01x89 - Doggy Door w*r; Charity Motorcycle Riders

[bunniefuu]

Your dog was out of your control,

entered her home...

...severely injuring her dog.

Into her house.

There was blood all over the place,
it was a mess.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Karen Burrow-Threlkeld
is suing her neighbor, Mark Soifer,

for vet bills and property damage,

after his pit bull attacked her Chihuahua.

[Kevin] Court come to order, all rise.

Have a seat, everyone.

- Hello, Judge.
- How are you?

Case no. 1106
Burrow-Threlkeld versus Soifer.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

[Judge Judy] Ms. Threlkeld,
how long have you lived

across the street from each other?

We don't live across the street
from one another but...

- [Judge Judy] You live on the same side?
- Yes.

How long have you been living
in your home?

Thirty-one years.

And Mr. Soifer, how long
have you been living in your house?

I closed on it May 7th of this year.

Ms. Threlkeld, are you immediately
adjacent to the defendant

or are you separated by a house?

We're separated by six homes.

Do you happen to have a photograph?

Yes, I actually do.

[Judge Judy] Of the house?

I'd like to take a look at it.

I-I have them according to the order.

[Judge Judy] Oh,
so there's a good deal of distance

- between the two houses?
- [Karen] Yes, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am.

Mine's is the very last one.

This is your house?

[Karen] Yes, ma'am.

Mr. Soifer, this is what her complaint is

and this is what she's asking for.

Ms. Threlkeld says that a dog
that belongs to you

got out of your house,
which is six houses away from hers,

and somehow got into her house
through a doggie door.

What kind of dog you have?

- A pit bull mix.
- How much does it weigh?

Thirty-five, forty pounds.

And what kind of dogs do you have?

I have a Chihuahua
and two Miniature Schnauzers.

- So, relatively small dogs?
- Yes, ma'am.

And this is your daughter.

She was involved in that incident
that day.

Somehow, your dog got loose
from your control

for whatever reason,

got in to the defendant's house,

inside her house.

And inside her house,

your dog attacked one of her dogs

causing serious injury to that dog

and making a mess in the house
in the process

because there was blood
all over the place,

it was a mess.

In order to try to get your dog back
while this was going on,

your daughter from your house,

because you had just come in,
according to you,

from unloading paintings
that you had just bought for the house.

Your door was open,
that's how the dog got out.

You say the dog was chasing her dogs
that were out in the street, I don't care.

Her dogs didn't come into your house.

From your house,
your daughter ran after your dog

and tried to get into the house

by crawling through the doggie door.

So far correct?

Yes, ma'am.

You can stand up.

She crawled in through the doggie door,

couldn't get all the way through,

but was able to reach up
and open the door from the latch

which allowed the door to open,

- is that what happened?
- Yes, ma'am.

And when you got inside
Ms. Threlkeld's house,

what did you see?

I didn't actually go inside the house.

Where did you see your dog?

As soon as I opened the door,
she ran out towards the other dog.

- Her other dog was in the yard.
- Yes.

Did you see the dog
that had been injured inside the house?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] What kind of dog was it?

I'm pretty sure Chihuahua.

- [Judge Judy] Did you see blood?
- Yes, ma'am.

How did your dog get out
of Ms. Threlkeld's house?

- Through the door.
- After you opened it?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] So you opened the door,

did you go back out
through the doggie door?

[Naomi] Yes.

[Judge Judy]
And then you walked into the house?

No. I did not go inside the house.

The dog, when you opened the door,
ran out?

Yes, ma'am.

And you saw in the house
the Chihuahua with blood?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] And then according to you,

you saw your dog go after the other dog.

- Yes, ma'am.
- What kind of dog was the other dog?

I have no idea.

Was it a small dog or a big dog?

Small dog.

So, that was probably one
of the Miniature Schnauzers.

Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] Did you see what your dog did
to the Miniature Schnauzer?

- No, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] Where was your father?

He was at the gate,

but he was not able
to get inside the yard.

He was at the gate?

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] How did you get inside?

I went through the gate
'cause it was wide open.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
So you went in through the gate

and did you see why your father
couldn't get into the gate?

Karen, uh, wouldn t let him
in the backyard with my sister.

- Oh, so he was with your sister?
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] So he came running
after your dog to her house

and she wouldn't let him in the yard?

Yes, ma'am.
Okay. Was the Schnauzer injured?

