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Dennis, this point has been discussed thoroughly in the past on these threads. The reason the limit is $25K is that the court referred to is small claims court, designed so that small suits can be relatively quickly resolved with or without an attorney. Nevertheless, most people are reluctant to take this route, since they lack the time or inclination. Even if they do represent themselves, avoiding legal fees, is hardly a win. There must be some advantage to being represented by an attorney, and a reason why other attorneys haven't employed this strategy. I'm not convinced that representing oneself is just as effective as having professional counsel. I also don't know where you come up with "thousands of hours" of legal time, which seems exaggerated. A small claims suit is about one owner suing for individual damages. Finally, the AOD signed by the NY Attorney General and the MC specifically excludes its being used as evidence in any other court proceeding. So Joy, I understand that going this route is your personal decision. You are brave indeed. I wish you the best of luck!