The purpose of the Legislature in establishing small claims parts of court has been to provide "a simplified and informal procedure to adjudicate such claims" (Knoweles v International Furniture Rental, 87 Misc.2d 326, 327), and a small claims court "is not bound by statutory rules of practice, procedure, pleading or evidence (UCCA, ยง 1804; Buonomo v Stalker, 40 A.D.2d 733) " (Harding v New York State Teamsters Council Welfare Trust Fund, 60 A.D.2d 975, 975-976). The voluntary arbitration procedures established for small claims simplify the practice still further.
In Knoweles v International Furniture Rental ( 87 Misc.2d 326 [Civ Ct, N Y County 1976]) a small claims arbitrator rendered a decision. After doing so, later that evening, he gave the matter some more thought and believed that he had been in error.
Therefore, I conclude that the consent to arbitrate agreement does not, and cannot be a limitation on either the court's or the arbitrator's power, at least to the extent of allowing reconsideration by the arbitrator to correct error. See Knoweles v International Furniture Rental of N.Y. ( 87 Misc.2d 326) with which I agree. Accordingly, judgment has been entered in the amount of $855 plus costs and the prior judgment has been vacated.