House Bill 1270

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 9-9-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT A COUNTY COURT LOCATED IN A COUNTY HAVING A POPULATION GREATER THAN 175,000 SHALL HAVE A JURISDICTIONAL LIMIT OF $100,000.00; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 9-9-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

9-9-21. (1) The jurisdiction of the county court shall be as follows: It shall have jurisdiction concurrent with the justice court in all matters, civil and criminal of which the justice court has jurisdiction; and it shall have jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit and chancery courts in all matters of law and equity wherein the amount of value of the thing in controversy shall not exceed, exclusive of costs and interest, the sum of Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00); however, any county having a population greater than one hundred seventy-five thousand (175,000) according to the most recent federal decennial census shall have jurisdiction over matters in equity wherein the amount of value of the thing in controversy shall not exceed the sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), and the jurisdiction of the county court shall not be affected by any setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill in such actions where the amount sought to be recovered in such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill exceeds Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) or One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) where applicable. Provided, however, the party filing such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill which exceeds Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) or One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,00.00) where applicable shall give notice to the opposite party or parties as provided in Section 13-3-83, and on motion of all parties filed within twenty (20) days after the filing of such setoff, counterclaim or cross-bill, the county court shall transfer the case to the circuit or chancery court wherein the county court is situated and which would otherwise have jurisdiction. It shall have exclusively the jurisdiction heretofore exercised by the justice court in the following matters and causes: namely, eminent domain, the partition of personal property, and actions of unlawful entry and detainer, provided that the actions of eminent domain and unlawful entry and detainer may be returnable and triable before the judge of said court in vacation.

(2) In the event of the establishment of a county court by an agreement between two (2) or more counties as provided in Section 9-9-3, it shall be lawful for such court sitting in one (1) county to act upon any and all matters of which it has jurisdiction as provided by law arising in the other county under the jurisdiction of said court.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.