03x110 - The Cadillac Conundrum

[bunniefuu]

- He stole the vehicle off of my property.
- Is that what he told you?

- Roger that.
- It's not true, Your Honor.

Do you have any proof?
I'd like to see it.

Oh, roger that.

You're looking confused.
Are you not understanding me?

- Do you have anything?
- Roger that.

If you're not understanding me,
maybe there's something wrong with you.

Roger that.

- [announcer] This is Judy Justice.
- Roger that.

[theme music]

[announcer] Jason Northedge
is suing his customer Mark Hills

for unpaid vehicle repairs and harassment.

[Kevin]
All rise.

[Judy]
Have a seat, please.

Judge, case 3163, Northedge versus Hills.

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

[Judy] Mr. Northedge,
what is your usual line of business?

I'm retired military
and started my own business.

I do YouTube and I teach mechanics,
and I have a small shop.

[Judy] And did the defendant
bring his car to you?

- [Jason] Yes, ma'am.
- When?

He brought it to me,
I think it was the end of 2020.

- I don't know the exact date.
- Do you remember, Mr. Hills...

- when you brought the car?
- [Mark] I do.

It was approximately
second last week to March of 2021.

At which time
he had the car until May of 2021.

Just a second.

- [Mark] Thank you.
- March of 2021?

- Yes.
- [Judy] And he had the car until when?

About eight weeks, until all this happened
in May, when he destroyed the car and...

- Ooh.
- [Judy] Just a second.

- Shh, just answer.
- [Mark] Yeah.

- Until May of 2021.
- [Mark] Until May.

May 21st was when
we went to pick up the car.

Those dates sound right to you,
Mr. Northedge?

No, ma'am. I had the car for eight
months, sat on my property, and it was...

- From when to when?
- I think it was around maybe...

- No, just... I don't want you...
- [Jason] Yes, ma'am.

- [Judy] This is a courtroom.
- September...

I mean, it's not
a backgammon game. It's...

- [Jason] Roger that.
- [Judy] When did you get the car?

- Month and year.
- September of 2020.

- That's not true, Your Honor.
- [Judy] Do you have any proof?

Any communication with him
that you got the car in September of 2020?

Look at your papers.
You got a lot of stuff in front of you.

I do not have anything for the exact date
of when I received the vehicle.

I don't need an exact date.
I need a month and a year.

So far the two of you
are a long way apart.

Roger that. I do not have any of that. I...

- You're the plaintiff.
- Yes, ma'am.

So what proof do you have
of the day you took possession of the car?

I do not have proof for the day
that I took possession of the car.

[Judy] I don't need the day,
I need the month and the year.

- [Jason] I don't have that, ma'am.
- You have a whole bunch of papers there.

- What do you have?
- I do, ma'am. I have receipts,

- and pictures and everything.
- [Judy] No, I need the date.

I wanna know what you're all doing here
if something happened four years ago.

- Your Honor, my texts show...
- [Judy] Just a second.

...from April to May.

That's why we bring things
in an expeditious way.

- Mr. Northedge?
- Yes, ma'am.

Why are you here
three and a half years later?

I had to press charges on the defendant

because he stole the vehicle
off of my property.

- Your Honor, here's us towing the...
- [Judy] I don't want you to speak.

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] The defendant didn't steal his car
off your property. He had police there.

That's not true, ma'am.
I have the police report.

- Would you put that down?
- Yes, ma'am.

- One more time.
- Yes, ma'am.

Alright. We're gonna do this
in a more orderly fashion,

although I don't know if it's possible.
What kind of car was it?

It was an '81 Cadillac with a V6 engine.

When he brought it into you,
was it running?

- No, it was on fire.
- [Judy] How...

- Just a second.
- Yes, ma'am.

- [Judy] Did he just say it was on fire?
- He said it was on fire.

- It had previously been on fire.
- [Judy] Don't be stupid with me.

- It wasn't on fire.
- It wasn't on fire that day.

- [Judy] It wasn't on fire.
- That's right.

[Judy] He brought it into you
and he had it towed.

Yes.

Did you do an analysis
on the car that day?

Yes, ma'am.

Can I see the first communication
that you had with him?

I have three of the text authorizations
for work that needed to be done

that I sent to him on text,
and then the pictures of it done.

- What were the dates?
- I don't have the dates.

- Can I see that, Kevin, please?
- [Jason] Thank you, sir.

[Judy] So, Mr. Hills,
there was a fire in your car.

It's not true
and I drove the car to his garage,

and I test drove the car
during the time he worked on it.

