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00:00After the breakup, he vandalized both your house and your car.
00:04Yes.
00:05He does a lot of drinking.
00:07He was drunk.
00:08Got to the point where yelling, I'm done.
00:10I'm going to my mama's house.
00:11I can do what I want to do.
00:12And you just left.
00:14Yes.
00:16I was escorted out by the police.
00:19Well, that's not a just left.
00:20This is Judy Justice.
00:30Danielle Lovett is suing her ex-fiancee, Mario Griffin, for vandalism and emotional distress.
00:48Court come to order.
00:50All rise.
00:52Have a seat, please.
00:55Hello, Judge.
00:56Case 1078, Lovett v. Griffin.
00:58You're welcome.
01:00Ms. Lovett, from what I read from your complaint, it is your allegation that the defendant,
01:04who was a boyfriend and for a period of time you lived together, after the breakup of the
01:10relationship, he vandalized both your house and your car.
01:13That's what you're suing him for.
01:15Yes.
01:15The defendant sort of acknowledges that he lost his temper once and he broke some windows
01:21in your house.
01:21He acknowledges that he did it and he said he paid you $400 for the broken windows.
01:26As far as the other things are concerned, he denies that he caused any damage whatsoever
01:31to your car.
01:31And he says, in addition, when you were living together, he purchased certain items for the
01:37house.
01:37He is no longer in the house and he wants those items back.
01:41And in addition, he says that you filed a false police report against him, which we'll
01:46get to in a moment.
01:47That's what the case is about.
01:48So you have a counterclaim.
01:49So I need some dates from you first.
01:52Tell me the month and year that the two of you moved in together.
01:55It was September 2017.
01:59Did you move to his apartment?
02:01Did he move to your apartment or did you move into an apartment or a house together?
02:05We moved in together.
02:07So you found an apartment together.
02:08Where had you been living previously?
02:10He was staying with his mom and I was staying with mine.
02:13And in 2017, when you moved in together, was the lease in both your names or in one name?
02:19Mines.
02:20Is there any reason for that?
02:21I mean, it's a good, actually, it's a very good idea and one that I support because if
02:26things don't work out, then somebody knows they have to go rather than it being a joint
02:30lease that you're both involved in.
02:32Okay.
02:32Well, with his background, he wasn't eligible to get on a lease.
02:36He couldn't pass a background check.
02:38Okay.
02:38Is that correct?
02:39Yes.
02:40So, Lisa, and you still, as a couple, living in this apartment when the breakup took place?
02:46Yes.
02:46And the breakup took place what month, day, and year?
02:50January 25th, 2021.
02:53And it was not an amicable breakup, so he left quickly?
02:57Yeah, he still had time to get his thing.
03:00Okay.
03:00Had you discussed breaking up?
03:02No, he just left.
03:03Left on his own.
03:04On January 25th, tell me what happened.
03:06She said you just decided to leave.
03:07January 25th, we did have some issues.
03:11I'm a truck driver, so I'd be over the road driving trucks, and Danielle would call me
03:16while I'm over the road disturbing me, asking me if I'm on the phone with females, asking
03:21me...
03:21Okay, so she's being jealous.
03:23Yes.
03:24Okay.
03:24And, like I say, you know, it was a big distraction, and it's kind of frustrating, because I have
03:30to focus on this road.
03:31Okay.
03:32I got it that you didn't want a distraction, but you've been together now four years and
03:37living together in the same place for four years.
03:39I'm asking these questions, and there's a reason for it, based upon your counterclaim,
03:43sir.
03:44Okay.
03:44Had you planned on leaving?
03:46Well, we talked about it.
03:47We had some conversations, and I was like, this is not working, and...
03:52On what date did you tell her that it wasn't working?
03:55January 25th.
03:56Is that when you came home from a job?
03:58Yes.
03:58So you were at home?
03:59Yes.
04:00And you just left?
04:01I was escorted out by the police.
04:03Well, that's not a just left.
04:05Right.
04:06I mean, I don't remember, because I'm old, but, you know, I've been in various relationships,
04:11but I don't remember ever calling the police to escort somebody out.
04:15Well, that was the plan.
04:17It took me to just leave like that, but she got mad, and she felt like I was grabbing some
04:23of my things, and she called the police and lied.
