On Long Island, there are also dozens of town and village courts that handle small claims; use the New York court's website to locate a specific town or village court. Remember, the small claims limits in town and village courts is $3,000. While in district and city courts the small claims limit is $5,000.
Conclusion: Going to small claims court may be worth it for $500, but it will determine how you weigh your costs versus benefits. At a minimum, it is worth it to send a demand letter.
A “submission agreement” (also called an “agreement to arbitrate”) is a written agreement between two parties that establishes the use of arbitration to settle a dispute (or any and all disputes) that may arise between them.