03x08 - Relationship Roadblock

[bunniefuu]

Now, your agreement with her
is that she could use the car.

-Correct.
-Did you have an accident with the car?

Don't look up at the sky, look right here.

Yes.

I assume that your girlfriend
did not like the fact

that your old girlfriend had the car.

You don't have to be a genius
to figure that out.

-You're right.
-[narrator] This is Judy Justice...

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Kendall Ruiz and Isaac Thompson
are suing Isaac's ex-girlfriend,

Donna Schulte for towing fees and
car repairs from an accident.

[bailiff]
Court come to order. All rise.

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge. Case #3025,
Ruiz/Thompson versus Schulte.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

-Miss Ruiz, this is your boyfriend?
-Correct.

How long have you been together with him?

Umm... it's been on and off for about...

About two and a half years, Your Honor.

And you have a child together?

-We do.
-[Judy] How old is that child?

He turned one in January.

-[Judy] Do you live together?
-[Isaac] We do.

[Judy]
For two and a half years?

Most of the two and a half years, correct.

When it wasn't the most,
were you living with Miss Schulte?

-No.
-[Judy] When were you with Miss Schulte?

Umm... three and a half years ago,
at least.

[Judy] When you were with Miss Schulte,
were you living with her?

[Isaac]
Yes, Your Honor.

-[Judy] Do you have any children together?
-One.

-[Judy] How old?
-He will be four in August.

-[Judy] Do you see him?
-Every week, or every other week.

-That going okay?
-[Isaac] Yep.

-"Yep" is not an answer.
-Uh, yes, Your Honor.

Very good. Okay. Now, when you were
with her, three and a half years ago,

-you had a car.
-Yes.

[Judy]
And that car was a 2016 Jeep Renegade.

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy]
In whose name was that car?

Uh, the vehicle is in mine
and Kendall's name.

When was it put in your name
and Kendall's name?

Uh, at the time of purchase in...

It was...

Eight twenty-one.

-Yes, it was...
-[Judy] May I have it, please?

Thank you.

Okay. So, it was purchased
by the two of you April 6, 2021.

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy]
And at that time, you two were together.

Yes, Your Honor.

But then there came a time
when you had a break-up.

[Isaac]
Yes, Your Honor.

When was that?

It was around December of 2021.

[Judy]
And where did you go?

I went back to move in with my parents.

-[Judy] Did you take the Jeep with you?
-[Isaac] I did.

[Judy]
Did you have another car, Miss Ruiz?

I actually drove the Jeep for a awhile
until...

[Judy] No, he said he took the car
and went back to his parents'.

That was in December of 2021.
What I'm asking you is

in December of 2021,
did you have another car?

I got a new vehicle, yes.

[Judy]
In December of 2021?

-When he left.
-Yes.

So, it was agreed between the two of you

that he would take the car
even though it was in both your names.

[Kendall]
Yes.

[Judy]
Who was making payments on the car?

I was, Your Honor.

That was the agreement, he would
take the car and make the payments,

you would get another car.

-[Kendall] Yes.
-Great!

And then, you moved back
with your parents.

Now, tell me how Miss Schulte,
with whom you have a child,

got possession of the Jeep.

Uh, so, at the time,
I was not able to afford the vehicle.

So, you took it, but you had payments.
What were the monthly payments?

I believe they were $367.

So, how did it come into Miss Schulte's
possession?

Uh, I did not need the vehicle
as I had another car at the time,

and she was in need of a new vehicle.
So, I offered her the deal

that if she were able to put the vehicle
in her name and keep insurance on it,

that she was able to have the vehicle.

But she did not follow
any of the rules for...

Well, she can't... She can't
register the car in her name, sir,

-'cause there's a loan out on the car.
-Right, but...

[Judy] And they're not going to
allow somebody off the hook...

that would be the two of you
are on that loan.

-Right.
-[Judy] Right?

They're not going to allow
the two of you off the hook

and just have her on the hook.
The loan is between the loan company

-and the two of you. She's nobody.
-[Isaac] Right.

So, she can't register the car in her name
unless she pays it off.

That was the idea behind the agreement,
Your Honor.

Well, I don't know what the idea was.
You mean, the idea was

that she make the monthly payments?

Yes, she was to continue making
the monthly payment.

That's okay, she can
make the monthly payment,

she still can't register it in her name
as the owner.

Because there's a lien on the car by the
people who gave you the money to buy it.

