02x24 - Minor Crash and Trade Me Back

[bunniefuu]

When the airbags deployed,
it crushed all my side

so both my arms were bleeding.

Did you have a driver's license?

Don't speak to him!
He could've k*lled her!

I watched you when you walked in,
you came in smiling.

You're not smiling now.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Paulina Cardozo
is suing Norma Jimenez

and her 17-year-old son,
Christopher Espinoza,

for damages resulting from a car crash.

[bailiff]
Court, come to order. All rise.

Have a seat, please.

Case #2054, Cardozo versus
Jimenez/Espinoza.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

Miss Cardozo, it is your claim
that the Defendants

are responsible for
an automobile accident,

-Yes.
-that both totaled your car

and injured you and your child.

Yes, Your Honor.

When did this accident happen?
What date?

On May 6th, Friday, 2022.

[Judy]
What time of the day?

Um, it was around,
um, 7:10, 7:20 AM.

Where were you going?

I was gonna drop off
my son to his babysitter.

-[Judy] Then, where were you going?
-Work.

-[Judy] Is that your regular route?
-Yeah.

-Your last name is?
-Espinoza.

-[Judy] How old are you?
-Seventeen.

-You were driving that morning?
-[Christopher] Yeah.

"Yeah" is not an answer.
"Yes" is an answer.

Who was in the car with you?

My little sister.

[Judy]
How old is she?

Eleven.

-You have a driver's license?
-Now I do, yeah.

Did you, on May 6th,
have a driver's license?

No.

[Judy] I assume you were
taking your sister to school.

[Christopher]
Yes.

[Judy] And then you were
taking yourself to school.

-Yes.
-[Judy] This was in May,

how long had you been
driving your sister to school?

Six months.

-[Judy] Where was your mother?
-At work.

[Judy] Did you
drop her off at work first?

-No.
-How does she get to work?

Her own car.

Who owns the car that you were driving?

-My mom.
-So, your mom has two cars?

-Yes.
-What other adults live in your house?

Just my mom.

-[Judy] Your mother, your sister and you?
-Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

When was the car purchased
that you were driving with your sister?

It was a gift.

-[Judy] Who was it a gift to?
-Me.

[Judy]
Whose name is it in?

-[whispers] My mom's.
-My mom's.

When did you get it? Month and year?
When did... Don't speak to him!

When did you get it?

January.

-January of 2022?
-Yes.

So that's why you'd been
driving your sister for six months.

-Yeah.
-[Judy] The car is in your name?

Yes, Your Honor.

You know that he has
no right to drive a car.

He had a driver's permit.

I don't care if he had a permit,
you know he has no right to drive a car

with a minor in the car!

Well, he took some classes and
we were told by the instructor...

Don't tell me what you were told
by the instructor, madam.

Your insurance company disclaimed on this,
if you had insurance,

because he's not allowed to drive a car.
Is that correct?

Yes.

What insurance carrier
do you have on your car?

AAA.

Who insures the car that he was driving?

AAA.

-On your name.
-Yes.

When he had this accident,
the insurance company, AAA,

disclaimed on the accident
because he was driving the car.

Yes.

Did they drop you from your policy?

Did they drop your policy?

No.

[Judy]
Did they raise your rates?

Uh, no, because I was changing
insurance at that time

when the accident happened.

So, you had no insurance?

-I... We had insurance...
-[Judy] Look at me.

On the 6th of May, do you have proof
that there was insurance

on the car that he was driving?

-Yes, Your Honor.
-[Judy] What carrier?

AAA.

When did you change carriers?

It was May 5th but it wasn't gonna be
affected until the following week.

So, you had no insurance?

I had called AAA to let them know that
I was changing insurance at that time.

I don't... [chuckles] Believe... Okay.

-[Norma] I was changing...
-[Judy] Just a second.

