01x19 - Ex-Lover Payback

[bunniefuu]

We got engaged...

Then we had a falling-apart.

You had a restraining order against you?

Yes, ma'am.

Then you had someone else file
for a protective order against you.

Uh...

You are the unluckiest guy I know.

[narrator] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

Annalisa Behsman
is suing her ex-boyfriend

Michael Ash and his wife Deanna Robinson

for unpaid loans
and the return of her property.

[Kevin] Court, come to order.

[Judy] Be seated, everyone, please.

Hello, Judge.
Case 1085. Behsman versus Ash, Robinson.

Ms. Behsman. And your last name is...

-Ash.
-[Judy] Ash. Mr. Ash

is a former boyfriend of yours?

-Correct.
-[Judy] Miss Robinson

was his fiancee, then his ex-fiancee

when he moved in with you.

And is currently
his currently his current fiancee?

We got married two days ago, so we're...

-Well, congratulations.
-...husband and wife.

-Congratulations.
-Thank you.

[Judy]
I don't know what the cause of action

that you have is against Ms. Robinson.

Because she put a stop
to me contacting Mr. Ash

to get my property back.

[Judy] Just a second.

She had an order preventing you

from contacting him or her?

No. Neither.

She had written in text message

that if I contact him

or her family at all,

she will take legal action.

[Judy]
Your case is dismissed against her.

-Okay.
-Have a seat.

I couldn't figure out
what your cause of action

against her was
because you don't have one.

Mr. Ash, you and your now wife

were engaged and living together when?

For eight years.

And all that, we were together,

we got engaged,

then we had a falling-apart

for roughly eight months.

And though, I was even misplaced
from my house because of her order.

[Judy] Okay. It was your house?

-Yes.
-[Judy] So, your current wife

had a restraining order against you?

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] And the restraining order

-put you out of your home?
-Yes.

[Judy] And while you were
put out of your home,

-you reconnected with the plaintiff.
-[Michael] Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
Who you had known in the past?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And asked her if you could move in,

she did let you move in.

You stayed for a while and then

developed a romantic relationship
with each other.

You hired a lawyer in order
to get back into your house?

No, ma'am. I...

[Judy]
How did you get back into your house?

[Michael] I had gotten legal advice

of how to file the proper paperwork

so I could represent myself.

[Judy]
Who did you get the advice from?

Chris, um, sitting next to her.

-[Judy] Plaintiff's witness?
-[Michael] Correct.

[Judy] Did you get the advice
from her because that's her profession?

-She is a paralegal of some sort?
-No, ma'am.

-Was the advice free?
-No.

[Judy]
What did she charge you for it?

[Michael] For the first initial
to get back in my house, $250.

[Judy] And in what month was that?

November of last year.

And then you had someone else file
for a protective order against you?

Yes, ma'am.

And who was that?

Ex-girlfriend times two
before Ms. Robinson.

You are the unluckiest guy
I know, Mr. Ash.

-Yes, ma'am.
-[audience laughs]

[Judy] And did again,
you used the plaintiff's witness

to help you with that situation?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And what was her fee for that?

Twelve hundred dollars.

[Judy] And all of this transpired
while you were living with the plaintiff?

[Michael] No, ma'am.

The 250 happened

while I was staying in Duluth, Minnesota

-with the Ms. Behsman's.
-With the plaintiff?

[Michael] The 1,200,
I was back in my house at that time.

[Judy] Were you back in your house

and still connected to Ms. Behsman?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Okay.
So, you were still together with her?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And where did you get the 1,450 from?

Did Ms. Behsman give you that money?

-[Michael] Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] Okay.

So, I want you to tell...

because that's part
of what she's suing you for.

[Michael] Yes, ma'am.

Tell me the circumstances
surrounding her giving you that money.

[Michael] She thought that me being
legally bound by these people,

that I shouldn't have to go through this,
that she was going to help me

get through this
with paying for legal advice.

