01x111 - Shared Driveway Destruction

[bunniefuu]

[Judge Judy] She says
you vandalized her car

and you threatened her with a g*n.

She pulled a weapon out on me.

She tell me, "I'mma blow your head
off."

Any other incidents?

He had threatened
to set the house on fire.

Well, I have the voicemail.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[announcer] Dion Stanford
is suing his neighbor,

Kenisha Jeffery, and property owner,
Karen Hubbard,

for driveway damages
and threats to his life.

[Kevin] Court come to order.

Be seated, please.

Hello, Judge.

Case 1096,
Stanford versus Jeffrey, Hubbard.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Mr. Stanford,

you purchased a home recently,

and you purchased that home
in order to fix it up and flip it,

according to your complaint.

When did you purchase the home?

[Dion] It was in August of 2020.

How much did you pay
for the house in August of 2020?

Fifteen thousand.

Tell me what kind of house it is.

[Dion] Uh It's your basic
fixer-upper.

It's a single family,
three bedroom, attic,

basement, um and it has a shared
driveway.

And what do you expect to sell it
for?

[Dion] I recently had a offer for


Good for you. That's terrific.

How much do you think you put into
it?

Roughly 26,000, 27,000.

Still a very handsome profit.

Do you live in the houses
while you're renovating them?

- [Dion] Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Who lives with you?

Just me.

I have um my children come over
from time to time but it's just me.

But you live there and work there.
You do most the work yourself?

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] Terrific. Okay.

Who is the owner of the house next
door?

It is Karen Hubbard.

- [Judge Judy] That would be you.
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] Ever have any problem
with her?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] No.

Ever have any problem with him?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] You're fine.

This is your tenant.

Yes.

[Judge Judy] They have problems
with each other.

Yes.

[Judge Judy] Mr. Stanford,
are you still living in the house?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] The only reason

that you're suing Ms. Hubbard

is because it is your claim
that Ms. Jeffery

caused damage to a common driveway

- that the two of you share...
- Correct.

[Judge Judy]
...and that her tenant damaged

when you were redoing the driveway.

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] You're also suing her

for threatening you with a handgun.

Ms. Jeffery is counterclaiming

because she says you vandalized her
car

and you threatened her with a g*n.

Now, do you have photographs
of the driveway?

- [Dion] Yes.
- May I see it, please?

[Dion] Here you go.

And I see we have a screen up

so you also have video of this
driveway?

No. I think that's their video.

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

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

because what I gather is
there's a common driveway

and then it sort of veers off
into parking spaces

behind the house
for each one of the houses.

That is correct.

[Judge Judy] Is that correct, Ms.
Hubbard?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And whose car is in the front?

[Dion] That is Kenisha's car,
the white one.

[Judge Judy] And your car is behind
her...

- [Dion] Correct. Right.
- [Judge Judy] ...blocking her?

What was your vehicle doing
in the driveway?

[Kenisha] That's where I park
since I've moved into my home.

[Judge Judy] Well, you can't park
there.

That's the way he gets into
his house.

- It is his parking.
- He's never parked there.

[Judge Judy] Just a second.
Is what you're telling me

that there's no place behind the
house for two cars to park.

- There is...
- [Kenisha] There is,

but my vehicles have been vandalized

in the back of the home
where there's no surveillance,

so I do like to park my car...

You can't do that!

What, are you crazy?

[Kenisha] He told both of us
that it was not a shared driveway.

Just a second. You can't park there.

[chuckles] That means that he can't

get to his parking space behind the
house.

Okay. You're a tenant.

The owner of the house next door
and the owner of the house

that you're renting have
a shared driveway in order to access,

and there is clearly...there has to be
an owner and an easement someplace.

Somebody has an easement
to get to their back.

Do you know which of you has the
easement

and which of you owns that driveway?

It's actually split right down the
middle. My deed here

says that it's so many feet that
belong to me,

so many feet that belongs to her.

[Judge Judy] What a horror show.
You acknowledge that?

- Just a...Ms. Hubbard.
- [Karen] He sent that to me.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] He sent that to you?

- [Karen] Yes.
- [Judge Judy] So,

as far as you're concerned,
you own half the driveway

- and he owns half the driveway.
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] So that neither
one of you could park your car

and leave it there

because you would be trespassing
on the other's property.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] The fact that your

tenant parks there 'cause she likes
to is not an excuse.

