Former judge and retired lawyer Robert H. Rowe is a Member of New Hampshire’s
lower legislative body — and he has some explaining to do. Here’s a description of
2006):
New Hampshire
“In an outrageous move, Representative Robert H. Rowe introduced
House Bill 1234 to cut in half the current small claims dollar limit
from $5,000 to a mere $2,500, which would be the fourth lowest limit
in the country. No state has ever lowered its dollar limit, and if the bill
were approved it would do serious harm to legal consumers by denying
the remedy of small claims court to all but the most trivial of cases.”
………………………………….
That’s right: while legislatures around the nation are increasing dollar limits
in small claims courts, in reform efforts that would help increase access to
civil justice by making these “peoples’ courts” available for the disputes most
likely to arise in modern consumer and tenant transactions, Rep. Rowe
wants to decrease a dollar limit that is already below the national average
for small claims jurisdiction — the first such rollback in our nation’s history.
Go to HALT’s Small Claims Reform Project for more info
on this important movement, including Report Cards and
background materials on each state. Also, see Your
Editor’s Prairielaw article “Supersize Small Claims” and
a thorough discussion, with relevant links. at Crime &
Federalism, “small claims, big potential,” Jan. 24, 2005).
Rep. Rowe is an author (e.g., Quest for Liberty, a historical novel, and
Walking Tour of Amherst Village.), and he lives in the historic Jones
Tavern in Amherst.
Action Alert: On Feb. 9, 2006, there will be a public
hearing on HB 1234, in Rm. 208, LOB, 10:30 AM,
in Corcord, NH. [directions] You can also write Rep.
Rowe at P.O. Box 1117, Amherst, NH 03031-1117.
I just might try to be there, to hear Mr. Rowe explain his reasoning for
gutting New Hampshire’s small claims courts.
HB 1234 has put me in a sober mood, just right
for some Andrew Riutta poetry:
a hillside
overlooking the cemetery—
distant orchards
deep
in the scent of summer
a homeless man
cat burial . . .
the snow
up to my waist
old stomping grounds
the river still follows
its path
“old stomping grounds” – from Full Moon Magazine (2005)
“deep” – Haiku Harvest (Fall-Winter 2005)
p.s. Off topic: Is Denise Howell, coiner of “blawg,” right to suggest
it is a waste of time to worry over the use of that term (see her
“I, Sandwich Dominatrix,” Jan. 25, 2006), and/or scroll down to
our response at our original post on making the word “blawg” obsolete.”
January 27, 2006
N.H. Bill would create Teeny Claims Court
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