And what were you doing at the time?

Not working, ma'am.

How are you supporting yourself?

I am currently still unemployed.

[Judy]
How are you supporting yourself?

The basic system.

[Judy]
Well, tell me exactly what that is.

I'd like to know what
the basic system is for you.

We've been here doing this
for a couple of months.

We've had so many stories
about the basic system.

I want to know what your basic system is.

I received MFIP
from the State of Minnesota.

What is that?

[Michael] Parent and child,

they give you so much cash,
food support, medical.

I also receive child support for my son.

Okay. So, you have one child?

When you lived with Ms. Behsman,

-did you take your son with you?
-No, ma'am.

[Judy] Where did he stay?

The same town, across town with his aunt.

Were you still getting money for him
when he was living with his aunt?

-[Michael] Yes, ma'am.
-How much?

Three hundred bucks a month.

And how much were you getting
personally for yourself?

In child support, none.

I don't receive any, uh...

Not child support.

I'm talking about any other...
so, you...you're not supporting yourself

-on $300 a month, sir?
-No.

[Judy] So, what other monies
do you get from any source?

-[Michael] At, oh, MFIP.
-Well, tell me how much you get.

[Michael] MFIP varies from 150

maybe 250 depending on how much
child support came in that month.

A hundred and fifty to two hundred
and fifty a what, a week, a month?

-A month.
-[Judy] A month?

When was the last time you were employed?

Five years ago.

[Judy] What kind of work
did you do five years ago?

[Michael] I was a courier driver.

And what stopped that?

Too many accidents,
workman comp cases,

and eventually my employer got tired

and said we are two open cases
and dismissed me.

-And that was five years ago?
-Yes.

[Judy] Well, how
have you been supporting yourself

for the last five years?
I'm gonna...I'm not gonna ask you.

I'm gonna ask the plaintiff.

-How does he support himself?
-[Annalisa] He...

He has his own home
because it was his home

that he was put out of,
so I assume you own that home?

-No, ma'am.
-No.

-[Judy] You rent it?
-Yes.

-[Judy] How much is your rent?
-Subsidized renting $60 a month.

Describe the house for me.

It is a two-bedroom townhome.

[Judy] Two bedroom, two bath?

Two bedroom, one bath.

For which you pay $60 a month?

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] Have you applied for

any other type of federal assistance?

I've been attempting to try
to get Social Security

which has been just a dead end.

[Judy] Because they asked you
what your disability is.

You ultimately found out
that they were back together again,

or at least you had a suspicion,

and owing to the fact
that they got married two days ago,

I would suggest to you
that your intuitions were very good.

[laughter]

[narrator] Annalisa Behsman claims
her ex-boyfriend Michael Ash

is responsible for unpaid loans

and returning her belongings.

[Judy] Okay. Mr. Ash says

part of your lawsuit is this $1,450

that you paid to your witness.

There's no issue that you paid that money

to the witness because he says

that you paid that money to the witness,

-and you received it from her?
-Yes, I did.

[Judy] When did you pay her

the money for his
two domestic violence cases?

It was January 11th
and then the rest was paid...

-2021?
-[Annalisa] Yes.

And then the rest
was paid to you in April?

[Judy] Now, you had moved
a lot of your stuff,

according to your complaint
after he stayed with you for a while

and he was successful
in regaining his house.

She got out of his townhome.

You took an apartment
for you to have together?

No, ma'am.

I have my own house

that I pay for on a monthly basis, okay?

He came and stayed with me...

Well, that I understand.

For two weeks, then we went back
to his townhome

where we were spending the weekends.

Spending just the weekends?

-Just the weekends.
-But he was staying there?

-[Annalisa] Yes. He was staying there.
-[Judy] He was staying there,

-you came and just spent weekends?
-Yes.

[Judy] Well, was that between
January and April of 2021?

-[Annalisa] Yes, and it continued...
-[Judy] I want...

