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You think it's fair that you don't have
to pay a dollar in rent for a year?

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For almost two years,
I had a broken window.

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These are some
of the photographs.

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He was just taking pictures
without my permission.

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I have rats inside of my apartment.

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I don't know how they found their way in
with the mess I just saw.

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[announcer]
Today on Tribunal Justice.

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[opening theme music plays]

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This case was filed
in San Diego, California.

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[Byrd] Your Honor, this is case
number 1030 on the calendar

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in the matter of Minnich versus Reyes.

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Parties have been sworn in.
You may be seated.

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-[DiMango] Thank you, Byrd.
-Mm-hmm.

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Mr. Minnich, you are the-- or were--
the landlord to the defendant, Mr. Reyes.

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And this is about a lawsuit
involving your request

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for $7000 for past due rent
and damages you say he caused.

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-Correct.
-And the story unfolds as follows.

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You purchased this apartment building,

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and you inherited the defendant,
basically, as a tenant.

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That was back in July 2020,
right?

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-During COVID.
-Yes.

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You say that he paid late

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and he refused to pay his late fees
and further that he was a hoarder.

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And just to show something about that,

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these are some of the photographs
that you took of his apartment,

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if I'm not mistaken,
when the case was filed.

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Would that be correct?

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-Correct.
-So, this is your apartment.

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Would that be correct?

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Yes, that's correct.

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Okay, so you're looking for $5,970
for five months of back rent--

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That would be from April through August
and a late fee of $100

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and the money for the repairs
and the cleanup.

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-Yes.
-What you say, sir,

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is you were living
in this rent-controlled apartment

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for five years before he came in,
and you had no problems.

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And, then, upon his entry,
he raised your rent

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and that he let residents
from a nearby shelter or recovery unit

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walk along the property which interfered
with your peaceful enjoyment of your home.

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He didn't make repairs in a timely fashion
and that he would intimidate you,

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violating all of the tenants' rules
that he possibly could,

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so, therefore, you owe nothing
as a tenant.

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-Correct.
-So, that was your apartment, correct?

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-Yes.
-And you were not paying rent.

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Would that be correct?

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-Yes.
-And did you apply for COVID Relief, sir?

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Yes, I was--

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When did you apply
for COVID relief?

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I applied for a COVID relief
August of 2021.

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I was recommended.

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COVID relief through rental assistance
through Travis.

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Travis recommended me
when I was hit with COVID.

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Because I have four notices in my evidence
wherein they sent you letters

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saying I'm sorry, we cannot accept this
it's an incomplete application.

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Four times.

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Now, sir, you had to get involved in that,
did you not?

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-I did.
-In order to get the rent?

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So, tell us what happened.

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Tell us how this all came about?

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Well, like you said,
he kept getting denied.

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And so I was trying to follow up
with his caseworker

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and figure out what the problem was.

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And each time, he was not returning
the requested documents.

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Do you agree that you were not paying

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any rent from September '21
until, basically, now?

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Yes, that's correct,
because it takes six to eight weeks

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for rental assistance
to approve the application.

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And we did try and we worked together.

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And even when I gave him
my pass code information,

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Travis tried to help me
and they kept on denying it

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and we kept on appealing it
over and over to get approved.

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So, Mr. Minnich, please tell us
what you did to remedy this.

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Getting involved, what was necessary?

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They just wanted certain documents.

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He was also applying for assistance
to cover his SDG&E bills,

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his gas electric bills,
and they needed proof

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that his past due balance
didn't occur before a certain date

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because they were only
covering up to a certain date.

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He didn't turn that in,
so I had him give that to me

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so I could forward it to them.

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They wanted a letter from him
saying that he wasn't working.

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So, he hand-wrote a letter.

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They wanted another letter
stating something else,

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so, I had him hand-write
a letter.

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It was information
that he was privy to,

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information that he had
that was necessary.

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It wasn't that he had to help bring you in

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because you needed
to give them information.

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I had many tenants apply for it, and it
was a very easy, straightforward process.

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Now, part of his defense, also, that
he wasn't paying rent

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was really that when you let--
kind of like, you know,

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you came in gangbusters
and raised the rent.

