02x123 - Car Rental Mystery

[bunniefuu]

-You were in an accident?
-Yes, Ma'am.

-Was the car fixed?
-Not at all.

Why not?

Why didn't get fixed?
Cause she popped up to my home.

And caused drama

And you hit them.

-That was my... Oh, sorry.
-Shh.

Am I wrong about that?

-No, Ma'am.
-No? Then don't speak.

[announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

Salena Brown and Trayon Dupree

are suing their customer Breana Freeman

for rental car damage and lost wages.

[Bailiff]
Court come to order.

All rise.

Have a seat everyone.

Hello, Judge.
Case 2174 Brown, Dupree versus Freeman.

-[Judge Judy] Thank you.
-[Bailiff] You're welcome.

Okay, who's the business person?

-It's us.
-[Judge Judy] That would be you?

-Yes.
-Your name is...

Mr. Dupree.

Mr. Dupree.

[Judge Judy]
Are you a couple?

No, Ma'am.

Just business partners.

[Judge Judy]
In what business?

Um, car rental.

How do you know each other?

Um, we met from military.

[Judge Judy] So you're not a couple,
you're just in business together.

I just want to know.
Don't both smile.

I just wanna know.

-[all laugh]
-[Judge Judy] Let's go.

-We're friends.
-Um, yeah, we're friends.

We're friends.

[all laugh]

This is not gonna happen for me.

[laughs] We...we're not a couple.

We know we we're friends, you know.

And we decided to go in business together.

Where do you live?

Houston, Texas.

[Judge Judy]
Where does she live?

-Houston, Texas.
-[Judge Judy] Wait a sec. shut.

Oh, Houston, Texas.

Does she live in the same place
that you do?

In the same home?

In the same place... building?

Oh no, we don't.

-[Judge Judy] Who do you live with?
-Myself.

-[Judge Judy] Who does she live with?
-Herself.

When did you meet in the military?

Maybe... 2021.

Not really sure exactly what month.

Now if you're in business together

is the only business
you had this one car that...

Yes we was just starting.

What kind of work do you do?

Crane operation.

-[Judge Judy] Full-time?
-Yes.

And what about you?

I work at a call center.

[Judge Judy] So that's
your primary source of income?

-That's correct.
-[Trayon] Yes.

And you decided to do this car rental
as sort of a side gig?

-[Salena] We...
-[Trayon] Yes.

We had just got out the military
so we didn't have a job then.

So we did it for
a primary source of income.

Well you can't have one car that you rent
as a primary source of income.

We have our, um,
military disability check as well.

So we have that and we...

[Judge Judy]
How long were you in the military?

-Almost nine years.
-[Judge Judy] And you?

-Eight.
-Where did you serve?

Northfolk, Virginia and Mayport, Florida.

Jacksonville, Florida.

[Judge Judy] So you were never
out of the United States?

Yes, I went overseas for deployments
but never stationed.

Oh... but where did you go
on your deployment?

Um, Bahrain, Dubai,

Greece, Italy, and all over.

Did you like it?

Yeah. It was a great experience.

-[Judge Judy] Yeah.
-It was good.

-Yeah. What about you?
-Only Virginia.

-[Judge Judy] Only Virginia?
-Only Virginia.

How did you become disabled in Virginia?

I have no idea. [laughs]

You said you're on a military disability,

so you know I could understand
if you deployed someplace else.

Mm-hmm.

I have no idea.

You have no idea what?

Why? Um, I guess became disabled.

Just mentally I guess. Mental.

Well you applied for disability
from the Army.

-You said what?
-What?

I said it mentally,
mentally, mentally. Mental.

[Judge Judy] Just my own curiosity.
I have to see how this is going.

How much is your disability benefit
from the Army?

-$2,000.
-[Judge Judy] A month?

Mm-hmm.

"Mm-hmm" is not an answer.
"Yes" is an answer. What about you?

The same.

And is your disability mental or physical?

Both.

