631.8  Procedure.
  1.  Small claims not determined within ninety days following the expiration of any period of continuance or following the last entry placed on the record for that action shall be dismissed by the clerk without prejudice.
  2.  In small claims actions, if a party joins a small claim with one which is not a small claim, the court shall:
  a.  Order the small claim to be heard under this chapter and dismiss the other claim without prejudice, or
  b.  As to parties who have appeared or are existing parties, either order the small claim to be heard under this chapter and the other claim to be tried by regular procedure or order both claims to be tried by regular procedure.
  3.  If commenced as a regular civil action or under the statutes relating to probate proceedings, a small claim shall be transferred to the small claims docket. A small claim commenced as a regular action shall not be dismissed but shall be transferred to the small claims docket. Civil and probate actions not small claims but commenced under this chapter shall be dismissed without prejudice except for defendants who have appeared, as to whom such actions shall be transferred to the combination or probate docket, as appropriate.
  4.  In small claims actions, a counterclaim, cross claim, or intervention in a greater amount than that of a small claim shall be in the form of a regular pleading. A copy shall be filed for each existing party. New parties, when permitted by order, may be brought in under 
rule of civil procedure 1.246
 and shall be given notice under the rules of civil procedure pertaining to commencement of actions. The court shall either order such counterclaim, cross claim, or intervention to be tried by regular procedure and the other claim to be heard under this chapter, or order the entire action to be tried by regular procedure.
  5.  In regular action, when a party joins a small claim with one which is not a small claim, regular procedure shall apply to both unless the court transfers the small claim to the small claims docket for hearing under this chapter.
  6.  In regular actions, a counterclaim, cross claim, or intervention in the amount of a small claim shall be pleaded, tried, and determined by regular procedure, unless the court transfers the small claim to the small claims docket for hearing under this chapter.
  7.  Pleadings which are not in correct form under this section shall be ordered amended so as to be in correct form; but a small claim which is proceeding under this chapter need not be amended although in the form of a regular pleading.
  8.  Copies of any papers filed by the parties which are not required to be served, shall be mailed or delivered by the clerk as provided in 
rule of civil procedure 1.442
.
[C73, §631.2, 631.8; C75, 77, 79, 81, §631.8]
2013 Acts, ch 30, §162; 2014 Acts, ch 1092, §136; 2020 Acts, ch 1063, §332
Referred to in §631.2, 631.7