01x82 - Dog Show Drama

[bunniefuu]

[Judge Judy] She was bitten?

Yeah.

And so that's when
it just started to escalate.

She was dragging my dog to the car.

What are you doing?

I got nervous and scared.

I was like, "Please let my dog go."

She marched up to me and she grabbed
my arm

and she shook me.

There are so many pieces
to this case, it's like a puzzle.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] MaryAnn Sullivan is suing
her former business partner Kayla

Phillips for dog show costs, boarding
fees, and RV storage.

[Kevin] Court come to order.

All rise.

- Hello, Judge.
- Be seated, please.

[Kevin] Case 1038 Sullivan versus
Phillips.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

All right. There are so many pieces
to this case, it's like a puzzle.

I'm gonna have to separate it
a little bit at a time.

Ms. Sullivan, you're involved in
probably breeding and showing dogs?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] What kind of dogs?

Berger Picards, and French bulldogs,
and I co-own a Beauceron.

Do you have pictures of those dogs?

- [MaryAnn] Yes, I do.
- I would like to see.

I know what a French bulldog looks
like,

I'm just curious to see
what the others look like.

I have a picture of the Beauceron

and this is the picture of my
Westminster

top 10 Berger Picard.

They're both herding dogs.

Handsome.

Handsome.

Okay. And what kind of dogs are you
involved in?

I have Beaucerons and Cane Corsos.

Okay. This is what I gather,
the two of you met

at some sort of a show
and you became friends,

you, Ms. Sullivan who had been
in the business for a long time,

decided that you would mentor
the defendant

and you moved...you had a house
trailer?

- An RV.
- [Judge Judy] An RV.

That Ms. Sullivan allowed you
to move on to her property.

And on your property,
you said you keep dog kennels

because in addition to showing dogs
you also, I assume, board them?

I just was starting to board them
when Kayla moved over.

[Judge Judy] That would've been a
good thing to have someone assist you

because you do traveling and you do
traveling for shows, whatever.

Anyway, so it sounded as if
it was a good idea to work out.

Your lawsuit has several parts,

there came a parting of the ways
of the two of you

that was unpleasant
and that had to do with the fact

that Ms. Phillips was boarding dogs
for someone else for a fee,

Dobermans, I believe,
and she went off to do a show,

with one of her dogs,

asked you and you agreed
to mind those dogs.

I assume you were getting paid
for taking care of those dogs?

And those dogs got into a scuffle
with some of your dogs,

some of your dogs were injured,
you tried to intervene,

you were bitten by one of the dogs,

Ms. Phillips didn't come home
fast enough for you, she said,

"I would come home
when I finish the show."

She came home,
there was another bit of a kerfuffle

where you alleged she assaulted you
by pushing you,

you weren't injured
but it's part of your counterclaim,

so that's nonsense.

And she left, you c-claim
that she owes you for several things.

You claim that she owes you
for an RV hookup

which I assume means

whatever she did with her RV,

- almost like rent?
- Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] Ms. Phillips says there
was never an agreement for rent,

you never discussed rent with her
when she moved her RV onto your

property. What do you say she owes
you her share

of, uh, a trip to the National Dog
Show

which you covered expenses for

and you also want the money
that she received

for boarding the Dobermans

because you were the one
who watched them and not her.

Yeah.

She has a counterclaim,

she says you owe her money for dog
show fees,

she says that you assaulted her

which is nonsense and I don't
understand

what photography services
you're talking about,

I think it's a lot of nonsense.

But I will get to it
and dispose of it quickly,

tell me about the arrangements
for hookup fees and rent when she

moved in and tell me the date she
moved her RV onto your property.

[MaryAnn]
She moved on April 12th of this year.

On what date did she move out?

She moved out on the 17th of May.

[Judge Judy] And so one month, she
stayed

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] And what was she

supposed to pay you for putting her
RV on your property?

[MaryAnn] Well, the RV, yeah,
I'm gonna let that month go

but when she left under the
circumstances,

I let her know
that I was gonna start charging her

the going rate of $40 a day for
storage.

