[gshase]

I have won in both (JP & Civil) court and walked away with money. Wife was not happy they were drug out for over 2.5 years and It was not worth it in the long run but I was PISSED Off like you were. I do not see the court awarding anything for your expenses. You will need an expert witness not only to highlight your issues but to point out the issues were their error and they did not happen on your drive home. Small claims court is fun to watch on TV when both sides sign a binding contract and both sides are paid to appear on TV, but most likely they will LAWYER UP and you will be lost. If you win you have to collect and they will appeal it to a civil court and you will have to LAWYER UP as they did. You will have a court date and the day before they contact the court for some kind of BS delay. Yes lots of delays. My initial damages was $800 we won $5300 and most went to the LAWYER. AS for the NOTE you will need a sworn affidavit from the witness and most likely he will need to appear in court. Lastly they will know you are out of state and they will take advantage of it. I keep a copy of my winning check in my office as a reminder.