01x21 - Neighbor Nightmare (Part 2)

[bunniefuu]

-An as*ault.
-Yes.

He just came up and totally
punched me, in my face.

He choked me first.

Let me tell you
something, sir.

The way he's laughing
at me over here, come on.

This... it's made to make me
look like a bad guy.

You're making yourself
look like a bad guy.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[upbeat music]

[narrator] Previously
on Judy Justice...

He'd chase my cats away
from their food.

When they were trying to eat,

he'd open his door
and he'd run out

and he'd yell at 'em
and scream at 'em,

and they'd have to run away
and wouldn't be able to eat.

-[Judy] Okay.
-I've got a video

-that shows it.
-Just, just a second.

What I'm asking you is,

if you've got a video
to show that,

-Mr. Schulze...
-Yes, ma'am.

[raises voice]
why didn't you

just bring the food inside?

I didn't bring the food inside

because the two cats
couldn't come in at that time,

so I had to feed 'em outside!

What do you mean, they couldn't
come in at that time?

-When we started...
-That's what I mean!

They couldn't come in
at that time.

Kevin, would you have a
conversation with the plaintiff

and tell him
that there's only one person

that raises their voice here?

[Varlin] Thank you.

[whispers] You don't wanna
raise your voice at the judge.

Okay.

And I just
wanna let you know

-that when you display a temper...
-I'm already the bad guy here.

[Judy] When you display...

just a second, when you
display a temper in here...

[Don scoffs]

I'm trying to help you, sir.

-[Don] All right.
-When you display

a temper in here,

that does not sit well
with the person

-who has to adjudicate...
-[Don] I agree.

Just feels like

I'm already being made out
to be the bad guy here.

Just a second.
I haven't even gotten to...

to his side of the story yet.

[scoffs] All right.

[narrator]
And now, the conclusion.

Don Schulze is suing
his neighbor Varlin Davoudi

for as*ault,
extortion, and harassment.

Now, what I'm telling you is,
this is a social situation

and what you've been doing
for 15 years with your cats,

I don't give
a rat's behind about.

You had a neighbor,
and clearly,

you were used to doing things
a certain way.

I have no idea whether
the prior tenants in that place,

well, he says he has
a prior tenant sitting here.

Were you there prior to
the Davoudis moving in?

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

So, she's gonna testify
on behalf of the defendant.

So I don't know whether
you've had problems

with other people
who live there,

with your semi-feral cats.

I don't know, but if you have,

and if you live in
such close proximity,

that's selfish,
and not being a good neighbor.

-[Varlin] Mm-mm.
-I agree.

[Judy] And if you had
prior warning about it,

and evidently, I don't think
she came here for nothing

to tell me what a terrific
neighbor you are.

Otherwise, she'd be sitting
on that side.

So you've had this problem before.

-Mm-mm.
-[Judy] The Davoudis moved in

subsequent to this neighbor,
and they were older people.

And they were
older sick people

because his father passed away.

His mother is clearly,
based upon what he told me...

-That's right.
-[Judy] ...not well.

You clearly had a
father situation

that you were dealing with,

and should have been
more sensitive,

but he told you
that there was an odor

created by your cats
that you clearly got used to.

-[Varlin] Mm-mm.
-And it didn't bother you,

but it bothered your neighbors,
not only this neighbor.

So was he being unreasonable?
I don't know. I don't know.

I think that when you put food
out for animals,

that encourages them
on a regular basis,

once or twice a day,
to come to your house,

and you don't have a litter box
outside for them,

and you live in close proximity,

they're going to
urinate and defecate,

and they're not always gonna
pick your side of the house.

So all you have to do is,
if you love the cats,

then you either
bring 'em inside

and provide
a place for them to eat

so they'll wanna
come in there and eat,

and they'll get used to
the litter box,

or you rehome them.

And that's not
a legal interpretation, sir.

-that's a social situation.
-[Don] Yes, ma'am.

We live in a community
where we have certainly

forgotten about
a certain amount of civility

that doesn't necessarily
always require a legal judgment.

If my neighbor...
stand up, please.

And your last name is?

Carillo.

How long did you live
as Mr. Schulze's neighbor?

I moved in September 2013,

and I moved out December 2017.

[Judy] Did you ever have
any issues surrounding his cats?

Yes, I did.

[Judy] Tell me about it.

The same.

Did you discuss it
with Mr. Schulze?

