01x112 - Dog-Watching Nightmare; Ex-Fiancée Fight

[bunniefuu]

You asked if she would watch
the two dogs that you had?

Yes.

I went out there to check on them
and they were nowhere in sight.

You suggest that they were stolen.

They were very expensive dogs.

Well, I know she did something with them.

I have no proof of that.

Well, I just feel like...

And I...and I don't want you
to tell me what you feel.

[announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Charmaine Collins is suing
her neighbor, Beth Jessie,

for the cost of two Yorkie-poos
and emotional distress.

[Kevin] Court come to order. All rise.

Be seated, please.

- [Kevin] Good morning, judge.
- [Judge Judy] Good morning.

Case 1107. Collins versus Jessie.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Ms. Collins, the case is really
not a difficult one.

The facts of it aren't difficult.

- You and the defendant are neighbors.
- Yes.

- You know each other?
- Yes, Your Honor.

[Judge Judy]
You were going away on vacation.

- And you have two small dogs?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] You asked the defendant

if she would watch the two dogs
that you had?

- Yeah.
- [Judge Judy] And along with a bird?

- Yes.
- Were you paying her?

- Yes, I was gonna pay her.
- [Judge Judy] How much?

- Maybe about 50 or 60 bucks.
- [Judge Judy] Not about.

Did you discuss with her that you will...

We didn't discuss the price.
We just discussed her being paid.

[Judge Judy] Okay. So there was not
a contract between the two of you

because a contract
would require certain specifics.

If you said to her, watch my dog,
I'll pay you.

Is that what she said?

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] Okay. So the...

that's not a contract.

A contract needs specific terms.

Anyway, she was watching your dogs.

And during the time that the dogs
were in her care, they disappeared?

Yes, Your Honor.

And they disappeared
according to your complaint

under the circumstances that
would suggest that they were stolen

because the defendant showed you

the dog's collars that she found

when she was searching for the dogs

in a parking lot not far from your house.

Yes. Right. Yup.

Which would suggest that the dogs
didn't run away,

- but somebody took them?
- Correct.

[Judge Judy]
Would that be a fair statement?

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] We all understand now

what this case is about.

You want her to compensate you

for the two dogs and emotional distress,

which is nonsense.

When did you leave the dogs with her?

Uh, like June the 18th.

And how long were you going to be away?

Um, about five days.

[Judge Judy] Had she ever watched
the dogs before?

No, I had just gotten 'em
maybe like three months prior.

- [Judge Judy] So they were puppies?
- Yes, babies.

Where did you get them from?

[Charmaine] Uh, I bought them from Hoobly.

I have a Hoobly account
and they sell and buy dogs,

and I met a person that was selling them,
and I agreed to buy 'em.

And I drove, like,
four and a half hours away.

What's Hoobly? Explain that to me.

[Charmaine] Hoobly is a, um, a dog site

where people register
to buy and sell puppies.

Had you ever used this site before?

My daughter. I got it from her.

She got her dog from Hoobly,
so she told me about it

and I signed up
and I purchased dogs as well.

[Judge Judy] I'm just curious.
So this is not a breeder.

This is a group?

Yes. Some breeders
are in the group though.

[Sarah] It's sort of like a...
seems like a Craigslist for dogs.

People post ads dogs for sale
looking for dogs, those sorts of things.

How much did you pay
for each of the puppies?

- 2,500 apiece.
- [Judge Judy] Expensive.

Yes.

[Judge Judy]
What kind of dogs were they?

They were miniature Yorkie-poos, two boys.

You have pictures of them?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] May I seem them, please?

Well, you're giving me more than pictures.

Is this what they look like?

- [Charmaine] Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Cute.

So at the time that the defendant
was watching them for you,

they were about four months old?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Did you ever discuss

with the defendant
how much you paid for them?

No, I never discussed
how much I paid for them.

I just told her that
they were very expensive dogs.

She never said that.

