Civil actions and proceedings in the municipal court shall be commenced pursuant to the Civil Rules by filing a complaint upon which summons or writ shall be issued by the clerk of the municipal court. A form of summons or writ shall be prescribed by rule of court. The procedure in a civil case in the municipal court shall be in accordance with the following provisions:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 1901.22

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Bailiff: a court officer who enforces the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • municipal court: includes the housing or environmental division of the municipal court, and "judge" includes the judge of the housing or environmental division of the municipal court, as created by section 1901. See Ohio Code 1901.031
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Territory: means the geographical areas within which municipal courts have jurisdiction as provided in sections 1901. See Ohio Code 1901.03
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

(A) The return day shall be fixed by rule of court, and the summons or writ shall, unless accompanied by an order to arrest, be served at least three days before the time of appearance.

(B) In attachment and garnishment proceedings, a true copy of the affidavit shall be served with the summons and order of attachment or garnishment.

(C) In any action in a municipal court for the recovery of personal property, the appraised value of which exceeds the jurisdictional amount as defined in section 1901.17 of the Revised Code, the judge, upon the return of the appraisement prior to judgment, shall certify the proceedings in the case to the court of common pleas.

(D) Whenever any property is seized or sought to be recovered in any action in a municipal court, the property shall be at once appraised. The value of such property may be ascertained by the oath of two disinterested freeholders who are residents of the territory of the court.

(E) In any action in a municipal court in which the amount claimed by any defendant in any statement of counterclaim exceeds the jurisdictional amount, the judge shall certify the proceedings in the case to the court of common pleas, except in the Cleveland municipal court.

(F) When the amount due either party exceeds the sum for which a municipal court is authorized to enter judgment, such party may in writing remit the excess and judgment shall be entered for the residue. Any party defendant may, at his option, withhold setting up any statement of counterclaim and make the counterclaim the subject of a separate action.

(G) Upon certification of any proceedings to the court of common pleas, the clerk of the municipal court shall forthwith transmit the original papers and pleadings, together with a certified transcript of the journal entries in the case, to the clerk of the court of common pleas to be filed. The bailiff shall turn over the property in his possession to the sheriff of the county to be held by him as in like cases originating in the court of common pleas. The case shall then proceed as if it had been commenced originally in the court of common pleas.

Last updated March 14, 2024 at 3:49 PM

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 1901 Contents