02x134 - Feuding Sisters

[bunniefuu]

Your sister is the person
who stole your money?

And the police were called?

She told me that I can use her card.

You're telling me that
after she called the police,

she still gave you permission
to use her card?

Yes, Your Honor.

[laughing]

Well, you're not gonna end up well here,
do you understand that?

[narrator] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Jada Maxwell
is suing her sister,

Valistasia Maxwell,
for unauthorized bank account charges

and property damage.

[Bailiff] Court come to order, all rise.

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge. Case 2191,

Maxwell versus Maxwell.

-Thank you.
-Mm-hmm.

-Miss Maxwell, this is your sister?
-Correct.

-Older? Younger?
-Younger.

[Judy] The two of you decided
to take an apartment together.

-[Jada] Correct.
-[Judy] When was that?

August 27th of 2021.

[Judy] Were you both on the lease?

No, ma'am, just me.

How long did you live together?

It was about six to seven months.

When did your sister leave, what month?

Um, she left at the end of June of 2022.

-[Judy] June of...?
-2022.

Miss Maxwell, was it your arrangement
that you would split the rent?

No. I would pay a portion
of the rent, not split it even.

[Judy] Well, tell me what a portion was.

The first month I stayed there,
which was September only,

I didn't pay anything.

And October through November, 200,

and then, after that, it was 400.

But how much was the rent?

Nine-fifty, I believe.

[Judy] And how many of you
lived in the apartment?

Just us two.

Well, why weren't you
paying half the rent?

-[Valistasia] I slept on a couch.
-[Judy] Oh. Is that correct?

That is correct, Your Honor,
except for the agreement.

The agreement was that
she would keep the apartment clean

and pay half the rent and utilities.

[Judy] Well, why would she pay
half the rent if you get the bedroom?

It was her agreement.
That was just...

No, I'm just saying,
that doesn't sound reasonable to me.

If she got the couch
and you got the bedroom,

why would she pay the utilities
and half the rent?

Well, it wasn't...

The rent itself was like...

She gave me what she could,
but that was just our agreement.

I bought the couch big enough...

-All right. All right. Uh, nonsense.
-...so that she would be able to use it.

Okay, this is what the case is about.

You claim that she stopped paying
any money towards the apartment,

and you threw her out.

And when she left,
she damaged some property,

and then she charged some money

on either your credit card
or a debit card.

My debit card.

[Judy] Did you ever give her
your debit card?

[Jada] There was only one time

when I handed her, with permission,

to use the credit card at a gas station.

-That's not true.
-[Judy shushes]

-You had a physical debit card?
-[Jada] Yes, Your Honor.

Okay. And the one time

that you let her use it,

I want you to tell me when that was,
and what that was for.

It was within the time period
of her living in the apartment.

We were at a gas station
and I was filling up.

She went inside the gas station
to purchase something

because she didn't have money
at the time.

And that was it.

That was the only time that I recall

ever giving her permission
to use my card.

[Judy] Okay.
She moved out of the apartment

in June of 2022,

and I understand it was
not an amicable process

-and the police were called.
-Correct.

-[Judy] Who called the police?
-I did.

-Why?
-[Jada] My dad gave me advice

and he said that I should call
the non-emergency escort

so that they can watch her,
make sure that she actually leaves

when she was asked.

[Judy] And what day in June was this?

I do not recall the date.

[Judy] You don't have
a police report or a number?

Uh, not for that.
They didn't give me

a police report for that.

Did they give you a police report
for something else?

[Jada] I have the police report
for the fraud.

-Oh. I'd like to see that.
-[Jada] Yes, Your Honor.

Because it is your claim
that she used the information

from your debit card,

and withdrew a lot of money

-from your debit card.
-[Jada] Correct.

So you reported this
to the police on August 25th?

-24th.
-Is says reported...

-[Jada] Okay.
-...8-25.

How much money
did she take out of the account?

At the time of that,
it was only estimated about 10,

but once the July statement came out,

I was able to add up more

and it was nearly 14, 15 grand.

[Judy] May I see it, please?

[Judy] How did you get
her banking information?

-[Valistasia] I had to call them.
-[Judy shushes]

How did you get
her banking information?

I don't have her banking information.

[Judy] Well, you took money
out of her account.

You acknowledge you took money
out of her account.

I only took money out
when she gave me permission.

[Judy] No, no, no. You acknowledge

that you took money
out of the account.

I've read your answer.

How did you get
her account information?

She gave me her card
on multiple occasions.

You mean, after you moved out,
she gave you her card?