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-No.
-Now, I have some information here

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that you could increase the rent,

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and, in fact, you raised it
within the permissible amount.

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So, the fact that he asked for an increase
shouldn't be viewed by you

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as a reason not to continue to pay rent.

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Another reason, you contend,
that you couldn't pay rent--

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What about this recovery home
that was near there

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that you were permitting people
to walk on the property?

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What is that about?

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My property isn't fenced in any way.

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There's two driveways
that go from the alley

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So it's public-- public ingress
and regress-- egress.

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Yeah, and I've never heard
anything from him

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or any other tenant with concerns about--

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Sir, what floor do you
live on in the building?

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I live in the first floor,
and I did talk to the people

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that were in charge
of that recovery program.

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I'm getting mad-dogged by the people.

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They're getting out of jail.

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They live in the recovery program,
telling me they get permission from Travis

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for them to cut through
our apartment complex,

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which is private.

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We all pay our rent there.

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The bottom line is, a landlord
can't necessarily keep people

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from walking off public sidewalks
or areas that are not limited.

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So, that's another thing
that I think you're expecting him

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to behave in a way
that's not in his control,

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and one of the other issues
that you had here

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was that he didn't believe
that you applied for COVID.

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Well, he didn't believe that you properly
apply because you didn't properly apply.

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He had to actually
come around and do that.

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So, he really hasn't done anything

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in accordance with your reasons
for you're not paying rent.

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And you admit, sir, correct,
that you did not pay rent April of '22,

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May, June, July and August,
correct?

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Yes, ma'am, but my knowledge
is with rental assistance,

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you cannot raise the rent
during rental assistance.

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During the pandemic,
he raised the rent during rent--

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-No, he didn't. That was--
-He never fixed my window.

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For almost two years,
I had a broken window.

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And I was very paranoid--

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Did you not fix his window?

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-I did not.
-[DiMango] Why not?

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Because he broke it.

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I don't know if necessarily that gives you
the reason that, you know, you could--

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He told me that kids broke it,
and I go out there

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and all the glasses on the outside
of the property on the ground.

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So that means you
broke it from the inside out.

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Yes.

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Because if I broke a window,
it would go this way, not towards me.

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And I would have to fix something through
and then pull it at myself.

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Why would I do that?

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[theme music playing]

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[announcer]
Coming up on Tribunal Justice.

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If you had this overwhelming smell
of mildew in your apartment,

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what you would need to actually do

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is to get the stuff out of your apartment
so that it could be addressed.

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You couldn't even get yourself
to do the paperwork

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that would allow the rent to get paid
so that you wouldn't get evicted.

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[theme music playing]

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[announcer] Travis Minnich is suing
his tenant, Jason Reyes,

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for rent and apartment damage.

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Jason claims Travis is a slumlord and
refused to fix anything in the apartment.

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I don't know if you have a right
to kind of leave him

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with a broken window, even though
he caused the damage.

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Travis just fixed it recently
because he raised the rent by $800

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more expensive than
what I was paying.

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-He has the right--
-It's the market rate.

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Are you a month-to-month tenant?

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-Month-to-month tenant.
-Yeah, so did he give you notice

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that he was going to raise it?

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-Yes.
-So, then, as long as he's within

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the legal bounds of raising it,
you had the option to leave

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if you don't want to stay,

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-Oh, yes.
-But you stayed.

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00:07:40,734 --> 00:07:42,367
But you can't not pay rent.

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Yes, and him paying
for the trash once a month.

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-[DiMango] That's your home.
-[Reyes] Ridiculous.

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-[Minnich] I'd like to speak to--
-[Reyes] I have rats--

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-[DiMango] Just a second.
-I have rats inside of my apartment.

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I don't know how they found their way in
with the mess I just saw.

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And if they got in, I'm not sure
they could find their way out.

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-Judge Levy.
-He came unannounced

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and violated
the 24-hour rule.

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00:08:03,333 --> 00:08:05,133
of landlords
showing up to the property,

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so, don't try and make up anything,
Travis, please.

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00:08:07,033 --> 00:08:09,066
Okay, guys, Judge Levy's going
to handle this.

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Mr. Reyes, these are some
of the photographs.