You understand that?

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

When we purchased the house,

we were told that it was not
a shared driveway.

[Judge Judy] Well, how is he supposed
to get his car

into his spot in the back?

He's supposed to fly it over?

No. He agreed with us that it was
not a shared driveway. I have text

messages from him agreeing that it
wasn't a shared driveway.

[Judge Judy] Oh, okay.
I'd like to see that. Okay.

So on what date
did you become aware of the fact

that he had information

that suggests that he was mistaken,

that it w-was a shared driveway?

- It would have been May 6th.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And he said to you on May 5th,

"I just had the land surveyed
and the driveway is shared.

Can you send a picture of the
paperwork so I can send it to her?"

- Yes. That's what I said to him.
- [Judge Judy] To her.

Because they had been
having trouble with the driveway...

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] ...and her parking

in the driveway.

When did that trouble begin, Ms.
Jeffery?

When did you start parking
in the driveway?

- The day I moved in.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

- And that was April 1st?
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy] But within the month,
you learned

that it was a shared driveway?

Yes.

Did you continue to park there?

Yes.

Well, you can't do that.

Okay. You've told me
you continued to park there

because your car was getting
vandalized.

Yes.

[Judge Judy] That's what you told
me.

On what date was your car
first vandalized?

May 17th.

[Judge Judy] That's before he moved
in.

He was still over there...

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

That's before he moved in.

Had you spoken to him before he
moved in?

[Kenisha] Yes.

[Judge Judy] How often?

The beginnin' of April

when I had moved in my place.

He walked in my home and he said that

the utility company
that was placing my internet,

that they needed to move
their utility van.

And I said they have to have access
to the side of my house

in order to provide service.

When they're done, they'll move.

- [Judge Judy] Okay.
- [Kenisha] He came to tell me that

Spectrum Services needed to move

their utility van out of the
driveway.

- And?
- [Kenisha] And I said

when they're done performing service,
they will move their van.

Why can't they move their van before?

He needed his equipment.
That's where he chose to park.

Do you remember that day?

- I remember it very well.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

You wanna tell me your version
of what happened?

[suspenseful music playing]

What was the shouting match about?

That she shouldn't park here
while I'm busting up concrete

'cause her car gone get damaged.

So she tell me, "If my car gets
damaged,

I'mma blow your head off."

And that's when she pulled a g*n
out.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Dion Stanford claims
his neighbor, Kenisha Jeffery,

and property owner, Karen Hubbard,

owe for damages caused
to their shared driveway.

Kenisha is countersuing,
claiming Dion owes for damages

after he vandalized her car.

Bottom line, what this case is about

is you claim that you did in fact
redo the driveway...

I did.

[Judge Judy] ...after it was found
out

that it belonged both to you
and Ms. Hubbard.

That the concrete work was done

and you had it coned off

so that nobody would park on it
until it was set,

and the tenant parked on it

and damaged the fresh driveway.

Correct.

[Judge Judy] That's what the case
is about.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] And your claim

that you were threatened by the
defendant and/or family member.

Multiple times.

By her or family member?

[Dion] No. By her.
She called a couple uncles over.

They didn't threaten me.
They were more or less...yeah.

[Judge Judy] Okay. Then...they...all
right.

So that was nasty conversation,

since she's now alleging
that you had a g*n

and you're now alleging
that she had a weapon.

It's...it has been a couple of cases
where she pulled a weapon out on me.

[Judge Judy] Oh, that's terrible.

Not neighborly.
Makes things very uncomfortable.

- Right. Right.
- [Judge Judy] I don't know whether

[chuckles] he's moving or whether
he's staying in the house,

but that's a very unpleasant
situation for everybody to be in.

Tell me what your version
of what happened on the 17th.

I pulled up to the house, and her
car was parked in the driveway.

Spectrum wasn't there.
It was no utility truck there.

I actually went in the house
to introduce myself

'cause I had never talked to her
before.

That was on May 17th.

[Dion] This is in April.
Like the end of April.

April 24th, somewhere around there.

[Judge Judy]
Oh, that was about the time...

That's when I first found out
she had lived there

because there was a previous tenant
there that we had no problems at all.