- You mean when she left?
- [MaryAnn] When she left.

And then she didn't...oh.

[Judge Judy] Let's just say,
just because you told her

that you were gonna start to charge
her doesn't mean that you had a

contract. Did she say, "Okay?"

Did she say, "I agree to that?"

No.

We didn't speak
after the dog attack and she left.

[Judge Judy]
Well, then that's not a contract.

If she left her stuff there
you could've disposed of it,

what did you do with her stuff?

[MaryAnn] Well, she told me I was
extorting her and brought the cops,

and I allowed her dad to come pick
up...

[Judge Judy] Just a second,
did they pick up the stuff? Fine.

Well, you didn't have a contract
with her,

you can't have a contract
made by one side,

a contract has to be the meeting
of the minds with two people.

- So let's get over that...
- Okay.

[Judge Judy] That nonsense.

Now how much money
were you supposed to give her

for your share of going
to the National Dog Show?

Originally our agreement
was that she was going

to use her companion ticket with
Alaska

and that was gonna be a hundred
dollars.

And in return for that,
I was showing her dog for her

at the AKC National Dog Show.

Okay. So she was going to use
her companion ticket

plus you were going to give her
a hundred dollars?

No. The companion ticket

was gonna be a fee
of a hundred dollars through Alaska

at her purchase price for the ticket.

Did you work for the airlines?

No, I did not.

Here's the bills with her name on it
for her ticket and...

[Judge Judy] May I see it?

...the upgrade to have
the dogs in bulkhead

and me paying for a dog show fee
and half the hotel.

I'm listening. I'm listening.

I'm adding and listening.

And that's when she marched up to me

and she grabbed my arm

that was holding the keys with one
hand and my shirt with the other,

and she shook me, and she was like,
"Give me my keys."

And cursed at me.

So you reached in to the car
and you got out her car keys?

I did.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] MaryAnn Sullivan claims
her former business partner Kayla

Phillips owes for the cost of dog
shows and boarding fees.

Kayla is countersuing
for dog showing fees and an as*ault.

I'm listening. I'm listening.
I'm adding and listening.

[Kayla] So originally,
originally the agreement

was that I would show her dog for her
while we went

and then after the fact

that we agreed on the dates,

she then informed me that the ticket

was six-hundred and fifty dollars

instead of our agreed upon a hundred.

Well, if she didn't get it,
she didn't get it.

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Did you make any payments to her...

- No. She... She
- [Judge Judy] With regard...with...

didn't inform me that, that she had
actually paid the $650 for the ticket

and she did that
without consulting me first

'cause I made it clear that I wasn't
wanting to spend those expenses

to go to the dog show in the first
place.

[Judge Judy] What else?

Boarding fees.

What kind of boarding fees
are you talking about?

She charged $2,000 a dog
to board and train

which was $66 a day for her.

I charge $35 a day to take care
of a dog and kennel them.

So ten days that I took care of...

I'm only charging her for the two
Dobermans

'cause I took care of her four dogs
and seven goats for free.

Well, just a second, did you have
an agreement with regard to that?

Is my question...

[MaryAnn] Yes, she said that we
would...

Oh, just a second, let's go back.

Tell me what agreement you had,
when it was made,

where it was made,
what the discussion was.

We both agreed that...

[Judge Judy] No, not we both agreed...
that's a conclusion.

- [MaryAnn] We discussed that you...
- When?

When?

[MaryAnn]
The month before she moved in that...

The month before she moved in,
you said to her...

If I took care of the dogs,

I would get a board fee of the days

that I was alone with the dogs
when she was traveling

and then she would get the rest
while she was there.

Did you have that discussion with
her?

[Kayla] No.

We didn't actually discuss anything

'cause when I approached her
about discussing what our plan was,

I got shuffled off like,
"Oh, we'll talk about it next week."

So we never officially discussed
anything.

Well, how could you talk about
boarding

the month before she moved in?

Because she had planned
to bring the Dobermans with her.

[Judge Judy] Were you permanently
taking care of the Dobermans?

No.

[Judge Judy] When did you start
to take care of the Dobermans?