- Do you have dogs?
- [Beth] I do.

I have three Eskijacks.

They're American Eskimo
Jack Russell Terriers,

a designer breed as well.

How much did you pay for them?

Um, I didn't pay for anything for them.

They are a litter from my Eskimo
that I kept.

And what did you breed your Eskimo with?

So Abigail, um, she is an
American Eskimo miniature.

Um she actually just got out
of the fence one day

- and bred herself with a Jack Russell.
- [laughs]

And we ended up with four puppies
and I got stuck with three of them.

- They're my world.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

So the fence that she got out of

is the same area where you let the dogs
out?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

Tell me what happened.
The dogs disappeared.

Tell me what happened on the night
that the dogs disappeared.

On the night that the dogs disappeared,
um, we had a power outage.

- Lightning had struck the transformer.
- What was the date?

- June 20th.
- [Judge Judy] And where do you live?

Mishawaka, Indiana.

[Judge Judy]
And that was on the 20th of June?

- [Beth] Yes.
- Could you confirm that for me?

- I'll look into it.
- [Judge Judy] Power outage.

- And?
- [Beth] Um, and it got very hot.

My youngest had already fallen asleep
so I let him sleep in his bed.

My oldest was outside watching
the power crews, you know, do their work.

It got so hot that I let my dogs
which I had done all week.

I let them all out back
fully fenced in yard.

So they wouldn't get too hot.

And in five minutes, I went inside
checked on Lani, made sure he was okay.

Um, I heard my dogs barking. Um...

Well, when you let your dogs out,
the puppies went out too?

[Beth] Yes.

[Judge Judy] So you let all the dogs out?

- Yup.
- How old are your dogs?

- [Beth] They are nine.
- [Judge Judy] All of them?

All of them. They're siblings, yes.

- Okay. Okay. Go ahead.
- [Beth] Um, I let them out.

I went back inside
to check on my youngest.

Uh make sure that Levi was okay out
front,

and I heard my dogs barking.

They only bark when they see something.

Um it could be a squirrel, raccoon,
it could literally be anything.

I went out there to check on them
and they were nowhere in sight.

I have a gate to the back of my property

that has a stake going through it
to keep it closed.

It was open.

I called for my dogs, they came right back
'cause they're very well-trained.

Hers did not.

Gucci and Prada were their names.

I kept calling for 'em, calling for 'em,

all week long they came right to me,
they were not coming to me.

- So I grabbed a...
- So during the week, you...

how long had you been watching them?

[Beth] Uh, two days at that point
if her calculation is correct,

she left on the 18th.

- Okay.
- [Beth] So I grabbed a flashlight.

I let my son know
that I was going out back.

The dogs had gotten out.

I had gotten my three back,
but that the two black ones were missing.

Um so I went back there and um I have
photos of my backyard when it's dark.

It's pitch black.

So with a flashlight, I'm constantly
looking these two little black puppies.

Um, so I was looking good...
a good half an hour for them um

when I found their collars
in the parking lot,

the liquor store behind my house.

And that's when I called the police.

I don't know what kind of person
carjacks a car

and hot-wires it
and take somebody else's property.

I don't know who does that.
But a lot of people do it.

So I can't answer your question.

[announcer] Later...

For the last two years
you've been driving the Tahoe?

- Correct.
- So what are you suing her for?

Because of the damages
that the vehicle was in.

- You're too late.
- No, I have to disagree, Judge.

[Judge Judy] Well, I don't care
whether you disagree with me or not.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Charmaine Collins claims
her neighbor Beth Jessie

owes for the cost of two Yorkie-poos

after they were lost
while in Beth's possession.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
Can I see photos of the backyard?

Yup. I also have
the police report as well.

[Judge Judy] Okay. Thank you.

I have a police report
because the plaintiff gave me,

all the stuff when she gave me pictures.

Mine is an actual copy
from the police department.

