Common use of Small Claims Procedures Clause in Contracts

Small Claims Procedures. If either Party asserts that a dispute involves an amount in controversy that is too small to warrant resolution by standard arbitration procedures, the claim may be resolved by a summary small claims procedure (the “Small Claims Procedure”). The Parties shall meet and confer to agree on whether the use of a Small Claims Procedure is appropriate in light of the nature and amount of the claim and, if so, what dispute resolution procedures are most appropriate. To the extent the Parties are unable to agree, the Arbitrator shall decide whether and to what extent a Small Claims Procedure shall apply. The Small Claims Procedure may involve relaxed rules of evidence, the use of broad principles of equity in place of strict application of law, telephonic hearings, and such other economic procedures as the Arbitrator deems appropriate under the circumstances of the dispute and consistent with due process. In no event, however, shall the Arbitrator utilize a Small Claims Procedure for a dispute involving a claim in excess of $50,000.