The 13th of April.

So the Dobermans came in with you

the day after you moved on to the
property?

Yeah, they arrived with h-their owner
but it wasn't just me,

like, this was a joint thing
that we were trying to start

but she wasn't very communicative
about our agreement,

she just didn't wanna talk
about it till later.

And so I was a little confused
as how it was working

and I was taking care of the dogs,

and doing all the training and stuff,

except when I left for the dog show.

And you left for the dog show
on what date?

I left on the 14th of May.

[Judge Judy] All right. So let me try
to understand this, Ms. Phillips.

- [Kayla] Uh-hmm.
- I want you to explain to me

what you brought to the table.

So far she's giving you the property
on which to put your RV,

- so that you could live.
- Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] She's providing the
property and the kennels for your

own dogs, and for dogs
that you're going to be boarding,

she's providing the expenses
to travel to the dog show.

- So...
- [Judge Judy] Airfare, hotel,

fees for registering the dog,

you must've gotten paid
from the Doberman owners.

- I did.
- [Judge Judy] You did?

And how much did you get paid?

Two thousand dollars.

[Judge Judy] A day, a month...

[Kayla] Per month.

[Judge Judy] Was that for both dogs?

Per dog.

[Judge Judy] Per dog.
So you got $4,000 for the month...

I was also in charge of their
expenses

while they're there, their
food...

So you got $4,000?

[MaryAnn]
Plus she had a German Shepherd...

[Kayla] ...and then their titling.

[Judge Judy] How much of the $4,000
did you share with the plaintiff?

- None.
- [Judge Judy] Take a breath.

How much?

- None.
- [Judge Judy] None, okay.

So now I'm still confused

when you left on May 14th,

you left her in charge of the dogs
for just those four days

and the dog that you went to show
was your dog or her dog?

[Kayla] I brought five dogs with me.
I delivered

one of her puppies to their puppy
owner on my way down there.

Whose dogs were they?

[Kayla] They are all
either owned or co-owned by me.

[Judge Judy] Owned by you and

co-owned with the plaintiff or
someone else?

Uh-hmm.

- What's uh-huh?
- [Kayla] Uh, with someone...

- with someone else. I did bring...
- [Judge Judy] Okay. So that...

- so that you brought...
- ...our co-owned dog.

- One of them was our co-owned dog.
- [Judge Judy] Okay. Is that correct?

But she was only there to get her
eyes tested, not to be shown.

- But she brought her?
- [MaryAnn] Yes.

- Yes, she did.
- And she was in charge of her?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And was that a trip
that you went to by car or by air?

By car.

[Judge Judy] How far was it?

It's a six-hour drive.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
So, so far you owe her $650.

And how much do you think she owes
you for kenneling the dogs?

I figured that she made $4,000
for the...both the dogs,

I took care of both dogs
for 10 days and...

[Judge Judy] Now, did you make a
contract with her?

Okay. But I...

[Judge Judy]
I don't care what you figured.

- Okay.
- [Judge Judy] Do you understand?

But she was going to pay me board
if I took care of her paid dogs.

[Judge Judy] Is that correct?

No, because we never discussed it.

Now I don't believe that that's true,
she owes you $650.

Now let's get to your counterclaim.

Well, I also,
when I was at the property...

[Judge Judy] Just a second.

Now the counterclaim, dog show fees.

What is that about?

So when I show her dogs for her...

Not when. Give me a date.

A date you showed her dog for her
and she didn't pay you a fee?

I showed the dogs
January 16th to the 19th of...

[Judge Judy] I'm not interested.

- Okay.
- [Judge Judy] Keep going.

- Anytime, after April.
- After April...

[Judge Judy]
When you all decided to move in, yes.

Together, let's go.

- None.
- [Judge Judy] No? Nothing.

- I did not show her dogs...
- [Judge Judy] Okay, good.

What are photography fees?

So I took professional photos
of her four-week-old puppies

for her to use for her
advertisements.

[Judge Judy] And what was your
agreement?

There was no verbal agreement.

Perfect. So you had no contract.