[Judy]
Shh. Just a second.

So what you're telling me
is you drove the car to his garage?

- [Mark] Absolutely, Your Honor.
- For what?

[Mark] I had previously had $2,000 of work
done at a garage and I wasn't happy.

My son recommended that Mr. Northedge
would help me because my son...

he helped my son repair his motorcycle
or a friend's motorcycle.

Since Mr. Northedge was a veteran,
I trusted in him,

and so I took it because I wasn't happy
with the previous garage's work.

Just a second,
you were dissatisfied with the work

- previously done to the car.
- [Mark] Absolutely.

And the car, you say at the time
you brought it to him,

- was drivable, you brought it there?
- Absolutely.

[Judy]
Okay. Do you have any proof of that?

[Mark] The proof that I have
is that I'd been using the car previously

- to promote my business.
- No, no...

[Mark]
Here are photos of the car at work.

- The car was also taken to many events.
- Just a second.

- [Mark] This is the car in running order.
- [Judy] Are these dated?

Do you have them dated on your phone?

I have my text messages
dated where we started to exchange.

[Judy] Yeah, I'd like to see the text
messages. They are dated, I assume.

[Mark]
I believe they are, yes.

[Judy] Well, the first text message
that I have is April 17th, 2021.

It started in March and went till May.

- [Judy] In 2021.
- In 2021.

That's what I see
because you write to him,

"Found another short.
This was in the rear driver brake light.

Going to start the brakes today."
This is all in April of 2021, sir.

Right. I did $5,000 worth of work, ma'am.
It takes way more than that.

I have all the receipts.

[Judy] Well, I would like to see
something with a date on it.

- Roger.
- Prior to April of 2021.

Do you have anything?
The answer is either yes...

- No.
- [Judy] ...or no. So the answer is no.

Well, it's your case. You don't
have anything. I can't help you.

So this is all around April of 2021,
but you're already working on the car...

- Right.
- [Judy] ...at that point,

not working on the car for a year.

- I got it. So...
- Yes, ma'am.

- ...when were the police called?
- [theme music]

[Judy] Mr. Northedge, you said the car
came to you in September of 2020.

Yes.

You just gave me
a receipt dated March of 2020.

March of 2020 [laughs]
comes before September of 2020.

[theme music]

[announcer] Jason Northedge
claims his customer Mark Hills

owes for repairs
to Mark's 1981 Cadillac DeVille.

Mark is countersuing
for a refund of the repairs,

and filing false criminal charges.

When were the police called
to get the defendant's car?

- The police report says 05/17/2021.
- [Judy] Okay.

- And he gave you $750 to fix it?
- [Jason] Yes, he did.

[Judy]
That was a deposit?

He gave me three payments of $250.
Yes, ma'am.

So, now tell me
what caused the brouhaha, sir.

[Mark] Because I'm a retired vet,
I was looking for another job.

A neighbor told Mr. Hills, Jr.
that I'm a good mechanic.

He brought his motorcycle to me.

What date did you bring
your motorcycle to him?

So 'cause you acknowledged that.

I'm sorry, it was not... my son brought
him... This is how we kind of began.

Oh, now you can stand.

- [Mark Jr] Thank you.
- [Mark] Thank you.

[Judy]
And your last name is Hills as well?

- Hills as well.
- [Judy] Okay.

What date did you bring your motorcycle?

I met Mr. Northedge probably...
I'd say February or March of '21.

And I had recommended him
to work on my father's car.

I had talked to him previously
about my dad's car...

Your father had trouble with his car in
the past, taking it to other mechanics?

Yes. He had taken it
to a different mechanic.

How many different mechanics
had your father taken the Cadillac to?

That I know of, one,
other than Mr. Northedge.

[Judy] And do you know
when he took that to the other mechanic?

I know he has the bill here.
I'm not a hundred percent when he did.

- What year?
- [Mark Jr] I'd say 2020.

Okay. Are you familiar with this car?

It used to belong to whom?
Your grandfather?

No, he had purchased it,
from Facebook Marketplace, I believe.

- [Judy] When?
- [Mark Jr] 2020.

[Judy] Mr. Northedge,
when the defendant brought you his car,

did he tell you where he got the car from?

He said he had the car for a while.
He wanted it to be redone.

It's an antique.
He wanted me to restore it.

- Is that what he told you?
- [Jason] Yes, ma'am.

Positive?

- Yes, ma'am, 100%.
- [Judy] That he had it for a while?

- [Jason] Yes, ma'am.
- Did you ask him how long he had it?

He just told me
that he had it for a while.

