Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in New York

Re: Small Claims Court

You can sue him in New York because he transacted business here and the lawsuit arises out of that transaction. This is "long arm" jurisdiction.

I would suggest avoiding Small Claims Court because small claims judgments are not "res judicata." In effect, when you try to enforce the judgment (which you'll almost certainly take by default) the Ohio Court will give the deadbeat a new trial.

You will almost certainly need to hire an Ohio attorney to enforce the judgment there. Whether you have to go there depends on whether the Ohio court decides to let the deadbeat re-open the case there. Sad to say, they usually do, but there is still every reason to reduce your claim to judgment in New York. It's simply better to go with a "real" court (District Court, City Court, etc.) than with Small Claims.