You have to understand, madam,
that to make your life more comfortable,

so that you could go to work
and your little girl could get to school,

you let an unlicensed driver drive a car.
You have to understand that.

Because he could have
k*lled her and the child.

It's outrageous that you let your


drive your 11-year-old daughter,
put him in a place

where they were in harm's way. You're just
very lucky that both of them weren't hurt.

-Do you understand that?
-Yes, ma'am.

All right. If you think I'm being harsh,
sir, I watched you when you walked in.

You thought this whole thing was a joke.
You came in smiling.

It's not a smiling thing.
You did the wrong thing

and if you start doing the wrong thing
when you're 17-years-old,

when you're 27-years-old,
your mother will come visit you

someplace where you don't want to be.
Do you understand?

I smile when I'm nervous.

-[Judy] Excuse me?
-I smile when I'm nervous.

You smile when you're nervous. Well, your
mother smiles when she's nervous, too?

-'Cause she was smiling, too,
-Yeah.

when you walked in here.
Well, you're not smiling now.

You mean, you're not nervous now?

You're not smiling now.
Now you're not nervous.

Now, I would be nervous.
If I were you, I would be nervous.

-See what I mean?
-Yeah.

Tell me what happened
at 7:30 in the morning

on the 6th of May, which was
a school day and a work day.

Okay, yes, Your Honor.
So, I was driving straight, like normal,

on East, on Pleasant Valley,
and as I was going on a green light,

into my intersection...

Do you have a photograph?
Do you have any...

-Yes.
-[Judy] I'd like to see it.

May 6th was a Friday, just so you know.

-Hmm? May 6th was a Friday, yeah.
-May 6th was a Friday.

Thanks.

Your car is the red car?

Yes, Your Honor.

This doesn't tell me anything, actually,
it just shows your car totally destroyed.

-Do you have a police report?
-Yes, Your Honor.

I'd like to see a police report.

And I'll put it so she can kinda see
my car and his car.

[Judy] This is the diagram
that the police prepared?

[Paulina]
Yes, Your Honor.

-So you were going straight.
-Yes, Your Honor.

-And he was making a left turn.
-Yes, Your Honor.

And you were through the intersection.

Yes, I was about to be. It was
like in the middle of the intersection.

What kind of citations
were you issued, sir?

Just without a license.

-[Judy] What?
-Without a license.

[Judy] Okay. I'm just letting you know,
Miss Jimenez,

the Plaintiff had visible injuries
that the police noted.

-Do you understand that?
-Yes.

[Judy]
The airbags went off?

All of them, Your Honor.

Other than the marks that you had
on you as a result of the seatbelts

and the airbags going off,
did you have any other injuries?

So, that was actually my son, um...

-That was your son?
-[Paulina] Yeah, that was my son

because of the, um, seatbelts.

Mine were both of my arms,
because when the airbags deployed,

it crushed all my side,
so both my arms were bleeding.

-You were making a left turn.
-Yeah.

-[Judy] She was going straight.
-Yes.

You had a green light, but she was
going straight and she had a green light.

-Do you understand?
-[Christopher] Yes.

That means you can't left turn.
She's going straight,

that means she's got a green light.
That's what it was.

And you have to wait until she goes
before you make a left turn.

Yeah.

Were they at the scene
at the same time, at any time?

-No.
-When your mother says

that she asked Miss Cardozo,
"Are you okay?"

-that wasn't true.
-No.

Was it true or it wasn't true?

[narrator]
And later today...

You have no proof here of anything.
So, I'm asking you,

you want nothing or
do you want your car back?

You want your $10,000.

I'd rather have my car back than nothing.

-[Judy] And...
-I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Paulina Cardozo claims
Norma Jimenez and her 17-year-old son,

Christopher Espinoza, owe for
damages resulting from a car crash.

Okay. Now, when you got there, you started
to yell at her. You want to tell me why?

You want to tell me why
you were yelling at her?