Yes, but I didn't realize he...

[Judge Judy] Did the Schnauzer
go to the vet or just the Chihuahua?

No. Just the Chihuahua.

And it's just Chihuahua's vet bills
and whatever damage was done

inside your house that you want
Mr. Soifer to pay for.

And the doggie door when they went...

And if the doggie door was damaged,

that would have been as a result
of this young lady

- trying to go through the doggie door.
- Uh-hmm.

And my pain and suffering.

The only one that's pained
and suffering right now is me.

[laughs]

Your dog was out of your control
for three times

the width of this courtroom
into her house.

What do you think could possibly be
a defense for that?

[announcer] And later today.

I asked you that question
because I bought my husband

a trike for a big birthday.

He thought I was actually
trying to k*ll him.

[laughter]

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Karen Burrow-Threlkeld
claims her neighbor, Mark Soifer,

owes for vet bills and property damage

after his pit bull attacked her Chihuahua.

Mark is countersuing for negligence.

Mr. Soifer, you have no defense,
do you understand?

You have no defense to the fact
that your dog was out of your control,

entered her home, injured her dog.

Your daughter,
in an attempt to get back the dog,

damaged her doggie door
by trespassing in her house.

Your suggestion that it's her fault

because her dogs were free
without a leash.

If her dogs had caused any damage
to your home

if they were out without a leash,

I would say, "Well, I'm gonna hear that."

But even if they were outside
without a leash,

that's not a defense for your dog,
your dog much bigger,

much more potentially aggressive
to be out of your control

and to run six houses down into her house.

Do you understand that?

I would say that it's not six,
but three houses, that's...

- [Judge Judy] Who cares?!
- [Mark] I also...

How many houses separate yours from hers?

- Three.
- [Judge Judy] Three.

- So the dog ran three houses away!
- Yes.

And your daughter ran three houses away.

This is not next door,
this isn't a common driveway,

was out of your control for three times

the width of this courtroom at least,

probably six, out of your control
into her house.

What do you think could possibly be
a defense for that? [chuckles]

Well, I think it's also relevant

that police issued citations not to me,

but, but to my neighbor.

Then they were stupid!

The animal control officer
who showed up...

Don't tell me
what an animal control officer told you.

I'm telling you,
you bought your home, sir?

- Yes.
- So you have homeowners insurance?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] In what state do you live?

- Missouri.
- [Judge Judy] Missouri?

- [Mark] Yes.
- Did your insurance carrier ask you

- if you had a pit bull?
- No.

[Judge Judy] Really?
What insurance carrier do you have?

Uh originally, it was USAA
then it became Safeco.

I don't know which carrier
on this date was,

was my insurance, but...

[Judge Judy] No, I'm just asking you, sir.

- [Mark] Yes.
- Where in Missouri?

- Vinita Park.
- [Judge Judy] What's the county?

- St. Louis County.
- [Judge Judy] St. Louis County, Missouri.

Do you have anything interesting
from St. Louis County, Missouri?

- I'll let you know.
- Okay.

She's gonna get back to me.

So what you're telling me is in Missouri,

insurance carriers on homeowners insurance

don't ask you if you have a dog,
what kind.

That's what you're telling me?

Well, I've now had two
different insurance carriers

for that property
and neither asked me that question.

And I don't recall them asking for the,

the home that, that I sold prior to,

to moving into that one,
which was also in the same county.

I have couple of homeowners
insurance policies in several states.

Every single one asked me
if I had a dog and if I did, what kind.

Maybe they don't in Missouri,
that's a possibility.

You have heard of that, have you not?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Sure.

Because some insurance carriers say
we're not going to cover you

if you have this kind of a dog
that's on our dangerous dog list, right?

Yes.
There's a municipal stigma typically...

It's not a municipal stigma.

It's that some insurance carriers
will not insure you

if you have a particular kind of dog

or they charge you an excessive premium
if you have that kind of dog,

- you have heard of that, sir?
- Yes.

Did you ever hear of a Chihuahua
being on that list?

No.

[Judge Judy]
How about a Miniature Schnauzer?

- No.
- But you have heard of a pit bull

- being on that list?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] So you know that means,
that means if you have a pit bull or...yes.

- Sorry.
- Excuse me.

