People's Court Blog - 10 9 2012 - Tuesday

James And Road Rage

James is suing Danielle for $500.00. This is for damage to his car during a road rage incident. Both of these people were wrong wrong wrong for their actions. James and Danielle's stories are slightly different. The damage done to the car is not in dispute. Danielle admits to throwing a grape jelly jar at James's car. She broke the back window. James had 2 car seats in the back seat and they were covered with glass when the window shattered. Thank goodness the kids were not with him. James does admit he would have behaved differently if the kids were in the car. Danielle does not believe there were car seats except that the pictures shown were taken at the scene. What is wrong with these people? James does not get the replacement value for the car seats, so the ruling for him is $431.67. Danielle needs to control her temper, she has a baby on the way. James needs to grow up and be a better role model for his kids. Both of these people need to take stock of themselves and stop the road rage! This could have ended so much differently with two people who do not know how to walk away!

Shantel And The Lost Friendship

Shantel is suing Katisha for $2412.35. This is for the cost of a money order, a loan, bank fees, and pain and suffering. These two women have known each other for years. Shantel describes Katisha as her godsister. Her parents are godparents to Katisha's son. Shantel thought she was helping out Katisha when she cashed a money order for her for $1900.00. This was for work Katisha had done as a mystery shopper. Katisha did not know the company was going out of business and the money orders were fake. Shantel gave Katisha the money and deposited the money orders. They were no good!!! Did Katisha give Shantel the money back? No, she says that they were both victims. I do not know how Katisha was a victim. She has the money, Shantel does not. She also claims that she gave Shantel $600.00 for cashing the money order and then borrowed $100.00 from her. Shantel denies getting $600.00. I believe her. Why on earth would someone pay that kind of money to cash a money order! That does not make any sense! Of course, Katisha has to pay Shantel the money. In total, Shantel recovers $2012.35. She is not entitled to $400.00 for pain and suffering. The really sad part of this is that these two women are not talking to each other anymore. Does anyone know how Katisha can keep saying that Shantel is a victim also? Shantel is an innocent bystander that was trying to be nice and help out a really good friend in her time of need. What do you think?

Lorraine / Vashti And The House In Guyana

Lorraine and Vashti are suing Sugrim for $3487.00. This is for the deposit and fees associated with the purchase of a home. The house is in Guyana. The contract was completed in April of 2006. Sugrim told them it would take three months for the contract to be processed for approval. In Guyana, the government owns the land the house is on. Lorraine claims that she was never given proof of the approval. She tried to contact Sugrim and he did not return his calls. Lorraine sent Sugrim a certified letter. Soon after this  he let her know the contract had been approved. It was a little over three months later. Lorraine told Sugrim she did not want to go through with the sale and claims they had a verbal agreement that she could cancel if the process took over three months. There is nothing in the written contract that references a time limit. At the time Sugrim offered Lorraine half of her $2500.00 deposit back. She refused. Now 6 years later she is suing him. She does not recover any money on her lawsuit. She should have taken him up on his initial offer. AND  why on earth would she wait six years to file a lawsuit? I do not know, do you?

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Start Where You Are.

Use What You Have.

Do What You Can.

~Arthur Ashe

People's Court Blog - 10 8 2012 - Monday

Atiya And The Adult Party

Atiya is suing Tangey for $1165.00. This is for the cost of pole dancing lessons and damages to her house. Atiya is a really fun person! For her 35th birthday, she had plans for the most amazing party. Atiya calls it an OPP party. This stands for overnight, passion, pole party. Wow, I would like to be one of her friends. Atiya invited 10 friends over to celebrate her 35th birthday. The party was all women and included sex toy demonstration and pole dancing lessons. Unfortunately, Tangey the pole dancer, did not follow through. Atiya hired her and paid $435.00 for her to give pole dancing lessons at the party. This really sounds like fun! Tangey got to the party late, could not set up the poles in a secure way and disappointed the birthday girl and her friends. Besides causing disappointment she also damaged the ceiling and the floor while she was trying to set up the pole. Not to the tune of $730.00, which is the amount Atiya is asking for. Atiya will get back the cost of the pole lessons and $300.00 for the damages. In total she gets back $735.00. I think Tangey should stick to having parties at the studio. It seems like a major liability to set up the pole in people's homes. What do you think?

