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00:00You were in a relationship.
00:01She broke up with you.
00:03Yes.
00:04What appliances did she take when she left the house?
00:08She took the washer, the dryer, and the fridge.
00:10I pay for everything.
00:12So what gives you the right to take them?
00:14She kindly offered me for my birthday.
00:18You're a grown-up lady.
00:19You're not a baby.
00:20This is Judy Justice.
00:30Denise Cruz is suing her ex-girlfriend, Brenda Cardona,
00:44for mortgage payments, the cost of appliances,
00:47and the balance on a car.
00:49Court come to order.
00:51Be seated, please.
00:55Hello, Judge.
00:56Case number 1132, Cruz v. Cardona.
00:59You're welcome.
01:00Ms. Cruz, you and Ms. Cardona had been friends years ago.
01:0320 years.
01:04And according to what I read, sort of lost touch.
01:07Ms. Cardona married.
01:09Yes.
01:10But divorced her husband.
01:11In what year?
01:12It's been about four years, almost.
01:15And how long were you married?
01:17About 13 years.
01:19You have kids?
01:19Yes, I do. How many?
01:21I have twins.
01:21My daughter is here.
01:22My son is not here today.
01:24After Ms. Cardona's divorce,
01:25the two of you sort of reconnected.
01:27And you reconnected in a romantic way.
01:29And you began dating.
01:30Shortly thereafter, you purchased another house.
01:33You had lived, according to what I remember, at least,
01:37you lived in Porter Ranch.
01:38Yes, ma'am.
01:38But you bought another house, where?
01:40In Paris, California.
01:42Paris?
01:42Paris. P-E-R-R-I-S. Paris.
01:45And that's about how far from Porter Ranch?
01:47It's about an hour and a half.
01:49And Ms. Cardona and her family moved into that house.
01:53Is that correct?
01:54Yes.
01:54In what year did you move into that house with your children?
01:572019, about June, middle June.
02:00And you and Ms. Cardona, Ms. Cruz, were a couple.
02:04From when to when?
02:05Well, we started dating in December 15, 2018,
02:08until March 21, 2021.
02:13Then you separated.
02:14And you, in fact, told Ms. Cardona
02:16that you wanted her to move from the house.
02:18She eventually did, several months later.
02:21It was September 26, I believe, when she moved out.
02:24When did you move out of the house, Ms. Cardona?
02:27I left last month.
02:29So in September?
02:30Yes.
02:30Okay.
02:31So your claim is for several things.
02:33You claim she still owes money on a car that you purchased
02:36that she was paying off.
02:37You claim that when she left the house,
02:39she took appliances from the house.
02:41And you say that she owes for household expenses,
02:45which she had been paying,
02:46but she stopped paying as of March or April.
02:49April 26.
02:51Until she moved out.
02:52Ms. Cardona says, with regard to the appliances,
02:56they were a gift.
02:57Is that what you're saying to me?
02:59No, they were not a gift.
03:00With regard to the car,
03:02she says she finished paying it off.
03:04Yes.
03:05And with regard to the household expenses,
03:08you've been paying the mortgage, according to you.
03:10Is that right?
03:11Yes, I...
03:11That's either a yes or a no.
03:13And if not, how much was that?
03:15$1,400.
03:16Okay.
03:17And according to you,
03:18you stopped paying the mortgage
03:20because you wanted to save money to move.
03:22That is correct.
03:23Well, you can't do that,
03:24because if that was your agreement that you pay the mortgage,
03:26you have to pay the mortgage.
03:28So that's easy.
03:29Do you understand that?
03:30Yes, ma'am.
03:31Okay.
03:31And how many months did you live there
03:33without paying the mortgage?
03:35Four months.
03:36Okay.
03:36Now let's deal with the appliances.
03:39What appliances did she take
03:41when she left the house?
03:43She took the washer, the dryer,
03:45and the fridge, Your Honor.
03:46Who paid for them?
03:47I paid for everything, yes.
03:49I have the receipts from Costco.
03:52I bought them from Costco.
03:53Correct, Ms. Cardona,
03:54without my looking at her receipts,
03:56that the plaintiff paid for the washer,
04:00dryer, and the refrigerator.
04:02Half of it, yes.
04:03She only paid half?
04:04Yes.
04:05I paid her already half.
04:06How much did you give her towards your half?
04:09I gave her $1,200.
04:10For what?
04:11For the washer, dryer, and fridge
04:14that she kindly offered me for my birthday.