[Judy]
And that's all you know about it?

[Jason] I mean, he was a customer.
I don't know him.

- I wouldn't ask him.
- [Judy] Hmm. No. I'm just asking,

- because you swore in a complaint, sir.
- Yes.

You swore in a complaint that he told you
that the car belonged to his father.

- [Jason] Yes, he...
- Just a second.

- [Jason] I'm sorry.
- That's what you swore in your complaint.

Yes.

That's clearly not what you remember now.

You have something else to show me,
which would suggest that he did tell you

- that the car belonged to his father?
- Yes.

- I'd like to see it.
- [Jason] Oh, roger that.

- [Judy] You're Jason.
- Yes.

"Jason my Caddy Daddy
is loaning me another $500."

Is that what you mean
belonged to his father?

That's what he told me.

[Judy] No, you didn't tell me that he told
you that it belonged to his father.

That's not what you told me, sir.
And so what I'm asking you

is whether or not you based
the sworn statement

that he told you it was his dad's car

on this, "Jason, my Caddy Daddy
is loaning me..."?

- [Jason] Right.
- Ah. What do you mean "Rah"?

He told me that he got the car
from his Caddy Daddy, which was his dad.

And then he said that he was getting
more money from the Caddy Daddy,

- which was his dad, to pay me.
- [Judy] Okay. He gave you $750?

- Yes.
- [Judy] That's what he gave you.

And when the car was taken back
from your shop, was it towed or driven?

- It was towed.
- [Judy] Towed.

Which means it wasn't drivable?

- Yes.
- [Judy] That's correct.

About the same time
the police were there.

- [Judy] Either a little before...
- Yes.

...a little bit after,
the police were there?

- [Jason] Yes.
- [Judy] Okay. All good.

And do you have a proposal
that he consented to

with regard to the repairs on the car?

- [Jason] I have... yes.
- You... that's a question.

Do you have a proposal
that you presented to him?

- Yes.
- I'd like to see it.

[Judy]
So, you agreed on a total price, $2,572,

-for which you gave him a $750 deposit.
-Correct.

- Leaving a balance of $1,822.
- Right.

[Judy] But when you got back the car,
the car had to be towed?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Which means it wasn't drivable.

- It was in pieces.
- [Judy] It... just a second.

- Is that correct?
- No.

He drove the car off your lot.
Is that what you're telling me?

- Well, you ask a lot of questions.
- [Judy] No, it's one question.

Was the car towed
or driven off of his lot?

[Jason]
It was towed.

- [Judy] Towed?
- Yes.

Was it towed for some other reason
than it was not drivable?

If you look on the invoice...

- [Judy] No. Just a second.
- Yes.

- That's a question.
- [Jason] Yes.

Some other reason?

What was the other reason it was
towed off the lot if it was drivable?

[Jason]
He refused to have me do the brakes.

And it's on the invoice that it needs
work done that I did not charge him.

- [Judy] So, it was not drivable...
- Yes.

...which is why he towed it?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- So then the work was not completed?

That wasn't work that was on the invoice.

That's work that needed to be done.
It says on the invoice, ma'am.

It says under contingency
that I would give him that deal

if he went to the car shows
with me to represent the car

and that I would keep
all rights to royalties

of all the videos we did to fix it.
It says it in the contract.

- [Judy] I don't have a signed contract.
- I don't have that contract.

[Judy] Somebody would like
to give me a signed contract?

- I'd like to look at it.
- Yes.

Anybody have one?

- Not me, ma'am.
- [Judy] Okay.

So far, you have $750 of a deposit.

And what he retrieved from you
was a car that had to be towed.

And what you're suing
him now for is $4,500?

- Yes.
- Are you out of your mind?

You gave him a price, sir...

- [Jason] Yes.
- ... according to you, $5,392.

- Yes.
- That's the total regular customer price...

- Yes.
- [Judy] ...is what you say.

And then you say
you reduced that amount...

- [Jason] Yes.
- Just a second. You reduced that amount...

- [Jason] Yes.
- ...to $2,572.

He gave you a $750 deposit,
leaving a balance of $1,822.

On contingency. And it says on there
that he did the videos with me,

took the car to the car show,
displayed my company name on his car.

- He didn't do anything.
- [Judy] He took the car.

It wasn't running. It had to be towed.

I want to see specific receipts
for parts that you purchased

where it says on them that you purchased
parts for this 1981 Cadillac DeVille.

Just look at them very carefully.

Those are all the parts that are
designated for the 1981 Cadillac DeVille?