Thomas And The Scratched Car

Thomas is suing Rick for $1192.50. This is for the damage to his car while it was parked in Rick's parking lot. This is a parking lot for an airport. Thomas left his car in the lot over Christmas week while he flew home to visit his family. When he returned and picked up his car he noticed scratches to the back door panel. Thomas showed it to someone right away and took pictures of it. This was the right thing to do. Never ever leave the lot before checking the car. If there are damages they need to be shown to someone before leaving. Thomas did this, but Rick still does not believe him. I do not understand this. How else would the damage have occurred? It was not there when Thomas left his car, it was there when he picked it up. Very straightforward. Rick should have done the right thing and paid for the damage when it was brought to his attention. Thomas definitely proves his case and is awarded the entire amount he is suing for. Why don't people do the right thing? Why do they need to be taken to court? I would hope in the future Rick treats his customers better! What do you think?

John And The Ungrateful Girlfriend

John is suing Joella for $487.52. This is for a loan to Joella to help her pay for furniture. These two people have dated on and off for ten years. Joella describes how John has helped her through the years giving her money when she needed it. He never asked for it back. Wow, what a nice guy! Unfortunately this will not be in his favor. He has given money to Joella throughout the years and did not expect it back. Now he wants his money back. Why is this time different? Well, they broke up and Joella moved on. She started dating someone and moved in with the guy, She dated John for ten years on and off and they never lived together. John wants Joella to pay him back. It is not going to happen. The Judge finds in favor of Joella. It does appear that she has taken advantage of this very nice man's generosity. She should pay him back because it is the right thing to do. She is not going to pay him back because legally she does not have to. What a shame!

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You can't start the next chapter of your life, if you keep re-reading the last one.

~Anonymous

People's Court Blog - 10 5 2012 - Friday

Challenge Check-Up: It has been one week of the October Challenge. I was hoping to be on my way to success. I was not able to post Friday's blog until today. I will try harder next week. It will give me something to work towards. How are you doing for your October Challenge? Please share your resolution and update in the comments. We can all try for success together!

Grant And The Unleashed Pitbull

Grant is suing Theodore for $1000.00. This is for vet bills and pain and suffering for a dog attack. Grant was walking his Yorkie on a leash when a Pitbull, not on a leash, attacked. Grant took his little dog to the vet. Thank goodness the little dog survived an attack from the Pitbull. It would seem rather straighforward that Theodore would be responsible for the vet bills. He claims that the dog does not belong to him. Who does the the Pitbull belong to? Theodore's roommate. Why isn't the roommate in court? She is in Rikers Island. Where is the Pitbull? He lives with Theodore. Remember if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, it is a duck! I love when the Judge uses this reference! The Judge rules that the Pitbull belongs to Theodore, so he is responsible for the vet bills. Grant receives $797.01. Grant does not receive pain and suffering, although I am sure he experienced both! Why wasn't the Pitbull on a leash? Why does this seem like a common occurrence? Why are there so many dog attack cases that involve Pitbulls? Please help to answer these questions!

Tialonee And The Con Man

Tialonee is suing Adrian for $2000.00. This is a case of a con man taking advantage of a young, naive girl. Tialonee is 18 years old. She thought she was buying a car from Adrian. She gave him $2000.00 and he signed a contract with her. The contract was notarized. Adrian points out that in the state of Florida, a notarized contract contains certain elements that are missing from this one. Tialonee shows text messages between the two of them concerning the planned purchase of the car. Adrian points out that there are apps available for fake texting. Tialonee says they were friends, Adrian said they dated. Tialonee said they met on Facebook. Adrain says they met on an Internet chat site. Tialonee said she gave him $2000.00 for a car. Adrian says she was holding the money for him. There is so much that neither of them agree on, it is almost as if they were having two different realities, that is the essence of a con!

The car Tialonee was buying was a 2012 Impala that cost $18,000.  Why would Adrian sell it to her for $2000.00? Exactly! Think about it. Of course it is too good to be true. The entire situation was orchestrated to discredit Tialonee. I give Tialonee so much credit for bringing Adrian to court. The Judge sees right through this polished con man. Tialonee will get her money back. We all need to be constantly on guard to protect ourselves from situations that are too good to be true. Remember there is no free lunch!

Ferris And Progressive Glasses

Ferris is suing Larry for $654.00. This is for the cost of glasses that Ferris bought and cannot wear. Ferris went for an eye exam and had new glasses made. These glasses were different from his previous ones. He received progressive glasses and cannot see with them. He wants to return them and get his money back. Why would he leave the store with the glasses if he could not see? He did go back and demand his money back. The store policy is no refunds and a one year guarantee. This is stated on the receipt. Ferris is not entitled to his money back, he is entitled to have the glasses fixed. Larry agrees that he will do everything to fix the problem.

