A small-claims file should make the timeline and money understandable without a long narrative. The court, claim limit, venue, service method, filing fee, and form vary by location. Those procedural facts must come from the current court source chosen for the defendant and property.
Which evidence usually belongs together?
Keep the signed lease, proof of the deposit, move-in condition record, dated photos, move-out notice, surrender evidence, forwarding address, landlord statement, envelopes and tracking, invoices, receipts, emails, demand letter, and a one-page deposit calculation. Each item should carry a date and a short description so the owner of the file can find it quickly.
How different are the court limits?
Illinois Courts publishes a small-claims complaint set for claims of $10,000 or less. New York City Courts says its small-claims part has jurisdiction up to $10,000, while other New York local courts can have a $5,000 limit. Texas justice courts currently hear claims up to $20,000. The filing location still controls.
What does the $79 kit leave to the buyer?
The kit provides the current court link located for the supplied county, an evidence index, dated chronology, amount worksheet, and a draft letter that the buyer reviews and sends. Reality Contact does not decide whether to sue, choose legal claims, file the complaint, serve anyone, appear in court, or represent the buyer.
What can the Reality Contact check provide?
The free check compares the supplied state and move-out date with the current published deadline and replies by email, including when the deadline has not passed. The $29 tenant packet organizes deductions and a draft letter. The $79 version adds a county-specific court-source list, evidence index, and one revised letter. The $29 landlord version formats the landlord's chosen disposition. Paid packets are not available in California.
Where does the operator boundary sit?
Reality Contact, LLC provides document preparation and a statute-to-letter comparison. This is not legal advice. We do not decide whether a deduction is unlawful, tell anyone whether to sue, file a case, contact the other party, or represent anyone. Paid packets are not available in California. The deadline check is a real reading of the published state rule against the date supplied. Reality Contact is sampling demand for the document packet. We reply by email even when the landlord is still inside the stated period. The current source check starts with this published record.