There was an argument, and it got nasty.
And we were yelling at each other, and then her wife got involved.
She runs up and punched me in my face.
She ran me over. She attempted to run me over.
Well, there's a difference between running you over
and trying to run you over.
[announcer] This is Judy Justice.
[♪ opening theme music plays]
Erica Martinez is suing her cousin, Tina Archuleta,
and her wife Felicia Archuleta,
for the balance of an RV and an assault.
[Kevin] Court come to Order. All Rise.
Have a seat, please.
Case 2096. Martinez versus Archuleta.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Well, each of you are suing each other for the hefty sum of $10,000.
Miss Martinez, you say you were like a cousin
to one of these defendants. Which one?
Tina.
[Judy] That would be you?
- That would be me. - [Judy] And your name is?
Felicia Archuleta.
- You live together? - Yes.
- [Judy] Are you married? - Yes.
[Judy] It is your claim that Tina purchased from you an old RV?
- Yes. - For $1000.
That she currently has possession of the RV.
That she has not paid for the RV.
And that when you went to their home to collect the money for the RV,
that one of them assaulted you?
Both of them.
The defendants say that the original purchase price,
which was $1000,
was reduced because the RV was not running.
They paid you the $200. Did you give her the $200?
- I did. - You did.
And that was the day that you took the RV?
- No! - [Judy] When?
That wasn't the day that I took it. So what happened...
No, no, no.
You took the RV. When did you give her the $200?
This was after I already had had it.
Did you ever get $200 from the defendants?
No, I didn't.
I received 160 from Tina.
Okay. So let's get back to the RV.
How long did you have the RV? And it was just sitting on your property.
- Is that right? - Right.
[Judy] How long have you had it?
I've had the RV for about six years.
What did you do with it? Did you travel with it?
I lived in it for about two months, and then I parked it.
- So it was running? - Yes.
But at the time you wanted to get rid of it, it wasn't running?
- No. - Did you know what was wrong with it?
Yes, the fuel pump was going bad in it, so we had to replace that.
But it didn't start. They had to have it towed?
- Right. - [Judy] Tina towed it?
- Right. - [Judy] Back to their property?
- Yes, they did. - Okay.
So when they took it, the agreement was that they were to pay you how much?
A thousand dollars.
And you acknowledge that you were supposed to pay $1000?
- Yes. - Did you get the title at that time?
Not at that time she...
- You did not? - No.
Is that correct? At the time that they took the RV
and had it towed, they gave you no money?
They gave me no money.
- Subsequently, they gave you $160? - Correct.
According to you.
And tell me under what circumstances they gave you the $160? Tina did.
I went over to their house and they handed, gave me the money in hand.
Okay. And what did you give them?
Well, they had the RV given, um, the title given to them
the day that they took the RV.
- [Judy] And then $160? - [Erica] Mm-hmm.
- Did she ever give you any other money? - No.
Now, when did you go over, according to you, to the property
to get the rest of the money? And tell me what happened, what date?
It was August 27th, in the evening.
I called Tina and told her I was on my way.
- I went over to her property and I... - [Judy] You drove?
I drove my car to her property, and Felicia was outside loading the phone.
- That's Felicia? - [Erica] Correct.
- That's you. - And so I asked her, "Where is Tina?"
She says, "She is inside." I said, "Well, can you call her?"
So she called Tina on her phone.
So Tina came out, and she comes up to me and says, "What's up?"
And I said, "I'm here to get my money."
And Tina tells me, "No, you're not getting nothing.
I told you you're gonna get it when I have it."
I said, "No, that is not the deal.
I want all my money, or I'm taking the RV."
Now, I have text messages that show that, about the RV,
about her saying, "Well, if it's gonna be such a problem,
you come pick up the RV and your title."
"No you're gonna... I'm coming to have it picked up tonight.
You need to make sure that you know not to touch it."
Who was living in the RV at the time?
I had my friends in there that were helping me try to get it started.
[Judy] So friends of yours were living in the RV? Okay, go ahead.
Okay, and so I told her that I was gonna throw them out
because she has not paid me for my RV.
And then in the texts she also replies that, "Well, if I wanted to be grimy,
I got the title and I could go ahead and keep it."
- And I do have proof of that. - I would like to see those texts.
Here's the proof. Here you go.
There's some more.
Those ones.
Well, you acknowledge in the texts back and forth that you owe her $800.
Yeah, I never said I didn't. The thing is...
- [Judy] Okay. - Can I tell you one thing?
