What happens if you dont show up for a small claims court hearing/

Question

What happens if you dont show up for a small claims court hearing/

Answer 1

It depends where the court is in relation to your place of domicile.  If you are being sued in your state and you don't show up, the judge will enter a default judgment for the other party (i.e. you lose).  The judge will then be able to authorize a lien on your house or car or can authorize the sale of your goods/house/or seizure of funds from any accounts you might have to pay off the judgment.

If you are being sued in another state and you don't show up, the same as above happens BUT the plaintiff then has to come to your state to get a judge to enforce the judgment against you.  This is where it gets interesting. You can show up to the enforcement hearing and claim that the other court (form out of state) had no "personal jurisdiction" over you or that the court overstepped subject matter jurisdiction (as in they sued in state court for a clearly federal matter.  This almost NEVER happens).  If the state court agrees that the other court overstepped, they can throw out the judgment and refuse enforcement.  If they agree with it, they will authorize collection/seizure of goods.

Answer 2

You lose.  The court enters judgment for the other party, in whatever dollar amount they have asked for, and then allows them to collect on the judgment by garnishing wages, seizing property etc.