Ed Blackman writes:
Small claims court shouldn't take you 6 months (I think it's typically
30 to 60 days from the date you file, to allow time for the summons),
and you should be well under the small claims limit.

Alas, the Massachusetts court system is completely overwhelmed right
now because so many clerks have been laid off. I filed several
small-claims cases in July 2002 and their hearings weren't even
scheduled for several months; when they were finally scheduled, they
were in January 2003, almost six months later.