[Gricelda] We sure did.
We exchanged messages.

We exchanged emails.

[Judy] I'd like to
take a look at them.

And you moved out in...

-December, 2017.
-[Gricelda] December '17.

[Judy] I'd like to see
the emails, please.

Okay. So this was
February 20th of 2015

when she first wrote to you,
'cause evidently

you were complaining that
her dog pooped in the backyard.

And she says, "My dog does not
relieve itself in the backyard.

Any poop that you're seeing

is from your three
or four cats that you feed.

I'm sure they also go
in the back and poop.

I have also seen poop
in the front lawn,

and I thought it was
very inconsiderate of you

to have put the poop
under the bench.

I assume that that's
what happened."

You found some sort of poop
under a bench?

-Yes.
-"I'm sure that since

you have been living here

for so long, you have
come across this poop issue.

Therefore the poop
you've seen in the backyard

is cat poop, so if you continue
to see poop in the backyard,

keep in mind
that it belongs to the cats."

What her statement is
is a simple one.

You've been aware that
having semi-feral cats

has caused problems for
your neighbors for a long time.

And, sit down. Okay.

It's just an issue
that I wanted to clarify.

Now, Mr. Schulze,
Mr. Davoudi has told me

what his version
of what happened

-on the 29th of November.
-Correct.

Now understanding
that there was some

negative history
between the two of you,

I want you to tell me
your version of what happened.

He started
with my family first,

and when I was not here,
he was constantly harassing

-my mom and my sister...
-[Judy] Shh.

[Varlin] ...sending texts to me.

Shh. I understand
that there was friction

-between the two of you.
-Mm-mm.

[Judy] And the friction
between the two of you

surrounded the cats.

With my mom, mostly.

[Judy] Well, the texts
were not with your mom.

Well, before me, it was
my sister and my mom, yes.

-Then I could go...
-I'm talking about just you.

-Correct.
-Your mom and your sister

-aren't here.
-[Varlin] Correct.

This incident involved
the two of you.

I want you just to tell me
what happened the day

that you saw the plaintiff
working in his garage.

Right. Actually,
he was working.

He had blocked...
I have pictures of it.

He had blocked our garage.

That was when I was,
came in with the car.

So I couldn't park in.
So I backed up.

I parked on the street, which
he usually blocks or driving...

[Judy] Not usually.

So that day, he was working
in the garage...

-Mm-mm.
-[Judy] So where was his stuff

that you couldn't pull
into your garage?

[Varlin] On our side
of the garage, his garbage,

and he had a ladder
working on it,

so I couldn't park in.

So I said, "Okay, whatever."
I didn't ask him to move.

So I just backed up,
went on the, on the...

parked on the street.

So, now you're walking
up the garage...

And I was walking by to
our back house where I sleep...

-[Judy] Be very, very careful.
-Mm-mm.

'Cause if I had had these
negative text messages with him,

I wouldn't have been happy
with him.

Especially since
I had to pull out

and find a parking place
on the street.

-So, let's understand...
-Which I don't mind.

Let's understand,
you're not a saint.

[dramatic music]

A moment ago,
you said possibly...

Parking Enforcement
thought it was...

Just a sec,
but that's just nasty.

Only a nasty person
calls Parking Enforcement

to have a tow, to have
a neighbor's car towed.

If you could have gotten out-

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

[narrator] Don Schulze says
his neighbor Varlin Davoudi

owes him for an as*ault.

Varlin is countersuing

for the same as*ault
and wrongfully towing his car.

So what happened
as you were walking in?

He started ranting.
I don't know what...

[Judy] You don't know
what he said,

or you couldn't hear
what he said?

I couldn't hear
what he was saying.

He was just screaming
like he was now.

He always does that.

[Judy] Okay.
And then what happened?

And then he just came up

and totally punched me
right in front of the...

when I was walking in toward...
towards my gate.

Punched you where?

In my face.

[Judy] What had
precipitated that?

[blows raspberry]
Ask him. I wouldn't know.

That's why I actually texted.
I asked him three times.

-Why did you do that?
-I'd like to see that.

And he says he was
in a very bad state of mind.

Okay. I'd like to see that.

Right away.
He punched me...

-[Judy] Just a second.
-That's where he starts.

-[Judy] Okay.
-And I think one...

and one continuation.

Those are his text messages

why he hit me.