-No...
-[Judy] Shh. Shh.

Yes.

Do you understand?
You're not going to end up well here.

Do you understand that?
Because if she called the police,

if she called the police to watch you,
to escort you out of the house,

there is no question
that she did not thereafter

give you permission
to use her credit card,

or her debit card.

That doesn't make sense.

-She...
-[Judy] Do you understand...

Do you understand the chronology
of what I'm saying to you?

-Yes, Your Honor.
-[Judy] So if I were to believe you,

the only time you used her credit card
is when you were still there.

And that prior to...

June of 2022.

That's incorrect.

My grandmother passed away

in August, August 9th of 2021,

and she was my legal guardian
until the age of 18,

so I was under her account
as a beneficiary.

So, when she passed,
I got the money.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Jada Maxwell
claims her sister,

Valistasia Maxwell,
wrongfully took money

from her bank account
and damaged her property.

There is no question
that she did not thereafter

give you permission
to use her credit card,

or her debit card.

That doesn't make sense.

-She did...
-[Judy] Do you understand...

Do you understand the chronology
of what I'm saying to you?

-Yes, Your Honor.
-[Judy] So if I were to believe you,

the only time you used her credit card

is when you were still there,

and that was prior to...

June of 2022.

-That's incorrect.
-[Judy] Just a second.

So, you're telling me that
after she called the police

to escort you
out of the apartment,

she still gave you permission
to use her card?

Yes, Your Honor.

[laughing]

I still went over to her apartment
until July 15th.

[whispers] For what?

-I had my stuff there that I was...
-[Judy] Just to gather your things.

Things, and she let me use her card,

multiple occasions, to get some
of the furniture that she let me have.

And she told me that I can use her card.

When was the last time
you visited with your sister?

-July what...?
-July 15th.

[Judy] And when was
the last time you used her card?

July 16th.

[Judy] What did you use
her card for, July 16th?

Rent.

Between what periods of time
did you use her card?

Give me the dates.

Since September of 2021

until July 16th...

September of '21.

And what was it for
in September?

She would send me
to the store,

or if I was already at the store,

in her car, she would tell me
to use her card or something like that.

She would pay me to...

[Judy] How much did
you spend on her card just for you?

Just for you?
Not not for joint...

Not send her to the store,
"Here's my card."

I have it here.

[Judy] Tell me how much
you spent on you.

I'm not sure

of the exact amount.

[Judy] Did the police contact you
in regard to the fraud?

No.

-[Judy] They never did?
-No.

The police report,
do you name your sister

as the person
who stole your money?

[Jada] Yes, Your Honor.

There is a... The bank told me, um...

[Judy] No, don't tell me
what the bank told you.

The bank doesn't tell you anything.

Would you show me here...

maybe I'm missing it...

where you report the person

who took the money
out of your account?

[Jada] That is
the only document they,

when I went down to the station,
that they gave me.

Um, when I went
to actually make the file,

uh, she just asked me a couple
questions, who I thought was...

No, no, don't ask... Don't tell me
what somebody else asked you.

Yes, Your Honor.

Did you report to the police

that it was your sister

who fraudulently took your money?

I did, but the police, eventually,
they cut it off,

because I was going
to pursue small claims.

They told me that
they are no longer needed...

Small claims? Why were you going
to pursue small claims?

How much money do you th...
How much money does she have?

[Judy stammers] Miss Maxwell,

let's get it together.

[quietly] Let's get it all together.

Okay?

You were not going
to pursue small claims,

because you knew
that in small claims,

you would end up with zero.

-Um, at the time, I didn't understand...
-[Judy] You knew that.

what everything meant,
which is why I tried

calling a bunch of people,
and I spoke to, like, um...

No, I just want to know why,
at this point,

because the bank
gave you back some money...

-[Jada] Correct.
-How much money

did the bank give you back?

I have it here.
It was about, um,

4900, nearly five grand.

[Judy] Okay. And they gave you back

almost $5000.

I'd like to see the communication

with the bank.

-[Jada] Um...
-With the bank, as to...

I mean, if you are alleging fraud...

-[Jada] Right.
-If you're alleging fraud,

and you say that
you had all of this money

-taken out of your account...
-Correct.

Okay, then, there's
no reason why the bank,

if you were alleging fraud,

and they found that there was fraud,

why wouldn't they return
all the money?

Because they have a policy that,

within the three months, the first,

they can only go
up to the first three months,

and because I didn't,
I didn't realize sooner,

they can only up to that three months.

So, they were only able
to give me back within,

the transactions
within those three months.

