Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Louisiana
how do i go about suing my former tenants for a broken lease, tons of damage to the property, and unpaid utilities that i had to pay?
1 Answer from Attorneys
File suit in the Court that has jurisdiction over the property that was rented (probably the same court you filed eviction in, if you had to file for eviction). You can sue for all of those damages.
If the amount owed is less than $3,000, you can sue in small claims court in the City Court that has jurisdiction (the limit was recently raised to $5,000 for Justice of the Peace Courts) without a lawyer. Just go in and file the suit by yourself. The Clerk will guide you through the process.
You can have a lawyer even in Small Claims Court (and it is always a good idea to hire one), but the process is simple enough that you could file without one there.