I won my small claim court against my property management the judge ruled disposition judgment. Now the property management filed appeal tri...

Question

I won my small claim court against my property management the judge ruled disposition judgment. Now the property management filed appeal trial de novo why is this

Answer

In small claims a defendant (the landlord in this case) can ask for a new trial (trial de novo) if they lose. They get it automatically. They do not need to show that there was somthing wrong with the first trial. The new trial is done as if the first one never occurred and the new judgment is final.