Well, your physical disability
doesn't inhibit you

from being a crane operator.

No, not really.

[laughs] Great.

I love America.

Okay. So now you are out
you're both on disability...

from the Army.

You don't have a job yet.

So you decide to buy a Mercedes.

Mm-hmm. That's correct.

[Judge Judy]
What year Mercedes?

It's a 2014.

And how much was it?

$22,000.

Is there a note on the car?

-[Trayon] Yes.
-[Judge Judy] For how much?

Um, $350.

-[Judge Judy] Per month?
-[Trayon] Yes.

[Judge Judy]
How much of a loan did you take out?

Twenty three. One of them.
It's...it's not too much.

Car was only $22,000

-The car was $22,050...
-I don't know the exact number

that the car is right now...

But it was between $21,000 and $23,000
that we owed on it.

-And I took the loan out.
-[Judge Judy] Where is the car now?

-In Texas.
-With whom?

She has it right now.

[Judge Judy] What was the rental agreement
that you had with Ms. Freeman?

You didn't form a business corporation
or anything else, am I correct?

Yes, we have a LLC.

And the sole asset is this car?

Yes.

You bought the car when,
give me the date again.

I think it was in July.

-[Judge Judy] July of 2022?
-That's Correct.

And when did you
rent the car to the Defendant?

August 27th.

[Judge Judy]
Do you have the rental agreement?

Just give her those.

I...I don't have the original agreement
because it was in my car that was stolen.

But I made her take a picture
with her driver's license

and send it to me.

So this is a copy and this is, um...

before she signed it.

And I have after I signed.

That's literally the same thing.

-Yes. And so, you know...
-Let her let her talk.

Okay. What I'd like you to do
is take a look at this, Ms. Freeman,

-and tell me if you have it.
-Mm-hmm.

-[Judge Judy] It's the same one she had.
-Mm-hmm.

Okay. And this is the entire agreement,
is that correct?

-Yes, Ma'am.
-[Judge Judy] Okay.

I don't know why you are arguing.

It doesn't appear.
It doesn't appear... Madam.

It doesn't appear
as if you are losing this case.

So I don't know why you feel compelled

to make it hostile.

[announcer]
Salena Brown and Trayon Dupree

claim their customer Breana Freeman

owes for damages to their
Mercedes rental car.

Breana is counter suing for lost wages.

So there's nothing in
this agreement that prevents

her from allowing somebody
else to use the car.

And the agreement specifically
says that if anything happens to the car,

she is responsible to use her insurance.

-And you have a policy number...
-Correct.

...your policy number for insurance.

Okay. So your boyfriend was
driving the car on what date?

[Breana]
Um, the first.

[Judge Judy]
The first of what?

September.

And I have the, uh,
accident report if you want that.

Not yet. I may, not yet.

But there was an accident
and the car was damaged.

Correct.

[Judge Judy] Anybody have a photograph
of the damage to the car?

I have it on my phone
if you would like to see.

[Judge Judy]
I would.

While we're waiting, Your Honor,
I found the LLC filing

that lists both of them as the, um...

-Principals.
-As the principals

and but they list the same address
for both of them.

Their residents are listed as the same.

Oh really? Hmm.

Interesting.
Wanna say that a little louder?

[laughs] I just said
I found both of them listed

as managing members of the LLC

with the same address
for both of them listed

-The...
-I lived in a different city.

I worked at Target,
I was in Florida.

We don't live, we don't live together.
That's what y'all...

-It just lists.
-Yeah, that's just LLC address.

It's in my boyfriend's phone
because the number that's on the contract

was his phone at the time.

-So if you wanna see...
-[Trayon] I had a picture right here.

-And I have multiple pictures as well.
-[Judge Judy] Of the car.

-That's correct.
-Well that's what I'm asking you for.

I said I wanna see pictures
of the damage to the car.

You were in an accident?

-Yes, Ma'am.
-[Judge Judy] Okay.

