Civil Division

You may visit the civil division during the office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is (419) 352-5263, extension 2 for the Clerk’s Office, then extension 2 again for the civil/small claims division.

An action in the civil division begins with the filing of a complaint with the court, usually by an attorney. The types of disputes handled by this division include contracts, unpaid accounts, personal injury, property damage and landlord-tenant disputes, including evictions. The civil division has jurisdiction to hear cases involving dollar amounts up to and including $15,000.00. Please see the territorial jurisdiction map under General Information for the townships and municipalities covered by our court.

The court may not appoint an attorney on civil matters. If you need an attorney and feel that you cannot afford one, you may contact Legal Services of Northwest Ohio whose offices are located in Bowling Green and Fremont. If you are a student at BGSU and you paid a fee for legal services, you can contact Student Legal Services.

*NOTE: The Clerk and Deputy Clerks may not give you legal advice. If you have legal questions, you should contact an attorney.

CIVIL COMPLAINT

Upon the receipt of a “Civil Complaint,” an individual has . . .

EVICTION (FORCIBLE ENTRY & DETAINER)

This type of compliant is filed by a landlord (or their attorney) against tenants . . .

APPEAL OF BMV 12 POINT SUSPENSION

If you have received a notice from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles . . .

RENT ESCROW

If a landlord fails to comply with § 5321.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, “Obligations of Landlord,” or fails to fulfill any obligation . . .

TRUSTEESHIPS

Individuals who have received a “Notice of Court Proceedings to Collect Debt” . . .

CIVIL MARRIAGE CEREMONIES

Marriage ceremonies are performed on Friday afternoons by appointment only . . .

COLLECTION BY GARNISHMENT

Garnishment is a legal process that allows a creditor to take a debtor’s money that is currently being held by a third party (employer or banking institution) to satisfy . . .

FILING FEES

Most of the pleadings in the civil division must be accompanied by the correct filing fee.

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