SF 1760

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/01/2024 08:50am

A bill for an act
relating to judiciary; modifying the jurisdictional limit for conciliation court claims
by increasing the monetary value of claims to $20,000; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2022, section 491A.01, subdivision 3a.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 491A.01, subdivision 3a, is amended to read:

Subd. 3a.

Jurisdiction; general.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions 4 and 5, the
conciliation court has jurisdiction to hear, conciliate, try, and determine civil claims if the
amount of money or property that is the subject matter of the claim does not exceed: (1)
deleted text begin $15,000 deleted text end new text begin $20,000 new text end ; or (2) $4,000, if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction.

(b) "Consumer credit transaction" means a sale of personal property, or a loan arranged
to facilitate the purchase of personal property, in which:

(1) credit is granted by a seller or a lender who regularly engages as a seller or lender
in credit transactions of the same kind;

(2) the buyer is a natural person;

(3) the claimant is the seller or lender in the transaction; and

(4) the personal property is purchased primarily for a personal, family, or household
purpose and not for a commercial, agricultural, or business purpose.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and subdivisions 5 to 11, the
territorial jurisdiction of conciliation court is coextensive with the county in which the court
is established. The summons in a conciliation court action under subdivisions 6 to 10 may
be served anywhere in the state, and the summons in a conciliation court action under
subdivision 7, paragraph (b), may be served outside the state in the manner provided by
law. The court administrator shall serve the summons in a conciliation court action by first
class mail, except that if the amount of money or property that is the subject of the claim
exceeds $2,500, the summons must be served by the plaintiff by certified mail, and service
on nonresident defendants must be made in accordance with applicable law or rule.
Subpoenas to secure the attendance of nonparty witnesses and the production of documents
at trial may be served anywhere within the state in the manner provided by law.

When a court administrator is required to summon the defendant by certified mail under
this paragraph, the summons may be made by personal service in the manner provided in
the Rules of Civil Procedure for personal service of a summons of the district court as an
alternative to service by certified mail.