Correct.

So, she can't register 'cause it's...
There's a lien on it,

on your title. Do you have your title?

[Isaac]
I do.

I want you just to look at your title and
tell me, what it says under lienholder.

It says the bank that
has the title to the vehicle.

Right. And they actually hold the title.
She can't register it in her name.

So, in effect, what you said to her was,

you can use the car as long as
you make payments.

Correct.

[Judy]
'Cause I can't make the payments anymore.

And then, you went back to Miss Ruiz.

Correct.

[Judy] Okay.
And when did you go back to Miss Ruiz?

Uhh...

[Judy]
Month?

January of 2022.

-[Judy] So, a month later.
-[Isaac] Yes.

Now, your agreement with her
is that she could use the car.

Correct.

[Judy] She has use
as long as she made the payments.

And had insurance on the vehicle.

-Did she make the payment in January?
-Late.

[Judy]
Did she make the payment in January?

-She did. She did.
-[Judy] What about February?

-What about March?
-I do not believe so.

What happened in April?
Did you ask for the Jeep back?

I was asking for the vehicle back
shortly after giving it to her

because she wasn't holding up
her end of the agreement.

She was not making the payments on time
and she did not have insurance on it.

She made the payments.
She made January, February, and March.

Late, which affected my credit.

Well, that's too bad.

[narrator]
Kendall Ruiz and Isaac Thompson

claim Isaac's ex-girlfriend,
Donna Schulte,

owes for towing fees and vehicle repairs
from an accident.

-Did she make the payment in January?
-She did.

-[Judy] What about February?
-[Isaac] She did.

-[Judy] What about March?
-I do not believe so.

How long did you have the car?

Until April.

-[Judy] Did you make March's payment?
-I did.

[Judy]
Do you have proof of that?

Well, I have three payments, so,
January, February, and March.

[Judy] Yes. The answer...
I don't have to see them.

I believe she has them. So,
she paid January, February, and March.

What happened in April?

Uh, she was not making the payments.
There was still...

[Judy] She made January, February
and March. Now we're in April.

Yes. She did not make the payment.

Um, we did not get the Jeep back
until May third.

Just a second. What happened in April?
Did you ask for the Jeep back?

I was asking for the vehicle back
shortly after giving it to her

because she wasn't holding up
her end of the agreement.

What was her end of the agreement?
I just told you,

she couldn't register it in her name
because she doesn't have title,

-neither do you.
-I understand that.

The agreement was that she was supposed to
continue to make monthly payments

and put insurance on the vehicle.

She was not
making the payments on time

and she did not have insurance
on the vehicle.

She made the payments.
She made January, February and March.

Late, which affected my credit.

Well, that's too bad.
That wasn't your agreement.

Your agreement was
that she was to make payments.

There was nothing that she had to
make the payments on time.

I assume that your girlfriend, Miss Ruiz,
did not like the fact

that your old girlfriend had the car
that was titled partially in her name.

I want you to answer that question, sir.
It's a very easy question.

You don't have to be a soothsayer
and you don't have to have

an advanced degree in psychology
to know that your current girlfriend

and the mother of your child,
of your new baby, doesn't like the fact

that you gave a car that's in her name
to your old girlfriend

with who you have a child. You don't
have to be a genius to figure that out.

-Right?
-You're right.

Right. So, old girlfriend didn't like...
but you had made an agreement with her.

Now, did you have insurance on the car
and was that part of your agreement?

Don't look up at the sky, look right here.

[Donna]
It was, yes.

Did you have insurance on the car?

Um, insurance was on it, for a little bit,

but then I was trying to find
a new insurance company...

-[Judy] So, the answer is no.
-Yes.

Okay. Well then, he had every right,
despite the fact that you made payments

to get the car back. Because
if something happened to that car

and you were driving it,
and it didn't have insurance

because you were trying
to find different insurance...

'Cause actually, you have no liability
on this thing. If you have an accident,

they're gonna go after the owners of the
car if you have nothing.

-Do you understand?
-Yeah.

Okay. That was your deal
and you breached the deal.

So now, he asked for the car back
because you didn't have insurance on it.

You may have made the payments
but you didn't have insurance on it.

And you asked for the car back in April?

I asked for the car back numerous times...

I don't care if you asked numerous times,
you had no right to ask for it back

until you knew she had no insurance.
The reason you asked for it back

is because Miss Ruiz didn't like the fact
that Miss Schulte

That is not correct, Your Honor.