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I just want to make sure,
that the plaintiff provided--

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They're in Plaintiffs Eight.

183
00:08:15,166 --> 00:08:19,033
And they're photographs of your
apartment from August of 2020.

184
00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:20,734
Is that your living room?

185
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,667
That's the living room
that he showed up unannounced.

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00:08:23,734 --> 00:08:27,834
I get that. And then in 2022,
there were additional photographs

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00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:31,367
that were taken provided by the plaintiff.
I understand what you're saying,

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that he came in without
24-hours notice,

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00:08:33,366 --> 00:08:34,900
but I'm just trying to get an idea

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00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:39,600
of how you kept the apartment
between 2020 and 2022.

191
00:08:39,667 --> 00:08:42,667
So, this is again--
Is that the kitchen?

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00:08:43,232 --> 00:08:44,533
[Reyes] That is the kitchen, Your Honor.

193
00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:50,600
Okay. And, again, 2022
and the same area in 2020.

194
00:08:51,467 --> 00:08:53,967
I would have been better
prepared to organize it,

195
00:08:54,033 --> 00:08:58,567
but to my knowledge, he came over
every so often unannounced.

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00:08:58,633 --> 00:09:01,166
That's okay, and I know that
that was super-irritating for you.

197
00:09:01,233 --> 00:09:03,633
I get that. What's that a photograph of?

198
00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:07,166
That's the rat that I found
that I had to trap myself

199
00:09:07,233 --> 00:09:10,900
because Travis didn't want to do nothing
about the window or the rat problem.

200
00:09:10,967 --> 00:09:12,767
-Now, I grew up in the Bronx.
-[Reyes] Mm-hmm.

201
00:09:12,834 --> 00:09:15,633
-And, so, this isn't unusual to me.
-All right.

202
00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,133
And what I can tell you
from my experience...

203
00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,767
is that guy has been there a while.

204
00:09:20,834 --> 00:09:22,767
-I'm not too sure about that.
-Really?

205
00:09:22,834 --> 00:09:25,233
Because that's the only
one I found in five years.

206
00:09:25,300 --> 00:09:26,834
-Okay.
-That's the only mouse

207
00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:28,533
I ever had a problem with.

208
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,000
This photograph was taken
by whom?

209
00:09:30,066 --> 00:09:30,934
-By me.
-By you.

210
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:31,867
-Yeah.
-Okay.

211
00:09:31,934 --> 00:09:33,000
-I was never told of any...
-Yeah.

212
00:09:33,066 --> 00:09:34,233
[Levy] No, I get it. I get it.

213
00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:36,165
I had to floods,
and I think that's what caused

214
00:09:36,233 --> 00:09:38,000
the mice to come into the apartment.

215
00:09:38,066 --> 00:09:41,633
And this photograph here, Is this
another one that you provided, Mr. Reyes?

216
00:09:41,700 --> 00:09:44,433
-I provided that picture.
-And what is that a picture of?

217
00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:46,233
This is outside by the trash cans.

218
00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:47,667
-I'd like to speak to that.
-Yeah, please speak to that.

219
00:09:47,734 --> 00:09:49,066
These are the dumpsters.

220
00:09:49,133 --> 00:09:53,200
Republic Services, the trash collection,
went on strike back in December...

221
00:09:53,266 --> 00:09:54,967
-Okay.
-...and weren't picking up for months.

222
00:09:55,433 --> 00:09:57,633
Everybody's trash in San Diego
looked like that.

223
00:09:57,700 --> 00:09:58,600
This is another one that--

224
00:09:58,667 --> 00:10:03,567
I picked all of that at myself
and carted it to the dump myself for weeks

225
00:10:03,633 --> 00:10:07,200
while Republic Services was on strike.

226
00:10:07,266 --> 00:10:09,700
Mr. Reyes, do you have
any reason to controvert

227
00:10:09,767 --> 00:10:13,967
what Mr. Minnich just said about him
personally removing that garbage

228
00:10:14,033 --> 00:10:16,734
because the company was on strike
and wasn't picking up garbage?

229
00:10:17,233 --> 00:10:19,767
He is telling the truth.
The company was on strike.

