What do I do if the party who sued me actually owes me money?

Along with your Answer, you can file what is called a Counterclaim, which is, essentially, a Complaint filed by the Defendant against the Plaintiff. (See the information on Complaints) If your Counterclaim exceeds the jurisdictional limits of the Magistrate Court, you will be required to file it in the District Court.  However the complaint filed by the Plaintiff will remain in Justice Court.  You may keep your counterclaim in Justice Court by stating that even though the amount listed in your counterclaim exceed $12,000 you are willing to accept no more than the $12,000 if you prevail.

The source of this information may be internal or external to the Gallatin County Justice Court. The Gallatin County Justice Court makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information. However, the information provided in this document is for your information only. The Gallatin County Justice Court makes no explicit or implied claims to the validity of this information.