-And you agreed in this contract...
-[Breana] Mm-Hmm.

...that if you were in an accident,

-Breana, that would be you?
-Yes.

"Will use her insurance.

If anything happens during the rental

Breana will be responsible
to pay out of pocket."

-Correct.
-[Judge Judy] You signed that?

-Correct.
-Okay. So you were in an accident.

I don't care who's fault it is
cause it doesn't have anything to do

-with fault picture of the car.
-Mm-hmm.

It's...

-[Trayon] It's another paper picture.
-[Salena] It's a couple pictures

so you can just... as well.

Stand up.

Somebody hit you in the rear?

No, in the front.

-Oh is the front of the car.
-[Eshuin] They ran a stop sign.

-[Judge Judy] What?
-[Eshuin] They ran a stop sign.

I was coming up.
They were coming across.

[Judge Judy]
Well whatever.

You got damage in the front of your car.

In my mind that that usually means
that you hit somebody.

No, they came across from me.
They ran a stop sign in front of me.

[Judge Judy]
And you hit them.

Okay, well that's what it usually means
is that you hit somebody in the front.

Okay. And that was on September 1st.

-Correct.
-Did you notify your insurance company?

-Yes.
-Okay. I'd like to see proof of that.

So these are the, um, claims

the quotes they gave me to fix the car.

Um, also this is when, um,
I let her know, Ms. Brown,

what was covered under my policy.

[Judge Judy]
I'd like to see it.

So that's that.

It shows what's covered in my policy.

-Was the car fixed?
-[Salena] Absolutely not.

-[Breana] No.
-It was not?

Not at all.

[Judge Judy]
Why not?

Um, because I didn't talk to Trayon.
Mr. Dupree, however you say his name.

Until the day, September the fifth.

All of my business was going
through Mrs. Brown.

So I don't know if
he just found out what happened

but when I called
the insurance on the first

they let me know
that he was the owner of the vehicle.

I said okay. They said they'll have
to go through everything through him

so that the car can get fixed
cause I wasn't the title holder.

I said that's fine. I said okay.
Due to the fact that the car got wrecked

I let her know that once the car goes
to Mercedes-Benz to get fixed,

they give a loaner vehicle.

I let them know everything
that was covered.

Why didn't get fixed cause she
popped up to my home and caused drama.

I lost my job behind it,
so forth and so on.

What does that have to do
with your responsibility?

Your boyfriend had an accident with a car,

you have a contract
that says you're gonna fix it.

Because Trayon said it wasn't enough.

What do you mean,
"Trayon said it wasn't Enough."

I sent him the quote
for their adjusters

and he said that wasn't enough
to get it fixed.

-And I have that text message from Trayon.
-Just a second.

I'd like to see your quote
from your company...

It's up there.

Where did you take the car
for them to send it adjuster

to take a look at the car?

I had to take pictures of the car
and upload it to the app they sent me.

And that's how they got those quotes.

They have an estimate here of $3,000.

Mm-hmm.

[Judge Judy] Did you get
an estimate to fix the car?

-Yes, we got an estimate.
-[Judge Judy] I'd like to see it.

-Yes, in person.
-In person.

That was just the picture
and when I talk...

[Judge Judy]
Okay, got it.

[Salena]
May I interject a little bit?

Because Breana kind of lying
and she raised her right hand.

So Breana didn't notify us

that the car was wrecked
until September 3rd.

She told us that she was in
the hospital with her dying father.

[Judge Judy]
Listen, listen, listen to me.

-I don't care.
-She lied about

-[Judge Judy] I don't care.
-She lied about how the car got wrecked.

[Judge Judy]
I don't care.

It doesn't matter how the car got wrecked.

She has an obligation to fix it.

She has an obligation to fix it.

And to be quite honest with you
this is a Mercedes

and this car can't be fixed for $2,900.

Can't, he's absolutely right.

This car can't be fixed
based upon that damage.

And so he wasn't prepared to say here?