Why didn't Ferris give Larry a chance to fix the glasses before he brought Larry to court? This is something we will never know. People need to try to resolve their problems before rushing to court. Now, Ferris can return to Larry's store and get his glasses fixed so he will be able to see clearly.

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

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We have it in our power to start the world over again.
~Thomas Paine

People's Court Blog - 10 4 2012 - Thursday

Chris / Billiejo And The Not So Brand New Refrigerator

Chris and Billiejo are suing for $2694.94. This is for the cost of a refrigerator and various other costs associated with the purchase. Peggy Lee and Carlos were the contact for an ad on Craigslist. Peggy Lee's mother-in-law placed an ad to sell a refrigerator. The refrigerator was advertised as brand new. After Chris and Billiejo purchased the $3000.00 refrigerator for $950.00, they took it home, plugged it in and guess what? It did not work. Chris took the refrigerator to a repair shop and found out it had been repaired. The condenser had been replaced and other work had been done. The repair shop has documented the work done on the refrigerator. It is very obvious this was a scam to sell a used refrigerator as new. Peggy Lee shows that Chris damaged the refrigerator when he transported it on its side in a trailer. This does not matter since the information in the ad was false.

When Chris tries to reach Peggy Lee and Carlos, they do not return his calls. He meets with them using a fake name when he answers another Craigslist ad. The problem is he does not act responsibly and makes himself look like a loose cannon! Now he is doing the right thing to bring them to court. The Judge finds Peggy Lee and Carlos responsible to return the purchase price of the refrigerator, travel expenses and the cost of the repair shop diagnosis. In total, Chris and Billiejo get back $1177.49. Remember if something sounds too good too be true, it probably is! 

Lisa Lynn And Her Pottery Equipment

Lisa Lynn is suing Nicolle and Christopher for $3978.40. This is for pottery equipment that was stored with Nicolle and Christopher. When Lisa Lynn was pregnant in 2008, the father of her baby removed her items from storage and stored them with Nicolle and Chris. In 2010, she tried to get her property back and did not get it. In 2011, Nicolle donated the pottery equipment to a local school. She has a donation receipt to prove this. 

Why does Lisa Lynn wait so long to get her property back? The only answer she has is that she had so much going on in her life. This is not a good excuse. Years went by. She really could not expect for the items to be there forever. Lisa Lynn seems surprised to lose her case. She feels she did not get a chance to tell everything. I cannot imagine what else there could be. She had years to get back her property and she did not make the effort. It was not Nicolle and Chris's responsibility to return it to her. Maybe she is used to everyone doing for her, but not this time. The silver lining is that the pottery equipment went to a school and children are learning the art pf pottery. Lisa Lynn does not see this as a silver lining, she just wanted her belongings back!

Shannon And The Lost Friendship

Shannon is suing his friend for $1032.54. This is for the cost of parking tickets, impound fees, and various other costs. Shannon claims he put a car in his name for his friend, Richard. The reason he gives is that he wanted to help out his friend. Richard denies that Shannon helped him. This is very much a case of he said he said. It all comes down to the most credible person. The winner is Shannon. Richard continues to deny that anything was done for him, but he is so unbelievable. Shannon's story rings true. I am sure it will be a very long time before he lets someone else take advantage of him. Shannon gets back $784.21. The money he does not get back will be a lesson for him. The shame of this situation is that these two men have known each other for 29 years. This is a lifetime. It must be so difficult for Shannon to have been treated this way by a friend he has known for this long. Another question answered. What is the cost of a 29 year friendship? The answer: $1032.54. Good luck Shannon!

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Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.

~Sigmund Freud

People's Court Blog-10 3 2012-Wednesday

Ashley And The Lost Friendship

Two friends move in together. Ashley and Christine have been friends for eleven years. Now the friendship is over for good. This is a real shame. What is the cost of an eleven year old friendship? Well, it turns out it is $532.58. This is the cost of the utility bills that Christine did not pay. When these two young women entered into a rental agreement together, they agreed to split the utility bill. Christine paid her half for a few months and then stopped. Why did she stop? Christine claims that she did not feel safe in the apartment so she stayed with her boyfriend. Her defense for not paying her half of the utility bill is that she was not there to use the utilities. Agreements do not work this way. The Judge explains that as long as she had the ability to live in the apartment she was responsible to pay her share. The more important issue here is that this longterm friendship has now ended, Ashley seems very happy to get the money for the utility bill and does not seem to mind that the friendship is over. What a shame! A friendship is something to be valued and not thrown away! Both of these young women will go on with their lives and will most definitely make new friends. Unfortunately you can never replace a friendship that started in the 9th grade. Don't you agree?

