Small claims court vs mediation for a $2,000 fence dispute in Phoenix

My neighbor and I had a fight over a shared fence that fell over in a storm last month. I wanted to take her to small claims court to get the $2,000 back, but my buddy said mediation through the city would be cheaper and faster. I went with mediation, and we ended up splitting the cost 60/40 after two hours of talking. Has anyone here tried court for something similar and gotten a better result?

2 comments

2 Comments

harperp3113h ago

Did your mediator give you a written agreement or just a verbal handshake? I went the court route once for a similar fence issue and the ruling was technically in my favor but the neighbor dragged out payment for months. I think mediation is smarter for $2,000 honestly. The court filing fees and lost time from work probably would've eaten up a chunk of that anyway.

kai4639h ago

Totally feel you on that, the court process can drag on way too long for what it's worth. A $2,000 fence dispute turning into months of waiting kills the whole point of winning.