No it wasn't that at all.

So once I guess he got involved
in the business

I was talking to Ms. Brown,
she said she had a rental

the next day or something
in that manner.

And I said,
"Okay well let me find a Mercedes-Benz

that can actually get your car in
so you can get this loaner car

for you to rent your car out."

Also in the midst of that
I was gonna pay for the rental

that she had that was so
much wanted to cancel on her.

So I said okay, Mercedes has a loaner car
and can accept your car at the time.

Well they couldn't fix
this car for $2,900.

So that's what they gave me
and they said that

if it went to a Mercedes-Benz shop,
they will honor that.

I don't know that at all.

-That's what they tell me.
-I've don't...I don't...

But regardless of the price
of getting the car fixed

I was gonna pay cause I know
that we was at fault for it

quote unquote it was my
contract that I signed.

-[Judge Judy] Okay.
-That wasn't an issue.

Well then you can take that up
with your insurance company.

Correct. I I didn't have
a problem with paying and...

[Judge Judy] You can take it up
with your insurance company.

She lied about how the accident happened.
So they denied...

[Judge Judy]
All right. Don't... Listen to me.

-[laughs]
-You started to say that before

I told you I don't care.

She's just lying
and cost her so much money.

-Like...
-[Judge Judy] Madam, listen to me.

You okay?

-Mm-hmm.
-[Judge Judy] Good.

[announcer]
Salena Brown and Trion Dupree

have accused their customer Breana Freeman

of damaging their Mercedes rental car

after her boyfriend was in an accident.

He has an estimate that looks like
a pretty legitimate estimate.

They bought the car,
it's a relatively new car

they paid $22,000 for it.

Your boyfriend wrecked it
and he has an estimate

which looks reasonable
for $8,000 to fix it.

And if your insurance company
is dragging their heels

and not paying what they should

you take that up with
your insurance Company.

It wasn't a,
I never got that quote by the way.

-[Judge Judy] Which quote?
-The quote that you... The $8,000.

I never got that.

-Well I'm gonna show it to you.
-[Breana] Oh. It's probably be true.

$8,319.

Her Insurance denied it.
because she lied.

She lied about how the accident happened.

-So they denied...
-[Judge Judy] Why don't you listen to me?

[laughs]

[Judge Judy] You started to say that
before, I told you I don't care.

-My insurance...
-[Judge Judy] Just a second.

-I told...
-Your insurance what?

Denied, never denied the claim.

I have, I Have proof I talked to him,
I have proof.

I have the email where he said
they denied it because...

-They definitely denied it.
-Because I told them to stop

cause she popped up at my house

Because she lied about the accident

because we tried to get it
through our insurance as well.

I don't know why you are arguing.
I'm not, it doesn't appear.

-It doesn't appear, Madam.
-She's lying!

It doesn't appear
as if you are losing this case.

So I don't know why you feel
compelled to make it hostile.

I don't understand why.

She's just lying
and cost us so much money like...

Madam.

Listen to me.

[indistinct]

-[Judge Judy] You okay?
-Mm-hmm.

Good. Your car is in
this condition at whose house?

At your house?

-That's correct.
-And the car since the accident

which was mm, four months ago.

Has it been rented?

No.

Is it drivable?

Yes it's drivable.

[Judge Judy]
When was the last time you drove it?

[Salena]
Last week.

[Judge Judy]
When was the last time you rented it?

Breana. Since Breana.

Have you been making
the payments on the car?

-Yes,
Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Judy]
Who's been making the payments?

-Both.
-[Judge Judy] What is the monthly payment?

-$350.
-[Judge Judy] Hmm?

-Three fifty.
-[Judge Judy] You told me that.

The insurance up to date?

So we had insurance,
we had commercial insurance on it.

But when I put in the claim
and told them what happened

because we did get lied to
about what actually happened

and we didn't get informed of
the accident till the third.

But when I put in the claim,
I put it in how they told us what happened

and my insurance they found
a police report before we did

and they seen what actually happened.

