The House Financial Services Committee has passed Senate Bill 170, a bill to raise the limit of claims that can be heard in small claims court without a lawyer.
SB170 would raise the limit from $3,000 to $6,000.
The measure has the overwhelming support of small-business owners, according to the results of the 2014 NFIB/Alabama Member Ballot. Unlike other business groups, NFIB’s policy positions are based solely on the input of its members, and when asked on the ballot whether the legislature should increase the limit, 79.3 percent said “yes,” compared with 12.7 percent who answered “no” and 8 percent who were undecided.
If passed by the full House and signed by the governor, the bill would make it easier for small-business owners and others to file claims without the added cost of hiring an attorney. The limit hasn’t increased since 1995.
PHOTO: Luiz1940/Wikimedia Commons
