How to Sue BB&T in Small Claims Court

1

Make sure the case qualifies for small claims court.

Before you can sue BB&T Bank in small claims court, check that your case qualifies. Every small claims court has a different limit for what types of cases they will accept and it varies based on which state you live in. Pay attention to the following two things:

The amount of money you asked for is the first limitation. Every state has a different maximum dollar size that you can ask for in compensation. For some states it’s as low as $2,500 but for others it’s $5,000 or $10,000. You can find a list of all 50 states’ monetary limits here. So if you are trying to sue BB&T Bank in small claims court, pay attention to the state limit because you might exceed it.
The second thing you have to pay attention to is the type of compensation. Most small claim courts will only give monetary compensation and given that you are trying to sue a bank, this probably works out in your favor.

If your claim doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.

2

Send a demand letter.

Before you can sue BB&T Bank in small claims court, you have to ask the company nicely to fix the problem. This is done through a demand letter. The demand letter can be very simple. You have to inform the company who you are (your name, address, phone number and account number), what the problem is, and what you want from them.

Remember that the whole point here is to check a box and prove to the court that you did this so it doesn’t have to be a complicated letter. When you’re done writing it, you need to mail a hard copy to the official legal address:

BB&T Corporation
CT Corporation System
160 Mine Lake Court
Suite 200
Raleigh, North Carolina 27615

If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.

3

Fill out court forms.

At this point, if your demand letter did not generate any response, you now move forward and sue BB&T Bank in small claims court. At this stage you have to fill out the work.

Every state (and sometimes county) is different in terms of the paperwork they require and you can find the right documents on your state court website. Find your state court website here. Make sure you also have the right number of copies before you move on to the next step. Most small claims courts require three or four copies in order to sue BB&T Bank.

4

File your forms.

Now it’s time to take those forms and file them officially with the court. This is a big step that usually requires you physically come to the courthouse to hand-deliver your forms to the clerk. In some cases you might be able to send them through the mail or fax but in most cases you have to come during certain hours and certain days of the week in order to sue BB&T Bank in small claims court.

You will be asked to pay the filing fee after which the clerk will take your copies of the forms, give you back your stamps copies, and give you a hearing date.

5

“Serve” your forms on BB&T Bank.

Now you take one of those documents you received and you serve BB&T Bank officially. This is yet another legal step that has very specific rules you must follow.

The process of serving is where you officially and legally notified the company that they are being sued. Check your court website for instructions you have to follow or search for “[your state] small claims service of process”. If you miss a single step your case will be dropped and you will not be able to sue BB&T Bank in small claims court.

6

Show up for court.

With all other work done you are coming to the tail end of the process. When your court date arrives, be sure to go to the right courthouse and bring your copy of all files forms.

Bring any evidence you have to prove to the judge why you decided to sue BB&T Bank in small claims court and why you deserve compensation.

This process could be resolved the same day if the judge makes a decision or it could go on for a few days or weeks depending on the circumstances.

Ready to sue BB&T in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…

Want to sue BB&T in small claims court?

How to Sue BB&T