230
00:10:19,834 --> 00:10:22,233
But the trash was never picked up.

231
00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:25,400
I have neighbors that we all
try to sweep and help

232
00:10:25,467 --> 00:10:27,100
and pick up the trash every so often

233
00:10:27,166 --> 00:10:29,266
because we don't have
a maintenance person.

234
00:10:29,333 --> 00:10:32,033
We don't have a Terminix person.

235
00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:36,100
He does all the maintenance work,
his self, which is not a very good job.

236
00:10:36,165 --> 00:10:38,233
-[Levy] Now--
-And he doesn't hire any plumbers.

237
00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:39,934
Nothing.
He does all the work himself.

238
00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,066
-So, we can agree--
-Going--

239
00:10:41,133 --> 00:10:43,633
So, why don't we agree on this,
in your mind's eye,

240
00:10:43,700 --> 00:10:45,233
he's not the greatest landlord.

241
00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:47,266
-Yes,
-And can we also agree

242
00:10:47,333 --> 00:10:50,100
that in his mind's eye,
you're not the greatest tenant?

243
00:10:50,165 --> 00:10:52,266
-Yes.
-In your answer to his complaint,

244
00:10:52,333 --> 00:10:54,133
you said that one of the reasons

245
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,600
why you didn't feel it was
necessary for you to pay rent

246
00:10:56,667 --> 00:10:59,333
was because there was some
leaks and some floods.

247
00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,967
You found a rat in your apartment--
and that was a rat in the apartment

248
00:11:03,066 --> 00:11:05,867
with those photographs
that we had shown each other

249
00:11:05,934 --> 00:11:08,300
from 2020 and 2022, right?

250
00:11:08,367 --> 00:11:11,400
And there was one rat in your apartment,
which I know is disgusting.

251
00:11:11,467 --> 00:11:14,567
But with all that other clutter in there,
there was one rat that you found, right?

252
00:11:14,633 --> 00:11:16,600
One rat that I found.
It wasn't always like that.

253
00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:17,967
-He came--
-I get it.

254
00:11:18,033 --> 00:11:19,200
We don't know when he was there.

255
00:11:19,266 --> 00:11:21,400
We don't know how long he was there,
but it's just one,

256
00:11:21,467 --> 00:11:24,367
and that you said that, "I had a smell
of mildew in my apartment

257
00:11:24,433 --> 00:11:29,100
from that day in April," until you moved
out in August of 2022.

258
00:11:29,166 --> 00:11:33,266
Now, if you wanted your landlord,
the plaintiff here, to address the mildew

259
00:11:33,333 --> 00:11:37,200
and to fix the problem with the mildew,
that would have required you

260
00:11:37,266 --> 00:11:39,367
to remove everything from your apartment.

261
00:11:39,433 --> 00:11:41,200
Did you ever make that offer to him?

262
00:11:41,266 --> 00:11:42,734
I mentioned to him that, um--

263
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,500
Did you ever make the offer to him?

264
00:11:44,567 --> 00:11:46,500
You didn't expect him to move
all that clutter out, did you?

265
00:11:46,567 --> 00:11:48,667
No, of course I would have moved it.

266
00:11:48,734 --> 00:11:51,900
But he never offered to even get
the carpet cleaning work.

267
00:11:51,967 --> 00:11:53,700
I'm not saying that he did,
he didn't.

268
00:11:53,767 --> 00:11:56,500
All I'm asking is that
if you had this overwhelming smell

269
00:11:56,567 --> 00:12:00,533
of mildew in your apartment,
you knew that in order to address that

270
00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,900
you would need,
you would need to actually do something.

271
00:12:03,967 --> 00:12:08,600
And what you would need to actually do
is to get the stuff out of your apartment

272
00:12:08,667 --> 00:12:10,600
-so that it could be addressed, right?
-Yes.

273
00:12:10,667 --> 00:12:13,633
And you couldn't even get yourself
to do the paperwork

274
00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:17,900
that would allow the rent to get paid
so that you wouldn't get evicted. Right?

275
00:12:17,967 --> 00:12:18,934
To a certain extent.

276
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,734
I do appreciate your honesty,
and I have no further questions.

277
00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:23,200
-Judge Acker.
-Thank you, Judge.

