01x114 - From Puppy to Protective Order; Motorcycle Brothers' Payback

[bunniefuu]

Harassment?

Yes.

I was trying to pressure her in
to give me my money.

Tell me what you said to her.

- No, no...Don't look down.
- Well...

- Well...
- Look here.

I said that...

Be careful what you're saying to me

because I've been doing this a long time.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer]
Gary Simpson is suing dog owner,

Elizabeth Brewer for vet bills

and the cost of a dog.

[Kevin] Court come to order. All rise.

[Judge Judy] Have a seat, please.

- Hello, Judge.
- How are you, Kevin?

Case number 1108 Simpson versus Brewer.

- Thank you.
- [Kevin] You're welcome.

[Judge Judy] Mr. Simpson,
you want a whole bunch of money back

from the defendant who sold you a dog?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] The story is, uh,

really pretty interesting for me,

interesting as far as dog cases go.

You met her in an office?

- Veterinarian office.
- [Judge Judy] You already had a dog.

What kind of dog do you have?

Border Collie Australian Shepherd mix.

- [Judge Judy] How old is that dog?
- Three-years-old.

[Judge Judy]
And you and the defendant started to chat

and you discovered one way or another
that she had a litter of puppies?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] And you thought,

according to you, that it might be nice

to have a companion
for your Border Collie?

- Yes, ma'am.
- The defendant

has particular breed of dog.

What kind of b-breed is that?

A Miniature Australian Shepherd.

[Judge Judy] And you have both
parents or just the mother?

Both parents.

[Judge Judy] And they're registered dogs?

No, I didn't register them.

I'm not talking about
the litter that you have.

I'm talking about your dogs.

- Are they AKC registered?
- No, ma'am.

- [Judge Judy] Are they purebred dogs?
- No.

Okay. Let me see what they look like.

I'm having trouble with this new phone.
I apologize.

Yeah. That's why I keep my old phone.

- [chuckles]
- [Gary] Your Honor,

I was under assumption that I bought
a Miniature Australian Shepherd

half Blue Heeler,

is what she told me that it was

- and it looks like a Blue Heeler.
- [Judge Judy] I don't know.

- You paid $200 for a dog, right?
- Yes, Your Honor.

Oh, that dog is a beautiful dog.

Do you have a picture of the puppies?

On the same phone.

I have it with the mother.

Do I go like this?

Yeah. There's so many pictures in there,
I apologize.

- This is your other dog?
- [Elizabeth] That's the mother.

- That's the mother.
- [Elizabeth] Uh-hmm.

- [Judge Judy] They're beautiful dogs.
- [Elizabeth] Yeah.

And this, Your Honor,
is a picture of her when...

the day that Mr. Simpson came
and picked her up.

Okay. May I see the dog?

- A lot better picture.
- [Judge Judy] Dogs are just beautiful

looking dogs.

Would you return this to the defendant,
please?

Okay. So, Mr. Simpson,

you discussed with the defendant

this litter of puppies that she had.

- This is what I think her name is Sadie?
- [Gary] Uh-hmm.

This is what Sadie looked like
when you brought her home?

- [Gary] Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] And in what month was that?

I wanna say April the 1st.

April 1, 2021?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] And then, there came a time

when two things happened.

First of all,
your older dog whose name is?

- Blue.
- [Judge Judy] Blue.

According to you, you noticed that Blue

was a little depressed
having this puppy around.

I understand that.

I've been through that with dogs.

You know, they're the center of attention,
all of a sudden,

you get a puppy around,
and the puppy is... [makes sound]

and gets a little bit more
of your attention,

and the older dog gets a little depressed.

Sometimes they work their way out of it
and sometimes not.

But in addition to Blue
being a little depressed,

this little puppy was digging holes
in your backyard?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] She was a digger?

[Gary] Yeah.

And there came a time
when you called the defendant.

- What day was that?
- [Gary] I texted her.

- [Judge Judy] On what date?
- July the 31st, at 2021.

So you had had the dog April, May,
June, and July, four months.

So, the dog was really five-months-old

- at the time.
- Uh-hmm.

Because you took the dog
when the puppy was very young,

probably too young to be taken,

but you had the dog for four months.

- Uh-hmm.
- And at this point you texted her.

I'd like to see the text.

- It's the one in the green.
- [Judge Judy] Just a second,

she's gonna show me the same text.

Okay. Four months later you wrote to her,

"I'm not sure yet but I think
I'm going to get rid of Sadie.

I potty trained her
so she don't leave the yard

but I can't stop her
from digging holes in my yard.

I'll let you know."

The defendant responded,

"Okay. Thanks for letting us know.
We will be happy to take her back.

