• Whether the company will still be in business 6 months after I file my claim
  • Reason being that if the company closes down within 6 months, it may be harder to reach the respondent (debtor).
  • Also, by that by the time action is being taken, they may not have much assets left for me to seize since they are no longer in business.

• Whether the company has assets worth seizing
  • For eg., my debtor was a retail company without valuable asset. Even with the writ of seizure, there may not be much valuable asset for me to seize.

The above is my own personal decision making process and it may not be the best course of action for your business.

Do think through and access your own situation thoroughly before taking any actions.

And if there’s any other considerations or important points to note, I hope others out there will share and post their comments so that we can help one another out. Thank you!

The claims must fulfil these criterias before you can file at the Small Claims Tribunals:

1. The amount claimed must not exceed $10,000.
2. The limit can be raised to $20,000 if all parties (Claimant and Respondent) consent in writing before the Registrar or Assistant Registrar.
3. Amount claimed must arise from
   • Contract for the Sale of Goods
   • Contract for the Provision of services
   • Arising in tort from Damaged of Property as a result of careless, reckless or improper act (except those cause by a motor vehicle)
   • Contract relating to a lease of residential premise not exceeding 2 years

Do also note that the claim must be made within 1 year from the date when the cause of action occurred.

You can also find more information from their website here: Small Claims Tribunals

I suggest that if you have any enquires, do go down personally to the subordinate courts to find out more. You’ll probably need to go over to the Bailiffs’ Office which is situated right next to the Small Claims Tribunals to clarify any doubts about enforcing the order too.

I’ll share more in my upcoming posts.