She pulled to the back.
I pulled to the back.

- Everything was cool.
- [Judge Judy] Go ahead.

[Dion] So I go over to introduce
myself.

I go in. I say, "Hi. I'm Dion.

I'm the next door... I own the house.

I was gonna start working on the
driveway,

so I need you to pull to the back
or park on the street

because I'm 'bout
to start busting up concrete."

So she tells me that Karen told her
that the driveway wasn't shared.

So I say, "Okay.
I'll get in touch with Karen."

And these are the text messages
that I sent Karen.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

But I have a copy of that.

"When I bought the house,
they said it was."

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] "I'll have a surveyor

come out 'cause I was going to repave
half the driveway that they didn't

do. But if it's not my land,
I wonder why they only paved half."

[Dion] I was being sarcastic.

[Judge Judy] Okay. And then
you took a picture from the website?

- [Dion] No. That's what she...
- [Judge Judy] She did?

And then you wrote,
"Looks like you're right. My fault."

- Correct. Correct.
- [Judge Judy] That was at 03/10.

And then on May 5th, 2021,

you say, "I just had the land
surveyed and the driveway is shared."

She says, "Can you send
a picture of the paperwork

so I can send it to her, please?"

Kevin, I'd like to see the paperwork

that Mr. Stanford sent to Ms.
Hubbard.

This is the paperwork you sent to
her?

[Dion] Yes. That's from the deed.

[Judge Judy] So each of you own
three and a half feet.

Is this what he sent you?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

- So you're accepting this as...
- [Karen] Yes.

...it's a shared driveway.

Each of you own a piece of it.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

And what people are supposed to do
is to park in the back.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

So now we're in April.

Tell me what happened after April.

[Dion] After I told her about the
um... it's shared

and I told her I was gonna start
busting the concrete up

so I could get new concrete down,

I roped off the front of the
driveway down with caution tape.

I'm in my driveway,
jackhammering concrete.

Out of the blue, she pulls up
like a bat out of hell, run

through the caution tape and come
about this close to hitting me.

So I then dropped the jackhammer down
and walk towards the car

to ask her what the problem is.

She hurries back out,
zips down the street.

I go back to doing what I was doing.

Next thing I know she come pull back
up, her uncles pull up.

So we get in a shouting match.
I tell her uncle...

[Judge Judy] What was
the shouting match about?

[Dion] That she shouldn't park here
while I'm busting up concrete

'cause her car gone get damaged.

So she tell me, "If my car gets
damaged, I'mma blow your head off."

And that's when she pull a g*n out.

So, at that time,
I walked back around to my house

to, you know, get...
put some distance between us.

So her uncles calm her down.

She goes in the house.

I continue to go back
to doing the concrete.

Police pull up.
They come talk to me first.

I let 'em know what was going on.
They went in the house with her.

They discussed whatever they had
to discuss with her.

They come back out, and God is my
witness,

both officers told me...

[Judge Judy] You can't tell me
what they told you.

- Okay.
- It's hearsay.

[Dion] Basically...

- Not basically.
- [Dion] Yeah.

Not anyway.

You can't...so the officers came out,
as a result of their discussions,

were you told to stop
breaking up the cement?

[Dion] No. No. They...
they said go ahead and...

[Judge Judy] No.
Don't tell me what they said.

- Okay.
- Did you continue

- to break up the old cement?
- Yes.

- [Karen] He did stop.
- [Judge Judy] Hmm?

He did not continue breaking up
that...

the police made him stop.

[Judge Judy]
Well, eventually it was continued...

- [Karen] Right. Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] ...because he broke up

all the cement and then he put down
a new cement driveway...

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] ...that benefited you.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] And if you lived

in that house...

think about this before you answer.

And if your neighbor, at his expense,

was improving your property
by making a cement driveway,

would you let the cement dry
before you pulled into the driveway?

- I would.
- [Judge Judy] You would,

because that's what a reasonable
person would do, right?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] A reasonable person

would say, "This is wet cement

and there are cones here for a
reason."

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Right?

"So I'm gonna let it completely dry.

I'm gonna treat this house
as if it's my own."

- Right?
- Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] Instead of parking
on not fully cured cement.

- You would've done that.
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] Because you are
a reasonable person.