[Sarah] There was a power outage
due to severe weather and tornadoes

from the 20th to the 21st.

[Judge Judy] Okay.

Did you take the dogs to the vet?

Yes, I took 'em to the vet.

Uh, before I took the dogs to her
and let her keep the dogs,

I had just tooken the dogs to the vet

maybe like a couple days
prior to get there for their first shots.

Did you get the dogs chipped?

[Charmaine] I didn't get the dog's chip.

That was a mistake.

Yeah, it was.

But that was my first time
taking them to the vet.

I was supposed to go back and take them
June the 25th for their second vaccine.

So I was gonna get them chipped then.

They were so small at the time,
you know, that was the first visit,

so I decided, okay, well,

I'll wait until the next visit
to get a microchip.

I never thought that, you know,
they were gonna come up missing so soon.

[Judge Judy]
Okay. Do you have any proof

that the defendant stole your dogs

or any way profited
from the dogs being taken?

Well, I just feel like...

[Judge Judy] And I, I don't want you
to tell me what you feel.

- [Charmaine] I know it didn't happen...
- What you feel, what you think.

[Charmaine] ...with the dog and I believe

that she did something with them
because...

[Judge Judy]
I don't care what you believe.

Well, I know she did something with them.

- [Judge Judy] You know?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] What you know
has to be predicated on a fact.

What you believe has to be predicated
on a fact in a court.

What you believe
you can have outside of a courthouse,

here I take proof.

What has been presented to me
was that a crime was committed

and that crime is a theft
not negligence,

but a theft which is a criminal act.

And she showed you the collars
from the dogs.

Yes, she returned the collars.

[Judge Judy] Okay. Which would...

[Beth] I also returned
all their belongings and the birds.

[Judge Judy] No. No.
That belongings is not an issue.

The collars and I'll see the pictures now
that you want to show me. Kevin.

[Beth] In the pictures,
it shows not only my backyard, black,

but I tried to use a flash as well
just to kind of light up this backyard.

Also my cameras, I have two cameras
in the front yard and one in the backyard,

that are on all the time, unfortunately
with the power outage, they were down.

- [Judge Judy] Yeah.
- And then the one photo is of my three.

[Judge Judy] Belief is yours to have.

What you think is yours to have.

Here you will require proof.

You left your dogs in the custody
of the defendant.

Yes.

[Judge Judy]
In order for her to be responsible

for your dog, the cost of your dogs,

there has to be some act on her part

that displays some sort
of negligence on her part.

I don't see that.

The yard is fenced.

Your Honor,
if you will look at those pictures

that I just gave to you,
um, you can see...

[Judge Judy] I...you gave me...listen to me.

You gave me a whole stack of papers.

Kevin, you can return all this stuff to...

- [Charmaine] The fence shows...
- [Judge Judy] Just, just a second.

You can return all this stuff
to the plaintiff

and have her when I asked
her for pictures of the dog,

she gave me a whole bunch
of other stuff

- that had nothing to do with the dog.
- [Kevin] Okay.

So if she wants to look through and...

[Beth] What she's trying to say and
what she accused me of, Your Honor...

Just, just a second. Just...

- If you will look here on this photo...
- [Judge Judy] Yes.

...this photo shows the picture
of her backyard.

The black circle shows pictures
of the welding on the gate.

The gate doesn't even open.
I'm not sure how...

[Judge Judy] If the gate...
if the gate doesn't open...

- No, it doesn't.
- [Judge Judy] If the gate doesn't open,

then that means that somebody leaned over
and got your dogs,

unless you... [chuckles] unless you have
proof.

Are you serious?

I have a photo of my fence open.

- [Judge Judy] May I see?
- Yeah.

- So, on my camera...
- Shh! Don't.

The point is,
in order for her to be responsible,

I have to believe that she,

this lady and I need proof for that
took the collars off your dog.

Your collars.

- Uh-hmm.
- [Judge Judy] Gave them to you

said your dogs were stolen

and she sold your dogs for profit,

did something with them.