- Yes.
- Okay. I'd like to take a look at them.

[Mark whispers indistinctly]

Mr. Northedge, you said the car
came to you in September of 2020.

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay. That's 09/20.

You just gave me a receipt
dated March of 2020.

Well, I was buying things
the entire time that he was authorizing.

March of 2020 [laughs]
comes before September of 2020.

[theme music]

Are you not understanding me?
If you're not understanding me,

I'll appoint a guardian for you because
maybe there's something wrong with you.

You're looking confused.

Don't look confused, sir. I don't believe
that you are confused at all.

[theme music]

[announcer] Jason Northedge
has accused his customer Mark Hills

of refusing to pay for the repairs he did
on Mark's 1981 Cadillac DeVille.

Mark is countersuing for a refund
of the repairs Jason made to the vehicle.

Return this all to him.

Did you see the other...

- I'm not even looking at it.
- [Jason] Okay.

- [Judy] Not even looking at it.
- Roger.

- Roger that. Okay.
- Can I enter this into evidence?

- [Judy] Tell me what it is.
- His son texted me and said,

"You think we're gonna run off
with the car and not pay?"

Then after they came
and looked at all the work I was doing,

his son said, "He should've
been more upfront about it.

I guess he was under the assumption
we could work it out."

- I don't know what we're working out.
- Mr. Northedge, what we're working out

is you gave me a bill from before you had
the car. And I'm not looking at the rest.

- Okay.
- [Judy] You have to understand, sir.

I said, "Are you sure all these bills
that you're giving me...?"

Because they're not
designated for this car.

- Roger.
- [Judy] None of... not Roger.

- The answer is yes.
- [Jason] Yes, ma'am.

- They are not designated for this car.
- Okay.

[Judy]
You do a lot of work on cars.

So I said, "Let me see what you bought for
this car." And the first bill I looked at

was from a date before you got this car
in your possession by about half a year.

- [Jason] I'm sorry, ma'am.
- So, I'm not looking at the rest.

Because you may have dug up
a whole bunch of receipts, sir.

- Roger that.
- [Judy] I don't know that.

All I know is the first one I looked at
had nothing to do with this case.

- [Jason] I'm sorry about that, ma'am.
- [Judy] Okay. Good.

We're finished with the car.

So harassment, I want you to tell me
what he did to harass you.

- I mean...
- [Judy] What did he...

...it's pretty harassing
when his son is texting me,

telling me they don't have
the money to pay for the car.

What did he do to harass you?

The 17th was when
the police report was done.

My birthday was on the 22nd
of that same month...

I don't know what you're talking about.
I asked you how he harassed you.

[Jason] He said he was gonna
have people stalking me.

Oh, I'd like to see... if you're telling me
that he had people stalking you.

- He said that.
- I'd like to see it.

- [Mark] The authorities...
- Shh.

Okay. So, he says,
"Good luck with that, Jason.

There will be many others
stalking you in the days that follow.

If you have a lawyer already,
send him my regards."

And then you say to him,
"Many people stalking me?

You got police to stalk me, huh?"

And then there's something
that's very light here.

It said, "Yes, it will be the police
and representatives from the city."

[Jason] The harassment
started again recently this year.

So, I had to go to the police,

and they told me to go get this
protection order last month.

You have a return date on that?

He didn't come to court twice,
so they had to keep postponing it.

- I have a temporary...
- [Judy] Just a second.

So, it has not been heard yet?

Well, they said
I had a protection order now. It's...

[Judy] No, listen to me.
Don't look confused, sir.

I don't believe
that you are confused at all.

I don't believe
that you're confused at all.

- When you go in... hey.
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] When you go in to court
and you ask for protective order,

sometimes, ex parte,
which means only one person,

the court will grant you
a temporary order of protection

that says until the matter is heard
that there shall be no assaulting,

menacing, threatening,
or harassing behavior.

That's a temporary order.
It has not been adjudicated by any court.

All you got is a temporary order,
is that correct?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] That is correct.

And that matter
is scheduled to be heard when?

- June 10th.
- June 10th.

Well, then I'm not hearing anything
that has to do with harassment.

So, I am dismissing
that cause of action without prejudice.

This is a different case
of harassment, ma'am.

[Judy]
I don't care what it's about.

Is the only dealing
that you have with him about his car?

The only reason I know him
is because of the car.

[Judy] Correct.
So, whenever that case is adjudicated,

this whole experience with the car,
because this doesn't have to do

with a girlfriend or a child born out of
wedlock, or a cousin, or estate jewelry,

this all has to do with his 1981 Cadillac
and everything that ensued

as a result of him turning over
that Cadillac to you for repairs.