04:27Okay, just a second.
04:28So that the plaintiff called the police?
04:30Yes.
04:30Ms. Lovett, on the 25th of January, do you want to tell me why you called the police?
04:35The 25th of January, the police wasn't called.
04:38We had been arguing previously, and on that day, he does a lot of drinking.
04:44He was drunk, and he just decided to, like, start with me.
04:47It got to the point where yelling, you know, neighbors worrying about what's going on, he
04:52left.
04:53He got his things.
04:54He left.
04:54He told me to keep whatever, you know, don't worry about nothing.
04:58I'm done.
04:58I'm going to my mama's house.
04:59I can do what I want to do.
05:01Okay, so he left, and he said, I'm going to my mother's house.
05:03Yeah, that time the police was not called.
05:05When were they called?
05:06It was the previous time before that, in 2020.
05:09That's not when the police was called.
05:10Okay, but you know, sometimes people need their recollection refreshed.
05:14Does it refresh your recollection, sir, that the police were called in the year 2020?
05:20Yes.
05:20Not January 25th, 2021, when you just left?
05:24But also then.
05:25Do you have any proof that they were called that day?
05:27No, I don't have any proof, and I can also say they was called again on, like, May 25th.
05:33Okay, but you said you were leaving.
05:35Yes.
05:36And between January 25th and May of 2021, did you and the plaintiff have any contact?
05:43Yes, I actually moved back in.
05:47When?
05:48In the end of February, March.
05:49Is that right?
05:50Yes.
05:50So we took a breather?
05:52Yes.
05:52And you took him back?
05:53Yes.
05:54And that didn't work out, and there was an incident in May?
05:57Yeah, it'd be a lot of incidents.
06:00Oh, yeah.
06:00So, in May, we're not just...
06:03Wait, wait, wait, wait, one second.
06:07He only brought a mattress back, not the box frame.
06:10He sold the mattress to his friend last year for $50.
06:13Well, I cannot believe I went to 10 years postgraduate school for this.
06:18Yes.
06:19My father would be proud.
06:21Later.
06:22There was no agreement or understanding from the very beginning to the time he sold the house behind my back,
06:27that he had anything to do other than live in the house.
06:30Smothers, let me read to you what you wrote in your sworn complaint.
06:46Danielle Lovett claims her ex-fiancee, Mario Griffin, vandalized her car and caused emotional distress.
06:55Mario is countersuing for his belongings and an assault.
07:00Is what you're saying to me, Ms. Lovett, that between January 25th,
07:05you and the defendant continue to have contact, and he moved back in at the end of March of 2021?
07:13Yes, he moved back in March.
07:15Until when?
07:16March till August 3rd.
07:18Third.
07:19Well, then I'm confused, and I'm confused because of this.
07:24You claim in your complaint that the damage you're complaining about happened on February 11th.
07:31Yes.
07:31He left.
07:32Just a second.
07:33And then, after that damage to your windows and or your car, you resumed living together in March.
07:40Yes.
07:41That's when he came back in March.
07:41You continued living together for several months.
07:46Yes.
07:46Sleeping together.
07:47Yes.
07:48Eating together.
07:49Yes.
07:50Socializing together.
07:52Yes.
07:53Then, quite frankly, I don't care what happened in February, and neither does any court care what happened in February.
07:59You two were keeping house.
08:00There's a word in the law called condonation, and that means that if something happens between a couple,
08:06and they have a fight and a spat, and they break things, and they call each other names,
08:11and they call their in-laws names, and then they go back to living together as a couple,
08:15the courts don't care about it.
08:17Because you evidently didn't care about it.
08:19You didn't care about it enough not to resume your relationship with him.
08:23So, quite frankly, I don't care, and I'm not going to assist you in fixing things that he may have broken,
08:32that he may have done while you were separated if you took them back, and you continued to live together.
08:37So, your case is dismissed.
08:39Now, I'm going to get to the counterclaim.
08:41That's easy.
08:42Did he buy the following things?
08:45A deep freezer.
08:46We purchased together.
08:48Is that correct?
08:49No.
08:50Prove to me that you purchased it alone.
08:52I have the receipt here, and it's paid for with my bank account.
08:56Okay.
08:56I'd like to take a look at it.
08:58Okay.
