02x37 - Sisters No More and The Fix Is In

[bunniefuu]

-You moved into your sister's home?
-Yes.

I honestly just want
to be done with her.

No chance of a reconciliation?

No. This is the funeral
of our relationship.

That's even worse.

[Announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

[♪ opening theme music plays]

Tiffany Nelson is suing her sister,
Brandy Mata,

for property damage,
harassment, and lost work.

[Kevin] Court come to order.
All rise.

Have a seat everyone, please.

Here you are.
Case number 2006, Nelson vs Mata.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

-Miss Nelson, this is your sister?
-Yes.

-How old are you?
-I am 42.



Oh. So... are you the only two sisters?

We have some half-sisters,
but yes.

But you're the only two
full biological sisters?

Now, there came a time, Miss Mata,
that you moved into your sister's home?

Yes.

-Is this a home that you own?
-Yes. We built it.

In what year did you move into her home?

That would have been 2018.

Who else lives in the house
from your family?

My disabled mother,

my husband, and my child.

So your mother lives there?

Yes. I take care of my mom.

Tell me why you moved into
your sister's basement, Miss Mata.

In 2015, my oldest son was in a tornado

and suffered a severe brain injury.

So, when my sister Tiffany and her husband
were looking for new houses,

they offered to build
an apartment in their basement

so that we could live with them
and get out of our mobile home.

So, when they built this house,

it was built with the intention of us
living in the basement.

[Judy]
Is that correct?

Yes. But for a year, because
I do take of my disabled mother,

and the intention was for her
to be in the basement eventually

so that she doesn't
have to use the stairs.

Was the original agreement
with your sister

that it would not be a permanent move,

but one that would last for about a year?

It was agreed that
it was not a permanent.

There was not a date set, though.

But it was agreed it was not a permanent.
You did not have a written lease?

-Yes, we did.
-We do have a lease.

[Judy]
You did? I'd like to see it.

We had a month-to-month lease
that I have as well.

This is the current lease,
that subsides the other lease.

Okay, initially a month-to-month lease.

In what month and year
did you have her sign?

I have it right here.
It's dated July 14th, 2018.

So this is a 6-month lease
that ended January 31st.

-Correct.
-Your rent was $800 a month.

Yes.

So this last lease was for your sister,
her husband and two children?

-Correct.
-I only ask that question

because if my reading
of your complaint was correct,

you say that she moved her husband in
without your consent.

So, when we first agreed
to let her move in, in 2018,

she was divorcing,

and the agreement was that her
and her two sons could move into the home.

He had nowhere to go,
and she wanted him to move in.

-So, because I...
-In what year was that?

That was still 2018.

-So that was still 2018?
-Yeah, so we let...

-All right, so you...
-...we let him live there.

And since then, you've signed
different leases with her

-with him on the property.
-Correct.

Okay. So then you acquiesced to it.

When you were in the apartment,
did you have pets?

I did. Uh-huh.

-How many pets did you have?
-Four dogs.

But then subsequently,
some had passed away,

so at the end,
we only had two dogs.

Okay. Well, at the signing of this lease,
you had six pets,

consisting of cats, dogs,
and no other pets being allowed.

-Correct.
-And you agreed,

regardless of ownership of the pets,

agreed to restore the property
to its original condition

at your expense when you leave.
Okay, good.

Because that's also
part of what this is about.

Actually, most of what this is about.

Your Honor, they had
three pets upon moveout.

They had just gotten a puppy,
so they did have three pets

and two cats upon moveout.

Doesn't matter. Anybody
who has six pets after three years,

the carpet needs to be replaced.

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] Okay. Now...

Your sister began to move out when,
in what month?

She moved out
on the 1st of February, 2022.

-Pursuant to your agreement?
-Correct.

And it is your claim
that she left the premises

in a condition
that required you to spend

close to $10,000
to put it back into shape.

$6,500.

-[Judy] Okay.
-For the basement damages.

I'd like to see the photographs
of what it looked like,

because we know it was
brand new when you moved in

because the house was just built.

So we know that it's new.

I also have photographs
that I took the day we moved out.

[Judy] Okay.

I'm going to give you these,
and then I'm going to look at yours.

Okay.

Okay, so there's no question
you have to replace the carpeting.

-Right.
-You understand that?