We just lost one the other day.

Having Sadie back right now
would be wonderful.

The other pup, Speck,"

I assume from the same litter,

"Is still mourning Half Pint's loss.
She was his only playmate.

Sadie could be a new playmate for him.

Just let us know
when to come and get her."

And that was at 9:42 in the morning.

The same day, Saturday, July 31st,
she again wrote you and she said,

"We are getting off work
and headed your way to pick up Sadie.

Is that okay?"

That was July 31st.

And then, she came to your house.

- Which I never said...
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

- She came to your house?
- [Gary] Yes, ma'am.

Who did she come with?

- Tony.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And they came in and tell me
what you said to her, sir.

- [Judge Judy] No, no. Look at me.
- Well...Yes.

- Tell me what you said to her.
- I said that...

Be careful what you're saying to me.

- You...
- Yes, ma'am.

- [Judge Judy] Careful what you're...
- I was...

- [Judge Judy] ...saying to me because...
- Uh-hmm.

Because I've been doing this a long time.

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] Some things make sense,

some things don't make sense, all right?

[theme music playing]

Were you offered any more money for Sadie?

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

No. I'm sorry.

- No...
- [Judge Judy] Were you...

- I thought you meant her offered money...
- [Judge Judy] No.

Were you offered money from anybody else

- for Sadie?
- No, ma'am.

- Did you look online to see?
- No, ma'am.

[announcer] And later today.

Let's stop right there.

Before he paid you back the money.

He didn't pay me back.

- He did pay you back some money.
- He did, yeah.

[Judge Judy] But before he paid you back
all the money,

who lend who money?

[theme music playing]

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Gary Simpson claims
dog owner,

Elizabeth Brewer owes for vet bills
and the cost of a dog.

Elizabeth is countersuing
for lost wages and harassment.

Okay.
She came to your house with a friend.

Did she knock at the door?

Yes.

- [Judge Judy] Did you open the door?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] And she was there
and you said to her?

- I said, "Come on in" and she came in.
- [Judge Judy] Come on in and she came in.

Did you know why she was there?
Did you think you knew why she was there?

- I think I knew why she was there.
- [Judge Judy] Yes.

She was there to pick up Sadie.

- And...
- [Judge Judy] Yes. Just a sec.

- She was there to pick up Sadie.
- [Gary] And I said, yes.

[Judge Judy] And then, what happened next?

- [Gary] Well, I tried to find...
- [Judge Judy] No, no, don't look down.

- Well...
- Look here.

What happened next? She came in,
you said, "Hi. Come on in."

- And then, what happened next?
- I said, "Let me get her vaccinations,"

and the way she came in,
she was hurrying

- so fast.
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

Don't tell me hurry.

- You said, "Let me get her vaccinations."
- [Gary] Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] 'Cause you had taken her
to the vet to be vaccinated.

- Yeah.
- [Judge Judy] Good owner.

- And she said okay. Did she say okay?
- [Gary] That not to worry about him,

that she will get him later.

[Judge Judy]
She said not to worry about them,

the vaccination, she would get them later?

Tony's back was hurting in the car

and she needed to get him home.

[Judge Judy] Okay. So, she took Sadie.

- And I...
- [Judge Judy] Just a sec.

- Yeah.
- [Judge Judy] And not an I was.

She took Sadie.

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

You didn't say you can't take her?
I'm gonna call the police?

You in fact said I'm going to get her
record of vaccinations

- so you'll have everything.
- [Gary] Uh-hmm.

You'll have both the dog
and the vaccinations.

- That was gonna be it.
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy]
Then, we go to couple of days later.

"Hey, I'm sorry,
but I may be asking for Sadie back.

I'll let you know Friday.
I'll pay you for her food."

Now, I want you to be very careful
what you say to me,

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

[Judge Judy] What happened
between July 31st and August 2nd?

- Well, there's no money came back to me.
- [Judge Judy] Oh, just a second.

That has nothing to do
with what you said to her on August 2nd.

You didn't say anything.
Listen to me.

- Don't look down there.
- [Gary] Uh-hmm.

- Remember what I said to you.
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy]
Will you offered any more money for Sadie?

- Yes, ma'am...No, no.
- [Judge Judy] That's...

- [Gary] I'm sorry. No.
- Were you...

- I thought you meant her offered money
- [Judge Judy] No.

Were you offered money from anybody else

- for Sadie?
- No, ma'am.

- [Judge Judy] Did you look online to see?
- No, ma'am.

Okay. So, what made you changed your mind?

That's not what you said.
"Hey, I'm sorry...

- Because...
- [Judge Judy] ...but I may be asking

for Sadie back.

