1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to conciliation court; increasing the limit for claims that may be filed; 
1.3 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 491A.01, subdivision 3.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 491A.01, subdivision 3, is amended to 
1.6 	read:
1.7 		Subd. 3.Jurisdiction; general. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions 4 and 5, the 
1.8 	conciliation court has jurisdiction to hear, conciliate, try, and determine civil claims if the 
1.9 	amount of money or property that is the subject matter of the claim does not exceed $6,000 
1.10 	or, on and after July 1, 1994, $7,500 $15,000, or $4,000 $7,500 if the claim involves a 
1.11 	consumer credit transaction. "Consumer credit transaction" means a sale of personal 
1.12 	property, or a loan arranged to facilitate the purchase of personal property, in which:
1.13 	(1) credit is granted by a seller or a lender who regularly engages as a seller or 
1.14 	lender in credit transactions of the same kind;
1.15 	(2) the buyer is a natural person;
1.16 	(3) the claimant is the seller or lender in the transaction; and
1.17 	(4) the personal property is purchased primarily for a personal, family, or household 
1.18 	purpose and not for a commercial, agricultural, or business purpose.
1.19 	(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and subdivisions 5 to 10, the 
1.20 	territorial jurisdiction of conciliation court is coextensive with the county in which the 
1.21 	court is established. The summons in a conciliation court action under subdivisions 6 to 
1.22 	10 may be served anywhere in the state, and the summons in a conciliation court action 
1.23 	under subdivision 7, paragraph (b), may be served outside the state in the manner provided 
1.24 	by law. The court administrator shall serve the summons in a conciliation court action 
2.1 	by first class mail, except that if the amount of money or property that is the subject of 
2.2 	the claim exceeds $2,500, the summons must be served by the plaintiff by certified mail, 
2.3 	and service on nonresident defendants must be made in accordance with applicable law 
2.4 	or rule. Subpoenas to secure the attendance of nonparty witnesses and the production of 
2.5 	documents at trial may be served anywhere within the state in the manner provided by law.
2.6 	When a court administrator is required to summon the defendant by certified mail 
2.7 	under this paragraph, the summons may be made by personal service in the manner 
2.8 	provided in the Rules of Civil Procedure for personal service of a summons of the district 
2.9 	court as an alternative to service by certified mail.

2.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2010, and applies to claims 
2.11 	filed on or after that date.