...on up until June.

What happened in June?

[Annalisa] June 5th
was when it started to...

the relationship started to fall apart.

-And at that point, I had already...
-[Judy] What gave you...

what gave you a clue?

[Annalisa] The fact that
Deanna Dawn Robinson

was over there every day

even though she had
a harassment order against him.

-Just... So, she was at the townhome?
-[Annalisa] Yes.

How did you find that out?

He told me one night
when we hadn't done very much talking.

He said Deanna and I were up drinking
'til 3:00 in the morning.

-Even when you were home in your house?
-Yes.

-So, that gave you your first clue?
-[Annalisa] Yes.

[Judy] Okay.
What had you brought over to his townhome?

[Annalisa] I had brought
over makeup, clothing, movies.

He lives about 20 minutes from me.

He lives in a different city.

So, I brought over food supplies

because I try to do keto,
you know, everything.

You understand that
this is a very expensive place

-to run a court system.
-Yes.

[Judy] So, we're not interested
in the food supplies you brought over

or even your makeup that you brought over.

Now, you ultimately found out that
they were back together again,

or at least you had a suspicion,
and owing to the fact

that they got married two days ago.

I would suggest to you
that your intuitions were very good.

[audience laughs]

Tell me the circumstances surrounding
you paying these two bills for him.

[Annalisa] First of all,
Chris would not do any more work for us

-until she got the $250 from before.
-[Judy] Okay.

[Annalisa] She was his legal researcher
more than anything.

-[Judy] Before? Okay.
-[Annalisa] Okay?

-He acknowledges that.
-[Annalisa] Yeah.

The only question is, were you paying this

because you were a couple,
and you were helping him out?

Or was there a contract
between you that this was a loan?

-There was a verbal contract.
-[Judy] That's what...just a second.

Well, that's what you're going to tell me

and that's what
I'm going to try to figure out.

His explanation so far,

whether I like it or not, is plausible,

that you were in a relationship
with each other.

There was another woman involved.

You wanted him to be free
from any of those stressors

from this other woman

and from two previous to her who also

had some sort of case against him.

You don't look like that kind of guy,
Mr. Ash, but looks can be deceptive.

And that you as part
of a couple paid this bill for him.

You're gonna tell me that there was a loan

with an expectation of being repaid.

-So, let me have it.
-[Annalisa] There was a loan because...

-Well, I give you...that's a conclusion.
-Yes.

[Judy] I want you to tell me
the circumstances surrounding

you paying Chris.

[Annalisa] I paid Chris
because he was in such a state

of worrying and mental anguish

over the different people who were...

who had harassment orders against him.

He didn't know what to do.

He was beside himself.

So therefore, I paid her the $250

with the acknowledgement that after...

[Judy] Not acknowledgement.

So, you were concerned about him,
you paid the $250.

I'm still waiting.

Welsl, the thing is, if anything,
why would I pay her the $1,200

after she was done with the cases?

I have to ask you this question.

-You paid her the 250?
-Yes.

[Judy] He never paid you
a penny towards the 250?

-[Annalisa] You are correct.
-[Judy] Right.

And so, after he never paid you a penny
from the 250,

because he's somebody
that lives in a townhouse

for which he pays $60 a month,

who doesn't work.

Who was going
to get a job through his friend...

-Ooh, yeah.
-...making $35 an hour.

Yeah, as soon as...right.

He hadn't worked in five years.

So, based on history,

both his history of not working
for five years

and your history with him together,

for the months that you live together.
He never worked.

[Annalisa]
I was never aware that he never worked.

He had told me
that he owned his own auto shop

and that he was working every day.

M&M.

M&M Automotive,
which is owned by he and his father.

M&M Automotive, where is it located?

It's located in Esko, Minnesota, E-S-K-O.

While she's looking for it, Mr. Ash,

-does your father own a mechanic shop?
-No.

-[Judy] Did you?
-Once upon a time.