Your Honor, I did not have a problem
with her having the vehicle.

because I didn't want to have it anymore,
I got my own vehicle.

I was not upset at the fact that
she had it. They do have a child together

and I do know that she needs a vehicle
that can get their child around...

Are you telling me, Miss Ruiz,
that it didn't bother you

that your name was on the title
and therefore,

you were responsible for that car.

-And that car was driven by Miss Schulte.
-That's the part that...

Correct, that...

Just a second.
If the car was just in his name,

he can give it to whoever he likes.
But it had your name on it.

-Yes.
-[Judy] That's Psychology 101.

She had the car, you have
a certain responsibility. You work?

Um, I'm actually a 24-hour caregiver
for our son.

He has a disability.

Okay. So, your lawsuit is when
you got the car back, it was damaged.

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] Okay.
Did you have an accident with the car?

-Yes.
-[Judy] When?

April 25th.

Did you fix the car?

Um, I was going to. I was having...

[Judy]
The question is, did you fix the car?

No, I didn't.

And at that time, you had no insurance
on it 'cause your insurance had lapsed.

-Yeah.
-[Judy] Do you have a photo of the car?

I have the police report as well.

I'd like to see, and the photograph of
the car. I'll look at the police report.

-And...
-There's...

-[Judy] Just show it...
-Attached...

Does the yellow form show the mileage?

They bought it 2021.

I think so. Yeah, take a look.

So, ultimately you were told that they
were gonna report the vehicle stolen

unless you returned it.
That's what the police report says.

He told me after that...

Just a second. You told the police
the accident happened in May, on May 3rd.

"Schulte... police then asked you about
the accident she said she was involved in.

Schulte said it occurred earlier that day
on 5/3/2022

near 1500 block of Granada North.

We asked if you contacted the police,
she said she did.

Schulte said she struck another woman's
vehicle and they both pulled over.

Police officer indicates,
I felt Schulte was being deceptive

when I asked her if she called the police
about the accident."

And I don't think there's
any other police report.

Did you file a police report
about this accident on May the 3rd?

-Um, I'm guessing...
-[Judy] "Um" is not an answer.

I'm guessing that is the day
that they called the cops

to get the actual vehicle
after the accident.

I asked Schulte about the accident
she said she was involved in.

Schulte said it occurred earlier that day,
on 5/3.

-That's what the police report says.
-Okay.

There's a saying, if you tell the truth
you don't have to have a good memory.

-You were involved in an accident.
-Yes.

The damage was to
the front end of the car.

You hit another woman's car,
is that right?

Yes, I did.

That's what you told police. Whatever,
you're responsible for the damage.

She's responsible for the damage.

Oh, yeah. It's mostly to the bumper.
Right?

[Isaac] There was a lot of underlying
damage making the vehicle undriveable.

There was damage to the transmission and
some problems with the oil after.

[Judy]
I'm gonna take a look at the estimate.

I'm gonna look at the estimate, then I'm
gonna ask you a question, Mr. Thompson.

Take a look and see what the...

-The car?
-[Judy] Yeah.

I'm using an 80,000 mile valuation.
I don't know how many miles were on it.

It wasn't on the form. But it's ten
to twelve thousand for trade-in value.

Based on the 80,000 mile valuation
on it. In good condition.

Now, you signed an agreement
with your lender

that until this car is paid off that
you would maintain insurance on it.

-Correct.
-[Judy] Did you?

-I did not. I took insurance...
-Shh, shh...

Mr. Thompson, is what you're telling me
that you relied on her statement

that she had insurance on this car,
which is why you dropped the insurance?

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy]
If you stop making payments on the car,

who do you think the bank
would come after?

They would come after me.

[Judy]
Because their contract was with you.

They say to you, we're giving you
this money.

In return for that, you have to
keep this vehicle insured.

And you failed to do that.

-Yes.
-You can't do that.

[narrator] Kendall Ruiz
and Isaac Thompson

are accusing Isaac's ex-girlfriend,
Donna Schulte,

of damaging their car in an accident.

Now, you signed an agreement
with your lender

that until this car is paid off that
you would maintain insurance on it.

-Correct.
-[Judy] Did you?

-I did not. I took insurance...
-[Judy] Shh...

You signed an agreement with a bank
that you would keep insurance on this car

'cause the car really belonged to them
until it was paid off.