Sondra And Her Really Small Mouth

Sondra is suing Ronald, her dentist, for $1567.00. This is the cost of new dentures that Ronald made for her. Sondra explains that she has a very small mouth. She explained this to Ronald and he assured her he could make new dentures that would fit her. Ronald made the dentures for Sondra and she was not happy with the fit. She returned to him 5 times for adjustments. At the last visit, Ronald told her there was nothing more he could do for her. Sondra decided to chalk it up to experience and walked away. A year later she met the nurse from the dental office. The nurse asked Sondra if she was wearing the dentures. Sondra told her that she could not wear them. The nurse said she never liked the forms he used for the molds. This is the reason Sondra decided to sue a year after purchasing the dentures. Sondra should have pursued this sooner. Also, Sondra did not go to another dentist to get an opinion on the dentures. There is no proof that the forms might have been incorrect or the dentures were not fit properly.

Sondra does not recover her money for the dentures. At the end of the case, Ronald offers to continue to help her. Sondra says she will not return to him, she does not want to give him another chance. That is a shame. Ronald is offering, Sondra should take him up on it. What does she have to lose?

Brenda And The Cancelled Skit

Brenda is suing Vinel and Lois for $914.00. These women belong to a fraternal organization. They were participating in a fundraiser that helps kids with their college fees. Part of the fundraiser included a competition of skits. Brenda wrote the skit, organized the rehearsals and was looking forward to participating in the competition. On the night of the fundraiser, Brenda's guests were told the skit was cancelled. Vinel was in charge and decided to cancel the skit. Brenda wants to be compensated for her time and effort for writing and putting on the skit. Brenda needs to review the definition of a volunteer. There was no promise of payment, whether the skit went on or not. It is true that Brenda was embarassed by the last minute cancellation, but you do not get compensated for embarassment! Brenda needs to make sure everyone agrees on terms of payment before she gets involved in a project! What do you think?

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Faith is taking the first step when you do not see the whole staircase.

~Martin Luther King Jr.

People's Court Blog - 10 2 2012 - Tuesday

Shannon And The Color Purple

Shannon wanted highlights in her hair. She did not like the colors that were put in her hair and is suing for $435.00. This is for the cost of the job and the repair. Shannon describes a process by which she chose colors out of a book for her hair. Kevin says she said she wanted purple. He told her purple would not look good with blonde hair. Shannon denies this. She says she wanted eggplant. Well, Shannon...purple and eggplant are the same color! When Shannon saw the colors of her hair when it was done, she was unhappy. So unhappy that she tipped the hair stylist. She did return to the shop three days later and wanted her money back. She says that Kevin told her to give it the weekend and come back. It is so hard to figure out who to believe. Thank goodness the Judge is really really good at this! The Judge decides in favor of Kevin and Shannon does not get any money. I think a major part of the decision involves Shannon using the word, eggplant. It means purple! Shannon's hair looks good now! She should continue going to her current stylist! The Judge shares that she once had purple hair, I would love to see that! 

Dan And His Beloved Guitar

Dan is suing for $1180.00. This is for the cost of the repair to his beloved guitar. Peter is in court to represent the bar that Dan and his band were playing in.  Dan's band is called "Below Average White Band". They play classic 70's rock. One night they were playing in a bar and Dan took a break and put his guitar on the stand. An intoxicated patron carrying a beer in his hand, stumbled on the stage and knocked over a speaker that hit the guitar and broke its neck. Dan describes his guitar as priceless. Thank goodness it was able to be repaired since the bar now has to pay for that. The Judge finds they are liable for the cost of the repair. Dan was able to prove his case. Peter, the manager is not happy about this. Peter was not there that fateful evening and has nothing to contribute to this case! Dan plays in the hallway for us...http://peoplescourt.warnerbros.com/

Robert And The Very Responsible Driver

Robert is suing Brandon for $189.99. This is for the cost of a lawnmower. Brandon was being a responsible driver. He swerved to avoid hitting a cat. He turned into Robert's driver and ran over his lawnmower and ruined part of his vegetable garden. What is Brandon's reward for not killing a cat? He worked for a half a day on Robert's farm and gave him a replacement lawnmower. Two weeks later Robert decided he did not like this particular lawnmower. He bought a new one. Of course he should not expect Brandon to have to pay for a new lawnmower. The Judge awards Robert $85.00. This is the legal answer. 