-Yes.
-Did you replace the carpeting?

-No, I had not had any contact from her.
-Shh, just a sec.

Do you have a bill for the carpeting?

I replaced one room already,
and I have that.

And then I have the estimate
to replace the other carpet.

Okay. I'll take a look at that.

And that's the main thing that I see

in the apartment that has to be done,
from these photographs. Okay.

Did you leave a lot of food in the
refrigerator and all kinds of stuff?

-No. So, what happened was...
-The answer is either yes or no.

Did you leave a whole lot of stuff
in the refrigerator?

-No.
-Anything in the freezer?

-No, there was no fridge or freezer.
-And cabinets?

Do you leave anything in the cab...

I'm just looking because there's
a picture here with a whole bunch of food.

-Right. I hadn't finished moving out.
-My question...

But, yes, there was stuff there.

My question is, you were supposed
to be out by February 1st.

On February 1st,
was there food in the house?

-Yes.
-Okay. It should have been moved.

Whether you moved out yet or not,

you were supposed to be out
by February 1st.

Okay. I'd like to see those.

So you replaced the carpet
in what room?

One of the bedrooms,
so my Mom could move down there,

so she could not use stairs.

Sara, add these two figures
up for me, please.

And I don't know
what this is a photograph of.

So, the bags that were left in the home,

there was ice cream
that was left in those bags,

and it had leaked on my flooring,
and we moved it outside.

And that is the rotted food from the bags.

Okay. Do you know
how that happened?

-I don't. I have not seen that.
-Okay.

May see photographs, please, that
you took on the day you moved out?

Yes.

I have that total, Judge.

$4,129.

$4,121?



-Thank you.
-Mm-hmm.

Is this after the carpet was taken out?

Yes.

Kevin, can I please see
the photographs that she took?

Actually,
they're pretty much the same.

Not terrible. A lot of it is ordinary
wear and tear, except for the carpet.

So that's $4,129.

The only other thing that I'm questioning
is that I saw these rocks,

and I want somebody
to explain these rocks to me.

So, because of the water level,

if you go out the downstairs patio,
there's rocks there

to prevent the yard from sliding.

Getting wet.

So, some of the rocks were moved.

They're supposed to all go in a line.

And they go down and over,

so we have to pay a landscaper
to come out and basically re-do that.

Well, how did that happen,
do you know?

-They're pretty heavy rocks, so...
-I don't know. Do you know?

Did you move the rocks?

No. You would need, like,
a skid loader to move those rocks.

There's no physical way to move those...

-Where do you live?
-...with one person.

I live in far west Utah.
Farm country.

Looks like there's water
comes down through here?

Yes, we live across the street
from a pond, as well.

We don't know how that happens. Now,

you have, in addition to your claim,
which is for damage,

you feel it's necessary
to go into these allegations

of harassment by your sister?

I honestly just want to be done with her

and not get threating text messages

and stuff on social media.

No chance of a reconciliation?

-You lived together for awhile.
-Not on my end.

-I've blocked her from everything.
-For a long time?

Yeah.

Miss Mata, your sister was there
at a time when you needed her.

-Yes.
-You think that there's any potential

for the two of you to sort of restore

some kind of working relationship?
You're the only two...

No. This is the funeral
of our relationship.

All right. Not my job.
That's a job for another professional.

-Okay, you have a counterclaim.
-Yes.

And your counterclaim... just as
she's not going into her harassment,

I'm not going into anything
that involves the harassment.

It is your claim that you
left certain furniture behind.

Well, why wasn't your furniture
out on the 1st?

Your lease expired
the end of the month in January.

It did. And I did let them know
that I was not done.

Well, that's not a reason. That's not
a reason to break your contract.

Only two people
can break a contract, Miss Mata.

The two people are the same
two people that signed it.

You signed a contract that said
you would be out on a certain date.

You weren't out on a certain date.

The fact that you notified her that
you're changing the terms of the contract,

unless she agreed to it, then you should
have had your stuff out by the 31st.

Why didn't you?

Because she had made it very difficult
during my moving process.

There was a lot of, like I said,
harassment and stuff that happened

during that moving process.

She called the police
on the people that were helping me.

She made it very difficult to get it done.

There was no way that I could
get it done on that day.

