This Thursday, June 1, 2017, the Civil Resolution Tribunal will begin accepting small claims disputes $5,000 and under. People will be able to submit an application online for dispute resolution starting at 8:30 am on Thursday.
Here are some other things you should know.
- Start with the small claims Solution Explorer to access the online application form. The Solution Explorer gives you free legal information and self-help tools that may help you resolve your problem without starting a CRT dispute. If you need to, you can access the small claims application right from the “Dispute Summary” page at the end of your Solution Explorer exploration. It will take you to the right application form.
- Here’s some information about the kinds of small claims the CRT can and can’t resolve.
- The CRT’s small claims limit is $5,000 or less, not including any interest or reasonable dispute-related expenses. You can bring claims over $5,000 to the CRT, but you will have to abandon, or “write-off,” the amount over $5,000. This means you will not be able to bring the amount over $5,000 to another court or tribunal.
- Claims between $5,001 and $35,000 must be brought to the BC Provincial Court.
- The CRT is built around your life. You can go through the CRT’s dispute resolution process online, from your smartphone or computer, on your own schedule. This is the fastest and least expensive way to resolve your dispute through the CRT. If you prefer in-person help, you can also go to a Service BC location near you. We can also help you through mail, fax, or phone.
We’re always looking for ways to improve. If there’s something you don’t understand, or if you have feedback or suggestions, please contact us. We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know how we’re doing.