So when you have your case adjudicated,

and I assume that you will be
in court in June, maybe.

in any event, I'm not finishing this case
that has anything to do with harassment,

- because that is going to be adjudicated...
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] ...in another place,
'cause you already have a date in June.

Are you not understanding me?
If you're not understanding me,

I'll appoint a guardian for you because
maybe there's something wrong with you.

- You're looking confused.
- I have two different harassment cases.

One already went to court.
He was already found guilty.

- And then a new one came out...
- [Judy] Just a second.

- ...in 2024.
- [Judy] Okay.

You have a protective order
against him from a prior hearing?

No. You're not allowed
to have a protective order

in the state of New Jersey when this
happened. I had to go to the police.

Did he just say
that they don't have protective orders...

- [Jason] Until 2024.
- ...in the state of New Jersey?

- Yes.
- It's a new law. It just started.

They don't have
orders of protection in New Jersey?

- It's called a restraining order there.
- [Judy] Okay.

[Jason] But they just started
a new law called protection order

for people that don't live together
and don't have a relationship.

[Judy] Very good. You know what
I'm gonna tell you, Mr. Northedge?

I'm gonna tell you that I think you should
have your whole case adjudicated

in the state of New Jersey
where you came from.

So, I'm dismissing this case,
your case, without prejudice,

for you to proceed in the state of New
Jersey, if you think you got a shot there.

I have to tell you,
you don't have a shot here.

So, it's probably
a very good thing for you.

You have a counterclaim. And your
counterclaim is refund on car repairs.

- Forget it.
- Sure.

Do you want me to adjudicate
your counterclaim

or do you want me
to let it go back to New Jersey?

- Okay.
- [Judy] Just a second.

- Yes. I would like you to adjudicate...
- [Judy] That's a very easy question.

Do you want me to adjudicate
your counterclaim?

- [Mark] Yes, please.
- [Judy] His claim is going to New Jersey.

- Yeah.
- [Judy] Do you understand?

- Yes.
- Refund on car repairs.

You paid him $750.
You're not getting that back.

Money invested
into vehicle other than the $750?

Yes, ma'am. I have $2,000 in prior bills
from the last garage.

- [Judy] Who cares?
- Well, that was work that was destroyed.

Who cares? I don't know that.
You don't have another mechanic here.

- You have your son.
- I do have the bills and the...

[Judy]
I don't care about the bills, sir.

You seem to have a lot of trouble
with this car. Where is the car now?

The car's in his backyard
because he tore it apart...

- [Judy] Okay.
- ...and removed pieces that he installed.

Well, just a second.

[Mark] It's part of the gist of this
is he destroyed the car deliberately.

[Judy]
Okay.

He's pressed felony charges
for theft of services, that...

[Judy] Well, just a second. Now, that
I'm going to hear if you want me to.

- You were arrested?
- I was not arrested, no.

I was served with the paperwork...

- On what date?
- [Mark] I'm sorry.

I didn't bring my original docket. I'm not
prepared as much as I thought I was.

- I'm sorry.
- Okay.

You're not prepared to do
that part of your counterclaim?

- No, I'm not.
- And if you're not,

I would suggest that you'll allow
me to dismiss it without prejudice

and file it along with what
I assume will be his case,

now in the state of New Jersey.
Good. I'm...

- [Jason] Judge, can I please have one...
- What do you want?

[Jason]
One last thing, please?

- One last thing. I'm sorry.
- Yeah.

After he got the car back,
this is him driving the car to his jobs.

And he states, "Super-duper stoked to
have found the best mechanic around

to have my Caddy back on the road again."

- Wonderful.
- [Jason] From his social media.

Wonderful.
You tell that to the judge in New Jersey.

We're finished. Your case has
been dismissed without prejudice.

Goodbye. Good luck.
It's been a pleasure getting to know you.

- Thank you, ma'am.
- This court is adjourned.

[theme music]

I thought she was fair.
I needed to be more prepared.

It was still wonderful to be here

and be able to, you know,
be heard by Judge Judy.

This was my first big customer.
So, I was learning along the way.

I'm grateful to my family
for supporting me through all this.

It's just been such an ordeal.

I guess we'll just have to take it to
New Jersey and get the money over there.

Good luck to the judge in New Jersey...

- Oh, man.
- ...who's going to hear this mess.

I hope he or she finds something
more interesting in it than I did.

[Sarah laughs]

[announcer] Are you having
a family dispute?

[theme music]