What happens if i do not go to court over a creditor summoning me for debt

Any time you receive a summons to go to court and you do not show up, the court will rule in favor of the other side.  This means that if you do not show up, the court will enter a judgement for mariner in the amount of $5300.00 (plus possibly other charges as well).  If you do not dispute that you owe them money, but you do not think the amount is correct, you can show up in court and tell the judge that you dispute the amount.  The Judge will then order the case to come to trial where each side presents their arguments as to why they are right.  The Judge will probably also order something called 'pleadings' which means that the plaintiff (in this case Mariner) needs to send you something called a 'Bill of Particulars' which details exactly why they think you owe the money and why the amount is correct.  After you receive the Bill of Particulars, you will have a few days to respond with a written 'Grounds of Defense' which details exactly why you believe that Mariner is incorrect.  These pleadings give the court, and the other side, a look at the evidence that will be presented at trial, and you are not able to bring up other arguments at the trial that were not included in the pleadings.  That means that if you do not submit your Grounds of Defense on time, you may be left at trial with the Judge not allowing you to make any arguments at all.  It might be worthwhile for you to speak to an attorney in your area about your options, which might also include filing for a bankruptcy either now or after a judgement has been ordered.  Again, your attorney will know more about your specific situation and can assist you.