I'll let you know Friday."

What day was August 2nd?
What day of the week?

- It's 2021.
- Yeah, August 2nd was a Sunday.

- [Judge Judy] Oh.
- [Sarah] Or a Monday, excuse me.

- Sorry, the 1st...
- Monday. I'll let you know Friday,

so a whole week later.

What did you think
was gonna happen in a week?

- Figured she'd give me the money for...
- [Judge Judy] No, no, no.

Nah. Nah.

Okay. Then, on August 3rd,

"This is on me, but I assume...

you were still going to give me
my 200 bucks back.

If you read my text, I say
I was thinking of getting rid of her,

but you caught me off-guard

and I really didn't think
you would come that day."

So, Ms. Brewer,
I'm reading your text to him,

where you said you were going to pay him
because he's been annoying you.

"A hundred dollars next week
when I get paid

and a hundred dollars the following week,
equals two hundred dollars.

Now stop texting, calling,
harassing us over this issue.

It's already settled according
to our verbal agreement we entered into.

Have a nice day."

- That's what you said to him.
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy]
So you agreed to pay him back the $200

- that he paid for the dog.
- [Elizabeth] Yes [indistinct]

the only thing is is like you said,

I did that because he was bothering me
and causing me time off of work

because I depend on this phone.

Any interruptions caused me
to miss deliveries

- for my food service.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Did you say to her just pay me the money

- or give her back?
- [Gary] Uh-hmm.

- [Judge Judy] Yes.
- Yes.

- Yes, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] And that was on August 6th?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

It boils down to this,
you agreed to refund.

- Now, you stole her, right?
- [Gary] Right.

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] So you were perfectly

happy to get your money back?

- Yes, Your Honor. I'm...
- [Judge Judy] Okay. Good.

May I make one statement?

I agreed to just turn the other way.

Maybe, it was best for Sadie
for her to go back to her.

But I didn't agree for her to take it
and not give me...

I mean, I would...
I have vet bills for her.

I don't care about your vet bills.

[Gary]
That, that I wasn't trying to claim.

- [Judge Judy] No.
- [Gary] Yes, ma'am.

But, you know, just to come and take her,

- I agreed to look the other way...
- Mr. Simpson,

you let her into your house
fully understanding why she was there.

You even said to her,
"Hold on, before you take her,

let me give you her paper,
so you know what shot she's taking."

This wasn't a mad dash.

She was doing a mad dash

because she said,
"I wanna get back into the car."

You actually were very coherent.

You said, "Let me give you
all of her paperwork, just a minute."

And she said, no,
but you were giving her the dog.

And then, there were all kinds
of excuses that we hear.

Well, you know, you let the dog run out.

You're on a hill.
The other one was hit by a car.

You must not be responsible.

I'm thinking about
what's best for the dog.

But bottom line was by the 6th of August,

you said either return Sadie
or give me my money back.

- That's...
- Your Honor, we made a pact

when I got her, if it was too much for me

that I would contact her first

before I got rid of her
to any other person.

- [Judge Judy] Oh.
- And that's what my thinking about

- was and then her showing up.
- [Judge Judy] Okay. Okay.

- On the day that she works.
- [Judge Judy] Very good.

- She was able to...
- [Judge Judy] Of $200.

You write him a letter, Ms. Brewer
in which you say,

"I'm not ignoring your text, Gary,
and you know this.

You know we work long hours
and cannot answer while we're on duty.

You also assured us
that if she became too much for you

or if it didn't work out,
you would give her back to us,

and we would refund your $200.

And as agreed, when you called
saying you wanted us to get her,

we came immediately to get her.

As soon as you found another person
would pay you more for her,

suddenly, you wanted her back
to sell her and make money.

How disgraceful of you."

Ms. Brewer, how did you know that?

On the text message in there
that I highlighted,

Gary had told me
on either the second or third

that the reason he wanted her back

was that he found a girl that would
offer him more money for...

Well, you did say to her,
"I have a girl offer me more."

Just to let her know
I could have sold it for more.

She...I was trying to pressure her

- to give me my money.
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

Did you tell her that there was a girl
who was willing to pay you more money

- than the $200?
- [Gary] Yeah.

- [Judge Judy] Okay. That's all.
- Yes, ma'am...yes, Your Honor.

That's what I ask
because that's what I thought

- from reading these papers.
- Yes, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] You agreed to give him
his $200 back?

Yes.

Bottom line
and that's what you're gonna get,

- not $3,600.
- [Gary] Okay.

You're gonna get your $200 back.

She has a counterclaim
for lost wages and harassment.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] And later today.