And in addition to that,
immediately to cover her tracks,

called the police
and committed another felony

by reporting an act that didn't take place

because she had actually stolen the dog.

So in order for me
to hold her responsible,

I have to believe that
she committed two felonies,

one by stealing them

and one by filing
a false police report.

And I don't see any proof of that.

I mean, if you loan your car to somebody

and they park it
in a parking spot designed

and they take the keys to the car,

and they go inside to a restaurant

and some thief comes,

breaks the car window,

hot-wires the car and steals it.

The person who borrowed your car
is not responsible for that.

If they left the keys in the car,
yes, they would be responsible

because that was an intervening act
of negligence.

- You understand?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] But so far,
I haven't heard of any act of negligence

that allowed this thief to whoever it was

to take possession of your puppies.

I mean,
and they're clearly valuable puppies,

because they didn't take her dogs.

- They took valuable young puppies.
- Minor puppies.

- Right.
- [Judge Judy] Do you understand?

Someone did.

But my thing is it's a rainstorm,
the power's out,

it's raining, it's wet, it's pitch black

in the middle of the night,
the puppies are jet black.

We don't have an alley.

So it's like...it's not like traffic
is coming back and forth down the alley.

- And the liquor store is...
- Traffic comes in and out all the time.

[Charmaine] The liquor store
is right behind our house.

We do not have a pavement alley
that cars can drive through.

So my thing is who would be laying out
in the middle of the night

after a rainstorm
looking to steal some puppies?

- I don't know.
- [Charmaine] Me either.

I don't know...I don't know
what kind of person carjacks a car

and hot-wires it
and take somebody else's property

in the middle of the night.

I don't know who does that.
But a lot of people do it.

And I don't know, personally,

anybody that would break into a house
during a power outage

and take advantage of that
kind of darkness

in order to commit a crime by stealing.

I don't know,
but I know a lot of people do it.

I don't personally know people
that would take advantage

of a power outage
and go in and loot a store.

I don't personally know.

I don't think anybody who would do that.

But I know people do it.

So I can't answer your question.

All I know is
in order to believe your proposition

that the defendant did an act

which makes her responsible for this,

there has to be some act on her part
other than a criminal act.

And in order for me to believe that,

I have to assume
that this lady committed two felonies,

grand larceny of your puppies

and falsely reporting an incident
to the police

because she did immediately report it
to the police.

Those two things. And I can't find.
I have no proof of that.

- Do you understand?
- Yes.

[Judge Judy] I'm...I feel terrible for you.

I'm sure she felt terrible.

[Beth] Um, also, Your Honor,
after she got home

not only were the police called
another 10 times for harassment

because she nonstop verbally abused me
and um

She did not put up flyers,
she did not reach out to Facebook

and all the law sites,
she did not post anything.

[Judge Judy] Well, one of the problems is
you waited to have them chipped.

Right.

If they had been chipped there was a
possibility that you might get them back.

[Judge Judy]
So, that was a choice that you made.

But it's something that you could've done

before you turned them over to the
defendant

[announcer] Later.

She's gonna sign over the title
to the car to you.

I have to disagree, Judge...

[Judge Judy] [chuckles] I don't care
what you agree or disagree with, sir.

You don't seem to understand.
This isn't a dance.

I ask you, you ask me.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Charmaine Collins claims
her neighbor Beth Jessie

owes for the cost of two Yorkie-poos

after they were lost while
in Beth's possession.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
You waited to have them chipped.

If they had been chipped,

there was a possibility
that you might get them back

because somebody
would take them to a vet

and then they would see a chip,

and they would read the chip.

So that was a choice that you made.

I'm not saying it's your fault.

I'm not saying it's your fault
but it's something that you could've done

before you turned them over to the
defendant to take care of.

I mean, that's within your power to do.

You're the parent to these two creatures.