09:00Here's the receipt, the treasure chest, and the receipt, you know, system.
09:07Now, what was purchased at Home Depot was $151.80, and you have the receipt for the surround sound system?
09:18That's either a yes or a no.
09:20No.
09:21Okay.
09:22Do you have a receipt for a sectional sofa?
09:24Yes, I have.
09:25I'd like to see it.
09:29Okay.
09:30I'll take that there, and this just, because I financed it, but it's a paper in here that just says it's paid in full.
09:38That one's, yeah, that's the one that said paid in full.
09:40What is this?
09:47This is a lease to own?
09:48This is a lease to own.
09:49Right.
09:50It's just a paper up there that says paid in full, zero for the amount of the furniture, and sectional in a 20-size bed.
09:58Okay.
09:58Okay.
09:59And this was 15th of December of 2017.
10:04Yes.
10:04This is a customer receipt.
10:06Well, let me ask you the following questions before I go through all of these things.
10:10So this is all old stuff.
10:12Yes.
10:12Okay.
10:12And the iPhone that you say you bought her, you say you bought her, and then you turned off service, which is you have every right to do.
10:20And in what year was the iPhone 11 purchased?
10:23The iPhone 11 was purchased 2021.
10:26In what month?
10:27March 27th.
10:29When you moved back in?
10:30Yes.
10:33No.
10:33Okay.
10:35Did you give it to her as a gift?
10:36No.
10:37I have a business account, and by me having a business account, I'm able to get business phones, and so I said, hey, I can get an extra iPhone.
10:47Great.
10:48All right.
10:48Do you have your iPhone?
10:49Yeah.
10:50Great.
10:50I still have it.
10:51Great.
10:52Great.
10:52Did you put it on a new payment plan?
10:54I switched my phone number to it.
10:56I can't do anything with it.
10:57He cut it off, took my phone number, and...
11:00Just a second.
11:00So you can't do anything with it?
11:02Well, he's not going to pay for it.
11:03So now you have it, frame it.
11:05I don't know what you want to do with it.
11:06Okay.
11:07When you lived together, did you have a joint bank account?
11:10No, we did not.
11:11Okay.
11:11Can you tell me, I have just a couple of bills.
11:14One is for a four-year-old bedroom set, which I know that the two of you used, and one is a receipt for $151.80 for a deep freezer.
11:24He says he paid for it.
11:26You said we purchased it.
11:27Explain that to me.
11:28I gave him like $50 on it.
11:31We purchased it together.
11:33As far as the deep freezer.
11:35What about the bedroom set?
11:36The bedroom set, he moved out.
11:38I have a receipt where I purchased my own furniture set right here.
11:42He brought his back.
11:43His is broken.
11:44His bed, he sold.
11:46He only brought a mattress back, not the box spring.
11:49He sold the mattress to his friend last year for $50.
11:52So the bed isn't even there.
11:54I'm not following you.
11:55When did you buy a new bedroom set?
11:57I bought a bedroom set because he moved out once and he took what he bought.
12:02Also, this was January 2018.
12:06I bought a sectional and a bed.
12:08Okay.
12:09He brought his back broken.
12:10Just a second.
12:11So you were living together in 2018 and separated for a period of time?
12:15Is that what you're saying?
12:16Yes.
12:17And when you separated back in January of 18 for a period of time, because I gather this
12:22was a back and forth, you're saying he took his bedroom set with him?
12:25Yes.
12:26And you purchased another one?
12:27Purchased it up.
12:28Is that what you're saying?
12:29Does that have a ring of familiarity to you?
12:31Your Honor, when I moved my furniture out and bedroom set out at the time, in January,
12:37Yes.
12:38We ended up getting back together.
12:41And it's a two-bedroom apartment.
12:42And she bringing the furniture back, bringing everything back, bringing the TV back, all this
12:48and that.
12:48We're back together.
12:49So I bought all my furniture back.
12:52I bought everything back to the apartment.
12:54She did purchase another bed and another furniture set section.
12:58That the two of you used together?
12:59Yes.
13:00Okay.
13:00Well, then let me ask you this.
13:02So what you're telling me is that the bedroom set, which is really the only thing I'm interested
13:05in.
13:05I'm not interested in a two-year-old freezer that cost $100.