278
00:12:23,266 --> 00:12:25,000
Mr. Reyes, what do you do for a living?

279
00:12:25,066 --> 00:12:29,133
I was moving furniture until the season
got slow on me,

280
00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,165
and until I caught the COVID.
It's been an up-and-down situation for me.

281
00:12:33,233 --> 00:12:37,100
Have you digested the fact
that you went for about a year

282
00:12:37,165 --> 00:12:38,734
without paying any rent at all.

283
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,633
-Yes--
-And I-- just, having digested that fact,

284
00:12:42,700 --> 00:12:47,133
do you believe that the evidence
that you've brought into court today

285
00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,567
is sufficient in good faith
and good conscience to say,

286
00:12:50,633 --> 00:12:51,567
"You know what?

287
00:12:51,633 --> 00:12:55,500
Maybe on these days
my apartment was really messy,

288
00:12:55,567 --> 00:12:59,633
but he came in when he had no business.
And here is a picture of this rodent."

289
00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:02,333
And then in May, I believe,
Mr. Minnich,

290
00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,500
when the eviction moratorium
expired in May,

291
00:13:05,567 --> 00:13:08,467
and by May you hadn't paid
and he couldn't evict you.

292
00:13:08,533 --> 00:13:11,600
But then there was a moment
when he could have

293
00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:14,967
and you still lived how many
months in the property, sir?

294
00:13:15,033 --> 00:13:16,333
Five. May through--

295
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,400
Five months after the rental
moratorium expires.

296
00:13:20,467 --> 00:13:24,400
And it's still your position, sir, that
you don't believe you owe dollar in rent.

297
00:13:24,467 --> 00:13:27,500
If you had a broken window
that anybody could break in,

298
00:13:27,567 --> 00:13:29,967
see that he doesn't want to fix
for almost two years

299
00:13:30,033 --> 00:13:34,333
and you can get to floods,
and he's out of town for four days

300
00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,300
and he doesn't want to come and fix
the situation until he comes back,

301
00:13:37,367 --> 00:13:39,600
-four days, doesn't offer--
-With respect to the window,

302
00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:42,533
when Judge DiMango asked
the plaintiff about that,

303
00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,100
she pointed to evidence
that indicated that

304
00:13:45,165 --> 00:13:47,165
the window had been broken from the inside

305
00:13:47,233 --> 00:13:49,165
and that was actually
the plaintiff's testimony.

306
00:13:49,233 --> 00:13:50,367
Did you break that window?

307
00:13:50,433 --> 00:13:52,867
-Why would I break a window where I live?
-I have no idea.

308
00:13:52,934 --> 00:13:56,600
-I don't know you. The glass is outside.
-It doesn't make any sense.

309
00:13:56,667 --> 00:13:59,133
I don't need to know you.
I know how physics works.

310
00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:00,767
[theme music playing]

311
00:14:00,834 --> 00:14:03,266
[announcer]
Coming up on Tribunal Justice.

312
00:14:03,333 --> 00:14:08,300
Now, if we say that
we're going to penalize him,

313
00:14:08,367 --> 00:14:10,900
to some extent, for that broken window,

314
00:14:10,967 --> 00:14:13,433
you think that window costs
$7,000?

315
00:14:18,533 --> 00:14:20,467
[theme music playing]

316
00:14:22,233 --> 00:14:25,734
Now, if you break something
from the inside, the glass goes that way.

317
00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,500
If you break it from the outside,
the glass comes inside.

318
00:14:28,567 --> 00:14:31,533
So, if there's glass
outside of your window,

319
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,767
then the reasonable inference to be drawn
is that you broke it.

320
00:14:34,834 --> 00:14:37,934
Now, again, I don't know if that
lets him off the hook,

321
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,033
but, so, let's say you had
a broken window--

322
00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:42,200
-The window was broken for two years?
-Almost two years.

323
00:14:42,266 --> 00:14:45,200
-You put up some Plexiglass?
-Plexiglass and tape.

324
00:14:45,266 --> 00:14:47,967
-Why don't you just fix it?
-I guess I could have.

325
00:14:48,033 --> 00:14:51,266
I didn't think it was fair, especially for
someone who hadn't paid rent in a year.