Let's get back to "call the police."

[Announcer]
And later today...

After Mr. Martinez got into the picture,

he was gonna pay me
not to talk to Sherry any longer.

So, you had a discussion with him

that all of her bills,
he was gonna take care of?

-Many discussions. Yes, Your Honor.
-Okay. And...?

I never got a dime.

Okay. Well, what is the harassment?

[Announcer] Tiffany Nelson
claims her sister, Brandy Mata,

owes for property damage
after living in her basement.

Brandy is countersuing
for the return of her belongings.

Who did you have moving you?

I had... my best friend
Brittany was helping me.

Does Brittany and your sister
have any negative history?

They do.

Okay. Well, if they have
any negative history,

why would have her
come into the house?

Because she doesn't have
any access to Tiffany at that point.

There was no reason for them to talk.

They wouldn't be even associating.

You know, if I knew
that there were issues

between my landlord
and a particular person,

especially if my landlord was my sister

who let me move into her house,

just from a question of using my brain,
I wouldn't bring somebody

that had been on the "outs" with them.

If they didn't like them,
that's one thing.

"You know, I'm really not crazy
about your friend Brittany."

That's one thing.
But if you knew that there was

an active aggressive feeling
against the other,

should have had
somebody else move. So...

Why didn't you get your stuff out?

Well, so, I didn't think that it was
aa serious as that. They are related.

If they're related
and don't like each other,

-or the plaintiff doesn't like her...
-Mm-hmm.

Then... that's even worse.
Go ahead.

Yeah, so she was my only help.
I didn't anybody to help me at that time.

Then, start doing it sooner.
Go ahead.

Yeah, that was the only reason.

Miss Mata, where was your husband?

He was working. We were working
during this whole time.

-Well, that's okay.
-Mm-hmm.

I've moved and worked. I used to move
every time I needed a paint job.

I would pack up and move,
and I constantly worked.

I've worked for 58 years.

So, that's not a reason.
You pack in the evening.

You go down after work, you get
newspaper from the grocery store,

and get old cartons and you wrap up
the dishes in the cartons,

and you manage to get out
when you're supposed to get out.

And she's not the only one who can help
you. Maybe your husband has friends.

If he doesn't have friends,
I don't know why not.

In any event, it that was not
a smart thing to bring your witness.

Furniture. What furniture
did you leave when you...

I left a patio set
on the patio.

-It was all outside furniture.
-Hold on.

-Patio set.
-Mm-hmm.

-Your Honor?
-Shh! Just a sec...

-A lawnmower.
-Okay.

An outside bench
that had storage and stuff.

-Yeah.
-A fire pit and lawn chairs.

Okay. And when did you
buy the lawn chairs?

It would have been 2018.

Okay. And how much did you
pay for each one?

They were...

$245 for the chaise lounges,

and $159 for the pool dining chairs.

Okay. Are those chairs at your home?

-Yes.
-May I see them?

Yes. There's four lawn chairs.

There was never the long chair.

Okay. Let me see what's in the home.

-I also had a cooler.
-Just a second.

Don't bother me about a cooler.

-Are the lawn chairs still there?
-Yes.

-Great. You can go get them.
-Okay.

With a marshal. Not with her.

-What about the fire pit?
-Still there.

You can pick up the firepit.
What about the lawnmower?

-Still there.
-Patio set?

-Still there.
-They have painted that purple.

Paint it back.
Where are you living now?

I have a house.

Who are you living there with?

With my husband and my sister-in-law.

-She's living with you?
-Mm-hmm.

Is she paying...
"Uh-huh" is not an answer. Yes.

-Yes.
-She's paying you rent?

-No.
-Why not?

My husband's mother,
their mother passed away,

and she needed to be closer to family,
so she's just living with us as family.

Okay. You're going to get
all the property back

that you say you left there,
and you can do that within five days

on notice to the plaintiff
with the marshal.

Just give him a copy of the order
that we'll give you inside.

Okay.

With regard to the renovation
of the house,

she has to put the house
in reasonable condition.

Most of these other pictures
demonstrate some wear and tear

that you would have to do...
painting and plastering after 3 1/2 years.

But the carpeting had to be replaced.
$4,129.

Judgement for the plaintiff.
Thank you very much. We're finished.

[Kevin]
This court is adjourned.