Is this a savings account
or a checking account?

It was beneficiary.

[Judy] What is that?

When somebody passed,
and you get money.

[Judy] Explain that to me.

I'm just... I don't understand
what a beneficiary account is.

Um, my grandmother passed away

in August, August 9th of 2021,

and she was my legal guardian
until the age of 18,

so I was under her account
as a beneficiary.

So, when she passed,
I got the money.

So, you were living
with your grandmother?

-Correct.
-[Judy] Okay.

And what was the benefit package?

-[Jada] What do you mean?
-How much did you get

as a beneficiary?

It was about 50 grand.

On what date?

[Jada] I'm not sure
when it was processed,

but the... It was opened...

Payments started,
of October of 2021.

-Or transactions started.
-[Judy] I don't understand

what a beneficiary account is.

Who paid the money?
Who paid this $50,000?

My grandmother.
She would put money in there

so if something were to happen to her,

they money would go to me,
or whoever she listed.

Your Honor, it's a type
of savings account.

In simple words,
a beneficiary bank account

is a type of saving account,
in which the funds are transferred

to somebody else
after the account owner passes away,

directly to the beneficiary.

Okay. This has nothing to do
with you receiving benefits

-through your grandmother.
-[Jada] No.

This is an account that
your grandmother set up for you.

Correct.

Now, is that grandmother
also her grandmother?

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] Did you have a relationship
with your grandmother?

Yes, I did.

Did she only set up the one account?

I'm not sure, but I wasn't
the only one that received money.

What about you?

Nothing.

Okay. So, how much is left
in that account now?

Uh, the account is closed out.

-By whom?
-[Jada] The bank.

After a certain...
Once it goes under a certain amount,

they send you a check
with the rest of the money.

[Judy] How much did
they send you a check for?

It was about $200.

Well, who spent the $50,000?

I made transactions
throughout the time period as well.

Okay. What did you buy
with $50,000?

I just... I just basically used it.

-What does that mean?
-I... I wasn't responsible with it.

I'll be honest about that.

Did you know that your sister
had this $50,000 amount of money?

I didn't know she had that much, no.

-[Judy] Did you know she had any?
-Yeah.

Did you know where it came from?

Yes.

[Judy] You have here,

July total: $3,148.14.

What does that number represent?

All transactions that
were confirmed to be her,

added up, total.

You can't use her credit card
after you're not speaking to your sister.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Jada Maxwell has accused

her sister, Valistasia Maxwell,

of taking money from her bank account

and damaging her property.

Now, what did you buy
with $50,000?

I just... I just basically used it.

-What does that mean?
-I wasn't responsible with it.

I'll be honest about that.

Did you know that your sister
had this $50,000 amount of money?

I didn't know she had that much, no.

-Did you know she had any?
-Yeah.

-Did you know where it came from?
-Yes.

-Are you working?
-Yes.

-What kind of work do you do?
-I'm a cashier.

[Judy] And what about you?

I currently work at Chipotle
and I also Uber on the side.

When was the last time
you saw your sister?

[Valistasia] July 16th.

Or... I'm sorry. July, um...

July 20th?

[Judy] Are there any charges here,

after July 16th of 2021?

Yes, Your Honor.
I actually gave that up already.

In the top, it says "July".
It's written on there.

Just a second.
I'm gonna give this back to you.

-[Jada] Yes, Your Honor.
-Find any charges

that were made after July 16th.

It after July 16th, was the last time
you saw your sister?

No contact.
We didn't have contact.

[Judy] So, the last time
that you saw her was in July.

Correct.

You have here,

July total: $3,148.14.

What does that number represent?

That is, uh... That's the...

All transactions
that were confirmed to be her,

added up, total,
in just the month of July.

-[Judy] Were there any...?
-[Jada] Yes, yes.

[Jada stammers]

-Were there any charges...
-There were quite a few.

...after, in August?

Or was July the last amount
of money that she took out?

In August, the card got cut off,
so there were no more.

[Judy] Okay. So, that the most

that she incurred on the card
in July was $3,000?

Correct, Your Honor.

[Judy] And she left on July...?

She was kicked out at the end of June.

-[Judy] The end of June?
-Correct.

-Yes. June of 2022?
-Correct.

And that was with a police escort?

-Correct.
-[Valistasia] No.

[Judy] Police watching you?

They left and I was
still in the apartment.

-But they were there, they were called?
-Right.

[Judy] Okay. Now, what property

do you allege that your sister damaged?

Because that's the second part
of your lawsuit.

[Jada] It was a couch.