326
00:14:52,066 --> 00:14:53,066
That was my stance.

327
00:14:53,133 --> 00:14:55,767
What did you do
before you bought this building?

328
00:14:55,834 --> 00:14:57,200
-Did you have other properties?
-Mm-hmm.

329
00:14:57,266 --> 00:15:01,333
Were you compromised financially
in any way by not receiving any rent

330
00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,166
from the defendant in a year

331
00:15:03,233 --> 00:15:04,667
-or you made it okay?
-I made it okay.

332
00:15:04,734 --> 00:15:06,367
Okay, good.
Thanks for your candor.

333
00:15:06,433 --> 00:15:08,200
I still don't think that it's fair.

334
00:15:08,266 --> 00:15:10,767
Even if somebody's not broke
and starving,

335
00:15:10,834 --> 00:15:13,200
they're entitled
to get their rent money.

336
00:15:13,266 --> 00:15:18,734
Now, if we say
that we're going to penalize him,

337
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,300
to some extent, for that broken window,

338
00:15:21,367 --> 00:15:23,800
you think that window costs
$7,000?

339
00:15:23,867 --> 00:15:25,433
-No.
-Is that window worth

340
00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:27,266
a year's worth of rent?

341
00:15:27,333 --> 00:15:30,500
No, actually, rental assistance
helped with seven months of it.

342
00:15:30,567 --> 00:15:31,900
So, it wasn't a whole year.

343
00:15:31,967 --> 00:15:35,165
And, Your Honor, that's why I gave
my 30-day notice on July 31

344
00:15:35,233 --> 00:15:38,266
because I felt like I couldn't
come up with the money.

345
00:15:38,333 --> 00:15:41,633
I told him a couple,
um, dishonest things

346
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,834
that I was going to get
some money in the mail

347
00:15:43,900 --> 00:15:46,600
just because he kept on harassing me
and belittling me.

348
00:15:46,667 --> 00:15:48,533
Kept on showing up,
saying that was such a hoarder.

349
00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,333
Well, was he belittling you,
or was he concerned

350
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,934
about the condition of the property
and the fact

351
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,934
that he hadn't been paid for five months?

352
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,567
Do you think that that broken window

353
00:15:57,633 --> 00:15:59,934
is worth five months of rent
in good conscience?

354
00:16:00,066 --> 00:16:01,934
No, but renters
still have their rights.

355
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,567
-They sure do.
-I still have my rights as a renter.

356
00:16:03,633 --> 00:16:05,900
I shouldn't be harassed
and made fun of that

357
00:16:05,967 --> 00:16:10,967
I got too many things in my apartment,
and I'm not that organized, you know?

358
00:16:11,033 --> 00:16:13,867
Well, so, it was your feeling
that because he was making

359
00:16:13,934 --> 00:16:17,166
these unannounced visits,
and making judgments

360
00:16:17,233 --> 00:16:20,333
about how you kept the property
that you felt belittled.

361
00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,834
Mr. Minnich,
would you like to respond to that?

362
00:16:22,900 --> 00:16:25,467
I have never once showed up unannounced.

363
00:16:25,533 --> 00:16:27,467
When I took the pictures,
and he's saying I showed up unannounced,

364
00:16:27,533 --> 00:16:29,967
I gave him 24-hours notice.

365
00:16:30,033 --> 00:16:31,734
I have that in a text.
He knows that.

366
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,767
I think that what we have to think about,
Mr. Reyes,

367
00:16:33,834 --> 00:16:38,133
is whether or not any of the conduct
that you allege against this plaintiff,

368
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,934
if true, would justify relieving you
from your rental obligation.

369
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,633
And, candidly,
I'm not sure that I see that,

370
00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:49,066
nor am I sure I see
any evidence of belittling.

371
00:16:49,133 --> 00:16:52,467
I see a plaintiff
who wanted his rent money

372
00:16:52,533 --> 00:16:54,667
and was disappointed at not getting it.

373
00:16:54,734 --> 00:16:56,300
-I have nothing further, Judge.
-[DiMango] I just have one question.