All I'm asking is you acknowledge that you owe her $800?
- Mm-hmm. - [Judy] Okay.
I told Tina, I'm done with it all.
I'm gonna make sure that I have someone pick up the RV tonight.
And she got upset, screamed, "No, you're not. It's a done deal."
"No, it's not." And I said, "I'm getting my RV tonight."
You chose not to do this shower?
Well, it's not that I didn't choose not to do it is,
she went to Twitter and threatened to beat, uh, butt.
And I don't, I'm not doing business if you wanna fight me.
[announcer] Erica Martinez claims her cousin, Tina Archuleta,
and her wife, Felicia Archuleta, owe for the balance of an RV.
Tina and Felicia are countersuing for slander and an assault.
Okay, so I have $800 balance for the RV.
Now you wanna tell me about this alleged assault, which according to you,
is worth another $9,000?
Well, yes, well. As I was speaking with Tina
about it after that, me and her were going back and forth.
And we were yelling at each other and then her wife got involved
and I told her, "You need to stay ahead of it."
And then I told Tina, "I'm done with it all."
You know, I'm going back. I'm gonna make sure that I have someone
pick up the RV tonight.
And she got upset, screamed, "No, you're not, it's done deal."
No, it's not. You're not doing this.
And I said, "Yes, I am. I'm getting my RV tonight."
And then I went, turned around, went into my car.
Uh, Felicia says, you ain't getting no... Spit on me from the passenger side.
And Tina goes, runs up and punched me in my face and my glasses flew this way.
And that's when I told her, that's it, she's in trouble now.
And so that's...
- Do you have a police report on that? - I do.
And photographs? Do you have any medical record?
I do got the medical records, they're right here.
Okay, this is standard fare. It doesn't give me...
It shows that I did go to the doctors two days after
because I was having migraines.
That's why I'm not understanding it because it doesn't make sense.
- Mm-hmm. - Okay.
Do you have photographs of your alleged injury to your face?
No, I have the police reports, but it takes 15 days for that...
Just a second. All I'm asking you is,
you don't have medical records of the day of this injury.
You had a headache. Two days later, you went to the hospital.
So this is useless to me.
You don't have photos of your injury,
and you don't have a police report, is that what you're telling me?
I do have the police number for it, but I don't have the report on me.
Well, no. Okay.
So far they owe you $800.
Now you have a counterclaim 'cause you acknowledge you owed her $800.
You have a counterclaim for harassment, slander, and assault.
Who are you alleging the plaintiff assaulted?
- Can I, can I go back to something? - No.
Who are you alleging the plaintiff assaulted?
That would be you, that's Felicia.
How did the plaintiff assault you?
- She ran me over. - She tried to run her over.
Tried to run me over.
Just, well, there's a difference
between running you over and trying to run you over.
Did she run you over or did she attempt to run you over?
- She attempted to run me over. - Okay.
So that at best would be an attempted assault?
- Yes. - [Judy] So you suffered no injuries?
- No. - Okay.
- Do you have any police report? - I do, Your Honor.
Indicating that you told the police
on that date that she attempted to run you over?
This is the one where she says, where she tried to run my wife over.
Okay. I'd like to see it, please.
This is the original...
No, no, I don't. That's all I want.
Okay, so it says,
"I told her to start the truck up and move her car because I was leaving,
and she was behind us still arguing.
So she put it in gear and tried to hit my wife.
Is that what you're talking about?
- Mm-hmm. - Okay.
Did you suffer any injuries?
- No, Your Honor, I did not. - Okay.
So, this case is a very simple one.
- And then, Your Honor... - Tina, the case is a very simple one.
You owe her $800 for the balance of the RV,
which you acknowledge in your texts.
The only other part that you have is for slander.
Now you say that in your cross complaint the plaintiff has slandered you.
I'd like to see the evidence that you have that she has slandered you.
May I see it, please?
(murmuring)
This isn't slander.
I mean, like she calls you nasty names, but sticks and stones.
And she says, "They wouldn't pay me for my stuff, my RV and so forth."
That's not slander.
Can I say one thing? I need to get out there because,
originally she, the first thing before even doing any of this,
she wanted a puppy.
And that's where all this title and everything came from.
She wanted a puppy.
I read that. And then she changed her mind.
Yeah, and that's how we got the title.
I don't care. You owe her $800.
- You acknowledge in your text messages... - I try to keep the peace.
Listen to me. I don't care.
You acknowledged that you owed her $800, the balance of the $1000 for the RV.