-Yes, Your Honor. Yes.
-[Judy] Right?

-And you did not.
-Correct.

When was the last time you made a payment
on the car?

[Isaac]
Uh, the 21st of last month.

[Judy]
The car has been with you since when?

May 3rd of '22.

-[Judy] So, a year.
-Correct.

And is what you're telling me
that you're current in your payments

-but you can't drive the car?
-Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy]
Where is it currently located?

At my parents' house. It is
sitting in the driveway at my parents'.

Mr. Thompson, is what you're telling me
that you relied on her statement

that she had insurance on this car
which is why you dropped the insurance?

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy]
You know you're not allowed to do that.

-Yes.
-[Judy] Right?

So, to fix your car is gonna cost you,
according to this estimate, $6,000.

[Isaac]
Correct, Your Honor.

How much do you think of that
is your responsibility?

Realistically, none of it.

No, legally. How much... If you stopped
making payments on the car a year ago,

who do you think the bank
would come after?

They would come after me.

[Judy] 'Cause
she had nothing to do with the bank.

Because their contract was with you.

They say to you,
we're giving you this money.

In return for that, you have to
keep this vehicle insured

so that we're guaranteed
to get our money back. Right?

And you failed to do that.

-Yes.
-[Judy] You can't do that.

That's gonna cost you $3,000
'cause you have a responsibility.

It's gonna cost you $3,000 because
you breached your agreement with him.

He breached his agreement with the bank,
you breached your agreement with him.

-Do you understand?
-Yes.

Your responsibility was to
maintain insurance on the car

pursuant to your agreement and
he had a written contract with the bank

to maintain insurance.
Did you ever ask her, by the way,

to show you proof of insurance?

I did on a few occasions, yes,
and she would tell me

that there is insurance on the car
but not actually show me anything

proving that there was insurance
on the vehicle.

And you asked her for proof of insurance?

-And I asked...
-[Judy] Just a second.

You asked her for proof
and she wouldn't show it to you.

-[Isaac] Correct. Yes.
-[Judy] Often.

And you didn't take the car back then.

I tried numerous times,
she refused to give it to me.

I don't believe that. $3,000, judgment
for the Plaintiff. We're finished here.

[bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I don't think that
I should've paid anything at all.

I think it was not correct.

I guess lesson learned from
not trying to help people out, right.

It's a little upsetting. I think she's
definitely 100% in the wrong.

She lied to us numerous times.

Honestly, it was just like a moment
where people stop

and you just get so busy looking around
and you have an accident.

She crashed our vehicle, it's inoperable

and she told us multiple times
she would pay and fix the damage.

And now, here we are, responsible
for having to pay for it.

No, it was totally fine
after I had got into the accident.

So, I'm not really sure
where that information's coming from.

It's not driveable.
It hasn't been driven in over a year.

What can you do, right?

Because she refused to give it back.

He didn't tell me anything about that
until after he filed the police report.

One of the text messages she said,
I can't give it back.

So, I know nothing about him
wanting the vehicle back

until after that conversation.

It's upsetting how it turned out.

I'm never going to help him out
ever again.

Ha, I'll worry about my own self.

You know, this isn't the first of
these kind of things that we've had.

Story may be different.
But people have to take away

that if you have a contract with a bank,
with a landlord,

with a mortgage company,
the mortgage company is not going to

accept the fact, well, I found Joe Schmoe
to take over my payments

so I'm absolved of that responsibility.
As between you and the company,

you have a responsibility.
I think it's very interesting

and I'm not so sure true, if they've been
making the payments on this car

and it's been undriveable
for almost a year.

Actually, for a year.
It's absolutely the wrong thing to do

to turn a vehicle that you have
a responsibility for contractually

-because there's a loan, to anybody else.
-Yeah.

And if you do so, because she had to
maintain insurance and put it in her name.

Well, see, you can't put it in your name
because the bank owns that car.

I think that's a great analogy
with the mortgage company as well.

You know, you sublease a room to a friend
and you make your own agreement with them,

but the background check,
the credit check that the company,

-the mortgage...
-You mean the Lessee.

The lessee are gonna use doesn't apply to
that third party that you deem acceptable.

So, yeah, I agree that...

So, you'll always be responsible
for the rent

unless the landlord decides
to allow you to sublet...

But that's their agreement
with the third party.

This was not the bank's agreement
with the Defendant.

Right.

[narrator] Have you been cheated?