It sounds as if each of you has a small claims case. The dollar amount of each suit may make it cost prohibitive if jurisdiction requires that each of you has to sue this individual in New York, and you are located a great distance away. However, all is not lost.
You each could all assign these debts to one of you living in or near New York. The assignments of the debts make that indidividual the holder of the entire debt owed by the defendant. The total dollar amount of the aggregated debt would justify the expense of the litigation. In fact the aggregate debt may put you up into the regular court docket
(Superior Court in Connecticut), and there may be prejudgment remedies available such as attachment of real estate or garnishment of bank accounts/accounts receivable which would guaranty that there is something to pay the judgment unless the defendant bankrupts. However, there are new laws on the books that make this more difficult. You would need to research New York law to see if prejudgment remedies are available there. In Connecticut we routinely start a suit with an attachment/garnishment if there is any danger of the defendant's insolvency. After the defendant pays the judgment you could divide up the funds in amounts equal to the debts originally owed to you. If you win the suit the court normally awards you the court filing fee and any required expense for a marshal's service of process in addition to damages.
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