People's Court Blog - Monday - July 8 2013

The show today is a repeat.

Lizbeth is not happy with the services from Steve, a lawn care specialist. She wants all of her money back from a contract signed with Steve - $3406.00. Lizbeth claims that not only did her lawn not get better, it actually got worse. She is accusing Steve of putting something on the lawn to kill it and grow weeds and then she says she does not think he put anything on the lawn. Besides the fact that her approach does not make sense, she has no proof. Her new lawn care specialists did not provide any information that Steve did not do his job. She does not get her money back. Court is about proof, not just being unhappy with services rendered! What do you think?

Randolph is suing Hugh for $2652.34. Hugh was behind Randolph at an intersection. He admits he is at fault, he "tapped" the back of Randolph's car. Hugh offered Randolph $100.00 on the spot. Randolph refused it but does not call the police. It is very important to call the police when you have a car accident, even if it is just a "fender bender". The two men do exchange insurance information, that was a good idea. Hugh seems to think that Randolph was committing insurance fraud, he accuses him of switching cars. It seems that Randolph sold his car and then registered the car he was driving the day of the accident only the day before. The paperwork takes time to catch up. There was no insurance fraud, but it does seem Randolph is trying to take advantage of the situation. Hugh testifies that Randolph called and wanted $1400.00. The estimate is almost double that amount. The Judge believes that Randolph asked for the $1400.00 and that is the amount he is awarded. It is never a good idea to try to negotiate a settlement and then go to court and ask for more money. What do you think?

Kim is suing Erica for $2521.05. On June 2nd, Erica's 2 dogs jumped out of the window of her car and went after Kim and her little dog. Her dog was not hurt. It costs over $1000.00 to find out all was good with her little dog. Erica admits it is her fault and is willing to pay the vet bill. She did not feel she was responsible to pay for a missed day of work 10 days after the attack and acupuncture treatments. Kim states that she re - injured her back when she was fighting off the dogs. She is also suing for pain and suffering due to nightmares she now has since the attack. The Judge finds in favor of Kim for $447.50, the balance of the vet bill and part of the acupuncture treatments. Kim does not get lost wages and pain and suffering, she is not able to prove these elements. It is never a good idea to drive with the windows open enough for a dog to jump out. The dogs will jump, no matter how well trained they may be. Erica understands she is financially responsible for what her dogs caused. She did not want to pay for all of the "extras". I do not blame her. I feel really bad for her that she now has to fight to get her dogs back. I wish her luck!

Now, please join me as I embark on a weight loss journey. On July 1st, I decided to start eating healthier. I have been trying to lose weight for years. Many attempts at fad diets and weight loss programs. Now, I will try a new approach. Drink lots of water, do not eat after 9 pm, eat healthy snacks and ... I will try to incorporate small changes to my daily lifestyle. Major changes are a road to failure. Small changes are attainable. I am going to continue these changes for this week. I am also reading about intermittent fasting. I want to try it, I just need to find the right time to start...any day now!!!

Week 1 weight loss: 6 lbs - great job!  - keep up the good work - stay motivated!!!!

People's Court Blog - 9 28 2012 - Friday

Frank And The Water Leak

Frank is suing Kevin for $5000.00. Frank is the superintendent of Kevin's building. His apartment is underneath Kevin's. Frank explains that he posted notices that the water in the building was going to be turned off due to plumbing repairs. Kevin and his girlfriend did not get the dates correct and when she went to take a shower, there was no water. Kevin called Frank and was reminded that this was the day the repairs were being done. When the repairs were finished and the water was turned back on, Frank noticed a leak in his apartment. He checked the apartments above him and found the water running in Kevin's apartment. Kevin and his girlfriend do not remember closing the drain to the tub and did not think they left the water running. 

Kevin asked Frank on two occasions to see the damage. Frank would not show him unless he was willing to take responsibility for the damages and pay $5000.00. Kevin wanted to see proof. He felt that Frank might be inflating the cost of the damages. In court, Frank does not have any proof for everything he is asking for. He claims the hardwood floor has to be replaced instead of repaired. He wants to be reimbursed for bedding that could be washed. He wants payment for a laptop, a playstation and DVDs and CDs, he claims were damaged. He has no proof, he did not even bring them to court. 

The Judge agrees there was clearly water damage due to the leak. There is no question the water came from Kevin's apartment. Since Frank has no proof of the damage to specific items, the Judge awards him $750.00. This is a major difference from the $5000.00 he was asking for. It is very important to have evidence of damages and the value of the items. Frank realizes this and admits he should have been better prepared for court. Maybe next time...

Delphena And Road Rage 

Delphena is suing Andrew for $2781.91. This is the cost of the damages to her car due to a traffic accident. The only problem with her lawsuit is that the accident was her fault. She tried to pass Andrew's van on the left side, squeezing between him and a parked car. Andrew has pictures for the court showing the position of the cars. Delphena tries to say that Andrew caused the accident, but the pictures tell a different story. Delphena admits that Andrew was driving slowly and she honked at him and passed him. Andrew shows there was one lane and there was not enough room for Delphena to fit. Delphena was very angry and after the accident told Andrew and his passenger to stay away from her or she was going to smack them. Really! This is no way to talk to someone. She also says the accident was not necessary. Well, this is absolutely true since she caused it! Andrew's van suffered minor damage that he was able to fix himself for $15.00. Since Delphena caused the accident, she is not entitled to any money. She continues to accuse Andrew of deliberately hitting her car even as she exits the courtroom. Delphena needs to realize that she caused this accident so she does not do this again in the future. Anger management might be beneficial for Delphena to curtail her road rage! What do you think?

Jamal And The Security Deposit

Jamal is suing Althea, his landlord, for $2500.00. This is for a security deposit and increased electric bills. Jamal has rented an apartment from Althea since 2006. He moved in after his mother moved out. The rent was partially covered by Section 8, a government assistance program. Althea explains that she constantly had to take Jamal to housing court for nonpayment of rent. Jamal says he has had many problems with the apartment and constantly reported them to the city. Althea and Jamal had a court settlement that instructed him to vacate the apartment by January 31, 2012. Jamal admits he did not move out until March 2, 2012. He blames this on Section 8. He claims he could not move out without their approval. He received their approval on February 15th, but did not move out until March 2. Since he did not pay the rent for March, the security deposit would cover that payment. Jamal also wants to be compensated for an increase in the electric bills since the landlord put in a dehumidifier. He is not entitled to this money. He does not get any money back. The landlord describes his behavior as arrogant and intimidating. She went through the proper channels to evict him and he took advantage by ignoring the court settlement. Hopefully he will pay his rent and get along with his new landlord. What do you think?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you for joining me.

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If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.

~Albert Einstein