Yes.

[Judge Judy] And because
you don't have a terrible temper.

Correct.

[Judge Judy] Right.

Now, if somebody did in fact
park on wet cement,

you would consider that
irresponsible behavior.

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] J-J- And the fact that

there are cautionary tapes or cones

suggesting that this is wet would,
as a reasonably prudent person,

suggest to your mind, "Gee,

I'm gonna see whether this is cured."

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Your tenant

- didn't do that, right?
- Correct.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

Did you discuss, Ms. Hubbard,
with your tenant

the fact that she drove
on the cement driveway

that wasn't completely cured?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] No?

Did the plaintiff discuss with you?

- [Karen] Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Do you remember

the date that he called you?

- I do.
- What was the date?

- Well, I have the voicemail.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

[suspenseful music playing]

You're not suggesting that he took
nails

and hammered them into your tire?

The only proof that you have
that he had anything to do

with the problem with your tire

is that he said to you that's what
happens

when you park in people's driveway.

I'm not hearing that somebody
vandalized your car.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Dion Stanford
is accusing his neighbor,

Kenisha Jeffery,
of damaging his new driveway.

Kenisha claims Dion
vandalized her car in retaliation.

Do you remember the date
that he called you?

I do.

- What was the date?
- [Karen] Well, I have the voicemail.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

[Dion] Hi, Karen. This is Dion next
door.

I really need you to come over
so you can see...

how your tenants is costing you money

because I just got this concrete
poured on Friday.

It takes 5 to 7 days for it to cure.

They already parked on my new
concrete so,

if my concrete cracks...

One of ya'll gonna owe me $5,000.

So, like I said I need you to come on
over so we can get an understanding.

In front of these tenants or
we gonna have problems.

[Judge Judy] So what did you do

when you got the call from him,
which was very calm?

The demeanor was a calm demeanor.

Uh-hmm.

[Judge Judy] I have to tell you,

if 20 years ago or 10 years ago,

that were my husband and somebody did
that...

you couldn't play the recording
on a PG program.

[laughter]

[Judge Judy] So his message
was relatively calm.

You're the landlord.
What action do you take?

- I called her.
- [Judge Judy] And what did she say?

She said she did not park on the
concrete.

[Judge Judy] This is the photograph.

I assume that that's your car?

Yes.

[Judge Judy] And I assume
that those are cones?

- Yeah.
- [Judge Judy] Yeah?

But there is a problem here
because it looks as if

the tire of your car
is on concrete that's chipping.

So is what you're telling me
that there was never a time

while these cones were up

that you pulled in to the driveway

and either left your car
or went into the back?

I just wanna make certain that
that's what you're telling me?

'Cause I've read your answer.

Is what you're telling me
that while the cones were up,

'cause you clearly you saw...

[Kenisha] They're still right
there.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
Is what you're telling me

that while the cones were up,

immediately after the concrete was
poured

and several days thereafter,

you did not pull your car
onto the driveway?

Is that what you're telling me?

You said while the cones were there?
Yes.

- The cones were still there.
- [Judge Judy] No. No.

That's not what I'm asking you.

You seem like an intelligent person.

You see, 'cause he's not crazy.

I have to make a picture
based upon common sense

on my...

seven odd decades on this planet,

as to why this man

would call your landlord and say,

"My concrete is not cured yet

and your tenant has her car
on the driveway,"

if it wasn't so.

This is his business.

And I'm getting the impression

that this was an annoyance for you.

You started out by saying to me,

"I parked the car in the driveway

because my car was vandalized,

and that's the only way
I can secure video,

or footage of my car's security
by parking it in the driveway."

That's not a reason.

The answer is get
another security camera in the back.

That's the answer,
not to park in the driveway.

Okay.

Perfect.

- You do understand that?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] Because that's the way
we started this case,

"I parked there because my car
was vandalized."

Now, I see that there's concrete here

and I see that
there's one chip in the concrete...

- [Dion] Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] ...that you showed me.

That one chip and the concrete
is not worth $6,000.

- Do you understand?
- I do.

[Judge Judy] Because worst-case
scenario, you chip out

that piece of concrete and you lay
another piece of concrete.

And there's no question
that she parked her car there.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] None at all, okay?