She came to try to get it. There was an argument, and it got nasty.
You owe her, Tina, the $800 that you agreed to pay her, the balance of the RV.
Judgement for the plaintiff. Counterclaims dismissed. We're done.
[Kevin] This court is adjourned.
- No, I don't like it. - I'm very happy with it.
She wanted a dog, that's why she gave me the title.
She had asked me if I wanted a puppy,
but she said that she'd make a deal with me
and only charge me 1,200, which she changed her words
and it was 1,500, so I did not get the puppy.
I tried to keep the peace and say, oh, okay, I'll pay, I'll pay you,
after she changed her mind.
- Ah, she's a good liar. - She's just a liar.
I don't care, she needs money more than I do.
I honestly think it's ridiculous. We should never have to come to this.
- It's a shame. Family. - It's all good.
No more family for sure.
This case was another great example of why it's so important,
especially with family and friends.
If you're gonna sell something of value, to have it in writing.
People assume with strangers, oh, of course,
I should have a writing when I'm selling something.
But when it's to a friend or a family member, that gift and loan line
are very close together.
And a writing proves to this court very easily which one of the two it is.
So I think that that's a great takeaway from cases like these.
It is, it's a great takeaway.
I've always said that when you apply for a marriage license,
you know, usually they just have to show your citizenship, date of birth.
But I actually think that a marriage license should include all the property
that you claim as separate property.
- Yeah. - Wouldn't that be easy?
It would do away with probably 30% or 40% of the divorce proceedings
that become acrimonious because you sort of lay it out.
So I think that, really, a writing is always important
because at the time you usually happy with each other,
at the time that you're contesting that say you're not so happy.
So, if you have a writing or if you have a license,
it makes everybody's job, and your stress level, reduced.
Mm-hmm.
And I'm all about reducing my stress level.
[Sarah] Of course.
Case 2150, Thomas/Williams versus Gilmore.
All parties, please step forward.
[announcer] Diamon Thomas and Rumby Williams
are suing Rumby's former friend, Shamia Gilmore,
for a deposit and the cost of a brunch.
- Diamon, this is your boyfriend? - Yes.
And you were planning a baby shower?
- It was actually a sip-and-see for her. - What is that?
So, it's like, um, family and friends weren't allowed to really come
to the hospital, so we decided to have a little event
after the baby turned six weeks.
- Okay, so that was October 22nd? - [Diamon] Yes.
You hired Ms. Gilmore as the caterer of that little event.
She gave, quoted you a price of $500 to cater the event.
- And you gave her a $250 deposit. - Correct.
Then some stuff bothered you a little bit
because you, according to what I read,
you found some either text messages or whatever between the defendant
and boyfriend, which you felt were a little too cozy by her.
- Yes. - And you gave her a buzz.
And you sort of had it out with her. "I don't want you to do this anymore."
Whatever, anyway, you called her back and said, "Yes, I want you to do it."
She ended up not doing this sip-and-see.
And she finally called you and said, "I'm not doing it."
"I don't like the attitude, I'm not doing it."
And you said, fine, give me my $250 back. She said no.
So you're suing her for not only your deposit back, $250.
You did hire other people to cater the event.
No, we did it ourselves.
And you want her to pay $1025
'cause you said that that's what it cost you over and above 250 plus the rest.
- [Diamon] Yes. - Well, that you can't have.
[♪ dramatic music plays]
An offer and acceptance and a meeting of the minds, that was the contract.
That doesn't have to be in writing.
We have a verbal agreement via Instagram.
That's what I just said.
- So it is in writing. - Who cares?
[♪ dramatic music plays]
[announcer] Diamon Thomas and Rumby Williams
claim Rumby's former friend, Shamia Gilmore,
owe for a deposit and the cost of a brunch.
Okay, you are gonna tell me you chose not to do this shower?
You chose not to do it?
Well, it's not that I didn't choose not to do it, is she went to Twitter,
and threatened to beat, uh, butt.
And I don't, I'm not doing business if you wanna fight me.
- [Judy] Okay. - It doesn't make sense.
Okay. Well, I don't blame you.
If she went to Twitter and said something nasty about you,
then I wouldn't do her baby shower, sip-and-see, whatever they call it.
I wouldn't do it either. Then you have to give her back her 250.
Well, I offered, I bought items for the brunch already.
I offered the mimosa bar back and I offered 125 back.
She wants the whole thing.
If I already spent money out my pocket,
there's no way you think I'm gonna give you a whole 250.
- That doesn't make sense. - Well, just a second. Okay.
