What I want to know is where I go to begin eviction proceedings. Which court has authority and which department do I apply to?

Are you in the United States?

If so, it would be state (not federal) court.
If not, hard to say.


Tell us where you are and we will be able to give you a more precise answer.

It would be the county court in the county where the property is located. Contact the court clerk and they will give you the precise information on where and how to file the lawsuit.

Any question on law should include your general locale as laws vary by area. Since you neglected to include that vital info, its impossible for us to answer. Generally, as Lisa said, this is done on the county level, but it might be done on a municipality level if you live in a large enough town.

Before you become a landlord you should familiarize yourself with such things.

Have you given the tenant a vacate notice already? Did the deadline for that notice pass?