01x46 - Bride's Cable Car Calamity/Apartment Up in Flames

[bunniefuu]

You lease out antique cable cars
that people use for events.

Yes, Your Honor.

It was supposed to take
the bridal party to the church,

that's it broken down
in front of the hotel.

She's been planning this wedding
since she's 12 years old.

Give me a ballpark figure
of how much you spent on this wedding?

Can I say too much?

[laughter]

I'm still drinking light beer
because of it.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Kaitlin McBride
and her father Jerry Boyle

are suing business owner
Benjamin Lichtman

for rental costs of a cable car used
on Kaitlin's wedding day.

[Kevin] Court come to order, all rise.

Have a seat, please.

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

Case number 1127,
McBride, Boyle versus Lichtman.

Thank you.

I'm gonna start with you, Mr. Lichtman.

That's usually not a good thing.

- Okay. Thank you, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] You understand that? Okay.

So I'm not gonna...don't open your papers.

You own a company,

and you lease out antique
or old cable cars

as one part of your company
that people use for events.

So far, correct?

Yes, Your Honor.

How long have you had that company?

I've been in this business since 2004.

What's the name of your company?

The name of the company
is Events West Inc.

[Judge Judy] And where is it located?

San Francisco, California.

[Judge Judy] These two folks
were getting married.

- [Benjamin] No.
- No, that's my dad.

Where's your husband?

At home with our daughter.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

When were you getting married?

June 22nd, 2019.

[Judge Judy] Father
paying for the wedding?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] That's why.

[laughter]

- [Judge Judy] First marriage?
- [Kaitlin] Yes.

[Judge Judy] You have siblings?

Yeah. An older brother.

[Judge Judy] So this was his only daughter
that he was paying for the wedding for?

Yeah.

[Judge Judy]
How many people were you having?

Two hundred and fifty.

You've been saving a long time
for this wedding?

- [Jerry] Very long.
- [Judge Judy] Very long.

She's been planning this wedding
since she's 12 years old.

So, Mr. Lichtman, as far as planning
their wedding,

one of the things that they wanted
as a kickoff

was to take their wedding party

from one location to another
in one of your cable cars.

They had that and another vehicle,
yes, Your Honor.

And that wedding was supposed
to take place when?

The ceremony or the actual...
the date or the time?

Both.

Well, it was on June 22nd, 2019.

And the timeframe was from

12:30 to 5:00 PM for the cable car

and from 12:30 to 4:30 PM
for the limo bus or land yacht.

Okay. May I see the contract
that you signed?

Did you prepare this contract?

An employee prepared this contract.

[Judge Judy]
Your company prepared the contract.

That is correct.

[Judge Judy] Yeah, you got to check
the English here.

[Benjamin] Yeah. I would draw your...

Yes. You gotta check some
of the English here, it's not English.

The last sentence of the sixth clause
and the full eighth clause

I think are relevant in this matter.

[Judge Judy] I read what's relevant, sir.

I read what you believe
is relevant to this,

so let's, let's cut to the chase.

Your cable car, you have a picture of it?

Can I see it?

Oh, that's an adorable way to travel.

You're supposed to travel
starting at 12:30,

take pictures on it.

It was supposed to take the bridal party
to the church.

- That's the reason we had two vehicles...
- Okay.

...because I wasn't seeing
my husband before the wedding.

- Not right before.
- [Kaitlin] Yeah.

[Judge Judy] So this is what
was supposed to show up.

[Kaitlin] That did show up, that's it
broken down in front of the hotel,

the bridal party snapped some pictures
getting on it

- before they realized it didn't start.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

So this is what happened.

You sent this.

- So the driver...
- [Judge Judy] Just, just a sec.

Don't tell me "the driver."

I don't care about the driver.

Cable car came to take the bridal party
to the church,

cable car didn't start.

Well, cable car...

[Judge Judy] Cable car didn't start,

did not make the journey from where
they picked up the party to the church,

Mr. Lichtman,
that would either be a yes or a no.