04:17Listen, I don't want to hear kindly offered you
04:19for your birthday.
04:20Yes.
04:20I don't want to hear kindly offered you
04:21for your birthday.
04:22So what gives you the right to take them?
04:25Again, it was a gift that she gave me.
04:26No, it wasn't a gift.
04:27It wasn't a gift if you paid for half of it.
04:29If you split the cost of the washer and dryer,
04:32then, if I believe that,
04:34Yes.
04:34then you have to pay her for half of the cost
04:37of the washer and dryer.
04:38You don't just take them with you.
04:40After we broke up, I was going to pay her the rest,
04:43but she kicked me out of the house with my kids,
04:45and I didn't have money to give her the half,
04:48but I agree with her that I was going to give her payments.
04:51That's a lot of doublespeak.
04:53You want to doublespeak?
04:54I said, how old are you?
04:5518.
04:56It's embarrassing to doublespeak
04:57in front of your daughter,
04:59because the doublespeak that you're giving me was,
05:01the other half she kindly gave me as a gift,
05:03and then you just told me,
05:04I didn't have the money to give her the other half.
05:07I was going to make it for her in payments.
05:09So that's two different things that you just told me.
05:12Am I crazy?
05:14Do you understand?
05:15One defense.
05:17Either it was a gift, which I'm going to ask for,
05:20or, well, then what was this?
05:22I was going to pay a half, but I didn't have the money.
05:24It was a gift, but once we broke up,
05:24she charged me for those appliances once we broke up.
05:28She broke up with you.
05:29It was her house.
05:30Sure, it was a good deal for you and your children,
05:32because you're paying for the mortgage.
05:34That's it.
05:35But what did you expect her to do?
05:36You're no longer in a relationship.
05:38What did you think she should do?
05:39Give you the house?
05:40I never asked.
05:41I never asked for that.
05:43So she told you she wanted you out of the house.
05:45Yes.
05:46You didn't leave the house.
05:47I paid the mortgage up to May was the last time that I paid.
05:51So you stayed, but you broke up in March.
05:53So you had March, April, and May.
05:57You had three months to find another place.
05:59She didn't get a marshal to come to throw you out
06:03with your children.
06:04And then you stopped paying the mortgage
06:07because you wanted to save up money.
06:09I didn't have money to leave at that moment, Judge Judy.
06:13I didn't have money.
06:14When you say I didn't have money,
06:16if you said to me and said to her,
06:18I want to be able to save some money before I move out,
06:21because we've been here for several years,
06:24so I'm going to give you half of the mortgage,
06:27but not to do anything because you wanted to save money,
06:31who was supposed to pay the mortgage
06:34while you and your girls were living?
06:35She's not related to you.
06:39You still have the appliances?
06:41Yes.
06:42You wash your clothes in the washing machine.
06:44You dry them in the dryer.
06:45You put food in the refrigerator.
06:47You have to pay for that.
06:48You're a grown-up lady.
06:49You have two 18-year-olds.
06:51You're not a baby.
06:52And later today...
06:54She could do whatever she wants with her property.
06:55You're on a month-to-month tenancy.
06:57If you don't like that she's going to build additional units
07:00that she has a right to build in the back of her house,
07:03I'll move!
07:09I'll move!
07:15Denise Cruz claims her ex-girlfriend, Brenda Cardona,
07:20owes for the cost of appliances and the balance on a car.
07:24Who was supposed to pay the mortgage when you didn't?
07:27I don't know whether she has a mortgage on her other house.
07:30Do your daughters work?
07:31No.
07:32Do you work?
07:32I don't.
07:33Who was supposed to pay the mortgage?
07:35She works.
07:36So you have to pay her.
07:38The months you didn't pay is $5,600.
07:40Is that correct?
07:41$5,600.
07:42You have to pay for the mortgage.
07:43Now let's get to the car.
07:45No.
07:45Appliances.
07:46Did she agree to pay for half the appliances?
07:48Yes, Your Honor.
07:49I even have a text in here of May 18th.
07:53And she's saying, okay, fair enough, Denise.
07:55I'll pay as I always do.
07:57But she never did.
07:59What was the $3,845.54 for?
08:05The $3,845 was the money that she owed for the car and the appliances.
08:10She says, okay, fair enough, Denise.
08:12I will pay you as I always do.
08:15Have a blessed day.
08:16That was May 19th.
08:18Yes, yes, ma'am.
08:18Okay, so as of May, you agreed that you owed her $3,845.54.
08:27Because you say, okay, fair enough, Denise.