13:08The bedroom set that you purchased was in the second bedroom?
13:12No, it was in our bedroom.
13:14And what did you do with the one that she purchased?
13:17It's in the second bedroom.
13:17Oh, I cannot believe I went to 10 years post-graduate school for this.
13:23Yes.
13:24My father would be proud.
13:27You sold the house for $27,000, and then the next buyer sold it for $108,000.
13:33I feel like you stole that whole amount of money.
13:34It doesn't matter what the next buyer did.
13:35And if you sold it, you should have at least told me before you bought another house.
13:39Are they getting it out of their system?
13:41Yeah.
13:41Danielle Lovett has accused her ex-fiancée, Mario Griffin, of vandalizing her car and
14:00harassment.
14:01Mario claims Danielle refuses to give back belongings he purchased.
14:06Let me put it to you this way.
14:08Do you have any of his bedroom?
14:09Nothing.
14:10Nothing is there.
14:11Nothing is there.
14:12Nothing.
14:12Nothing.
14:12She has nothing.
14:13Not being wrong.
14:14She has nothing.
14:14She's lying.
14:15Okay.
14:16No, be it.
14:17Couch is there, broken.
14:18Just a second.
14:19The couch is there that he purchased.
14:21Yes.
14:21And it's in your apartment.
14:24Yes.
14:24Great.
14:25So you have five days to get it out.
14:27Do you understand?
14:28Okay.
14:28If you don't get it out of her apartment with a mover within five days, on notice to
14:33her as to what day you're coming, you will have considered the sofa abandoned.
14:37Do you understand?
14:38Yes.
14:38Yes.
14:39I get it.
14:39Perfect.
14:40Then I have resolved this case.
14:43Your claim is dismissed because of the reasons that I stated.
14:47You have my judgment.
14:49Do you understand?
14:50Yes.
14:50Perfect.
14:52Court is adjourned.
14:52Well, it wasn't fair because he did the damages, but he's still going to pay for it.
14:58Um, I kind of think it's a money thing, you know.
15:03You know, whether we get back together, he still did it.
15:06So that was not fair at all.
15:08I'm a truck driver, so I make a little money in.
15:11He could kick rocks.
15:13He could kick rocks.
15:14He could use it for her benefits, you know.
15:17He's a narcissist.
15:18He could find the next victim.
15:20Glad it's over with, and hey, I'm going to move on, you know.
15:23That's basically it.
15:24So can you just explain a little bit why, if he did damage the home or the car while they
15:30were together, is getting back together enough of an out for him to not be responsible for
15:35that sort of damage?
15:36Well, I took a term that I learned in law school, which is called condonation.
15:42And when you sue for the damage that your mate, your spouse did during the course of a marriage,
15:49you may use a course of conduct as a reason for a divorce, but courts can't go back and
15:54rewrite history.
15:56Now she's going back six months and say, well, he broke the windows in my house and he smashed
16:00the window in my car.
16:02Well, evidently, you weren't upset about it enough not to let somebody who had that propensity
16:07back into your life and back into your bedroom.
16:10So, you know, there's a good lesson for everybody, especially for women.
16:14Leopards don't change their spots usually.
16:16Anyway, condonation, be smart.
16:21Case 1088, Smothers v. Smothers.
16:23All parties, please step forward.
16:26John Smothers is suing his twin brother, Chad Smothers, for his portion of profits from selling
16:33a house.
16:34Mr. Smothers, this is your brother.
16:36It is your claim that he owes you your share of the profit from flipping a house.
16:41Yes, Judge.
16:42I read your complaint.
16:43I read the answer.
16:44And it appears that you purchased two houses at auction.
16:49Yes.
16:50In what year did that take place?
16:532012.
16:54And the purpose of purchasing the houses was for you and your brother to refurbish them
17:00and sell them at a profit.
17:02Yes.
17:03Okay.
17:03Do you have a written contract with your brother?
17:06I have no written contract.
17:07So this was an oral agreement with regard to real estate.
17:11There was no agreement.
17:12I bought the houses.
17:13The only reason he came to the auction was to put the house in his name.
17:16Justice, listen.
17:17He put the houses in his name.
17:19The houses are in his name.
17:20That means he owns them.