Did you discuss with your brother
that you were gonna write this off

against your debt to him?

- No, no.
- [Judge Judy] No.

Well, then you can't write it off.

That has to be agreed on by two people,
not that you just say in your head,

"Well, I fixed his brakes
and so now we're even,"

- you can't say that.
- [Luis] No...

He has to agree to it. Do you understand?

[theme music playing]

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Gary Simpson claims dog owner,

Elizabeth Brewer owes for vet bills

and the cost of a dog.

Elizabeth is countersuing
for lost wages and harassment.

- What lost wages?
- Whenever he would text me,

it would interrupt my app,
which I use, the platform.

- [Judge Judy] Okay.
- For, for my food deliveries

and it caused me to lose business.

[Judge Judy] That's what happens
when there's a disagreement.

If you were going to pick up the puppy,
you should have brought $200 with you.

Okay. Your counterclaim is dismissed.

Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of $200.

We're finished. Thank you very much.

- Thank you, Your Honor.
- [Kevin] Court is adjourned.

[theme music playing]

It was never about the money.

And I did love her to pieces.
I mean, she's an awesome little dog.

I think he got in over his head
and when he found out

how valuable she was,
that he got off with just $200

and he had the other offer,
I think that's what it was about.

He wanted her back
so he could get the $2,500.

I said out exactly what I intended to do

and that was win this case.

You know, the case
was a very simple case, Sarah, but...

you know, the one good thing
about these text messages

is you memorialize at least concepts.

You don't memorialize things
so you can understand it very often

because it amazes me

that nobody knows
how to put together a sentence.

There's no punctuation.
There's no sentence structure.

You have to sort of guess
what the intention is.

I really have to get into this century

because when I try to read these texts
that this man wrote,

I had to try to put myself in his mind...
[chuckles]

- [Sarah] Uh-hmm.
- ...to think what he was saying,

because it was on paper,

irreconcilable with what
he was talking about.

Uh-hmm. I think it's a good lesson, too

because people,
even in casual text conversations,

you never know when that's gonna turn
into a piece of evidence.

Yeah. And it's a good thing anyway.

It keeps your mind fixed,
and straight, and on a path.

[sighs] I'm glad I have you
sitting next to me.

[chuckles]

Case number 1105 Coz versus Coz.

All party, please step forward.

[announcer] Fernando Coz

is suing his brother Luis Coz

for the balance of a motorcycle loan.

Mr. Coz, this is your brother?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] And it is your claim

that he owes you the balance
of a loan that you made?

Correct.

What was the loan for?

It was for a, uh, a motorcycle
that I had purchased.

- Explain it to me.
- [Fernando] I work on motorcycles,

so he asked me if I could see a bike
that's the same one that I have,

and if it was decent,
to purchase it from.

Okay. So you went
and look with the bike and?

Yeah. So, I looked at it,
the bike was great, in good condition.

I took cash, $3,200.

I bought the bike. Uh, as we were there,

- he called...
- [Judge Judy] Who was there?

Me and the guy
that I bought the bike from.

He called me through messenger
to look at it

and he liked the bike and said,

"Yeah, get it for me and I'll pay you back
when I return from work,"

- because he was out of the state.
- [Judge Judy] Go ahead.

[Fernando] I right away gave him
the pink slip, showed him the motorcycle.

[Judge Judy]
You got...and you have the motorcycle?

- Yes, I do.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

[Fernando] Waited for a couple weeks,
and then I finally asked him

about what he was supposed to me
because I paid cash for him.

During that time,
our friend needed some money,

so he lend him some money.

My friend gave him a motorcycle for it

- until he paid him back.
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

Just a second. Let's stop right there.

Before he paid you back the money.

- He didn't pay me back. He...
- [Judge Judy] Before he paid...

- he did pay you back some money?
- [Fernando] He did. Yeah.

But before he paid you back all the money,

who lent, who money?

One of our friends, uh, lend him $2,000

- because he...
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Did somebody lend you $2,000?

No, I lent him.

[Judge Judy] You lent a friend?

Yeah, a neutral friend.

So, you lent the friend...

- this mutual friend $2,000?
- Yes.

What does that have to do
with this bicycle?

The reason why I say that is
because when I asked him two weeks

after I gave him the pink slip
where my money was, he said,

"Well, I already paid you
because I pretty much traded

the bike for the money."
And I asked him...

Traded what bike for what money?

That's exactly what I asked him...

- [Judge Judy] No. Trade...
- ...what are you taking about?

Explain that to me.

[Luis] No, what I told him is...um,

because he had $3800 of mine
because, uh, when I left, uh,

I sold a car and he kept the money.

