Too Bad I Take Things Seriously-Chapter 440 - 193: Classmate Group Inquiry, Sealed Memories!

Litigation costs encompass many aspects. These include case acceptance fees, application fees, fees for witnesses, appraisers, translators, and actuaries, as well as transportation, accommodation, living expenses, and lost wages incurred by these individuals for appearing in court on the date designated by the People’s Court, among others. All these costs have to be borne by the plaintiff.

For civil property disputes, the acceptance fee is usually charged based on the property value. For amounts less than ten thousand yuan, a fee of 50 yuan is charged. For amounts over ten thousand yuan up to one hundred thousand yuan, 2.5% is paid. For amounts over one hundred thousand yuan up to two hundred thousand yuan, 2% is paid. For amounts over two hundred thousand yuan up to five hundred thousand yuan, 1.5% is paid. For amounts over five hundred thousand yuan up to one million yuan, 1% is paid.

Therefore, the case acceptance fee for this "Niu Ma" alone was a "whopping" 50 yuan. To recover these eighteen yuan... he really felt it was not worth the loss.

However, Ma Ming quickly replied, "Fight!"

"We must fight this lawsuit!"

"It’s not about the steamed buns but the principle. I must get back all the money I lent out with my own hands!"

His tone was filled with certainty and stubbornness.

Seeing this, the corners of Qin Mu’s mouth twitched slightly, but he did not try to dissuade him again. To "Niu Ma," it might not be about the eighteen yuan, but about being blocked by the debtor.

Subsequently, Qin Mu thought for a moment, then continued to caution, "But the amount is really too small; there’s a significant risk of losing the case. If you lose, you will have to bear all these costs yourself." His earlier assertion about a high probability of success applied to cases involving larger loan amounts. With such a small sum, the fact that the other party suddenly had an extra eighteen yuan would be considered trivial and insufficient to constitute further evidence. Thus, there was a risk the case would be dismissed by the court due to lack of evidence.

Besides, to win this lawsuit, it’s best to find a professional lawyer. And the fees for a civil litigation lawyer... are typically structured in two ways: either a fixed fee per case, costing several thousand yuan, or a percentage taken from the property involved. Obviously, no lawyer would be foolish enough to take a commission based on the disputed property amount in Ma Ming’s case of unpaid debt. All in all, to fight this lawsuit, adding everything up, it could cost a few thousand yuan.

「Qianzhou.」

In an office building, Ma Ming looked at the message from Qin Mu, his expression somewhat conflicted. To recover eighteen yuan... he would have to spend a few thousand. It did seem like a bad deal.

But... just thinking about Meng Lei’s attitude made him unbearably angry.

"I’ve decided to sue!"

He took a deep breath, involuntarily clenching his fists. Meng Lei owed him money and hadn’t paid it back. Then, he’d had the audacity to block him! It was truly disgusting. He had to teach Meng Lei a lesson and find a way to get his money back!

Afterward, Qin Mu told him what to pay attention to when filing the lawsuit, such as issues of jurisdiction and whether the court would accept the case.

`"I remember... Meng Lei is currently working in Yangcheng, right?"`

Ma Ming frowned slightly as he thought carefully. He had seen Meng Lei’s social media posts before and knew that Meng Lei had moved to Yangcheng for work after graduation. Reportedly, he was doing quite well and had already bought a house and a car in Yangcheng. Looks like I’ll need to pay a visit to an old classmate, he scoffed softly.

In the afternoon, he submitted a leave application to his company, directly taking off for seven days. That evening, he bought a plane ticket and traveled to Yangcheng.

He was filing a civil lending dispute, not a criminal case, so there was the issue of jurisdiction. To file the lawsuit, he had to go to the city where Meng Lei resided and submit the lawsuit application to the court of that jurisdiction. Adding it all up... the plane ticket, accommodation, and food would all be significant expenses, and he would have to bear them all himself. But he had no regrets. If he didn’t get this off his chest, he wouldn’t be able to rest or eat in peace!

「Yangcheng.」

Ma Ming found a reasonably priced hotel near the district court and checked in.

The next day, he went directly to a well-known local law firm, planning to consult a lawyer first and then submit the complaint. He had watched all of Qin Mu’s videos and knew the importance of having a lawyer. Although he had learned quite a bit of legal knowledge from the videos, he was not a professional. Even though Qin Mu had provided the litigation strategy, to get his money back... he still needed a reliable lawyer.

`"Are you saying... you flew here from hundreds of kilometers away just to recover money someone owes you?"`

The lawyer at the firm listened and couldn’t help but show respect, a delighted expression appearing on his face. This case... was clearly a lending case. If he could win it, it would definitely be a sizable income! Civil litigation lawyers always love handling property disputes. The commission alone was substantial each time.

`"Right, how much money does the other party owe you?"`

In his excitement, the lawyer asked for details. In his view, for Ma Ming to make such a fuss and travel hundreds of kilometers to Yangcheng, the amount must be substantial!

`"Uh... well, the other party owes me eighteen yuan."`

Ma Ming blushed but still spoke the truth.

`"One hundred eighty thousand yuan, huh? Our firm usually takes a commission on property cases, and the commission rate for one hundred eighty thousand is... wait, what did you say? Eighteen yuan?"`

The lawyer was stunned for a moment, then it suddenly dawned on him, and his eyes widened. He incredulously asked, "You mean eighteen yuan?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Ma Ming gave an embarrassed smile and nodded. "Yes, eighteen yuan."

As soon as the words were out, he noticed a clear change in the way the lawyer across from him looked at him. It was a look of...