I'm happy with her decision.

I just wanted to fix my basement
and move on with my life.

I mean, it is what it is.
There's nothing to do.

You know, I think we were both at fault.

Go back home, fix my house,

and honestly have nothing
to do with her again.

If she had come and talked to me
like a normal person,

we could have figured this out
without this.

Now, I'm completely done.

I would like to not be inappropriate,
but, uh, she's just not a good person.

You know, I think that the two sisters
had the best of intentions.

Didn't you get that feeling?

I did. From moving in
and knowing you have

a designated place at a time of need,

that she was going to design
the basement for you to live in,

although not permanently.

I thought it was going to go
in a good direction.

And I'm sure that the plaintiff's mother,

who lives with her, is sad

that she doesn't get to see
her other daughter

as frequently as she would like

because they lived together
in the same home,

evidently for a very long time.

-Yeah.
-Very bad.

There's always collateral damage
when people don't get along.

True.

Case #2039,
Mohrmann vs Strauss.

All parties, please step forward.

[Announcer] Derick Mohrmann
is suing his former friend

Sherry Strauss
for car repairs and harassment.

Mr. Mohrmann,
the defendant was a friend of yours.

Yes, ma'am.

A casual friend?
A romantic friend?

Uh, maybe both. You know,
a casual romantic friend.

How long do you know her?

Fourteen years, at least.

Probably closer to 15, yeah.

Were you ever together as a couple?

No, ma'am.

And it is your claim that
because she was in financial trouble,

you extended a loan to her to fix her car.

-Yes, ma'am.
-That's what this case is about.

You also say she harassed you,

but most of this case
is about the loans to fix her car.

Miss Strauss says that you did
in fact work on her car,

but you caused more damage to it
than it originally had,

and she is counterclaiming
for car repairs

that she has to make because of
work that you did on the car.

-Who is this person?
-My fiancée.

-Okay. He's not a mechanic?
-No.

And who is the woman?

She is the property manager
of the motel that I'm living in.

So, you don't have a mechanic
to testify today to anything.

No, I do have...

-The answer is no.
-No.

-But I do have an estimate.
-I don't care about an estimate.

Okay. So I would like you
to tell me, Miss Strauss,

when did you start to have
trouble with your car?

March 2nd of 2022.

And where were you living at the time?

I had just moved into the motel.

Had you been spending
any time with Mr. Mohrmann?

Previous to that, no.

Previous to March of 2022.

-That's correct.
-Okay.

After March of 2022, did you spend
any time with Mr. Mohrmann?

-I did, yes.
-Did you stay at his home?

I went there occasionally, yes.

No. What I'm asking is,
did you stay over at his home?

-Yes.
-Okay.

And when you started to have
trouble with the car in March,

when you hadn't been staying
at Mr. Mohrmann's house,

did you call him and let him know
you were having trouble with your car?

I did as a friend, yes.

And what did you say to him,
and what did he say to you?

I just told him I dropped my son off
at his Taekwondo,

and we were trying to leave,
and my car was not working.

And what did he say to you?

That he will come and... and help me.

-And help you?
-Yeah.

That was on March 2nd.

That was on March 2nd, yes.

And did he come to the motel
where you were staying?

No, he did not.

Well, how did he come
and help you with the car?

Because my car was at my son's
taekwondo, so he went there.

-He came to where you were?
-Mm-hmm.

And did he take your car someplace?

Um, not on that day, no.

What did he do on that day?

On that day, he took me and my son home.

-So that was March 2nd?
-Mm-hmm.

Keep going. March 2nd, March 3rd?

And then, on March 3rd,

we ended up having my car
taken over to O'Reilly's...

well, we got a battery.

-How much was it?
-It was $167 dollars.

-Who paid for it?
-I did.

-So then you were driving it again.
-Mm-hmm.

-"Uh-huh" is not "yes."
-Yes, correct.

Okay. And when was the next time
there was difficulty with the car?

Then the next time was March 7th.
It died again.

So on March 7th, the car died again.
And what did you do?

Then on March 7th,
I called him and told him

that something's wrong with my car again.

Now it's not starting again.

Okay, and tell me why you called him.

Because as a good friend. Like I said,
we've been friends for 15 years.