So now give me a rough estimate
of what you think

it's gonna cost to fix that patch

which is the only damage that I see...

the only proof of damage that I see.

[Dion] Probably about 900 to 1,100
bucks.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
They're gonna pay for that.

Appreciate it.

[Judge Judy] They're gonna pay for
that.

Now, you have a counterclaim,

and your counterclaim is

that the plaintiff vandalized your
car?

Yes.

I'm waiting for the dates and the
proof.

- There were two of my vehicles...
- [Judge Judy] Hmm?

...that were vandalized.

I just need the dates
and the proof that he did it.

- Can I sit down?
- [Judge Judy] Yeah. Sure.

- You have to sit down?
- [Karen] Yes.

- Go ahead.
- [Karen] Okay.

[Judge Judy] Okay. She's gonna show
me that her cars were vandalized.

I'd like to see that.

And then I'd like to see proof
that the plaintiff

is the person who vandalized your
car.

- Oh.
- [Judge Judy] Let me see what...

don't speak.

- You wanted to sit down.
- [Karen] I needed to add something.

- I didn't know.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Sorry.

The day that they got in the big
fight and the police were there,

and I spoke to Dion because he had
threatened to set the house on fire.

- [Judge Judy] Did you hear that?
- [Karen] No. No.

[Judge Judy] Okay. I don't want you
to tell me anything that you didn't

- hear. You said...
- [Karen] No. I'm gonna say

what he said to me because I told
him...

[Judge Judy] Fine.
Then you tell me...then you tell me...

..."You can't threaten her,

you know, that you're gonna set
the house on fire."

[Judge Judy] Just a second, listen
to me.

I'm not hearing that.
That's what she told you.

Okay. But I'm telling you what I
told him.

And then what he told me was,

"I don't threaten people.

I'll do what I need to do
to get her out, whatever it is."

[Judge Judy] Okay. Now, you can sit
down.

- So that's what he said.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Ms. Jeffery, is Kevin bringing me
all the evidence that you have

of the damage to your car

and that the plaintiff
did that damage to your car?

[Kenisha] No I don't have proof
that he did it to my car.

But when I did approach him
about the situation,

- his verbal statement to me...
- [Judge Judy] Just a second.

So the answer is,

you have no proof

that he damaged either of your cars?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] There came a time

when you say you approached him,

and that was after the vandalizing
of your cars?

Yes.

[Judge Judy] What did you say to him?

[Kenisha] I said, "There are nails
and a razor blade in my tire

that came from your debris."

And he said, "That's what you get
for parking in people's driveways."

You're not suggesting that he took
nails

and hammered them into your tire?

- The razor blade was indeed...
- [Judge Judy] No. Just a second.

You're not suggesting that?

I mean, I built homes
and I know what happens

when you have people building out.

There are nails. There are screws.
There are whatever.

I'm constantly...I'm so vigilant.

If I go into any community parking
lot,

I look down to see if there are
screws,

but I know about debris that comes
from a house being remodeled.

So the only proof that you have
that he had anything to do

with the problem with your tire
is that he said to you,

"That's what happens
when you park in people's driveway,"

because it started out with there
was debris all over the driveway.

I'm not hearing
that somebody vandalized your car.

Indeed then why is there a razor
blade, in my tire?

[Judge Judy] I don't know why.
I don't answer questions.

- I need...
- [Kenisha] And the debris is in

- the back of the home.
- [Judge Judy] ...proof.

I need proof, madam,

that he vandalized your car.

That's why he doesn't want me
to park on camera.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
The counterclaims dismissed.

Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of $900.

We're finished here. Thank you very
much.

Court is adjourned.

I think the judge was fair.

'Cause he's a liar and a narcissist.

Like I said, it's just been a hassle
and an inconvenience.

He's bad for our neighborhood.

I'm selling it and I'm gone.

[Judge Judy] I think, Sarah, the
only saving grace for these people

is that they're both temporary.

His plan is to sell it to somebody
else.

That's a constant source of
irritation...

- Yeah.
- [Judge Judy] ...you know,

when you have a shared driveway.

It doesn't have to be, if everyone
just does the right thing

and does what they're supposed to do.

[Judge Judy] Right. It's resolved.
One of them is gonna move.

Yeah.

[announcer] Want justice?


[theme music playing]