Cal. Civ. Code § 33-34-3-3
Possessory actions
Operative Text
Sec. 3. The court has original and concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit and superior courts in possessory actions between landlord and tenant in which the past due rent at the time of filing does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The court also has original and concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit and superior courts in actions for the possession of property where the value of the property sought to be recovered does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). These jurisdictional limitations are not affected by interest and attorney's fees.
Indiana Code §§ 33-28-3-4, 33-29-2-4, 33-31-2-3, 33-34-3-1, 33-34-3-3, and 33-34-3-4 establish that certain lower-level Indiana courts share authority with circuit and superior courts to hear landlord-tenant possession disputes when the past-due rent at the time of filing does not exceed $10,000, and property-recovery actions where the property's value does not exceed $10,000. Interest and attorney's fees do not count toward these dollar thresholds when determining whether a case falls within this shared jurisdiction. This means that qualifying possessory cases can be filed in more than one type of court, giving parties some flexibility in where a case is initiated.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ind. Code §§ 33-28-3-4, 33-29-2-4, 33-31-2-3, 33-34-3-1, 33-34-3-3, and 33-34-3-4, a property owner or manager pursuing a possessory action—such as an eviction based on unpaid rent—generally has the option to file in a local or small-claims-level court rather than exclusively in a circuit or superior court, provided the past-due rent at filing does not exceed $10,000. Compliant operators typically assess the amount of past-due rent at the moment of filing to confirm the case falls within the applicable threshold. Because interest and attorney's fees are excluded from the threshold calculation, those amounts do not affect which courts are available for the action.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants facing a possessory action governed by Ind. Code §§ 33-28-3-4, 33-29-2-4, 33-31-2-3, 33-34-3-1, 33-34-3-3, and 33-34-3-4 should be aware that a landlord may bring such a case in a lower-level court—not just a circuit or superior court—when the past-due rent claimed at filing is $10,000 or less. Understanding which court is handling a case matters because procedural rules and available remedies can differ by court type. Tenants who have questions about a pending possessory action or their rights in a particular court may find it helpful to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Indiana housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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