[Judy] Well, the first thing
that you say to him,

Mr. Schulze, is,
"I'm really sorry

that happened, Varlin."

Yes, ma'am.

He goes on, he said,
"I took the high road.

I didn't file charges yet,
because again, I'm not a mean,

deceiving violent person
and full of anger like you are.

Could've hit you back so good,
for self-defense,

knock you out,
and you know the rest.

You act like a little
tattletale child.

It's embarrassing
for a grown person.

Choose your actions
and words wisely next time

and how you treat people.

Okay. I'm on the line right now
with my factor."

And then you write back
a little while later, you say,

"Tim, okay, you're right.

I've been defensive, but
you have to realize, Varlin,

three landlords have been
trying to get me out of here

for the last 20 years.

Then when your
parents moved in,

I did everything
I could to help them.

Then on top of the
stress of the landlord

wanting me to leave,

as nice of a guy
as he has been,

I still knew
he wanted me to leave.

That's when we had
issue of the cats

and the cameras,
and the stress tripled.

So when I started
texting the landlord,

like a little tattletale kid,"

oh, that was about the
stuff in the backyard,

"I was really just not myself.
Everything was a blur.

I was on autopilot,
stressed to the ultimate max.

I just reacted to everything
the best I could,

now thinking you're
something and everything else

wanted me gone from
my home of forty years.

So if you try to see things

from my point of view
and the stress levels,

maybe you can see why I may be
acting a little defensive.

I'm sorry for this.
I didn't want it to be like this."

And then you say to him,

"I just don't know how
to shake the feeling

that I'm not wanted and
that's a really powerful emotion

that's not very nice and
not at all comfortable.

Going to bed and waking up
every day with that feeling

is like living each
waking moment in a kind of hell.

So that's why
I've been defensive.

Maybe you can try to understand that
and sympathize somewhat."

"One last chance
to work this out.

Otherwise, I will guarantee

you will cost you way more
than my glasses."

That's him talking to me.

[Judy] Yeah.

"See, after all this
and what you did,

still being bigger man here
and being neighborly

and trying to work it out."

So when you punched him, did you
break his glasses, Mr. Schulze?

I believe so, yes.

[Judy] And then you paid him
for the glasses that you broke?

He demanded that I pay him, yes.

[Judy] And that's after
you apologized to him,

right after the event.

-Yeah, I apologized to him.
-You apologized to him,

I'm sorry for what happened.

And what you're explaining
to him in these emails

is that you were under
a whole bunch of stress

because the landlord is trying
to take your home away.

And [shushes] and Mr. Davoudi
was complicit with the landlord

in trying to
take your home away

by reporting all this
vermin and flies-

-[Don] Right.
-and stuff with the cats.

And I assume that since
this has been going on

for at least six or seven years,
because the defendant's witness

testified that she had told you
about the disgusting filth

that your semi-feral cats
were bringing around the house,

you'd been knowing
this was going on.

So that you'd been
in that stress for a long time.

Now, you say
that when you walked up,

he punched you in the face.

-Correct.
-[Judy] How many times

-did he punch you?
-Uh, once.

[Judy] And then he went back
into his house.

Right. He ran away.
He ran back.

-[Judy] You called the police.
-[Varlin] I did.

And I assume the police
came to you first.

Yes. Because right away,
when I called, he came in

and as I was gonna call
and said,

"Well, I called,
I just canceled.

Let's work this out."
That was his...

So, Mr. Schulze,
based upon what I've heard

and putting all the pieces together
and the texts together,

I'm gonna address each thing
that was here.

One, your complaint is for


money owed for filing
a false TRO.

I don't believe that Mr. Davoudi
filed a false TRO.

I believe that you punched him.

And I don't believe
that he choked you.

I believe that you punched him.

And that's why
you apologized to him.

So I'm dismissing
that part of your complaint.

I'm dismissing
the part of your complaint

that claims an as*ault.

I believe that on that day,
because of the stress

you were under,
for which you apologized,

that you were the aggressor
in the as*ault.

The next part of your complaint
talks about extortion.

And that extortion is that
unless you pay for his glasses,

he's going to go to the police.

Well, since I believe
that you punched him first

and broke his glasses...

I have a picture
that shows my neck.

[Judy] Just a second.

So, you don't wanna see it?

Sir, I don't wanna see it
'cause I don't believe it.

Just a sec. I don't wanna see it
'cause I don't believe it.