When?

[Michael] I haven't... that business
has not been open in six years.

There was an attempt to make
the business come open,

then COVID-19 hit
and then it never reopen.

[Judy] COVID-19 didn't hit
this country until January of 2020.

[Michael] I was going to attempt
to actually open it up, it never happened.

Well, where were you gonna open it?

On my father's property
where it was originally located.

Okay. Now I got it.

When you say you were going
to try to open it again, Mr. Ash,

-the property still exists?
-Yes, ma'am.

-This shop still exists?
-[Michael] Yes, ma'am.

It's in my father's name.
It's his property.

[Judy] I don't care
in whose name the property exists.

Where are your siblings?

My sibling, my sister lives in Texas.

So, you're the only one
who lives in this area?

Yes, ma'am.

Got it.

So, why did you have
to have a clean record for?

So, I have good credit.

For what, if she was purchasing a trailer?

[Annalisa]
We were gonna purchase it together.

[Judy] How are you going to
purchase it together?

He had no money.

[laughter]

[narrator] Annalisa Behsman

has accused her ex-boyfriend Michael Ash

of refusing to pay back loans.

She is also suing
for the return of her belongings.

[Judy] Okay. The only other
thing that you have other than this 1,450.

If you can find it...

Yeah.
It's a little sketchy on the internet.

[Chris] It'll come up on Google Maps.

Uh-hmm. I have an address, but no owner.

-No owner? But you have an address?
-[Sarah] Uh-hmm.

What does it say, Sarah?
As far as what it does.

Automotive and restorations.

[Judy] But it does list it
as a current business?

-That I can't tell.
-[Judy] It can't tell you?

There...there hasn't been anything recent

posted from what I can tell.

The last post I see

was October 20th of 2018.

And what kind of post was that?

On their Facebook page.

[Chris]
There's a review on Google for them.

[Judy] Oh, really?

And there's a phone number listed as well.

Really?

Yes, ma'am. Would you stand up?

Whether or not it's an official business,
Your Honor, is not the point.

If...ooh, uh,
because it is a de facto business...

Sit down.

-[Chris] There's a review on...
-[Judy] Sit.

Okay. Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
There's a current phone number?

[Sarah] Listed on the Facebook page,
as well as I believe the Yelp page.

-Really?
-Uh-hmm.

Interesting.

-Would you like it?
-No. I don't need it actually.

Is this total public housing
where you're living?

-Yes.
-So, the last time you had a job,

according to you, was five years ago

working as a driver,
you had too many accidents?

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] But the last time,

at least, there's a current
phone number for the...

this mechanic's shop
that belongs to your father,

who's allegedly not there, I assume.

He lives on the property.

Uh-hmm. But that's a current
phone number for the shop?

-No, ma'am.
-No.

That number is disconnected.

As of when?

A year and a half.

[Judy]
What happened a year and a half ago?

When that number went offline.

What happened a year and a half ago?

[Michael] That's when everything
was totally gave up on.

[Judy] Uh-huh. What property of hers
do you still have at your house?

[Michael] Her patio set,
which is on the outside.

[Judy] Okay. You want that back?

-[Annalisa] Yes, please.
-Okay.

-You can go pick it up within five days.
-[Annalisa] Okay.

What else?

You mentioned the patio set.

He mentioned the patio set.
What else is there?

And there is a lot of DVDs that I own.

I'm not getting...I'm...

[Annalisa] There are four special books

her fiance gave to me

that were handwritten in,

that he created, that Mr. Ash

has because I was reading them
over at his house.

-Also, too, they're...
-[Judy] Just a second.

Mr. Ash, do you know
what four books she's talking about?

Yes, ma'am.

The four that she left behind

because she had wanted nothing to do with

Chris and her fiance.

I... okay. Do you know
which four books she's talking about?

-Yes, ma'am.
-She's gonna pick those up

with the patio set. What else?

Also he has the original paperwork
on my second house.