Anyway, I don't find sufficient evidence

to find her responsible
for the act of a thief.

And in order to prove that she was a thief

or anyone acting on her behalf
was a thief,

you haven't established that to me,

unless you have proof to the contrary.

- Do you?
- No.

[Judge Judy] Case is dismissed.
Thank you very much.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

She's the judge, so however it goes

I'm sorry about the loss for the puppies.

And I hope whoever has them
is taking good care of them.

I'm glad that she saw through
the lies and the manipulation

um that she puts on quite the front.

Her animals are nothing compared to mine
far as in pricing.

To compare my dogs as less ferior,

all animals need to be loved
and cared for.

Her dogs are old, my dogs were babies
and they're worth a lot of money.

Whoever has them, I really hope that
they're loving them as much as I did.

Next time I'll make sure that's the first
thing I'm gonna do, chip the dogs.

Yes, always. Minor chipped.

[Sarah] I think a good lesson
from that case for all new pet owners

is to get your animals chipped
as soon as possible

because you never know
when some crime like this could happen

outside of your control.

Either outside of your control
or as a result of you...

- even your own negligence.
- Yeah.

You, you let...that you'd open the door,

puppy runs outside,
that's a good lesson for her.

- Uh-hmm.
- For her...I feel sorry for her.

- She paid a lot of money from those dogs.
- Yeah.

Next time, she'll be more careful.

Case number 1109, Cuevas versus Salazar.

All parties, please step forward.

[announcer] Carlos Cuevas
is suing his former fiancee,

Jessica Salazar for a Chevy Tahoe
and repair cost.

Okay. Mr. Cuevas, you and the defendant

were in a long term relationship
of about eight years.

- That relationship ended in 2019?
- Correct.

[Judge Judy] When I say
you were in a long term relationship,

you were in fact living together?

Correct.

- You have children together?
- [Carlos] No.

- [Judge Judy] Do you have kids?
- No.

- Do you?
- [Jessica] Yes.

- [Judge Judy] How many?
- One.

- [Judge Judy] How old?
- Eleven.

So, Ms. Salazar's child
was living with you?

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] Okay. While you were...

at some point, while you were together,
a car was purchased, a Tahoe.

- Correct.
- [Judge Judy] In what year?

Uh, 2016.

[Judge Judy] Was that the only car
that was used by the two of you?

- Yes.
- No.

- [Judge Judy] Hmm?
- No.

- Who had a car?
- He did and I also did.

[Judge Judy] So you each had a car
plus the Tahoe?

- Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Okay.

When the Tahoe was purchased,
was there a loan?

Yes.

[Judge Judy]
Who was the primary on that loan?

I was.

[Judge Judy] Was Ms. Salazar
the secondary on that loan?

[Carlos] Yes.

[Judge Judy] And was the title
of the car in both your names?

Yes.

- [Judge Judy] Who has the title?
- [Carlos] I do.

Take it out, please.

Would you hand that...
just hand that to Kevin.

Kevin is going to hold it.

Now, you separated in 2019.

In 2019, who took the Tahoe?

- She did.
- Is that correct?

[Jessica] Yes, it is.

[Judge Judy] In what month
did you take the Tahoe?

In...on October 1st, 2019.

And you kept it until what month and year?

[Jessica] I kept it until
November 26th of 2019.

I stand corrected.
I stand corrected. I'm so sorry.

11...November 30th.

- Of 2019?
- [Jessica] Correct.

- So you kept it for about two months?
- [Jessica] Correct.

[Judge Judy]
And then she returned to you?

Correct.

And you've had it ever since?

Correct.

[Judge Judy]
You are paying the loan on the car?

The loan is paid off.

[Judge Judy]
When did you pay off the loan?

Uh, the last payment was made in August.

[Judge Judy] And you have the Tahoe?

[Carlos] Correct.

And for the last two years,
you've been driving the Tahoe?

Correct.
That, that's my main, uh, transportation.