-And it was, um, $1100.
-[Judy] What? Well...

And I have pictures of the aftermath
of when she was kicked out,

and what the state of the apartment
was left in, including the couch.

Just show me the couch.

If she damaged your couch,
let me see it.

I can't see what the damage is
to this couch.

Um, it shows better in other pictures.

[paper rustling]

[Judy] No, I don't see damage,

I just see a lot of dirt.

Um, under the cushions
there was mold,

and then there's a picture
that shows, uh, two cigarette burns

that her friend left.

Would you return these
to the plaintiff, please?

A lot of dirt. Okay.

Anything else?

Thank you.

You can't use her credit card
after you're not speaking to your sister.

-I don't believe she...
-I didn't, Your Honor.

[Judy] Yes, you did. $3148.

I did not spend $3000.

Kevin.

These are July's statements.

[Judy writing with pen]

[finishes writing, sets down pen]

Here.

I think one of those things is yours.

The bottom document.

[Judy] Okay. Anything else?

Judgement for the plaintiff
in the amount of $3,148.

We're done here. Thank you very much.

[Bailiff] This court is adjourned.

There was a lot more to show,

but I'm glad I got something back,
she took a lot from me.

I don't see how you can decide

I made a transaction
with my name written in pen.

...and caused a lot of downfall
after the fact.

She's just mad, I guess. I'm not sure.

I almost ended up homeless,

I almost lost my job because of this.

I didn't cause any damage, no.

I was very hard, I didn't wanna...

I didn't even want to press charges
'cause she's my sister.

Nothing. They pulled up,
they said that I had to leave,

and I said,
"No, I already paid my portion,"

and then they said, "Okay,"
and they left.

No, she was kicked out prior to that.

My friend did do that,
I can say that, but like...

She's just lying.

I didn't damage anything.

At this point, I just...

I don't believe her, I don't trust her,
she took advantage of me.

Hopefully, we can just dead it,
but I don't know.

So I'm just glad that I was able
to get something back,

so I can continue
to get back up on my feet.

-One day at a time.
-I'm hoping for an apology.

-Some remorse.
-Who knows.

After I confronted her
and she admitted to it,

she ignored and cut everybody out.

She didn't even say she was sorry.

-She didn't speak to me.
-I don't know.

You know, it's a little bit easier now

to commit fraud using
someone's credit card,

even if you only had access
to the physical card

for five seconds.

It's long enough
to take a picture of the back,

and put all the information
into the DoorDashes,

the Ubers, all the accounts,

and if you don't check carefully,

you may not notice
for a couple months.

So, I mean, I've been
a victim of fraud in that way,

and I know it can be very stressful

trying to deal
with the credit card company.

And especially, when it's your sister.

I mean, my sister better think twice
before using my credit card.

Do you know...
Generationally, I have a problem.

It's actually my problem, because...

I'm used to writing out a check,
I have a checkbook.

I write out the check,

I deduct the check
from my balance.

-I know what is...
-How they taught you in 4th grade...

-Absolutely.
-...to balance a checkbook.

You want to make a deposit
in a savings account,

we were taught,
you brought $2.00,

you put it in a bank account.

In the bank book, every Friday,

your teacher stamped it, $2.00,

that's how you save money.

And the fact that
you can walk into a store,

and take your phone,
and go like that...

-[Sarah] Yep.
-...and charge it...

[Sarah] And who knows
whose information is on there.

...is all frightening to me.

It all sounds as if it's going
to collapse around me.

But everybody,

I think everybody
who's under 50 uses that.

-Probably more than 50...
-Yeah.

-...'cause my children are actually 50.
-[Sarah chuckling]

It's hard to come to terms with that.

But they all use their...

-Online banking.
-Online banking.

-Yeah.
-I still don't have my banking online.

-I... I know.
-I still do...

-I still call them.
-[laughs] Yeah?

They say, "It's her again on the phone."

[both laugh]

You know you can
do this online now right?

[Judy] Yeah, yeah.

-Anyway, that's it.
-[Sarah] Well, keep doing it your way,

and hopefully
we don't get ruined by our way.

[Judy] Yeah, fingers crossed.

She seemed like a decent
young woman, the plaintiff.

You know, it's sad.

Her grandmother saved,
probably all of her life,

so that her granddaughter
had a little nest egg of $50,000,

-and she blew through it.
-Yeah.

Blew through it.

Unfortunate, but I appreciate
the honesty.

And it was honest.
Put money in trust.

-Heh. That's my advice.
-Yeah.

[narrator] Are you having
a family dispute?



[theme music playing]