Changes

{{Law-Related ESL Badge|lessonname= Consumer Law Wikibook TOCLesson Module}}

You can write a '''demand letter''', which is a letter that says how much the person owes you and tells them they must pay you. For example, a demand letter about a loan can say something like this:

<blockquote>''I am writing about a loan I made you of'' ______________('''amount''') ''on'' ______________('''date of loan''') ''for'' ______________('''purpose of loan'''). ''Our agreement was that you would pay this loan in full by'' ______________('''date of repayment'''). ''To date, you have not made any payments. It has now been'' ______________ ('''number of days''') ''since the loan was due. The full amount of'' ______________('''amount''') ''is now due. If I do not receive payment in full by'' ______________('''give a date'''), ''I <span class="noglossary">will </span> take legal action to recover the amount of the loan, as well as interest, filing fees, and any other costs. If you have any questions, please feel free to <span class="noglossary">contact </span> me at''______________ ('''your phone number''').</blockquote>

[[File:ConsumerLawGuidePage8==When do I go to court?== In small claims court, people can settle their differences in cases worth anywhere up to $35,000. Small claims court has less formal and less complicated rules and procedures than Supreme Court. For example, the forms you use in small claims court are the “fill-in-the-blank” type.jpg|200px|thumb|right]]

==When do I If your claim is for under $5,000, it will go before an online "tribunal" called the [https://civilresolutionbc.ca Civil Resolution Tribunal]. A tribunal is a form of court that helps people resolve their disputes quickly and affordably. The CRT encourages a collaborative approach to court?==resolving disputes.

You can go to Small Claims Court if There are small claims courts located [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1014 throughout the debt province]. Learn what's involved in [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1101 taking someone owes you is for $25,000 or less. If the debtor owes you more than the $25,000 limit, for example $28,000, you can make a claim for $25,000 plus some contribution for your expensesto small claims court].

Small Claims To collect more than $35,000, you have to go to BC’s Supreme Court . This is for people who do not have a lawyer. There are Small Claims Courts located throughout the provincemore complicated and expensive than small claims court. To find out how to make a claim in Small Claims Supreme Court, go to Clicklaw, online at [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca www.clicklaw.bc.ca]. Type and type "Small ClaimsSupreme Court" in the search box. The site links Some British Columbia communities have a [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1111 Justice Access Centre] where staff can give you to information about bringing a video about Small Claims claim in Supreme Court, available in Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese, and English, among other resources.

To collect more than $25,000, you have to go to BC’s Supreme Court. This is much more complicated and expensive than Small Claims Court. To find out how to make a claim in Supreme Court, go to [http[File://www.clicklaw.bc.ca www.clicklaw.bcConsumerLawGuidePage8.ca] and type jpg | right| frame | link=| <span style="Supreme Courtfont-size:60%;" in the search box. If you are in the Lower Mainland, you may wish to visit the [http://>Copyright www.clicklawshutterstock.bc.cacom</helpmap/service/1111 Vancouver Justice Access Centrespan>]] where staff can give you information about bringing a claim in Supreme Court.

If you want to go to court, it would be a good idea to talk to a lawyer. Here are two places to <span class="noglossary">contact </span> for help:

* '''Lawyer Referral Service''' is a program where you can get advice and information from a lawyer for a fee of $25 plus taxes for the first 30 minutes.To <span class="noglossary">contact </span> Lawyer Referral, call 604-687-3221 in Greater Vancouver or toll-free at 1-800-663-1919 from anywhere else in the province. More detailed information about the service is available on the [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1044 Clicklaw HelpMap].

'''Do not wait''' until the day before trial before you start asking a lawyer about what to do in court. There are limits on the time you have to collect the debt through the court. [[File:ConsumerLawGuidePage9.jpg|200px|thumb|right]]

If the judge rules in your favour, the debtor is expected to pay up. But sometimes the debtor just ignores the judge. In this <span class="noglossary">case</span>, you may have to go back to court and ask the judge to force the debtor to pay the debt. For example, the judge can:

* have a court official seize the debtor’s property==Additional resources==To find out more about debt collection law within BC, orvisit [http://www.debtrightsbc.ca Consumer Protection BC].

'''Never try to take property or threaten a debtor. This is against the law.'''{{Consumer Law Wikibook NavboxCreative Commons for PLS|title = Someone Owes You Money|author = }}