So what are you suing her for?

[Carlos] Because of the damages
of the vehicle was in.

- When I...
- I contacted him...

[Carlos] When I receive the vehicle,
the vehicle was severely deteriorated.

The engine was shot, I had to replace
the engine and components.

[Judge Judy] Well, then you could've
sued her in 2019.

- You're too late.
- It gives you two years to sue.

[Judge Judy]
Just a second. You're too late.

[Carlos] No. I have to disagree, Judge...

[Judge Judy] Well, I'm...I don't care
whether you disagree with me or not.

You have the car for two years.

You still have the car.

You paid off the car.

She's not paying you $10,000.

You don't want the car anymore.

You bought it in 2016,
it's five years old.

Sell it. Keep all the money.

- I have to disagree...
- [Judge Judy] You just need...

I don't care whether you agree
or don't agree.

She's gonna sign over the title
to the car to you.

And what about the damages?

[Judge Judy] She's gonna sign over
the title to the car to you.

I have to disagree, Judge...

[Judge Judy] I don't care what [chuckles]
you agree with or disagree with, sir.

You don't seem to understand.
This isn't a dance.

- Uh, I'm not...
- [Judge Judy] I ask you, you ask me.

I'm telling you, you've had the cost...

[Carlos] Let me...
let me show you the proof...

- [Judge Judy] Not interested.
- Let me show you something.

[Judge Judy] Not interested.

Take the title, Kevin.

Give it to the defendant.

Look where she signs over
the title to him.

He can take the car.

He can sell it.

He can use it.

- He can give it to his new girlfriend.
- [Jessica] Here?

He can do whatever he wants with the car.

It belongs to him.

I have to disagree, Judge.

[Judge Judy] [chuckles]
I don't care if you agree or not.

My happiness is not dependent
on your happiness.

[Carlos] I had...I, I had to pull money
out of my retirement to pay

for something that I wasn't responsible
for because of her negligence.

Very good. Here's the title to the car.
Go and sell it.

Now you have an equally
ridiculous counterclaim.

Well...

[Judge Judy] Your counterclaim
is equally ridiculous

because you now want him to pay
for half of the wedding deposits

from two years ago.

Well, if it wasn't for his pettiness,

I wouldn't have bothered the car
with my case.

[Judge Judy] Well, good. I'm glad.
Then I don't have to deal with this.

- So your counterclaim's dismissed.
- [Jessica] Right.

- [Judge Judy] And now, you own the car.
- Thank you.

[Judge Judy] Free and clear. Titles off.

- Bye. Thank you very much.
- [Kevin] Court is adjourned.

I don't think it was fair.

I'm very ecstatic about the decision.

I felt like it was fair.

We signed the loan together and
she just left the car in my hands broken.

Tried to contact him because
he said that he would work on the car,

didn't wanna work on the car.

The engine was completely totaled,
I have to replace it.

I think that it was normal wear and tear.

Don't do it. It's not worth it.

Don't do it unless you're married.

[Judge Judy]
That's a reason that the court say if...

you should bring an action
in a timely way.

'Cause in this case,
the relationship's over

but everybody's had a couple of years
to sort of think about it

and he's enjoyed this truck for two years,

and all of a sudden,
doink, light goes off,

and says, "Well, I didn't like the way
she returned the car.

So I think I want $10,000.

[Sarah] It's important to file timely

because also waiting signals things
like to the court

that there might be some other reason
you didn't bring the action sooner

and then you waited too long,

and maybe it stung a little bit more
at the longer you waited.

But I think that courts are gonna have
a problem with COVID

and the back up in logs
of when complaints are filed

and when they can actually be heard

but, you know, this incident happen
pre-COVID so they can't really...

- [Judge Judy] Right.
- ...rely on the court's lag for their...

[Judge Judy] For, for his delay in
bringing the action that happened 2019.

Right.

[announcer] Want Justice?



[theme music playing]