Washington Code 3.66.020 – Civil jurisdiction
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If, for each claimant, the value of the claim or the amount at issue does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees, the district court shall have jurisdiction and cognizance of the following civil actions and proceedings:
Terms Used In Washington Code 3.66.020
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
(1) Actions arising on contract for the recovery of money;
(2) Actions for damages for injuries to the person, or for taking or detaining personal property, or for injuring personal property, or for an injury to real property when no issue raised by the answer involves the plaintiff‘s title to or possession of the same and actions to recover the possession of personal property;
(3) Actions for a penalty;
(4) Actions upon a bond conditioned for the payment of money, when the amount claimed does not exceed fifty thousand dollars, though the penalty of the bond exceeds that sum, the judgment to be given for the sum actually due, not exceeding the amount claimed in the complaint;
(5) Actions on an undertaking or surety bond taken by the court;
(6) Actions for damages for fraud in the sale, purchase, or exchange of personal property;
(7) Proceedings to take and enter judgment on confession of a defendant;
(8) Proceedings to issue writs of attachment, garnishment and replevin upon goods, chattels, moneys, and effects;
(9) Actions arising under the provisions of chapter 19.190 RCW;
(10) Proceedings to civilly enforce any money judgment entered in any municipal court or municipal department of a district court organized under the laws of this state; and
(11) All other actions and proceedings of which jurisdiction is specially conferred by statute, when the title to, or right of possession of, real property is not involved.
[ 2015 c 260 § 1; 2008 c 227 § 1; 2007 c 46 § 1; 2003 c 27 § 1; 2000 c 49 § 1; 1997 c 246 § 1; 1991 c 33 § 1; 1984 c 258 § 41; 1981 c 331 § 7; 1979 c 102 § 3; 1965 c 95 § 1; 1961 c 299 § 113.]
NOTES:
Effective date—Subheadings not law—2008 c 227: See notes following RCW 3.50.003.
Effective date—1991 c 33: “This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1991.” [ 1991 c 33 § 7.]
Court Improvement Act of 1984—Effective dates—Severability—Short title—1984 c 258: See notes following RCW 3.30.010.
Court Congestion Reduction Act of 1981—Purpose—Severability—1981 c 331: See notes following RCW 2.32.070.
Application, savings—1979 c 102: “Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this 1979 amendatory act upon taking effect shall apply to all actions filed on or after December 8, 1977. Any party to an action which is pending on the effective date of this act shall be permitted to amend any pleadings to reflect such increase in court jurisdiction: PROVIDED, That nothing in this act shall affect the validity of judicial acts taken prior to its effective date.” [ 1979 c 102 § 5.]
Severability—1979 c 102: “If any provision of this amendatory act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.” [ 1979 c 102 § 6.]
Effective date—1979 c 102: “Sections 2 through 5 of this 1979 amendatory act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect May 1, 1979.” [ 1979 c 102 § 7.]