Where did you leave it?

It was in his truck.

Have you looked in your truck?

-Yes, ma'am.
-Do you have the paperwork?

-Yes, ma'am.
-Okay.

So, she's gonna pick up the paperwork,

the four books, and the patio furniture
within five days.

You can take a marshal
if you believe you need it or sense...

I will have to because
he called the police on me

the last time when I was over there.

Okay. So, we'll give you an order
and you can take it

with a police officer for a standby
and pick up your property.

-That sounds wonderful. Thank you.
-Yeah.

Yeah. He's not giving you back the 250

because I heard nothing about a loan.

Now, we're gonna appear
about the 1,200 which came later.

Let me hear about the 1,200

which came after he didn't pay you
anything for the 250.

The 1,200 was supposed to be a loan

because we were moving
into a new place together,

and with that fact being said

I had paid off his bad debts
in order to...

[Judy] Which bad...which bad debt?

-I thought it was for her.
-[Annalisa] No. No.

[Judy]
What, what did you pay off of his?

I paid off two different things

-and I do have the evidence here.
-[Judy] What?

I'm looking them up, Your Honor.

One is a check for IC Systems,

I paid off $1,124.90.

[Judy]
What is that? What is that, sir?

-[Annalisa] It's an old debt that he has.
-Shh, shh, shh. What is that?

[Michael] It's a collection company
that's being reported on my credit report.

[Judy] So, it's probably
been there for a long time?

Yes, ma'am.

So, what's the reason
that you wanted that cleared?

I did not want it cleared.

She insisted that I have a clean record

to be moving into this new house with her.

-[Judy] To a new house?
-[Michael] Yes.

[Judy]
Okay. Well, that's what I thought.

I thought I read something
about a new place.

What new place were you moving into?

She was purchasing a trailer home

in the far side of Duluth

So, what did you have to have
a clean record for?

So, I have good credit.

For what? If she was purchasing a trailer?

We were gonna purchase it together.

[Judy] How were you
going to purchase it together?

He had no money.

Because we were planning
on getting married

about a month after that.

[Judy] It's still...
he still has no money.

Now, he's married and unemployed.

[Annalisa] And he also had to get
on the lot rent,

so we needed to pay off his bad debt
for the lot rent...

-[Judy] No.
-[Annalisa]...for him to live there.

[Judy] No. I'm sorry. Sorry, madam.

Sometimes, love makes people blind.

You don't seem like
you're an unintelligent woman.

You're gonna get back your furniture.

You wanna pay off this loser's bad debt,
that's your problem.

-[Annalisa] I understand, ma'am.
-[Judy] That's your problem.

You had no expectation of being repaid.

He didn't pay you back the 250

and he's not paying you back the 1,200.

And if somebody wants to look
into why he's not working at,

at his father's mechanic shop,
they certainly should.

So now, you're both living
in a $60 a month townhouse,

the two of you together?

-Good, good luck to you both.
-Ma'am.

-[Deanna] No, we're not...
-[Judy] Good luck to you both.

-[Kevin] Court is adjourned.
-[Judy] We are done.

I thought it was a very fair decision.

Mike Ash had given me the impression

that he was working for many years.

She's not happy that I got back together
with my first love of my life.

I didn't know that he and Deanna Robinson

were together for so long.

She just wouldn't let good enough be
and move on.

Don't be so naive to other people.

The heart wants what the heart wants.

I'm willing to move on with my life.

[Judy] You know, I don't know
how many years I've been saying it.

If you're in love or think you're in love,

and you give your partner money,

it's a gift.

If you wanna make it a loan

to anybody, your brother, your sister,

your child, your parent,

certainly a transient boyfriend,
put it in writing.

It may not be sexy, but neither is this.

So, if you wanna be foolish enough
to give a boyfriend your money

and you want it to be a loan
in case it falls apart get a note.

Agreed.

[narrator] Want justice?