So they felt like
we was trying to do fraud.

So the guy, he told us
it's better for us to pull the claim

because it's gonna look
like it's fraud on our part.

So they dropped us from the Insurance.

So they dropped you after?

-Yes.
-[Judge Judy] After the accident?

-Yes.
-Can I see the police report now?

Well this police report indicates
that the other person was at fault.

-That was my...
-[Judge Judy] Shh-shh.

Oh sorry.

-Am I wrong about that?
-[Breana] No, Ma'am.

No, that don't speak.

This police report. Did you see it?

Yes. Got it right here.

I'd like to see what you have.

This police report clearly says,

that unit one, which was the woman,
ran a stop sign.

That's what it says.
Why would you insurance company drop you?

Because we gave the story
that she told us.

So it looks like we're doing fraud.

-Yeah.
-And they basically,

ignorance isn't an excuse for them, so.

Actually that's pretty outrageous.

We was told it was a hit and run.

She told us it was a hit and run
so we told them that

she said she was in the hospital
and it was, it got hit

-and then we found the report.
-May I say something?

She waited until the day
that we had a rental to tell us

we had another rental
on the third that afternoon.

-She told us that morning.
-[Judge Judy] On the third?

-That's correct.
-And the accident was on the first?

-That's correct.
-[Judy] Okay.

I think you have
to get your car fixed.

I think that the fact
that your insurance company

canceled your insurance
when it was clear...

clear that...

he was not at fault
in this accident

at least according to the police report,

is actually pretty outrageous
that they canceled your insurance.

Is there any insurance on the car now?

Yes, there's regular insurance on it.

-Not commercial anymore?
-No, not right now. Cause not rented it.

Judgment for the Plaintiff
in the amount of $8,000.

We're finished. Thank you very much.

[Bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I'm glad we won and everything.

I felt like no we deserve more than we got

but at the end of the day
we won the case.

I'm not mad at the decision.

I'm fine with it regardless cause, um,

I know I was trying to get it fixed.
It was just a timing issue.

She lied about everything.
She literally lied about everything.

She pulled out a g*n on me
and everything, like...

Lying. I don't have anything to lie about.
It's all in my evidence.

Like, she told me to come
basically get the car

and the keys in the mailbox
and when I went over there to get it,

she pulled a g*n out on me
cause I took my wig off.

She posted stuff saying
I lied about things I didn't...

I pulled my g*n out on her,
like girl I don't have a g*n like at all.

I think that they put it inside
so they checked them

but they said they couldn't go inside
so they checked their body and.

They checked them. They wasn't able
to prove that they had a g*n.

Cause. Yeah so.

She said it was a g*n, it was a bat.

And like I had to get checked twice
by the police officer

and it was like she came over here
looking for problems

cause the car was gonna get towed.

It's definitely a risk, but you know

make sure we're prepared
for stuff like that from now on.

No hard feelings
supporting Black businesses

but it is what it is.

You know what you know, it's just facts.

I think I should just be grateful.

I'm just gonna be quiet
and just be grateful.

You know, I'm sitting here trying to think
of what the takeaway is on this case

and I can't think of the takeaway.

I mean I'm having
a hard time as well [laughs]

but I think accountability and
responsibility could be a good one.

The Defendant knows what she signed,

that anything any damage to the car

from her boyfriend, her, anyone,

while the car was in her possession,
is on her.

But what we see a lot of
is emotional issues

come into play when
people know their responsibility.

But then there's an emotional issue.

"She came to my job, she harassed me
she came to my house and yelled at me."

whatever it is.

And they think they can
use that as a justification

to get out of their accountability.

And although I'm not promoting

going to someone's house
for some self-help,

you know that's not a reason for you not
to follow through on your responsibility.

-You have a contractual responsibility.
-Yes.

Which she was clearly aware of.
So, maybe that.

That's the takeaway, maybe that.
You're right.

[announcer]
Want justice?