374
00:16:56,367 --> 00:16:58,533
You read the lease,
correct, Mr. Reyes?

375
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,200
Did you read the lease
when you signed it?

376
00:17:00,333 --> 00:17:01,200
Yes, Your Honor.

377
00:17:01,266 --> 00:17:02,967
So, then you're familiar
with paragraph twelve.

378
00:17:03,033 --> 00:17:05,867
Paragraph twelve in the lease says,
"Damages and destruction.

379
00:17:05,934 --> 00:17:11,900
All persons signing this Agreement,
as Residents are liable for all damages

380
00:17:11,967 --> 00:17:17,099
to the Premises caused by the Resident,
their occupants and their guests."

381
00:17:17,165 --> 00:17:20,266
So, with regard to the window,
if we find it credible

382
00:17:20,333 --> 00:17:22,567
that the glass that fell
outside the window

383
00:17:22,633 --> 00:17:24,133
was caused by someone,
something

384
00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,666
or maybe the rat trying
to run away to get out the window,

385
00:17:27,733 --> 00:17:31,233
then maybe we can implore
this paragraph twelve

386
00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:35,667
and say that you would be responsible
and you knew it when you signed the lease.

387
00:17:35,734 --> 00:17:37,767
It was broken from the outside.
Your Honor.

388
00:17:37,834 --> 00:17:40,633
Unless anybody has got anything further,
we're going to retire to deliberate.

389
00:17:40,700 --> 00:17:42,266
-Thank you, all.
-[Byrd] Court is in recess.

390
00:17:42,333 --> 00:17:43,400
Parties are excused.

391
00:17:46,667 --> 00:17:49,600
Okay. Well, I don't think
the defendant presented any evidence

392
00:17:49,667 --> 00:17:52,166
which would excuse his failure
to pay five months rent.

393
00:17:52,233 --> 00:17:55,834
After the COVID relief ended,
any damages to the property,

394
00:17:55,900 --> 00:17:59,033
the broken window, I definitely believe
was caused by the defendant,

395
00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:00,767
or someone within his apartment.

396
00:18:00,834 --> 00:18:01,800
And maybe if somebody was in there,

397
00:18:01,867 --> 00:18:03,633
he couldn't find them,
so, he didn't know they were

398
00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:05,467
in the apartment trying to get out.

399
00:18:05,533 --> 00:18:08,066
Um, as to the $175

400
00:18:08,133 --> 00:18:10,467
for the carpet cleaning
and any other cleaning,

401
00:18:10,533 --> 00:18:12,100
I mean, I think it was very reasonable

402
00:18:12,166 --> 00:18:14,734
for him to be requesting
the money that he did,

403
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,967
which would have been a hundred seventy
five plus the broken window.

404
00:18:18,033 --> 00:18:20,166
He clearly owes the rent,
so I think the plaintiff

405
00:18:20,233 --> 00:18:23,700
is clearly entitled to the money
he's asking for, all $7,000.

406
00:18:23,767 --> 00:18:25,200
You know, what struck me

407
00:18:25,266 --> 00:18:28,467
is that we had this worldwide pandemic
and people suffered

408
00:18:28,533 --> 00:18:31,700
and tenants in particular suffered.

409
00:18:31,767 --> 00:18:35,166
They lost their jobs.
they were unable to pay their rent.

410
00:18:35,233 --> 00:18:38,600
But the government stepped in,
and the government provided those tenants

411
00:18:38,667 --> 00:18:40,233
-with huge safety nets...
-Mm-hmm.

412
00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:41,734
...that would have allowed them

413
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,200
to continue paying rent,
even though the plaintiff today

414
00:18:45,266 --> 00:18:47,700
was quite honest and said that
he didn't suffer anything financially,

415
00:18:47,767 --> 00:18:49,300
and I took that to mean
he didn't have a mortgage,

416
00:18:49,367 --> 00:18:51,533
that he was going to be unable to pay for

417
00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,467
as a result of the defendant's
failure to pay his rent.

418
00:18:54,533 --> 00:18:56,533
So, putting that aside, though,

419
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,166
that you have this huge safety net
that the government offers

420
00:18:59,233 --> 00:19:04,533
and the defendant couldn't find the time
to just fill out the paperwork.