Let me see what she wrote about you on Twitter.
- And also, Judge... - [Judy] Ssh!
So what you're saying is you actually made a purchase?
[Shamia] Yes, ma'am.
Okay, you have proof of that purchase that you made?
I have the mimosa bar.
I don't have it with me, but I didn't print anything off.
I don't even know what that is. What is a mimosa bar?
So it's where you put the mimosa glasses on, it's a grass wall,
but it has where you hang the cups up at on the wall with the mimosa glasses,
like the champagne flutes that you put on the wall, and then it has...
Have you used that before when you catered?
No, I bought one before, but I still have it brand new.
Just a second. Have you used it before? You're a caterer?
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judy] How many times?
- Quite a few. - [Judy] How many?
Two hands, maybe seven or eight times.
Okay, and you buy a new one each time you use it?
- Yes, ma'am, I let them keep it. - Ssh, just a second you let them keep it?
Well, now you can keep this one and use it next time.
Okay.
Ma'am, and I would like to say something about the 950 that she owe us.
- We gave her a deposit of 250. - [Judy] Right.
And she is claiming that we had made anything threatening towards her.
- [Judy] No, just a second. - And she canceled on us.
And so I feel that we didn't have enough ample time
to be able to find another caterer.
There's no... Well, that's too bad.
- Can I ask why? - Absolutely.
Because you're entitled to your money back.
But your contract was for her to do a party, which she ended up not doing.
Can we see the contract? 'Cause I don't...
[Judy] No, you haven't...
- We don't have the contract. - Yes, you do. You had an agreement.
She was going to do an event for you on October 22nd.
You agreed for her to do the event for you on October 22nd,
and you gave her a $250 deposit.
That's a contract. It's an oral contract.
You had an offer, you had an acceptance, that's a contract.
An offer, an acceptance, and a meeting of the minds.
She was going to do the event for 500, you paid her 250.
That was the contract. That doesn't have to be in writing.
We have a verbal agreement via Instagram.
That's what I just said.
- So it is in writing. - Who cares?
Well, it was the point that, how are we supposed to be compensated
for everything that we had to do after she canceled on us.
Well, you have to grow up. You have a baby? Right?
- Yes. - Is this your only baby?
Yes.
Great, you have a baby. You have to grow up.
"I grew up so much, the old me would have beat out one of you."
- What is that? - I'm not sure what...
Would you show this to the plaintiff. I'm just curious.
She's gonna give you back your 250 anyway.
She chose not to do the event.
What?
I don't know what that is. I'm showing it to you.
She gave me to show me something that you wrote.
You want me to read this, or you want me to say it was...
No, I'm just asking you if you were the author of that.
Yes.
[Judy] And who did you write it about?
It was just a general statement. It wasn't about anybody in particular.
Okay, give that back. Very, very easy.
Your baby nice? You're happy with your baby?
- Yes. - Very good.
You have nothing to do with her anymore?
- No. - Good. You have a mimosa wall.
Use it for another event.
Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of 250.
- We're done here. Thank you very much. - [Kevin] This court is adjourned.
I don't agree with the judge's decision.
I'm satisfied with the 250 and knowing that Shamia was wrong to keep our deposit
after she canceled on us.
it's just a lot of mess. I won't do business with them ever again.
It is what it is.
If she felt some type of way, that's on her.
I'm gonna keep rolling up what I'm doing.
We just won't ever do business with her again
'cause she is very unprofessional, just like the Tweet said.
Do you know what's an exciting day?
When, at my age, you learn something new.
- We learn a lot of new things here. - We learn a lot of new things here.
So, I've just about mastered the engagement party,
the wedding, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs,
(inaudible), christenings, baptisms,
baby showers, if I haven't mentioned that, anniversary parties.
But this is the first time I ever heard
that expression, a "sip-and-see."
Yeah, I think it's a new thing.
I think COVID probably played a role in it about people
not wanting to have big parties or interact with large numbers of people,
especially before giving birth, with all the hospital requirements.
So, I like the idea. I've only been to one or two,
but the idea is you wait for your child to be about six weeks old
so they've been vaccinated and...
they're not vaccinated when they are six weeks.
Well, the first round of baby shots.
And then they're able to see family and have a baby shower
where the baby is included. So...
I'll add it to my list of...
I'll see if I could find one for you to go to.
- I'll see. - [Judy] Thank you.
[♪ dramatic music plays]
[announcer] Want justice? Go to JudyJustice.tv.
[♪ end theme music plays]