08:30I will pay you as always.
08:31Yes, basically.
08:32Not basically.
08:33Basically is a filler word.
08:34Any money that you sent to her after May 18th, I will look at.
08:39That's either I sent nothing or here it is.
08:43I have the proofs here that I don't own her anything besides the other half of the appliance.
08:48Just pay careful attention to me.
08:51Yes, ma'am.
08:52I want to see any payments that you made to her after May 19th.
08:58Just say none.
08:59As before, none.
09:00Then you owed her $3,845.
09:04Now, after May, you did not pay the mortgage that you were supposed to pay.
09:08And you lived there.
09:09That's an additional $5,600.
09:12Do you understand?
09:13Yes.
09:14Good.
09:16That's $94,45.
09:18Now, you know, people break up all the time.
09:20Half the marriages in this country fail.
09:22Put down your papers.
09:24She's not responsible for you.
09:25She's not responsible for your children.
09:27I understand that you work and that you have children as a responsibility.
09:32But you are not her responsibility.
09:35So it's a debt.
09:36Do you still have the car?
09:37Just put your hand down.
09:39Do you still have the car?
09:40Yes.
09:41You drive around the car?
09:42Yes.
09:42Okay.
09:43And you still have the appliances?
09:45Yes.
09:46You wash your clothes in the washing machine.
09:48You dry them in the dryer.
09:49You put food in the refrigerator.
09:52You took them.
09:53Even though, according to you, you only paid for half of them.
09:56You have to pay for that.
09:57You're a grown-up lady.
09:58You have two 18-year-olds.
10:00You're not a baby.
10:01$94,45.
10:02Judgment for the plaintiff.
10:03Thank you very much.
10:04Court is adjourned.
10:05I broke up with her.
10:09She paid until she got somebody else.
10:11She started dating someone, and she couldn't handle that.
10:14And then she stopped paying.
10:16She cannot move on.
10:17Everything went outward after that.
10:19Sarah, they appeared to be two nice women.
10:23And you had to be somewhat sympathetic with the defendant.
10:26She was trying to do her best because she's got two kids.
10:29They had an agreement, even though it wasn't a written agreement.
10:33Fortunately, sometimes texts work.
10:36Yeah.
10:37Memorializing what your agreement is, even if you don't do it by a formal contract,
10:43the text that she wrote to her and said, this is what you owe.
10:47And she said, I agree.
10:50I will pay you as always.
10:52Have a blessed day.
10:53It was enough of a contract to acknowledge that there was a debt.
10:57If you can somehow memorialize an agreement, and not just a one-way agreement,
11:01not this is what you owe me, but there needs to be a response,
11:04an acknowledgement of that debt, that will usually work.
11:08Yeah, you're going to be held to that.
11:11Case number 1112, Fawcett, Hester versus Balwani.
11:14All parties, please step forward.
11:16Lauren Fawcett and Patrick Hester are suing their former landlord, Sahel Balwani,
11:23for breaching their lease, a security deposit, property damage, and a utility bill.
11:29You're Patrick Kessler.
11:30Yes, Your Honor.
11:31This is your wife.
11:32And you were tenants of a duplex that is owned by the defendant from 2016 until recently.
11:40Late 2015 until May 2021.
11:44And I assume that you were on, after your initial lease, on a month-to-month lease?
11:50Correct, Your Honor.
11:51You're suing the defendant for a whole bunch of things.
11:54For money owed for damages arising from a breached lease, number one.
12:00Number two, the return of security deposit.
12:04You may have an issue with regard to that.
12:06Property damage, and the rest is a utility bill, which I'm not dealing with at all.
12:11Okay, so this is what I gather from your complaint.
12:15You had a month-to-month lease.
12:16You were good tenants.
12:17You initially had a 12-month lease that turned into a month-to-month tenancy.
12:22So far accurate?
12:23Yes, Your Honor.
12:24So that means that you could move out, give him 30 days notice, which would be nice,
12:29and she could tell you to get out on notice.
12:32Same 30 days.
12:33That sound reasonable to you?
12:35Yes.
12:35Sure.
12:36And this place had a yard.
12:38Somebody have a picture of it to show me?
12:40Yes, Your Honor.
12:40I'd love to take a look at it.
12:52Okay, so this is the basic story.
12:56The county or whatever governmental authority gave the defendants the right to build additional
13:02units in the back of the property, which she wanted to do.
13:05She wanted to exercise her right to do that, which is her right.
13:09And she could have said to you, it's been nice knowing you.