- The cable car...
- [Benjamin] We did...the...

...did not make the trip

from where it was supposed to pick up
the bridal party

to take them to the church

due to mechanical failure.

That is correct, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] Very good.

There's no question.

I don't have to get into
what they had to do.

They had to get Uber cars to take them.

People drove their own cars,
whatever it was.

Now we're at the church.

- That's correct, Your Honor.
- Judge Judy] Mr. Lichtman.

- [Benjamin] Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] Now we're at the church,

and the cable car was
or was not at the church?

The cable car...

[Judge Judy] Just say was
or was not at the church?

Was not.

[Judge Judy] Was not.

Was the cable car
supposed to be at the church?

Yes...either a yes or a no?

Yes, Your Honor.

It was at the church.

No, it was supposed
to be at the church.

[Judge Judy]
It was supposed to be at the church.

Was it at the church?

It was broken down
in front of the hotel.

[Judge Judy]
The answer is either a yes or a no?

It's no, Your Honor.

Was not at the church.

So now it wasn't at the place
that they were supposed to take

the bridal party to the church

and it was not at the church.

From the church, where was the cable car

supposed to take the bridal party?

It was supposed to take us
around San Francisco

to different locations
with the photographer

to get kind of classic
San Francisco wedding photos.

And from what time to what time
was that supposed to happen?

From after the ceremony so,
like, 3:00...ish till 5:00

when it brought us back
to the reception.

Okay. So the reception started at 5:00?

It started at 3:30 but the bridal party
was gonna be late because of pictures.

And you were supposed to have that
until 5:00 PM?

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

Did the cable car appear to take you

for your tour around San Francisco
and take photographs?

No, it didn't.

- Mr. Boyle.
- Yes.

Give me a ballpark figure
of how much you spent on this wedding.

Can I say too much?

[laughter]

[announcer] And later today.

So what was this baloney
that you wrote here in your answer

that you took an apartment that
she was supposed to move in with you?

That's, that's now.

- Oh, that's now?
- [Brandon] Yes, ma'am.

[laughs]

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Kaitlin McBride
and her father Jerry Boyle

claimed business owner Benjamin Lichtman

owes for rental costs of a cable car

after it broke down
on Kaitlin's wedding day.

[Judge Judy] Okay. Did it take you

- from the church around San Francisco...
- No, no.

...to take photographs
of the wedding party

in certain San Francisco landmarks

with you in your dress?

No, it didn't.

And how long did it take you
to get the dress

fitted and picked out?

A year and a half, two years. [scoffs]

- [Judge Judy] Mr. Boyle?
- [Jerry] Yes.

Give me a ballpark figure
of how much you spent on this wedding.

Can I say too much?

[laughter]

[Judge Judy] Did you spend six figures
on this wedding?

Yes, we did.

I'm still drinking light beer
because of it.

I figured it sounds like
a six-figure plus wedding.

You see your bus broke down.

- Yes, Your Honor.
- Don't speak.

What I don't understand is

from the perspective
of a business person

who told me the name
of your company, right?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] In San Francisco

and you're still in business, right?

Well, I've been closed for...
due to COVID for quite a while

but we're at...still in business,
yes, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] But you're still in business
and you hopefully plan

that one day when this pandemic is over

that you're gonna go back into business.

To borrow a million dollars
from the government

and make a go at it, yes.

Yes, well, how much money did you get
so far from the government?

Very little.

[Judge Judy] How much money did you get
so far from the government?

Twenty-five thousand
two hundred and four dollars

which I used to pay employees and rent,
not myself.

Maybe.

This is what I don't understand.

Mr. Boyle spent six figures.

I didn't ask him what figure
but spent six figures on this wedding

that his daughter had been planning
since she's 12 years old,

a wedding of her dreams
which included a cable car.

- Yes, Your Honor, I...
- [Judge Judy] And then...

- I didn't ask you a question.
- Uh-hmm.

