Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Texas
Civil Litigation or Criminal Case?
I took a family heirloom (a clock) to a shop to be serviced. When I went to the shop to retrieve the item, they told me they had ''lost'' it - that it had either been stolen from their establishment or mistakenly given to another customer. The shop has not contacted the police to file a report, nor have they researched their customers to determine if someone had the item.
Does this fall under criminal statutes or civil litigation? If the latter: as the value of the heirloom is greater than the limits imposed by small claims court, what damages should be sought?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Civil Litigation or Criminal Case?
It's purely a civil matter. If the value is over $5,000, you'll need to hire an attorney to handle the matter. The damages are the value of the missing piece.