There's a city ordinance actually
for that exact town

that says section 205215,

keeping or possessing a pit bull dog,

no person within the city raise, maintain,

possess, within his or her custody

or control of a dog of the pit bull breed.

- Did you know that?
- No.

[Judge Judy]
She's gonna read it to you again.

No person within the city raise, maintain,

or possess within his or her custody
or control a dog of the pit bull breed.

And it says just that one dog

or is it more than that one?

It says pit bull breed is defined
to mean any dog descending

from the following bloodlines
and it lists a list of dogs.

- Now do you understand, sir?
- Yes.

Okay. So that means,
and you seem like an intelligent man

and your daughter is actually
very truthful for which I...

- your name is Naomi?
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] Naomi.
Naomi is a truthful young lady.

But what that means
as an owner of a pit bull,

A, what you're doing is against the law
according to your city ordinance,

but more than that if you have a dog
that you know has been identified

as potentially dangerous,
you can't let a door open

and let that dog get out.

And there is certainly zero defense
for your dog getting out

and going into her house
and severely injuring her dog.

There's no excuse for that.

And now that you know
and that you're on notice

that what you're doing is against the law,

so that means that the police
that responded to your house

and the animal control officer
who responded to your house,

they didn't know what the ordinance said.

You're not making that up, are you, Sarah?

- [chuckles] No.
- No.

- Do you understand, sir?
- Yes.

But giving her a citation to me means
zero.

How much were your vet bills?

$1,369.49.

And what was the damage
to the interior of the house?

The interior of the house
is just my maintenance and cleaning it up.

No. And what did it cost
to fix the doggie door?

$715.43.

[Judge Judy] Seven hundred...

...and fifteen dollars
and fifty-seven cents.

That's $2,074.

Did you ask the defendant for payment?

- Yes.
- Did you ask him in person

or by phone or did you send him
a letter or a text, a note?

I actually put a copy of the bill
in his mailbox

and then on July the 3rd,

I tried to talk to Mark

and he told me at that time

that the police and animal control
told him not to speak to me

and if I come back to his house for him
to call them and I will be arrested.

So I left it alone and filed my suit.

Smart. Do you understand
where I'm coming from?

Yes. So they suggested that...

[Judge Judy]
Don't tell me what they suggested to you.

I'm telling you,
I just took the facts directly

as they were relayed from your daughter,
sir.

I don't know what you told the police

and I don't know what you told
animal control.

[theme music playing]

Did you return it?

I returned if not more of it.

- Well, show me.
- I just deposited into the, the account.

Were there any deposits made
into the account...

- No, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] ...by the defendant?

No, ma'am.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Karen Burrow-Threlkeld
claims her neighbor, Mark Soifer,

owes for vet bills and property damage

after his pit bull attacked her Chihuahua.

Mark is countersuing for negligence.

[Judge Judy] Now, you have more than
ludicrous counterclaim

for harassment and for her negligence

on letting her dogs
be outside unsupervised. [laughs]

Judging for the plaintiff
in the amount of $2,074.

Good girl, got it?

Good thing to be honest, always.
We're done.

I would think twice
about keeping that dog, sir.

It's against the law.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

Well, it did become kind
of a traumatic experience.

When Mark stated that
I received a citation, I didn't.

Worked out amicably by avoiding each other
at the very least.

Actually, I just wanted Mark to know
I forgive him.

They saw the violence up close, I didn't.

And that we're gonna be neighbors.

Do you know what was most disturbing to me
about that case

and actually you earned your money
on that case,

is that if what he says is accurate,

that both the police came
and animal control,

and the ordinance that you read was clear
and to have done nothing,

in that scenario is actually outrageous.

Case no. 1066, Goddard versus Tkachenko.

All parties, please step forward.

[announcer] Michael Goddard
is suing fellow biker, Elrad Tkachenko,

for money and property taken
from their biker club.

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

[Judge Judy] You ride motorcycles?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] Two wheels or three?

- Two.
- [Judge Judy] I asked you that question

because I bought my husband a trike...

- Uh-huh.
- [Judge Judy] ...for a big birthday.

He thought I was actually
trying to k*ll him.

[laughter]

[laughs] So did all of our friends think
that I was trying to k*ll him.

He's allowed to ride it
within the development.

He's not allowed to take it outside
in two-lane traffic.

Every once in a while,
the family catches him

coming around the garage

when he thinks nobody is looking
to go to the bank.