They asked you for a refund

because they didn't get
the entire service that they...

don't speak...don't speak just listen.

And then you tell me whether you think
you made a wise business decision.

They didn't get the full service

or the vast majority of the service

that they bargained for.

And Mr. Boyle wants his $1,700 back.

That's a spit in the bucket
to what he spent on this wedding.

So for him, I'm telling you,
is a matter of principle

because they had to go through
the effort of filing papers or whatever.

And then, how many times
did you continue this case since 2019?

In small claims court?

I want you to be very careful.

Maybe you don't remember,
was it more than five or less than five?

I don't recall, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] How many times
did he continue this case

in small claims court?

Well, he continued it four times
but he, due to other circumstances,

they continued the case,
he tried to appear by Zoom

and didn't fill out the proper paperwork.

And so that got continued,
but it wasn't...

That was in addition
to the four times that he...

that he just said,
"I want a continuance."

Yes.

And now, they say I want a refund

because they didn't get
what they bargained for.

You have a company.

Hopefully five, six million people
are gonna watch this program.

They know the name of your company.

They know where it is.

They didn't provide the service.

And they said, we'll give you a credit.

- With all due respect, Your Honor.
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

- If I may, Your Honor. If I...if I...
- [Judge Judy] We'll give you...

- No, You Honor.
- [Judge Judy] With...

- No!
- [Judge Judy] We'll give you a credit.

- No!
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

- This is...
- [Judge Judy] That's exactly...

Enough of your railroading,
Your Honor.

[Judge Judy] That's, that's exactly
what you said in your answer, sir.

- [Benjamin] Enough of your railroading
- Sir, that's exactly.

what you said in your answer.

We told them we would give them a credit.

[Benjamin]
That was in the terms and conditions

- of the contract that they signed.
- [Judge Judy] Four hours of service...

- If Mr...if Mr. Boyle...
- [Judge Judy] ...on the 19th Saturday.

...had wanted to negotiate,

he should have negotiated prior
to the signing of the contract.

Seventeen hundred dollars,
judgment for the plaintiff.

- We're done.
- We don't give a full refund.

- We either...
- [Kevin] Court is adjourned.

The offer we made was reasonable

in line with other transportation
operators in San Francisco.

The groom almost missed the wedding.

That's the industry.
It's a tough industry.

He was just playing games
for the last two years.

[Sarah] The cable car, that's different.
I hadn't thought of that.

But I'll need to bookmark it
just for future reference, just in case.

- It was a...
- [Sarah] Good idea.

It's an adorable idea.

And one thing I never understand
with some business people,

- especially if there's really no issue.
- Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] Why do you want to expose
your company to any sort of litigation

and then continue a case

so that you're really just
wearing out the plaintiff,

- when the amount was miniscule?
- Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] Compared to the reputation
of your company.

People go on the internet

and they check the number of stars
that a company has.

Why would you want to risk that
for $1,700?

- [Sarah] I agree.
- Absolutely ridiculous.

Bad judgment, bad business.

Case number 1136,
Kennedy versus McKinney.

All parties please come forward.

[announcer] Ayanna Kennedy is suing
her ex-boyfriend Brandon McKinney

for damages caused by a fire.

Let me see if I understand this.

Ms. Kennedy,
this used to be your boyfriend.

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] A couple of years ago

you shared an apartment together?

- Correct.
- Where?

St. Louis, Missouri.

When did you sign the lease
on the apartment?

I signed the lease January of 2020.

[Judge Judy] Who was on the lease?

Just me, Ayanna Kennedy.

You have a copy of that lease?

Yes, I do.

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

How you doing? Here's the...

[Judge Judy] Okay.
When did Mr. McKinney move in with you?

He moved in two months after.

- So in March?
- [Ayanna] Yes.

- [Judge Judy] Of 2021?
- Yes.

- [Judge Judy] And he was your boyfriend?
- Yes.

And he lived there for how long?