The moral answer would have been to reward Brandon's responsible driving with a free pass. I think saving a cat's life is way more important than a lawnmower. Please Brandon remember you did the right thing. It is Robert who needs to look at his behavior a little more closely. Also, no one mentioned who the cat belonged to. Since Robert owned a farm amd the cat was in front of Robert's house, what if? ... 

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Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.

~Carl Sagan

People's Court Blog - 10 1 2012 - Monday

Welcome October 1, 2012!

The first day of the month. A day to make a resolution, make a change! Resolutions do not have to wait until January 1st. I like to think the first day of each month can be a day for new beginnings. Just as each day can be the first day of the rest of your life, each month can be a time to take stock and set a new goal. My goal for October is to post my blog the same day as the show. Stay with me and keep me on track. I challenge you to set a goal for the month and share it in the comments. We will succeed together!

Latisha And The Hit And Run

Latisha is suing Antoinette and Amy for $2935.27. This is for damages to her car from a hit and run accident. Antoinette and Amy are countersuing for the same amount of money. One night Latisha heard a loud noise in the front of her house. There was a car driving away from her house after hitting her car that, he had to stop and return home. He was able to describe the car as a dark red impala with tinted windows and a  spoiler. He was not able to see the license plate number.

5 days after the accident, Latisha saw the car parked at a house near her home. She called the police. They investigated and determined this was the car that caused the accident. In court, Antoinette, the owner of the car, explains the damage to her car was from a previous accident. She  also has pictures of a car that looked like hers and has body damage. This car was parked at a house in the area. She did not turn this information over to the police since she just saw it the day before court. Hello "My Cousin Vinny"!

The Judge is not able to find in favor of Latisha because there is a chance Antoinette was not responsible. Oh and the countersuit for the exact amount Latisha is suing for...Antoinette claims she was falsely accused and wants to be compensated. She does not get any money. The police investigated and they concluded she was responsible for the accident. Latisha was using the expert opinion of the police to bring Antoinette and Amy to court.

Latisha was trying to find the person responsible for the damage to her car. It is possible it is the owner of the car that Antoinette found. Hopefully she follows up and finds out if that is true. The person responsible should be held accountable for the damage they caused. What do you think?

Thomas And Bella

Thomas is suing Sharon for $1600.00. He purchased a puppy from her and he wants to be compensated for the purchase price and various other expenses. Thomas has "the puppy" in court. She is full grown now and is gorgeous. She is an Old English Bulldog named Bella. I have to say, Bella stole the show. What an amazing face, what a gracious and sweet dog!

They are in court today because Bella has hip dysplasia. Thomas would like the breeder to assume financial responsibility for her condition. There is one big problem, he would have to exchange Bella in order to legally resolve the issue. Thomas is not about to do that. Bella is his constant companion. He is a truck driver and is very proud to tell the court that Bella has been to 27 states with him. He obviously loves Bella very much.

One day Bella may need surgery to correct her condition. When this day comes, Thomas is going to do everything he can for her. He will not get any financial help from the breeder. This is a shame, but it is what is legal for the state Bella is from. Maybe the breeder should step up and work  with him, but to her this is business. To Thomas, Bella is family and he would never give her up! I hope Bella and Thomas have many many long years of travelling the open road together!

Jack And The Concealed Weapon

Jack is suing Julia for $1250.00. This is for a security deposit and additional money for stress. Jack rented a mobile home from Julia for one year. After the year lease was over, Jack rented month to month. When he decided to move out, he let Julia know. He spent 40 hours cleaning the mobile home before the walkthrough. When Julia met him for the walkthrough, she had a gun with her. Why did she bring a gun? She has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Why does she carry a gun? She tells the court, because she can. That is a great answer! Did she think she would need it? She did not get a chance to find out. After she refused to give Jack the security deposit back, she called the police. When they arrived, they took the gun away from her.

Julia claims the mobile home was filthy. She has pictures that show there was some clean-up needed. Jack's pictures showed a clean mobile home. Julia also says that Jack was supposed to maintain the gardens around the mobile home. She is trying to keep $750.00 for cleaning and for weeding. The Judge reviews the pictures and the costs involved and awards her $150.00. Jack gets back $600.00. He does not get an additional $500.00 for stress. If he was that stressed out by the gun he should have left. Instead he stayed and did not leave until the police told him to.

Jack seems very intent to explain that he did not do a good job cleaning because he is a man. Really! I do not think it matters whether you are a man or a woman. Cleaning is cleaning! Jack needs to wake up and smell the coffee and then wipe it up when it spills!

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

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You may delay, but time will not.

~Benjamin Franklin