I didn't even yell at her.
I got to the place,

and then there was somebody waiting for me
and told me that she, um...

She had just hit them, like the person...
There was a witness...

He hit... He hit her.

But there was somebody
that saw the accident,

but that person,
unfortunately, couldn't be here.

-[Judy] Okay. I'm asking you,
-But...

why you were yelling at her.
Did you have a conversation with her?

I never had a conversation with her.
I just asked her, "Are you okay?"

Then she said
they're taking my son to the hospital.

That's all she said. And when I got there,
the firefighter told me...

No, don't tell me what anybody told you,
madam.

Don't tell me what anybody told you.
You called your mother?

-[Christopher] Yes.
-You used your cell phone?

-No.
-[Judy] How did you call her?

My sister.

-You used your sister's.
-[Christopher] Yes.

-And she came right over.
-Yes.

Miss Cardozo was there
when your mother got there?

[whispers]
She was taking off.

You want to answer me?
Did your mother and Miss Cardozo,

were they at the scene
at the same time, at any time?

-No.
-Before she was taken to the hospital?

No.

When your mother says that she
asked Miss Cardozo, "are you okay,"

-that wasn't true?
-No.

[Judy]
Was it true or it wasn't true?

-It was true.
-[Judy] It was true. So that they...

Well, how did she communicate
with Miss Cardozo if she didn't ask her?

If she wasn't there.
I'm gonna ask you again,

Was your mother at the scene when
Miss Cardozo was also at the scene?

Yes.

And did you tell your mother that
the accident was Miss Cardozo's fault?

No.

What did you tell your mother?

That we got in a car accident.

She didn't ask you what happened?
C'mon.

-[Christopher] Yes.
-C'mon.

-Your mother asked you what happened.
-Yeah.

-And what did you tell her?
-What happened.

Let me hear what
you told your mother happened.

I was going in E...
E Pleasant Valley Road.

I put my left turn signal to
go to the left turn lane.

You were in the left turn lane.

-[Christopher] Yes.
-And...

I waited to turn and turned.

And?

I was there and she
swerved in and hit me.

[Judy]
She what?

She swerved in and hit me.

She swerved and hit you
while you were making a left turn?

-That's what you told your mother?
-Yes.

Judgment for the Plaintiff
in the amount of $10,000. We're finished.

[bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I feel like she was very fair.

To my understanding, what they have
told me, is like, he was allowed to drive.

It's been a hardship for us.

And that's why I let him drive.

I was scared. I didn't know if he had
broken something or something worse.

I only asked her, are you guys okay,
like, what happened?

Um, somebody told me
it was you that hit them.

To this day, it's haunting. My son
doesn't like to get in the car anymore.

So it's straining.

He wasn't even citated for the accident.
He was citated for not having a license.

I think she thought it was
my fault and I feel like

she still thinks it's my fault,
but it was not my fault.

She was the one that hit him.

You need to have insurance and
you need to know how to drive.

I'm glad it's over.

This is a public service announcement to
the Governor of the State of California:

Do everybody a favor, propose legislation
that mandates that if you drive

without a license as an underage driver,
and you're caught,

and/or have an accident, you are
ineligible to get a driver's license

until you're 25 years old. That would
probably be a deterrent for some people.

Something is wrong with the system.

Those are my words for the day.

Case #2061, Lara versus Burke.
All parties, please step forward.

[narrator] Michael Lara is suing
car seller, Donald Burke,

for a vintage car title.

-Mr. Lara,
-Yes, Your Honor.

-you had a truck.
-Yes.

And that truck was a 2007.

Yes, Your Honor.

-[Judy] Nissan Frontier.
-Correct.

When did you purchase it?

I purchased it in 2019.

From whom?

From a private owner,
I don't have his name,

but I purchased it over on auto app.

-[Judy] So you found it online.
-Yeah.

So, it's still online. How much
did you pay for the car in 2019.

In 2010, uh, '19, I paid $10,000.