I'll say like four or five months maximum.

When did he move out?

He moved out in...
well, I put him out, he...

put him out like around late...
was it September?

It was, like, I mean early September,

it was early September when I put him out.

September of?

September of...

I can't really remember it was August...

late August, early September.

It was like...okay, 'cause
I left out of town at the fifth.

So, probably like around the first,
it was...it was...

- [Judge Judy] Listen to me.
- [Ayanna] Around the time...

Stop talking to yourself out loud.
I asked you a question.

The question was
when did he no longer live with you?

You know, I'm cordial with the guy

who seats me at my table
at the restaurant.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] I say. [chuckles]

How are you?
Beautiful day today, there's no smog.

When you say a little more than cordial,

you have to be a lot more than cordial

to think about
taking an apartment together.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Ayanna Kennedy claims
her ex-boyfriend, Brandon McKinney

owes for damages
after starting a fire in her apartment.

[Judge Judy] Listen to me.
I asked you a question.

The question was
when did he no longer live with you?

That's a month, a day, and a year.

Think to yourself, don't think out loud.

You signed the lease January 2020.

It was a 12-month lease.

I put him out September of 2020.

There was a fire in your apartment.

That's what this case is about,
in October of 2020.

And the fire was in your house

when the defendant was there.

He was there with your permission.

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] So far, correct?

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] And there was a fire there

that destroyed part of the residence

- and furniture and other personalty.
- Correct.

[Judge Judy] Which rendered the apartment
uninhabitable,

- you couldn't live there.
- Right.

[Judge Judy]
According to the terms of your lease,

the landlord was supposed to provide you

when you couldn't live there
with a like premises in the same complex.

Did the landlord provide you
with a like residence in the same complex?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Then the landlord terminated this lease.

It's in here.

It says if the apartment is destroyed
by fire, the landlord has two options.

Fire amongst other things,
he can find a like premises for you

until the apartment is finished
or you can terminate the lease.

You chose to terminate the lease?

No, I didn't.

Well, did you live in the apartment?

I did live, I asked him is there...
he can't give me another unit.

He said he don't know about that.

Well, just a minute.
So, in October of 2020,

did you live in the apartment
after the fire?

- No.
- Where did you live?

[Ayanna] I went home with my mother.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
Did you pay rent in October?

I did.

[Judge Judy] Did you pay rent in November?

Yes, I had finished off my lease.

You finished out your lease
by paying your rent and didn't live there.

Show me. Show me that you paid your rent?

Well, I don't have that here.

Well, that's what you're here for.

That's what you're here for.

There was a fire in the apartment.

You're not a fire marshal, are you?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

So you're here because
they kept your security on your apartment

but your lease specifically provides

that either the lease will terminate,

or the landlord has to find you
another apartment.

And you say you paid rent even though
you were living with your mother,

which I don't believe.

So why not live there?

So you want your security deposit back
from him.

They kept your security deposit

and you claim
that he was the reason for the fire.

- Which is true.
- Well, I don't know if that's true.

And you can't prove that's true,
you were out of town.

He says it was a faulty electrical wire...

He was responsible for the fire.

It's in the report.

They said someone left
the eyelid on the stove.

He was the only one there,

the stove didn't come on by itself.

I don't know.

[Ayanna] He was there.
He admitted to it.

He said he was cooking something
and he ran out the house

and forgot the stove was on.

And?

The whole apartment was burnt up,

- to a crisp.
- And?

- And?
- The landlord knows that he did it.

[Judge Judy]
I don't know what the landlord does.

I don't even know if he was living there.

He says, after this whole thing happened,
he took an apartment.

You were supposed to move in with him.

Is that right?
Is that what you said?

Yes, ma'am.

And where was that apartment
that she was supposed to move into?

My apartment that I live currently.

Do you remember
when she came home after the fire?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] Did you see her
after she came home?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judge Judy] After the fire?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Where did you see her? Where...

[Brandon] At the apartment.