- Now you're...
- [Kayla] Yes, but it's under...

...gonna describe the as*ault.

So when I was returned back
from the dog show, it was late,

it was almost midnight.



[Kayla] So, uh, I got there, I got
all the dogs settled in

and I went to bed,

I got up in the morning,
got up around 6:30,

I took care of all of the animals,
all my dogs,

and the goats that were on the
property,

and I then was putting
all the dog show stuff away

and she came out, and I waved,

and I was carrying a crate,

finished putting that away, by the
time I came back out of the shed,

putting things away, she had... was
walking back into the house, I went

in to my RV, she texted me, like,
"I'm really sad you're avoiding me."

And to come out and she needed
the money from the puppy.

Did you give her the money for the
puppy?

I gave her the money.

[Judge Judy] How much was the puppy?

Uh, the puppy was a total of 3,500

but I think that
there was only 3,000 in cash

because the deposit
had already been paid, or the $500.

And so I gave her that and when I
came out to give that to her,

she was in her truck and I go up,
and I said,

"I'm...was hoping
that we could talk this afternoon

about everything that happened
when I was gone."

Everything you mean the fight
where she was bitten?

Yeah. Yeah. The fight that she
separated incorrectly,

and talk about that,
and she cut me off and she was like,

"Kayla, I'm the most
important thing in your life,

and I feel very unimportant because
you did not come

in this morning to take care of me
or my animals."

[Judge Judy] Okay.

What do you mean she tried to push
you, either she pushed you or not?

She did push me and I just sat down
so I didn't fall off the steps

trying to get into the RV to get the
dog out that she thought she was...

But she didn't?

She did not, no.

'Cause I sat down and then I was...
she couldn't move me after that.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] MaryAnn Sullivan has
accused her former business partner

Kayla Phillips of moving off her
property

without paying her share
of dog show costs and boarding fees.

[Judge Judy] Keep going.

And at that point it kind of just
escalated to the point

where she was kind of just talking
about everything that she didn't

like, about how I was there, and when
I was there, and everything that and

I said, "MaryAnn, I'm really sorry
that I made you feel unimportant,

that wasn't my intention,
and that, you know I,

I understand that it's not working

and it's okay,
and I'm, I'm happy to go home."

And then she decided

that she wanted our co-owned
Beauceron dog Scout back

and I told her that
that wasn't our agreement

'cause two weeks before I moved
she called me

and verbally returned the dog saying

that she couldn't handle the dog
anymore.

And so that's when
it just started to escalate

because I refused to return the...
give the dog to her,

and then she decided
to take one of my dogs instead.

So she went in and got my dog
and was dragging my dog to the car,

and I got nervous and scared,

and so I had her truck keys in my
hands

and I was holding it, and I was
like...

So you reached in to the car
and you got out her car keys?

I did.

And, um, I was holding them

and I was like, "Please let my dog
go,

like, the situation
is making me entirely uncomfortable

and I think we just need to take
a deep breath and talk about it

when you get back, I'll be here."

And that's when she marched up to me
and she grabbed my arm

that was holding the keys with one
hand and my shirt with the other,

and she shook me, and she was like,
"Give me my keys."

And cursed at me,

and I just kind of held them as far
as I could away from my body, she let

she let go of my arm to grab the key
and I slipped the leash off the dog.

The dog immediately came behind me
and I went to my RV and got on the

steps, and just stood in front of
them and I repeated

that I was uncomfortable
with the situation,

that I was getting scared
and that I think that we just need

to take a breather
and that's when she tried

to push me out of the way,
off the steps of the RV.

What do you mean she tried to push
you?

Either she pushed you or not.

[Kayla] She did push me and I just
sat down so I didn't fall off the

- steps.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

[Kayla] And trying to get
into the RV to get the dog out

that she thought she was...

But she didn't?

[Kayla] She did not, no.

'Ccause I sat down and then I was...
she couldn't move me after that.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

And then she left in her truck?

After yelling at me for several
minutes. Yes.

[Judge Judy]
Okay. But she left in her truck?

She did. Uh-huh.