As it is, I don't ask anybody for help.
I usually try to do everything on my own.

So you called him
and said the car died again?

Yep. But he had made it known
that he was knowledgeable about cars,

so I figured that maybe he would
know what was going on.

You know who else is knowledgeable?
Mechanics.

Mm-hmm.

[♪ dramatic music plays]

You want to tell me
what the additional harassment is?

He showed up at my motel,

-threatening...
-What did he want?

When I had talked to him before,
when he thought that

David and I were not together anymore,
he said, "Oh, it's not about the money."

He goes, "I just want you."

[♪ dramatic music plays]

[Announcer] Derick Mohrmann
says his former friend

Sherry Strauss owes for car repairs.

Sherry is countersuing, claiming
Derick damaged her car trying to fix it.

Okay, so on the 7th, you called him again
and said you were having trouble.

Then on the 7th, um, I had to go to work,

so I had another friend take me to work.

He came and picked me up from work,

and we took my car
back over to O'Reilly's.

Took the battery out. Had them test it.

The battery had been drained.

Figured it was the alternator.
Got the alternator.

He put the alternator in.

[Judy] Who paid for all of these repairs?
That's what it's about.

I paid for them.

So, what is he suing for?

Because later on my brakes and rotors
went out, and I got a flat tire.

So, at that time yes,
I did call him, and let him know...

On what date was that?

That was on April 16th of 2022.

Okay. Well, right now,

it's gone on the fritz on the 2nd,
the 7th, and April 16th.

-Mm-hmm.
-So, that's a lot of aggravation.

So, on April 16th, fiasco with the car
and the repairs, how much was that?

$234.

-Who paid for that?
-He said that he would pay for it.

He originally told me that his mechanic
would allow me to make payments.

And when we went to go pick it up
on April 22nd,

found out that was not the case.

Okay, so he wasn't going
to allow you to make payments?

-No.
-Which mechanics usually don't.

So, how much was the bill?

So, the bill was $567.91.

And he paid for that because
they wouldn't let you make payments?

He paid for that 'cause he knew I was...

No, no. Not "he knew."

You were originally going to pay
for that, and make payments.

-Yeah, I was gonna make payments.
-Shh. Just a second.

You were originally going
to pay for it and make payments.

-Mm-hmm.
-You found out

that you couldn't make payments,

so he said, "Fine, I will make
the full payment to the mechanic."

-Yeah.
-But it was always your intention

to pay for the repairs of the car,

only you wanted to pay for it
in a slower fashion.

Right. I was going to make
the payments to the mechanic, yeah.

-Right. Okay.
-Yeah, mm-hmm.

What I want to know is,
did you pay him back any of the $567?

I gave him $300
to help with him with rent, but I...

Just a second. Tell me
when you gave him $300 for rent.

Um, I gave him the $300 on April 29th.

-That was after you picked up the car.
-Mm-hmm.

-"Uh-huh" is not an answer.
-Yes, ma'am.

Did she give you $300 for rent?

No, Your Honor. I don't need
anybody to help me pay my rent.

Do you have any proof
that you gave him $300 for rent?

A withdrawal from a bank?

-Or anything?
-No. No, I don't, Your Honor.

Okay. So, so far you owe him $567.

Is that what you paid
for her in April?

No, Your Honor.
I paid 674 dollars and 76 cents.

-May I see it, please?
-Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. April 18th.

Six seventy-four.
Would you show this to Miss Strauss?

-Okay. Mr. Mohrmann?
-Yes, Your Honor?

There subsequently came a time,
which I think

probably was a more social issue
than anything else,

when the defendant advised...

I have a different one.
Show that receipt right there.

-May I see it?
-For $567.91.

Well, I actually
am not understanding this.

He paid for this with his VISA card.

-Is that right?
-That is correct.

Could you explain this to me?

This is your VISA card.
This is the same invoice.

One of them is for $567.91.

And the one that you gave me,
the same invoice number, is $674.76.

-Sarah, would you do me a favor, please?
-Sure.

-Would add up...
-From both, or just the top one?

Well, let's start with just the top one,
for which there is a VISA receipt.

So, I gather that all of this
became problematic

when you started to see a serious
boyfriend.

-Is that right?
-That is correct.

Now, after March, you said you stayed
occasionally at Mr. Mohrmann's.