- At the apartment?
- [Brandon] Yes, ma'am.

Were you able to live
in the apartment?

I actually stayed there.

[Judge Judy]
You were staying there after the fire?

- Yes, ma'am, where...
- Just...

- [Brandon] Yes, ma'am.
- Just answer my questions.

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

So there was a fire.

There was a lot of damage,
but you slept there?

Yes, ma'am.

Did you sleep there
for more than one night?

Yes, ma'am.

How long did you sleep there?

I slept there about a week.

When did she come home?

- The end of that week.
- Okay.

What happened when she came home?

When she came home,
she began to examine for damages

and, of course, her family came over,

they um proceeded to repair the damages,

like she had couches, clothes,
and things of that nature.

So they took those out
and got those refurbished.

- And?
- [Brandon] And then after that,

she moved in with her parents.

I moved in with my child's mother.

So you never stayed in the apartment
with her together?

Not after October.

- [Judge Judy] Not after October.
- No, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] So what was this baloney
that you wrote here

in your answer that you took an apartment
that she was supposed to move in with you?

That's, that's now.

- [Judge Judy] Oh, that's now?
- Yes, ma'am.

[laughs]

[Brandon] October,
October when the fire happened,

she went to her mother's house.

I went to my child's mother house.

- Because he had nowhere to stay.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And then what happened
with your child's mother?

[Brandon] My child's mother,
me and her, we ended up falling out.

So I ended up living with my grandmother

while she was still living
with her parents.

And then?

Then I proceeded to get an apartment
for us to not have to...

[Judge Judy] So let me ask you
this question, Mr. McKinney.

Since the fire, have you had...

- since the fire.
- [Brandon] Yes.

Sine you were supposed to get
an apartment together recently.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] I assume

that you got back together
at some point.

Friends, cordial, of course,
a little more than cordial.

[Judge Judy] Well, you know,

I'm cordial with the guy
who seats me at my table.

[Brandon] Right.

[Judge Judy]
Number 35 at the restaurant.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] I'm cordial, I say.

[chuckles] How are you?
Beautiful day today, there's no smog here.

It's lovely to be out.

When you say a little more than cordial,

Mr. McKinney,
you have to be a lot more than cordial

to think about taking
an apartment together.

- For sure.
- For sure.

- [Brandon] Yes, ma'am.
- Now, my question is,

were you a little more cordial
with Ms. Kennedy

at your grandmother's house
or at her parents' house?

At my grandmother's house
for sure.

[Judge Judy] Oh, for sure.

[Brandon] I apologize.

[Judge Judy] Was your grandmother home?

- Yeah.
- Yes, ma'am.

Could you stand up for a moment,
please?

[Gloria] Yes.

[Judge Judy]
Thank you. Your last name is?

Lee.

- [Judge Judy] Ms. Lee.
- Yes.

- Grandson?
- [Gloria] Yes.

- [Judge Judy] You like him?
- Love him.

[Judge Judy] He's cute.

[laughs] He's cute.

That was cute.

Did you ever see Ms. Kennedy
in your house within the last year?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] How often?

[Gloria] Not that often but, yeah,
she came to visit.

She came to visit who?

My grandson.

[Judge Judy] Did she ever stay over?

Yes.

[Judge Judy] Your case is dismissed,
Ms. Kennedy, we're finished.

Thank you very much.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

The judge is dead wrong.

By the time I came back
it was just flames, you know.

He burned down my apartment.
I was gone, out of town.

No, I never promised her anything.

The universe is gonna get him.

[Sarah] I am for sure that I've never been

slightly more than cordial
with anyone in your house.

And I've lived with you
on and off for years.

So, I found that very funny.

It was...it was funny, and I believe you.

[Sarah laughs] Yeah.

And I think that that grandmother
was a sweet soul

and she loves him
'cause it's her grandson.

But, you know,
that line has got to be somewhere.

He'll find it.

[announcer] Want justice?



[theme music playing]