[Judge Judy] Okay. And then you
left?

Well, I called s-several people, I
called my mom and one of my good

friends because I was...
I've lived a very sheltered life,

I've never been treated like that
by another person, ever.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

But you left that day?

[Kayla] I did leave that day.

[Judge Judy] And did you leave the
RV?

I did.

[Judge Judy]
So you left the RV on the property?

[Kayla] Yes.

[Judge Judy] And what about the
dogs?

I took all the dogs and I took my
goats.

And where did you take them?

I took them to my hou...
my mom's house in Washington.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

When did you come back for the RV?

I messaged her that evening

saying that I was really s-sad about
the situation and that

I was thinking of her, and then the
next day I texted her saying

that my dad would be...because my dad
has the truck that can pull the RV

'cause it's a fifth wheel and I told
her I said, "My dad would be back

this week from Arizona and that I
could come

on Saturday to come receive it."

And she responded was,

"All contact will be through my
lawyer moving forward."

And then I never heard from her
again.

When did you go and get the RV?

So she sent me a certified letter
saying that it was abandoned.

- Can I see the letter?
- [Kayla] Yeah.

Can I see?

You must have the letter,
where's the letter?

It's a copy of the letter.

Well, the letter was sent to not my
house.

So it was sent to my grandparents'
house in Boring, Oregon.

[MaryAnn] That's the address you
used...

[Judge Judy] Okay. That I will
be...



Okay. So on June 21st,

you wrote to her that it's been 30
days

without arrangements
of money owed and removal.

Her Oregon statute
I have to inform you of the removal,

if you wish to get the items,

please bring cash on Saturday that
will be $5,822. Well, you already

now understand that you can't have a
one-sided contract?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Did she finally remove the RV?

[MaryAnn] Her father removed
most of her contents that day.

- [Judge Judy] Okay.
- And was to come back

Monday or Tuesday and he did not
come back

to get the rest of her stuff.

So what did you do
with the rest of her stuff?

[MaryAnn] I put it out on the road
and people picked it up.

[Judge Judy] Fine.

Okay. But he removed the RV?

Yes.

[Judge Judy] Very unfortunate.

I actually have a sworn statement
from my dad.

I don't read sworn statements.

Because he did talk to the...

- [Judge Judy] Just a second.
- Okay.

[Judge Judy] I don't read sworn
statements and you can't tell me

what he said 'cause that's hearsay
and you don't have a case

on a counterclaim,

- you do owe her $650 for the...
- I don't...

...cost of going to the dog show,
judgment for the plaintiff.

- We're finished.
- [Kayla] However...

Thank you very much.

[Kevin] Court adjourned.

Right this way, ma'am.

I think that MaryAnn when I moved to
the property assumed that I

was gonna be taking care of
everything on the property and not

just maintaining the business that
we were trying to start together.

Actually I did a lot more work,
she, you know, did...

she worked with the dogs and not
every day which she was charging for.

Extremely upset
that I didn't conform to how she felt

like I should handle the situation

and unfortunately that's...
just wasn't possible.

And I had 'em 10 of the 30 days.

So there wasn't a lot of training
going on

and, um, you know, I learned that,
um,

I don't wanna take care of another
person [chuckles].

Well, now I'll see her when I see
her.

Well, you know, I won't do that again

and I am very sorry that I was a such
a poor judge of character.

[Sarah] That case showed

that one important thing
I learned in law school

is that you can't make a contract
with yourself,

you can't decide on terms,

and make an agreement,
and sign it one-sided.

Yeah, that's true.

And that's true,
even if the terms are reasonable

and plaintiff
had perfectly reasonable terms

but they were agreed to only with
herself.

So you need two...

Mutual ascent.

[Judge Judy] Yes.

Mutual consent to make a contract
and there has to be an offer,

acceptance, and consideration,
that's what we learned.

So that didn't quite cut it, anyway,

it was a business relationship
that didn't work out.

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] It only was for a

month so nobody lost anything
and they were both very nice people.

Yeah.

All turned out okay.

[announcer] Have you been cheated?



[theme music playing]