13:12I'm adding units to my property, my property, so you can either stay or go during the construction.
13:20It's going to take a year, right?
13:22Yes, Your Honor.
13:22I mean, you don't own the property.
13:24Correct.
13:25You're renters, not even with a lease.
13:28Part of the thing that had to go was a tree in the backyard.
13:32And you didn't want the tree to go because that's where you get shade and your kids like to play.
13:37I don't know what it was.
13:38So she sent people over to remove the tree to start the process of constructing on her property
13:45something that would add additional value to her property.
13:48So far, am I missing anything?
13:49No.
13:49No.
13:50No.
13:50So raise your hand.
13:52Who was the one who interfered with them taking down the tree at first?
13:55Either of you.
13:56That would be you.
13:57And then they finally did take down the tree.
14:00Somebody called the police.
14:01I don't know who that was.
14:03Raise your hand if you called the police.
14:04That would be you.
14:06Police said you can't stop them from taking down the tree.
14:08It's their property.
14:10Did you find anything unusual about that?
14:12It was our understanding with the initial lease that we signed and that we understood that we were...
14:17I don't care what you understood.
14:20I don't care what was in your mind.
14:22She could do whatever she wants with her property.
14:23You're on a month-to-month tenancy.
14:25If you don't like that she's going to build additional units that she has a right to build
14:29in the back of her house, I'll move!
14:34There are tenants' rights and there are landlords' rights.
14:38And she doesn't have to leave property that she has fallow if she can generate income from
14:43her property because you like a shade tree.
14:48That's why they kept your security deposit, because you didn't pay rent.
14:51You lived there yourself, your wife, your kids.
14:54You lived there and you didn't pay rent.
14:55What were they supposed to do?
14:56How were they supposed to get their rent?
14:59I don't know.
15:12Lauren Fawcett and Patrick Hester say their former landlord, Sahel Bawani,
15:18owes for breaking their lease, property damage, and the return of their security deposit.
15:24Your first cause of action is for a breached lease.
15:28First of all, you had no lease.
15:29You had a month-to-month tenancy.
15:31So what lease did she breach?
15:33The way that we read the law when we had talked to a few people that gave us some guidance on the
15:37matter said that the lease would be the initial lease that we signed.
15:41So you think every month you had another year?
15:44No, just the terms of that lease.
15:46Okay.
15:46Who did you speak to initially and when about the addition that the defendant wanted to put on the property?
15:54Spoke with her husband.
15:55Okay.
15:56You spoke with her husband.
15:57That would be you.
15:58That would be me.
16:00In what month?
16:00I can't recall, Your Honor.
16:02What month?
16:03January 25th to be exact.
16:05January 25th, 2021?
16:07Yes.
16:07When did you move out?
16:09May 31st.
16:10Okay.
16:10So four months later.
16:11Correct, Your Honor.
16:13So you were advised by your landlord that they were going to build these additional units
16:17four months before you moved.
16:18So now you had 30 days notice of that, right?
16:21Perfect.
16:22When you spoke to her husband, did he in fact say to you,
16:26for any inconvenience that you had during construction, if you wanted to stay during the construction,
16:32he would reduce your rent?
16:34Did he say that to you?
16:35Yes, and I asked him.
16:37Just a second.
16:37The answer is, he told you he was building these things and he said,
16:41you have a choice.
16:41You can either stay and I'll reduce your rent by $400 or you can go.
16:48Which means February 25th, 2021.
16:52What did you tell him when he said, I will reduce your rent if you choose to stay?
16:57I said, I need to talk to my wife.
16:59Did you talk to your wife?
17:00No, I didn't get to talk to my wife because she was having medical issues going on.
17:04Just a second.
17:05Baloney.
17:05Did he also say to you, you are an electrician by trade?
17:10Yes.
17:11Did he also say to you, not only will I reduce your rent, but I'll let you do the electrical
17:16work for the new units?
17:17Yes, he offered.
17:18Yes.
17:18The answer is yes.
17:20He said, I'll reduce your rent for the inconvenience.
17:23I'll also, for the inconvenience, because you've been good tenants, I will offer you the contract to
17:29do the electrical work on the new units that I'm going to put in.
17:34He didn't have to do any of that for you.
17:36He could attack the 30-day notice on your door and said, vacate in 30 days.
17:41Be gone by March 1st.
17:43They chose not to do that.
17:46Now, return of security deposit.
17:48How much security deposit did you give them?
17:51Two thousand dollars.
17:52And that was in 2016?
