18th District Court
36675 Ford Road
Westland, Michigan 48185
Tel: (734) 595-8720
Fax: (734) 595-0160
NOTE: This site is intended for general information purposes only. Please seek the counsel of an attorney if you require legal advice.
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SMALL CLAIMS: If you believe that an individual or business owes you money, you can bring a lawsuit against that business or person in the Small Claims division of the Court, provided your claim does not exceed the limit of $3,000. If your claim is for more than this amount and you still elect to file in the Small Claims division, you give up (or "waive") your right to collect more than that amount. Filing a small claim also means that you give up the right to be represented by an attorney, the right to have a jury trial, and the right to appeal the final decision of the Court.
Before you can file a small claims lawsuit, you must determine the proper party to sue. Whether it is an individual or a business, you must know their correct name, their current address, etc., before filing. You should also be aware that the 18th District Court has jurisdiction over cases in Westland only. Therefore, the party you are suing must: *reside or be located in Westland, or
*the action must have arisen in Westland, or
*the party must be employed in Westland.
The 18th District Court can provide you with the proper form for filing (first form is free, additional forms provided for a nominal fee), as well as provide you with an informational pamphlet outlining small claims procedures in detail. CIVIL DEPARTMENT: In addition to servicing small claims, the Civil Department of the Court handles landlord/tenant matters, as well as general civil lawsuits. You may obtain forms for filing civil claims from the Clerk of the Court (the first form is free of charge; additional forms are available for a nominal cost). There is also a cost for filing and serving each claim. These filing and service fees vary according to the type of lawsuit you decide to file. More information can be obtained when you come into the Court from the Civil Clerk; however, note that the Clerks cannot provide legal advice in any form.
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TICKETS / CITATIONS: Our Violations Bureau handles all matters pertaining to tickets and citations issued with the City of Westland. If you have received a ticket or citation, the back of the ticket or citation will contain information pertaining to the amount you must pay. The ticket will also contain a date of hearing. If you wish to contest the charge on the ticket or citation, you must come into court on the date set by the issuing officer. Note that if you do not pay the fines indicated on the ticket or citation on time (i.e., within 14 days), you may be subject to additional fines or penalties.
Please call the telephone number on the ticket if you have additional questions.
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PROBATION: Probation is a form of criminal sentence which places a defendant under the supervision of the Court and may require the defendant to meet conditions aimed at punishment, but also rehabilitation and prevention. Probation sentences may also require restitution to crime victims and community service.
If you have been placed on probation, you will meet with a Probation Officer for a review of the conditions of your probation. You will receive a copy of your Order of Probation and will be notified of future probation appointments.
For those people sentenced to Intensive Supervisory Probation (ISP), you must report a minimum of one time per week until further notice. You will be subject to random drug and alcohol screening at the discretion of your Probation Officer. ISP was designed to help you help yourself. The Probation Officer is there to assist you in meeting the terms of your probation and to aid you in whatever way necessary to meet the positive goals you set for yourself during the period of probation. You should remember, however, that it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to carry out the Judge's Order. If you fail to keep the conditions of probation, you will be in violation of the Order of Probation and must appear before the Judge immediately.
You must notify the Probation Department of any change of address or telephone number IMMEDIATELY. You must keep your appointments with your Probation Officer. You must pay all costs at the rate set by the Collection Department. Non-compliance with any of the above puts you in violation of your probation and subjects you to a possible jail sentence. Remember, the responsibility is yours. PROBATION REPORTING TIMES:
Monday 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
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WORK PROGRAM: Many citizens who have violated state or local law are required, as part of their sentence, to perform on the Court's Work Program. Essentially, the persons serving on the work program do whatever jobs are needed at the Court, at City offices, senior centers, and on behalf of citizens (i.e., seniors, physically challenged individuals). Their duties are supervised and may include shoveling snow, painting fire hydrants, or cutting lawns. Some work programmers cultivate the vegetables in the Court's greenhouse and others with special skills might (such as carpentry) are given work suitable to such talent. The Work Program is one way in which those in violation of the law can serve their community in positive ways.
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QUESTIONS / COMMENTS: You may submit questions or comments to the court by clicking on this link: Questions18dc@aol.com. Note that questions must be limited to general information only and we will try to reply within 72 hours. We cannot provide legal advice, nor can we answer specific questions about your case. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Citizens are invited to submit questions about Michigan law and court procedures via the Calhoun County Courts website. This site covers everything from divorce, traffic tickets, emancipation and probate, to inquiries from individuals from foreign countries about how our judicial system works. The Calhoun County Courts website can be found at: http://courts.co.calhoun.mi.us
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