When you stayed at Mr. Mohrmann's,
was that was more of a social...

I mean, was it a more intimate
relationship than just social friends?

This was after March.

-Um...
-After you were in the motel.

We were kind of like friends with,
you know, benefits in a way. So, yeah.

Okay. All right. And then you
found someone new,

and according to him, you advised him
that you had somebody new.

-Mm-hmm.
-And now he wants the money for the car,

which you were going to pay anyway.

Originally, I figured
it was a friend helping a friend.

-No, it wasn't.
-I didn't think of it as a loan.

No, no, no. It wasn't.
Even you say, Miss Strauss,

it was your intention
to pay this bill for your car

as you would pay
the other bills for your car.

However, when you got there,

you found you couldn't make
timed payments,

so he said, "Well, you need a car.
I'll lay it out up front."

But, it was always your intention
to pay for your own car.

Do we have a...?

That is the correct number.
And then at the bottom, that totals.

And then, the additional
to bring you to $567 is the tax.

So the next part of your case
is about harassment.

By whom? And for what?

Uh, Your Honor, after, uh,
Mr. Martinez got into the picture...

-That's this gentleman?
-Yes, ma'am.

He was a man of his word,
and he was going to pay me

not to talk to Sherry any longer.

Which I didn't.

Okay. So, you had a discussion
with him that all of her bills,

he was going to take care of?

-Many discussions. Yes, Your Honor.
-Okay.

And...?

-I never got a dime.
-Okay. Well, what is the harassment?

Text messages. Uh,
my witness here, Miss Montoya...

No, just a second.
Text messages, what?

Just saying, "Hey, leave her alone."
Which is fine.

[Judy] Okay, that's all right.
That's not harassment.

-Yeah, I-I don't have a problem with that.
-Okay, fine.

But it was, "Hey, I'm gonna pay you,
I'm a man of my word."

Okay. Well, that... you're not
suing him, so who cares about that?

-Yeah.
-She owes you $567.

That's what you put on your VISA.

Now let's get to your money owed
for car repairs and harassment.

-Mm-hmm.
-Okay.

You don't have a mechanic here,
so what your claim is, is that

whatever he did to the car,
he didn't do well,

so you had to take the car,

or you're gonna have to take
the car to another mechanic.

I don't care. You had planned
to fix this car yourself.

The problem was with payments.

If you had to make additional repairs
to the car, that's not his problem.

Okay. Now you want to tell me
what the additional harassment is?

Mm-hmm. Well, that's why
I have my two witnesses here.

He's spent a lot of time calling me names,
he's called my fiancé names.

He showed up at my motel,
threatening and stuff like that.

-What did he want?
-He wanted his money...

-Okay.
-But at one point in time...

Now he's got his...
Now he's got...

I didn't...
I don't need to speak to you.

-No, but when I...
-Now he's got his money.

When I had talked to him before,
when he thought that

David and I was not together anymore,
he said, "Oh, it's not about the money."

He goes, "I just want you."

He's got several messages from me,

how he loves me, he wants to be
with me and all this and that...

Yeah, but you don't love him
and you don't wanna be with him,

so now you have to pay him
for your car repairs: $567.

-Yeah.
-Judgment for the plaintiff.

We're finished,
thank you very much.

-Thank you, Your Honor.
-This court is adjourned.

Hey, justice was served,
and that's all that matters.

It was about 'cause he didn't have me.

I went with somebody else,
and it wasn't with him.

She was a friend,
and I tried to help her out.

We've been friends for a long time,
so I told him we would be,

you know,
that I wanted to be his friend.

I ain't gonna help, I can tell you that.

I want to continue the friendship,
and he didn't want that.

No. Never again on her. No.

Time to find another mechanic.

So, I really didn't have trouble,
that much trouble with that case

because the defendant
had really planned

on paying for her car repairs.

Do I think that the guy said to her,
"You can make payments,"

and when she got there said no?

Who knows?
It's not worth it.

-Yeah.
-He felt used.

Which I think is valid.

Which, you know...

give somebody money,
and then you've had

sort of a friends-with-benefits
relationship and all,

and you've got somebody new,

and you're driving around in a car...

-Yep.
-...you paid to repair.

-It was simple and easy.
-It was. They're not all that easy.

You're right.

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