I don't believe that.
Let's try it one more time.

Mr. Lara, exactly how much
did you pay for the car

in 2019?

$10,000, Your Honor.

Show me a bill of sale.

I don't have that bill of sale
from back then.

-[Judy] Okay.
-I have only the title that I had.

Okay. Let's assume, for the moment,
that that's almost accurate.

Because the truck is now worth...

Somewhere between $8,000 and $9,000.

So that would be a depreciation.
So now it's worth $8,000.

Okay.

-You decided to sell it.
-Correct, to trade it.

[Judy]
And you put an ad Online to sell it?

Yes, I did.

You, Mr. Burke,

had a 1947 classic Chrysler sedan?

-Yes.
-When did you get that?

Uh, beginning of the year.

[Judy]
Beginning of 20...

-Twenty-two.
-[Judy] And where did you get it from?

[Donald]
A car dealer had it for sale.

-[Judy] A car dealer where?
-Montclair, California.

You remember the name of the car dealer?

No, ma'am, I don't.

-But it was the beginning of 2022.
-Yes.

And was it an ad online?

No, I was driving by and I saw the car
and I kinda like the way it looked.

[Judy]
How much did you pay for it?

Twelve thousand, five hundred.

Do you have a bill of sale?

No.

That was this year.
Why don't you have a bill of sale?

[Donald]
I have the registration and title.

I don't need the registration and title,
I need a bill of sale.

I don't have one.

It's different when you buy it from
a private party, but if you buy...

Do you have... It was the beginning
of January, how did you pay for the car?

-[Donald] Cash.
-Cash.

Do you have a withdrawal with your bank
of $12,500 to show me?

No, I don't.

[Judy] Well, how do you
expect me to decide this case?

You have a claim, you have a counterclaim,
nobody has any proof.

How do you expect me to decide?

Each of you is suing the other
for $10,000.

without any proof of anything.
How do you expect me to decide that?

Hmm?

Correct, Your Honor.

-[Judy] You got it?
-Yeah, I got it.

-You got it?
-Yes.

You have the title, you have the keys.
You have the truck.

Understand this: Neither one of you
are leaving here with a penny.

-Do you understand?
-Yes, Your Honor.

-Do you understand?
-No, I don't.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Michael Lara claims
car seller, Donald Burke,

owes him the title to a vintage car.
Donald is countersuing,

claiming Michael broke their agreement.

Okay. Do you have a car now?

Yes, I have a 2001, uh, GMC truck.

No-no-no, you have his car.

Oh, yes, I have his car, yes.

-You have his car.
-Yes.

-[Judy] And you have his truck.
-Yes.

[audience laughs]

What do you want me to do?

I wasn't the one that started this.

Okay, um, Your Honor.

[Judy]
He doesn't have the title.

Well, he never produced the money
that he was supposed to produce.

I have his title to his vehicle.

He signed it over to me and
he gave me the keys, as well.

[Judy]
Okay. I didn't ask you anything.

All I... You have the title,
you have the keys. You have the truck.

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy] My question to you is,
you have the title to his car.

He paid, let's assume he's correct,
that he paid $12,500

for the car in the beginning of 2022.

That car, which is a classic car,
is now for sale,

because I looked it up,
I don't remember the numbers. For...

Between $18,000 and $60,000
on the high end, from what I've seen.

Okay. So, it's worth considerably more
than what you paid for it.

Roughly $10,000 more
than what you paid for it. Right?

That's correct, Your Honor.

You don't know him, do you?

No, I don't, Your Honor.

[Judy] There would be no reason
why he would make you a gift?

-Is that right?
-That's correct.

-And you have the title for that car.
-[Donald] Yes.

Because you say, according to you,
that he didn't fulfill his promise.

Correct.

His contract to pay you
an additional amount for it.

Now, you say he agreed to pay you
an additional $10,000 for it.

Yes.