All right.

Do you see what I mean?
I don't believe it.

I don't believe that there were
marks on your neck

that he caused.

-Mm-mm.
-[Judy] I don't believe it.

-[Varlin] Thank you.
-Well, the police thought...

[Judy] So I'm eliminating...

I believe that there were marks
on your neck.

I just don't believe he did it.

-[Varlin] Mm-mm.
-[chuckles]

-That's what I... that's what...
-Where are you drawing that conclusion?

[Judy] Just a second...

-He choked me first.
-[Judy] Just a second.

He choked me first, ma'am.

[Judy] Let me tell you
something, sir.

You can say it
as many times as you like.

-I wouldn't...
-[Judy] I don't believe it.

-Why would I do...?
-[Judy] Beacuse it... Why?

I wouldn't just hit him.

You are, sir,
your own worst enemy.

[Don] All right.

Because knowing who you are
based upon what I see here...

-[Don] I understand.
-based upon what I see here...

Yeah. Well, that whole thing
was trumped up

-to make me angry.
-[Judy] Just a sec...

-And get my... get me riled up.
-[Judy] Not to me.

The questions
that are being asked

and the way he's laughing
at me over here, come on.

It's made to make me look like
a bad guy and it's and it's...

You're making yourself
look like a bad guy.

-[Don] Yeah, but it's made...
-Mr. Schulze, Mr. Schulze,

you're making yourself
look like a bad guy.

I got a picture, I got... I have a picture.
You said, "I don't wanna see it."

[Judy] Just a sec, because...

I got a video
that shows him aggressive,

-being aggressive.
-[Judy] Now, just a sec...

-Just a sec...
-You don't wanna

-see that either.
-I would love to see

a video of him choking you.

-I have it.
-[Judy] You have it?

No, I don't have
a video of him choking me.

My DVR was new.

-[Varlin laughs]
-[Judy] Just...

just stop it.
I'm finishing my ruling.

Kevin, tell him that we're quiet
now that I'm ruling.

We're going to do
our ruling now.

[dramatic music]

Defendant's car
is probably about two feet

over the cut in the street,
but there looks like

more than sufficient room
to back out of a driveway.

-[Don] Okay.
-Five feet.

Shh. I didn't need any help.

Does it look like I need help?

No.

[upbeat music]

[narrator]
Defendant Varlin Davoudi

is countersuing his neighbor,
Don Schulze

for an as*ault
and towing charges.

Don claims he was the one
assaulted by Varlin.

Now, you paid
for the glasses

'cause you broke the glasses.

Now he filed a false
restraining order against you.

-[Don] Mm-mm.
-[Judy] I'm dismissing that.

And as*ault, I am granting you
a judgment on the as*ault.

How much
were your attorney's fees?

-Twenty-five hundred.
-[Judy sighs]

[Judy] Did you seek medical
attention for the punch?

[Varlin] No, I didn't.

But actually,
up to this right now,

my nose is still hurting,
to be honest.

I want you to tell me
about the ill*gal tow.

Do you have any proof
that the plaintiff

caused your mother's car
to be illegally towed,

and when did this happen?

Yes, actually,
he admits he did it.

In what year?

[Varlin] Oh, uh, June 10th of this year.

-Of this year?
-[Varlin] Just now. Yeah.

Oh. I'd like to see
the text unless, Mr. Schulze,

did at any time you cause
his mother's car to be towed?

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] On what date?

June 10th.

Why?

Because he blocked the driveway
with his mother's car.

I couldn't get out,
had a doctor's appointment.

Couldn't get to it.

So I called the,
the Parking Enforcement.

[Judy] Okay. Okay.
So, at what time of the day

did his mother's car
block your driveway?

I think it was around noon.

Do you remember
that date, sir?

Yes. Well,
he was parked from to the,

the night before.

-[Judy] Okay.
-[Varlin] He called the cops

-twice that day.
-[Judy] Okay.

Which is here.

[Judy] I'm just gonna
ask you a question.

The tow company
would not have towed the car

unless the car
was blocking his car.

I have pictures of it
from the tow company.

I'd like to see it, please.

[Varlin] It was. And they only
said the only reason he said...

-Shh. Don't tell me what they said.
-He forced them.

No, he forced them to do it.

No. Did you understand
what I just said?

-[Varlin] Yes.
-I said, don't tell me

what they said to you.