17:22If you say there was no agreement between the two of you to flip these houses, which I
17:28actually thought you said there was, then houses were purchased in 2012.
17:34They were put in your brother's name.
17:36So he owns the two houses.
17:38Your Honor, we did have an agreement.
17:40We agreed.
17:40We worked together on the two houses together at the beginning.
17:43And one would be his and one would be mine.
17:46That's not the agreement whatsoever.
17:47I bought the houses for me and her to keep living one and eventually sell the other one.
17:53He had nowhere else to live.
17:53He had nowhere to go.
17:54Lost his job.
17:55So he moved into a house that was, for all intents and purposes, unlivable.
17:59There was no agreement or understanding from the very beginning to the time he sold the
18:02house behind my back that he had anything to do other than live in the house.
18:06Smothers.
18:07Yes.
18:08You're the complainant, Jay Smothers.
18:10Yes, John.
18:11Let me read to you what you wrote in your sworn complaint.
18:16Chad is my identical twin brother.
18:18I was in the military and when I was done, I lost my home.
18:21I was good at building and renovation, so I had the idea to start buying cheap properties,
18:25fix them up, and then flip them for profit.
18:28That's what you wrote.
18:29That's your signature.
18:31First time I did this, I went to an auction with my children's mother and Chad.
18:36That would be you.
18:37I had to put the houses in my brother's name in order to avoid some pending erroneous liens.
18:43I bought the two houses.
18:44I was going to live in one on Chad, and I were going to renovate both properties.
18:49That's what you said.
18:51Were you mistaken when you said that?
18:52After the...
18:53You're just...
18:53No, I was not mistaken.
18:55Think about what you just said and what I just read to you that you wrote in your sworn
19:01complaint.
19:01The houses were purchased for my plan, my idea.
19:05He had nowhere else to live.
19:05Yes, eventually, when he moved into the house, I agreed that if he's going to live there and
19:09do work on it with no rent, no payment, no nothing, that he would be able to eventually...
19:14When we sold the house together, that, yeah, he would get some of the money, but it wasn't
19:17his house to sell.
19:18It was my money, my plan, my investment.
19:20He just put his hand up during the auction.
19:23He did sell the house.
19:25$2,700 into the house.
19:26Keep going.
19:27And I made it worth enough to sell.
19:28You sold the house for $27,000, and then the next buyer sold it for $108,000.
19:34I feel like you stole that whole amount of money.
19:35It wasn't your property to sell.
19:37And if you sold it, you should have at least told me before you bought another house.
19:40You bought a whole other house and didn't even tell me.
19:42And I found out through a friend that you have this money now and didn't even give me
19:45a single nickel off of it.
19:47Now, maybe we didn't have an exact agreement on how much you should get or how much I should
19:50get, but I didn't know you even sold the house.
19:51And you only got $30,000 for it.
19:53I got nowhere near $30,000 for it.
19:54Are they getting it out of their system?
19:56Yeah?
19:57Goodbye.
19:58Your case is barred by the statute of limitations.
20:00We're done.
20:00Court is adjourned.
20:03He was living in a house.
20:052017, he sold it and didn't tell me that he even sold it.
20:07I put all my blood, sweat, and tears into fixing that house up.
20:10He did put an initial investment into it.
20:11I should have been able to at least get half of the money from the profit from him selling
20:15that house.
20:16Not everyone always gets a return on their investment.
20:18Sometimes people lose money on their investments, but...
20:20I don't have a brother.
20:21I wish this didn't keep us from being brothers, but maybe we can work it out later.
20:25Yeah, blood is thicker than water, but blood will hurt you just as worse than anybody else.
20:30So there is a perfect example of why courts insist that you bring your actions if there
20:36is a breach of a contract, if there's an accident, if there's a claim of negligence, whatever
20:40the claim is, within a reasonable period of time.
20:43But the theory of it is that memories are fresh, documents are fresh.
20:48This guy couldn't even remember from when he signed his complaint to the story he just
20:53began to tell me.
20:54So there is a reason why courts insist that a case be fresh, because memories are clear.
21:00They were far outside of that fresh period.
21:02Far outside of the fresh period.
21:04Are you having a family dispute?
21:07Go to JudyJustice.tv
21:09Go to JudyJustice.tv
21:13Go to JudyJustice.p
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