I find those things a little frightening.

How long have you been riding
a motorcycle, Mr. Goddard?

Approximately 48 years.

Pronounce your last name for me.

- Tkachenko.
- [Judge Judy] Tkachenko.

- Tkachenko.
- That's two, Mr. T.

- That would make it easier.
- That's how I was called in school,

- Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] Mr. T.

- About this, you have a little group.
- Yes, ma'am.

How many people
are in this little biking group?

Currently, there are, uh, five.

And Mr. T was a recent inductee
in the group.

He was made the treasurer of the group.

Your complaint alleges
that as the treasurer of this group,

he misappropriated some funds
from the treasury.

- Yes, ma'am.
- How much?

$120.77.

And you're suing him for $661,

that has to do with some patches that he
has.

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] Allegedly.

- Club patches.
- Yes, ma'am.

How did he come into custody
of these club patches?

As part of the treasurer's function,

he's also responsible
for the unassigned patches

which he would either give to people

that were gonna be inducted in.
Well, if we secure...

Well, there are only five people
there now.

How many patches does he have?

Three main patches

and other little ones that go with it,

it's three sets.

Each set contains six patches.

- Do you have those patches?
- I do, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] Great.
Would you give them to me?

I wanna see what these look like.

- And was he voted out...
- [Elrad] One moment.

...he was voted in the club

- and then you voted him out of the club?
- These are all...

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

- We'll take them all.
- [Elrad] It's just all...

- We'll take them all.
[Elrad] ...little patches,

- Perfect.
- ...patches and...

- Perfect.
- Yup, thank you.

And you're not the club treasurer anymore,
is that right?

- From what I understand, no.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

So give him the patches back,

now Mr. Goddard has the patches.

So now we're talking about $120.77.

You had a credit card
that belonged to the company...

- that belonged to the club?
- To...to the club, yes, I did.

[Judge Judy] And according
to your answer at least,

you didn't have your own credit card,

once you'd ran into an emergency

and you used the card
for some personal expenses?

- I did.
- [Judge Judy] What personal expenses

did you use it for?

It was, uh...

like, some purchases at...at local stores.

I honestly just ran out of cash that day,

- so I used it.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

He says you used it
to the extent of $120.77.

It's...I thought it was somewhere
around a hundred dollars.

- Oh.
- [Elrad] 120 sounds reasonable...

Did you return it?

I returned if not more of it because...

[Judge Judy] Well, show me.

I did...I just deposited into the account.

Were there any deposits made
into the account by the...

- No, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] By the defendant?

No, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] Then you can show me, Mr. T,

proof if you have it
that you deposited money.

I paid them...I paid it all back, yeah.

[Judge Judy] One hundred and twenty...

I just...you acknowledged
that you used their card

for about the same amount
as the plaintiff says

that was withdrawn which was $120.77,

which he has proof of, I'm certain.

Kevin, would you get that
and show that to Sarah, please?

She can just verify the amounts...

that I assume add up to $120.77.

It looks about right,
but I could do the math for you.

There's a lot of little charges
like 15 or...

some odd charges.

You've added it up, sir?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] 120.77?

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. 120.77.

Okay.

And there's no proof of repayment.
So you have your patches?

Yes, ma'am.



[Michael] He has materials,

ledgers, account books.

[Judge Judy] Okay. Are all those there?

It's all here, ma'am.

- Here you go, sir.
- [Michael] Yes, ma'am.

- Now you have 'em back.
- [Michael] Yes, ma'am.

Okay. Is our work here done?

- [Michael] Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Very good.

Judgment for the plaintiff, 120.77.

Everything else has been returned.
Thank you very much.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

It was something that I did use.

I'm pleased with the decision.

I'm glad that the judge
could see the truth.

That I did repay.

If he engages in any other club,
he'll do the right thing.

Obviously, I don't have proof of it,

so it goes against me.

You cannot get any respect
from other clubs

and the general community
if you show any dishonesty.

I don't expect to be part of that club
in any way, shape, or form.

[Judge Judy] Just in case anybody thinks
that I am not a truth teller.

That was for Papi's 80th birthday,
I believe.

And I also can confirm
that us grandkids also believe

you were trying to k*ll him by getting him
a trike for his 80th birthday.

[Judge Judy] Well, trying to keep
the old man out.

Keep him active.

[announcer] Have you been cheated?


[theme music playing]