-Oh, okay.
-[Judy] Is this a picture

that the tow company took?

No, the...
the Parking Enforcement.

Is this your mother's car?

[Varlin] No. The one
that's right there.

That's the one he's saying
was blocking the driveway,

which is behind the wall,
if you see.

[Judy] Mr. Schulze,
I'm gonna show this to you.

I have a picture also.

Yeah, and I'd like to see that.

Could you get
Mr. Schulze's picture?

[Don] Both of those.

[Judy] I see it's from
a different angle.

This is my question to you, sir.

I see where the cut is
in the driveway.

So when you said
he was blocking your car,

it's this wall to his car.

And I see
that the defendant's car

is probably about two feet
over the cut

-in the street.
-Three.

But there looks like
more than sufficient room

to back out of a driveway.

-Okay.
-Five feet.

Shh. I didn't need any help.

Does it look like I need help?

No.

[Judy] It looks to a lay person

that there's enough room here
to back out this car.

Okay. My, my car's
on the other side.

That's his car, straight ahead.

I have to turn at an angle
to get my car out.

Okay. So his car...

-[Don] My car's to the right.
-This is his mother's car?

-[Don] Right.
-So is what you're telling me,

his car was blocking your car,
so you couldn't pull out?

No, my car's on
the right of his car.

So you could get out to here.

[Don] Possibly, yes.

Not possibly.
You could get out to here,

so he wasn't blocking you.

Your problem was
with his mother's car,

who was two to three feet in.

And what I'm saying to you is,

based on your picture
that you gave me...

[Don] Right.

[Judy] ...based on your picture
that you gave me,

you could have negotiated
yourself out of your garage

and exited and made
your doctor's appointment.

No, I could not.

Well, a moment ago,
you said possibly.

Well... [scoffs]

A moment ago,
you said possibly.

The Parking Enforcement
thought it was...

Just a sec...
but that's just nasty.

You see,
if you could have gotten out,

if you could have gotten out,
only a nasty person

calls Parking Enforcement
to have it towed.

-All right, okay, all right. All right.
-To have a neighbor's car towed,

if you could've gotten out.

Yes, ma'am.

If you could've gotten out.

Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am. I'm done.

-You are done.
-[Don] Yes, ma'am.

Judgment for the defendant
on the counterclaim

in the amount of 5,000 dollars.

Your claim is dismissed.
We're done here.

[Kevin] Court adjourned.

[dramatic music]

[Don sighs]

Oh, I love Judge Judy.
She saw all the lies.

Well, they make me look
like a bad guy.

I've been there 42 years.

And I'm obviously
the old grouchy neighbor.

From beginning
till the end,

everything she caught him.

I didn't have to prove anything
because luckily,

she's a smart judge
and caught him in all these lies.

He thinks he can do
anything he wants.

And that's just not the case.

Well, as you saw,
he got violent

with the judge also,
with him and the judge,

and the judge just...

Because the
defendant choked me.

Quieted him down three times.

And I had to punch him
to get him off me.

Of course not.

That's why I asked the judge
to show the pictures

because he lied.
There's two marks here.

He put the marks on himself
before the cops came.

Well, there's no charges filed

because he had broken glasses
and a mark on his face.

And I had a mark on my neck.

So we both would've gone to jail,

and I didn't wanna go to jail,

so neither one of us
pressed charges.

Because he's made
a very insanitable

living situation
for my parents,

for myself, and my family.

And he's just not doing what
a neighbor is supposed to do.

That plaintiff
had quite the temper.

He did. [laughs]

That's just a prime example of,

if you have a short fuse
and if you come to court,

it's absolutely
the worst possible strategy

not to chill out,
not to ensure that you display

that kind of a temper
and that agitation

to the person who's gonna be
trying your case.

It's a good lesson for anybody
that goes to court.

The sad thing about this case

is that these people
are going to be neighbors.

Plaintiff is definitely
not moving because

you're not gonna move out of
a rent-controlled apartment

like he enjoys.

The defendant, I'm sure,
is hesitant to move his mother.

How are these two people
gonna coexist?

It's just so stressful
to have to live that way.

And life is stressful enough, you know,

without living that way.
It was sad. I was...

I thought I could be
a peacemaker.

Unfortunately, I could not.

-Can't save 'em all.
-I tried.

[narrator]
Have you been cheated?



[dramatic music]

[music fades out]