lainti-- shall ay the doc(et and other legal -ees rescribed

under 'ule 1;1 o- the 'e+ised 'ules o- ourt, unless allowed to litigate as an indigent.

A clai! -iled with a !otion to sue as indigent For! @># shall be re-erred to the $ecuti+e Budge -or i!!ediate

action in case o- !ulti>sala courts, or to the Presiding Budge o- the court hearing the s!all clai!s case. &- the

!otion is granted by the $ecuti+e Budge, the case shall be ra--led o-- or assigned to the court designated to hear

s!all clai!s cases. &- the !otion is denied, the lainti-- shall be gi+en -i+e # on the day o- receit o- the #tate!ent o- lai!, directing the de-endant to

sub!it a +eri-ied 'esonse.


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%he court shall also issue a Notice For! ;># to both arties, directing the! to aear be-ore it on a seci-ic

date and ti!e -or hearing, with a warning that no un7usti-ied ostone!ent shall be allowed, as ro+ided in #ection

1 o- this 'ule.

%he su!!ons and notice to be ser+ed on the de-endant shall be acco!anied by a coy o- the #tate!ent o- lai!

and docu!ents sub!itted by lainti--, and a coy o- the 'esonse For! 3># to be acco!lished by the

de-endant. %he Notice shall contain an eress rohibition against the -iling o- a !otion to dis!iss or any other

!otion under #ection 1; o- this 'ule.

#$. 11. !e&pon&e. " %he de-endant shall -ile with the court and ser+e on the lainti-- a duly acco!lished

and +eri-ied 'esonse within a non>etendible eriod o- ten 10 days -ro! receit o- su!!ons. %he 'esonse

shall be acco!anied by certi-ied hotocoies o- docu!ents, as well as a--ida+its o- witnesses and other e+idence

in suort thereo-. No e+idence shall be allowed during the hearing which was not attached to or sub!itted

together with the 'esonse, unless good cause is shown -or the ad!ission o- additional e+idence.

#$. 12. ##ect o# 6a%"ure to 6%"e !e&pon&e. " #hould the de-endant -ail to -ile his 'esonse within

the re9uired eriod, the court by itsel- shall render 7udg!ent as !ay be warranted by the -acts alleged in the

#tate!ent o- lai! li!ited to what is rayed -or. %he court howe+er, !ay, in its discretion, reduce the a!ount o-

da!ages -or being ecessi+e or unconscionable.

#$. 13. Counterc"a%m& %th%n the Covera+e o# th%& !u"e . " &- at the ti!e the action is

co!!enced, the de-endant ossesses a clai! against the lainti-- that a is within the co+erage o- this 'ule,

eclusi+e o- interest and costs5 b arises out o- the sa!e transaction or e+ent that is the sub7ect !atter o- the

lainti--s clai!5 c does not re9uire -or its ad7udication the 7oinder o- third arties5 and d is not the sub7ect o-

another ending action, the clai! shall be -iled as a counterclai! in the 'esonse5 otherwise, the de-endant shall

be barred -ro! suit on the counterclai!.

%he de-endant !ay also elect to -ile a counterclai! against the lainti-- that does not arise out o- the sa!e

transaction or occurrence, ro+ided that the a!ount and nature thereo- are within the co+erage o- this 'ule and

the rescribed doc(et and other legal -ees are aid.

#$. 1;. $roh%b%ted $"ead%n+& and Mot%on&. " %he -ollowing leadings, !otions, or etitions shall

not be allowed in the cases co+ered by this 'ule4

a otion to dis!iss the co!laint ecet on the ground o- lac( o- 7urisdiction5


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b otion -or a bill o- articulars5

c otion -or new trial, or -or reconsideration o- a 7udg!ent, or -or reoening o- trial5

d Petition -or relie- -ro! 7udg!ent5

e otion -or etension o- ti!e to -ile leadings, a--ida+its, or any other aer5

- e!oranda5

g Petition -or certiorari, !anda!us, or rohibition against any interlocutory order issued by the court5

h otion to declare the de-endant in de-ault5

i 6ilatory !otions -or ostone!ent5

7 'ely5

( %hird>arty co!laints5 and

l &nter+entions.

#$. 1


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#$. 18. Non-appearance o# $art%e&. " Failure o- the lainti-- to aear shall be cause -or the

dis!issal o- the clai! without re7udice. %he de-endant who aears shall be entitled to 7udg!ent on a er!issi+e

counterclai!.

Failure o- the de-endant to aear shall ha+e the sa!e e--ect as -ailure to -ile a 'esonse under #ection 12 o- this

'ule.

%his shall not aly where one o- two or !ore de-endants who are sued under a co!!on cause o- action and ha+e

leaded a co!!on de-ense aears at the hearing.

Failure o- both arties to aear shall cause the dis!issal with re7udice o- both the clai! and counterclai!.

#$. 1. $o&tponement hen A""oed. " A re9uest -or ostone!ent o- a hearing !ay be granted

only uon roo- o- the hysical inability o- the arty to aear be-ore the court on the scheduled date and ti!e. A

arty !ay a+ail o- only one 1 ostone!ent.

#$. 20. 4ut o# the Court. " At the beginning o- the court session, the 7udge shall read aloud a short

state!ent elaining the nature, urose and the rule o- rocedure o- s!all clai!s cases.

#$. 21.5ud%c%a" 4%&pute !e&o"ut%on. " At the hearing, the 7udge shall conduct Budicial 6isute

'esolution B6' through !ediation, conciliation, early neutral e+aluation, or any other !ode o- B6'. Any

settle!ent For! ?># or resolution For! 8># o- the disute shall be reduced into writing, signed by the

arties and sub!itted to the court -or aro+al For! 12>#.

#$. 22. 6a%"ure o# 54!. " &- B6' -ails and the arties agree in writing For! 10># that the hearing o-

the case shall be resided o+er by the 7udge who conducted the B6', the hearing shall so roceed in an in-or!al

and eeditious !anner and ter!inated within one 1 day.

Absent such agree!ent, a in case o- a !ulti>sala court, the case shall, on the sa!e day, be trans!itted For!

11># to the O--ice o- the ler( o- ourt -or i!!ediate re-erral by the $ecuti+e Budge to the airing 7udge -or

hearing and decision within -i+e


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#$. 23. 4ec%&%on."A-ter the hearing, the court shall render its decision on the sa!e day, based on the -acts

established by the e+idence For! 13>#. %he decision shall i!!ediately be entered by the ler( o- ourt in the

court doc(et -or ci+il cases and a coy thereo- -orthwith ser+ed on the arties.

%he decision shall be -inal and unaealable.

#$. 2;. 3ecut%on. " &- the decision is rendered in -a+or o- the lainti--, eecution shall issue uon !otion

For! >#.

#$. 2

Documents

Rules of Procedure for Small Claims