Skip to content
LitigationForms
SC-515A

Motion to Reopen Small Claims Judgment

Wisconsin · Wisconsin Court System · Effective November 21, 2019

This form is used to ask the court to reopen a judgment from small claims court. It is for people who did not show up at a hearing even though they were supposed to be there.

The court describes it as: Used by plaintiffs or defendants who failed to appear at the small claims court proceeding even though they had notice of the hearing. This form allows such parties to petition for a hearing to reopen the default judgment.

Open the official PDFfrom Wisconsin Court System

Where this fits in a case

Motions

Stage: Motions

This form is used by either the person who started the case or the person being sued when they missed a scheduled court hearing and want the court to reopen a judgment that was entered because of that absence.

Either party may file.

Official instructions

How-to guides published by the court for this form.

Common questions

Who can file this form?
This form can be filed by the plaintiff or the defendant in the small claims case.
What must be true to file this form?
The form is for situations where a party failed to appear at a hearing, even though they had been notified.
Are there time limits for filing this?
Motions based on failure to appear or file an answer must be brought within 12 months of the judgment being entered.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 10, 2026. The current version took effect November 21, 2019.

Related forms

  • SC-507A

    Motion and Request for Hearing on Contempt (Small Claims)

    This form is used to ask the court to schedule a hearing to find out why a person who owes money has not followed a court order about providing financial information.

    Word
  • SC-515B

    Order on Motion to Reopen Small Claims Judgment

    This form is an order from the court that addresses a request to reopen a judgment from a small claims case. It tells the parties what the court has decided about the motion to reopen the judgment.

    Word
  • SC-517

    Demand for Trial and Instructions (Small Claims)

    This form is used in small claims court to ask for a trial before a judge. It requires the person filing to state when the case was decided—either by an oral decision or a written decision—and to confirm they will give copies of the form to everyone else involved.

    Word
  • SC-5250V

    Notice of Counterclaim - Claim against Plaintiff(s) (Small Claims)

    This form is a notice that tells the person who started the case (the plaintiff) that the defendant has filed a counterclaim against them in small claims court. It explains that if the counterclaim is for a large amount of money or involves personal injury, the case might need to move to a different type of court.

    Word
  • SC-301

    Summons and Complaint Non-Earnings Garnishment Small Claims

    This form starts a small claims case to take money from property that is not the debtor's wages. It asks the court to order the garnishee (an entity that might have the debtor's property) to provide information about the debtor's assets.

    Word
  • SC-302

    Garnishee Answer Non-Earnings Garnishment (Small Claims)

    This form is used by a garnishee to answer a non-earnings garnishment Complaint in small claims court. It asks the garnishee to state whether they have control of the debtor's assets or if they owe the debtor money for specific reasons.

    Word
  • SC-303

    Debtor's Answer Non-Earnings Garnishment (Small Claims)

    This form is used by the person who owes money (the Debtor) in a small claims case to tell the court that certain money or property should not be taken by the creditor. It asks the court to recognize specific legal exemptions.

    Word
  • SC-304

    Creditor's Objection to Answer(s) and Demand for Hearing Non-Earnings Garnishment (Small Claims)

    This form allows a creditor to tell the court that they disagree with the answers given by the garnishee and/or the debtor, and it asks the court to schedule a hearing to sort out the disagreements.

    Word