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Small Claims Court

Can You Appeal A Case If You Lose?

The party who files a claim or counterclaim cannot appeal unless the amount claimed exceeds $1,000. No party may appeal a judgment where the amount claimed is less than $250. If an appeal is taken to the superior court, the appealing party is required to follow the procedures set out in Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 12.36. The following steps must be taken within 30 days of the entry of judgment:

Prepare a written Notice of Appeal and file it with the district court.
Serve a copy of that Notice on the other parties, and file acknowledgment or affidavit of service in district court.
Pay to the district court a $20 transcript fee.
Deposit at the district court the $200 superior court filing fee either in cash, money order, or cashier’s check payable to the Clerk of the Superior Court and pay a $40 appeal preparation processing fee to the district court.
Post a bond in a sum equal to twice the amount of the judgment and costs, or twice the amount in controversy, whichever is greater, (cash or surety) at the district court.

When the appeal and bond are transferred to superior court, the appellant (person appealing the decision) may request that the superior court suspend enforcement of the judgment until after the appeal is heard.

Within 14 days of filing the Notice of Appeal, the district court clerk will transmit the court record to the superior court clerk who will assign a new number and notify the district court. The district court clerk will advise the appellant of that number, and the appellant must then contact the superior court for further instructions.

Once the judgment has been appealed to the superior court, then enforcement of any judgments entered in the case will be handled in superior court in the same manner as any other superior court judgment.