And when I got home,
I told him that I'll pay him the,

the 32, but I did a brake job for him

and I charged him 480,

- and he never paid me that, so...
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

This has nothing to do with the bike.

This has nothing to do with you
paying somebody $2,000.

- Am I missing something?
- [Luis] Well, I don't know why

he's bringing that up with the $2000,
yeah.

[Judge Judy] I don't why either.

- Uh, that's totally different.
- It was very easy. $3,200?

- [Luis] Yeah.
- You paid him some money?

I paid him 27.

[Judge Judy] Right. That's what you say

- and that's what he says.
- [Luis] Yes.

[Judge Judy] So that leaves...

- Fourteen hundred.
- [Judge Judy] No,



- He paid you back 27.
- Just 27, and he owes me 700.

- [Judge Judy] He owes you 700?
- Yeah.

Right. And what you defense to this case

- is that you did a brake job for him?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy]
And when you did the brake job for him,

did you tell him what you were
gonna charge him?

- [Luis] Yeah. I told him...
- [Judge Judy] No, no, no. No, no, no.

When did you give him the 2,700?

I wrote a check.
Let me see what day it was.



So, in 06/05/21, I wrote another one, uh,

- for 2,000.
- For how...let me see.

On June 5th, there's $2,000
for the car and $2,700 is the bike.

- One says car, one says bike.
- [Luis] Yeah.

I don't why I put car but that,
that was for the bike, both of them.

That's the checks I gave him
towards the bike.

Okay. It's $500, not $700.

Mr. Coz, you say here that it was $3,200

and he asked if he could borrow $200

to fix something on his car,
which I also lent him.

- That's a new complaint, right?
- Yeah.

Well, when did you do that?

That was before I bought the bike.

It was a couple of weeks...

before I bought the motorcycle, it was 34.

I have the email, the text
that he sent me about that.

Can I see that, please?

- [Fernando] I have this also from the...
- [indistinct] it was a $700.

[Fernando] From the guy the day
that I purchased the bike.

I don't see anything about $200 here.

[Fernando]
That's what I lend him the money for.

It doesn't say that I'm giving him

- the 200, that's part of...yeah.
- [Judge Judy] Two hundred. Does it say...

- ...anything about...
- It was to pick up

that vehicle because he, he was short.

- Does that refresh your recollection?
- [Luis] I, I...

as far as I know, he paid 17.

- Uh, I don't really...no...
- [Judge Judy] All right. I have no idea.

- Yeah, I don't know if...
- [Judge Judy] So far...so far...

- I don't know [indistinct]
- [Judge Judy] There's a $500 difference

in the 32 and the $2,700
that you were paid.

I go back to you, Mr. Coz.

When you fixed his carburetors
or calibrators...

- Brake.
- [Judge Judy] ...or whatever you did,

did you discussed with your brother
that you were gonna write this off

against your debt to him?

- No. No.
- [Judge Judy] No?

Well, then, you can't write it off.

That has to be agreed on by two people.
Not that you just say in your head,

"Well, I fixed his brakes
and so now we're even."

- You can't say that.
- [Luis] No, I...

He has to agree to it.
Do you understand?

- No, I...yeah. No, I didn't say that...
- [Judge Judy] Good.

So, don't fix his car anymore.
You owe him $500,

you owe him the balance on the motorcycle.

Anything else? Are we done here?

Yes, we're done here. Thank God.

Judgment for the plaintiff...

- [Kevin] Court is adjourned.
- ...in the amount of $500.

Goodbye.

That's what I was looking for, you know,
some kind of...accountability.

I mean, it is what it is.

He did do the brakes for me,

he never mentioned nothing
about the 480 bucks for that.

It's fine.
I'm just glad everything's over.

It's not my rodeo with him.

[Judge Judy] People do that all the time.

You know, they owe somebody money,
and after a while,

it becomes annoying...

- Uh-hmm.
- ...that they owe them the money,

because you will find a reason

not to make that final last payment.

I'm not gonna pay my rental last,

- but let him use the security deposit.
- Uh-hmm.

Last week, I drove him
to the grocery store three times

and used all that gas,
so I don't owe him the money.

I fixed his brakes and calibers.

- Well, you can't have a side of contract.
- Uh-hmm.

- It has to be agreed upon by both people.
- [Judge Judy] By both...absolutely right.

So, that happens all the time.
It's just too bad that it happens.

[chuckles] I have a feeling
there's a whole lot of stuff that goes on

between these two brothers.

Bottom line is you need two parties
to a contract.

If you're gonna work off the rotors,
and calibers, and brakes,

you have to both agree
that it pays of the debt.

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[announcer] Have you been cheated?



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