I don't know that
'cause none of it's in writing.

Anybody have any proof of that?

-No, Your Honor.
-No.

Good. And you want your car back.

No, I would just...

[Judy]
You want your car.

Well, I'm not giving you $10,000.
I want you to just understand that.

Because you have no proof here
of anything that satisfies me.

So, I'm asking you, you want nothing
or do you want your car back?

You want your $10,000.

I'd rather have my car back than nothing.

[Judy]
You'd rather have your car back, and...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You have the car.

Yes, I do, Your Honor.

And you put in some money in the truck.

Yes, the catalytic converters were bad.

How much money did you put into the truck?

Two thousand, one hundred sixty-five.

Okay. And you have proof of that?

-Yes.
-Yeah.

[Judy]
Where?

Can I help him?

I don't need you for anything.

Right here.

And it still needs another
$2,165 for the other side.

And you have the title to the car,
is that right?

-Yes.
-[Judy] Now, do you want nothing?

Or do you want your truck back,
even though he added money to it?

You want nothing or
you want your truck back?

That's my question to you.

You want nothing or
you want your truck back?

-My truck.
-[Judy] Great.

-And you want your car back.
-Yes.

[Judy] Perfect.
And both of you have agreed,

because there was clearly some
misunderstanding between the two of you.

Giving you the total
benefit of the doubt, sir,

that there was additional money
to be forthcom... I'm speaking.

Understand this: Neither one of you
are leaving here with a penny.

-Do you understand?
-Yes, Your Honor.

-[Judy] Do you understand?
-No, I don't.

I put $2,000 into the truck...

[Judy] Very, very easy.
Very easy, sir.

You're getting back a car that you say
is worth, she says is worth $20,000.

[Judy]
It's not gonna work for you.

You're gonna each end up
with your own cars back.

Since there was clearly a misunderstanding
about the nature of the contract.

What I'm telling you is,
I'm gonna prepare an order

that within five days of today's date,
you are to exchange cars.

Figure out where you want to do that,
a mutually convenient place.

That's the order of the court. Goodbye!

[bailiff]
Court is adjourned.

Not even the $2,000 I put into his truck?

-Goodbye.
-[bailiff] This way, sir.

You can sell your '47
for a lot more money.

I didn't bring us here,
he brought us here.

I liked his car, he liked my truck.
When I got there, we did the exchange

He signed the titles.
He gave me the keys to the vehicle.

But he gave me a truck
that needs a $4,000 repair

and he didn't mention that
when he gave it to me.

And my car, there was
nothing wrong with my car.

I always maintain my vehicle,
I have records of it and everything.

I'll just keep my car.

No more business deals.

So, I really agree with you that there was
no meeting of the minds

because the Defendant thought that
the Plaintiff was going to pay him

an additional $10,000
for the 1947 Chrysler,

and no one had any proof of anything.

So, it's really hard to come to court
with zero proof on either side.

So, I think your ruling to leave them
how they were found prior to any,

what they believe to be a contract,
was the right decision. Because...

I'm so glad you felt that way. [laughs]

I mean, I was thinking to myself,
looking over the papers,

what's she gonna do with this one?

You know, it's hard,
because with no proof,

and a "he said, she said"
verbal agreements

with tangible items, like vehicles,

I probably would've done the same thing.
I don't know what to make of this.

I have nothing to look at,
nothing to rely on...

And it was so interesting because
they both bought these cars recently.

Neither one of them had a bill of sale.
He said he paid cash, $12,500.

Surely he withdrew the money from a bank.

The whole thing was suspicious to me.
So, to me, the easiest thing to do

-was leave the parties...
-As you found them.

As you found them.
They had no contract because they had...

There was no meeting of the minds to
what the particulars were of the contract.

You get your truck back,
maybe in a little better shape.

You get your car back,
probably in a little better shape and...

-Be on your way.
-[Judy] Be on your way.

[narrator] Want justice?