17:54Fifteen.
17:552015.
17:57Did you return their security deposit?
18:00Yes, your honor.
18:01How much?
18:02We returned $250.
18:05Why?
18:05Because they didn't pay us the last month's rent.
18:09Oh.
18:10What was their rent?
18:11So the reduced rent, I believe we had already, since we'd taken that tree down,
18:16we decided we would go ahead and reduce the rent as promised, that they had agreed to.
18:21So what was their reduced rent?
18:23$1,700.
18:26And it had been $2,100?
18:28Yes.
18:29And according to you, you moved out May 31st.
18:32Correct.
18:33Did you pay May's rent?
18:35No, your honor.
18:36That's why they kept your security deposit, because you didn't pay rent.
18:39You lived there, yourself, your wife, your kids.
18:42You lived there and you didn't pay rent.
18:43What were they supposed to do?
18:44How were they supposed to get their rent?
18:48I don't know.
18:49I don't know.
18:51You do have a claim here for property damage.
18:56And the property damage that you allege was a broken trampoline?
19:01Yes, your honor.
19:02So let me see the trampoline that you are alleging that they broke.
19:06When you say they broke it, do you know who broke it?
19:18The tree contractors.
19:19Okay.
19:20And the tree contractor broke this?
19:22Correct.
19:23And this?
19:24Yes.
19:25Made holes in it?
19:26Yes, ma'am.
19:27Did you notify them that this was broken by the tree contractor?
19:32Yes, your honor.
19:32Did you notify them?
19:33Yes.
19:34When did you notify them?
19:35I believe it was the same day that the tree...
19:37Did they notify you that the tree contractor had damaged their trampoline?
19:42Yes, your honor, but we notified them prior to the tree contractor coming to remove
19:47anything that might get into the way of the tree contractor.
19:52They did not...
19:52Explain that to me.
19:53I'm sorry.
19:54And I believe they didn't...
19:55No, they did not notify us.
19:57They didn't notify us that it was damaged, but prior to that we did notify them to remove
20:02any property that might be theirs that might be in the way.
20:05Do you have any proof by way of communication, text message, letter, that you notify them to remove
20:13this trampoline because the tree was going to come down?
20:16Do you have any proof of that?
20:18The answer is either yes or no.
20:20Yes, but it's through text message.
20:21That's okay.
20:23Okay.
20:23I do text messages.
20:24Also, your honor, prior to even asking them to remove the trampoline, they're not supposed
20:30to have a trampoline per insurance reasons because it's a dangerous item on our premise and it
20:35could hurt our tenant.
20:37So we had asked them to remove the trampoline to begin with.
20:41Is it correct that they asked you to remove the trampoline?
20:45They have...
20:45It is correct.
20:46Just a sec.
20:46Yes.
20:47When did they ask you to remove the trampoline?
20:50Before the tree was cut down, your honor.
20:52Okay.
20:52Your case is dismissed.
20:53We're finished.
20:54Thank you very much.
20:55You don't have to look for anything else.
20:56Goodbye.
20:56Court is adjourned.
20:59Oh, I feel relieved.
21:00This was so stressful for us.
21:02She made it.
21:03That's it.
21:03And move forward.
21:05Every single time it was like,
21:06more money, more money, more money.
21:08We tried and that's it.
21:09We had to place all of that on hold because of this situation, but we're going to move forward.
21:14You know, Sarah, most landlords are in business.
21:18They own property.
21:19They want to keep it in good shape.
21:21These were perfectly lovely people, perfectly reasonable people.
21:25They gave the people who had lived there for five years alternatives.
21:29More than reasonable.
21:31Offered them the contract to make money in his own business.
21:34Right.
21:34As an electrician.
21:35Or they could move in 30 days.
21:37Yeah.
21:37So they stayed.
21:38They didn't pay their last month's rent.
21:40And then they sue them for thousands and thousands of dollars.
21:45For something that they were way within their rights to do.
21:48To do.
21:48As property owners.
21:49And it's probably because, she says, we asked a few people.
21:54Yeah.
21:55Well, that's ridiculous.
21:56Landlords have rights.
21:57Mm-hmm.
21:59Tenants have rights.
22:00But courts have to be in the middle.
22:02And I don't know when that happened, that the word landlord became synonymous with evil or used in the pejorative.
22:09And it's really too bad.
22:10You can't pigeonhole people.
22:12Yeah.
22:12That's what these plaintiffs tried to do.
22:15They didn't.
22:18Want justice?
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