421
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,633
We have a plaintiff, who testified,
credibly,

422
00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:10,734
that he filled it out four times.

423
00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,066
He was assisting.
He was going out of his way

424
00:19:13,133 --> 00:19:15,867
to help the defendant
fill out that paperwork,

425
00:19:15,934 --> 00:19:19,033
but when you can't even take the time
to fill out a piece of paper

426
00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:23,567
and send it back, and say to yourself,
you know, it's not my problem.

427
00:19:23,633 --> 00:19:25,767
Well, as he now knows,
it is your problem.

428
00:19:25,834 --> 00:19:29,667
He had himself a decent setup.
Right? He's in this place for five years.

429
00:19:29,734 --> 00:19:32,800
No one's really bugging him
about the inside of his apartment.

430
00:19:32,867 --> 00:19:35,266
He's got these little things
going on with the landlord,

431
00:19:35,333 --> 00:19:37,100
but for the most part,
he's living his life.

432
00:19:37,166 --> 00:19:39,000
He is on notice

433
00:19:39,066 --> 00:19:42,967
that the landlord would be
just as happy if he weren't there.

434
00:19:43,033 --> 00:19:47,433
The writing is on the wall and that
writing is, "Hey, if you're out,

435
00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:49,967
I'm going to be able
to rent this at market rate."

436
00:19:50,033 --> 00:19:53,400
You should at least fill out
the paperwork, and he didn't do it.

437
00:19:53,467 --> 00:19:55,567
I-- I just don't have
sympathy for him

438
00:19:55,633 --> 00:19:57,200
and the plaintiff is
entitled to his money.

439
00:19:57,266 --> 00:20:01,000
I think that the defendant
really wants this court case

440
00:20:01,066 --> 00:20:03,433
to solve a bunch
of problems that it can't.

441
00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:07,000
He doesn't like the fact that his rent
goes up, but that's what happens.

442
00:20:07,066 --> 00:20:09,000
Landlords make investments in buildings.

443
00:20:09,066 --> 00:20:11,700
They're entitled to raise rent.
They're entitled to make a profit.

444
00:20:11,767 --> 00:20:15,433
The defendant, like many people,
fell on hard times.

445
00:20:15,500 --> 00:20:17,166
He couldn't pay the rent

446
00:20:17,233 --> 00:20:20,800
and didn't do what he needed to
to get the extra help that he needed.

447
00:20:20,867 --> 00:20:24,133
It's a sad case,
but the plaintiff just did nothing wrong

448
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,000
and I think he's entitled to every dime.

449
00:20:26,066 --> 00:20:28,467
So, yes, we'll give him
everything he's asking for.

450
00:20:28,533 --> 00:20:29,967
-Great.
-Thank you.

451
00:20:33,433 --> 00:20:34,667
[Byrd] Court is back in session.

452
00:20:34,734 --> 00:20:36,500
Parties are reminded
you're still under oath.

453
00:20:36,567 --> 00:20:38,100
-[DiMango] Thank you, Byrd.
-You're welcome, Judge.

454
00:20:38,166 --> 00:20:39,834
Nobody here is a bad person.

455
00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:43,767
Nobody here has done something
intentionally to hurt somebody else.

456
00:20:43,834 --> 00:20:45,500
But the bottom line is here

457
00:20:45,567 --> 00:20:48,200
there is a right and wrong,
and there is a just result

458
00:20:48,266 --> 00:20:51,233
that the evidence speaks to
and screams out for.

459
00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:55,800
And, sir, we unanimously believe that
that evidence screams out in your favor.

460
00:20:55,867 --> 00:20:59,500
You have done nothing here
to warrant nonpayment of rent.

461
00:20:59,567 --> 00:21:01,767
And you are entitled to your rent.

462
00:21:01,834 --> 00:21:04,633
And with regard to
the way you were living,

463
00:21:04,700 --> 00:21:07,567
it's true he let you live
in the way you wanted to live.

464
00:21:07,633 --> 00:21:09,767
And I kind of think in looking
at those photographs,

465
00:21:09,834 --> 00:21:13,400
that even if he gave you 124-hours notice,

466
00:21:13,467 --> 00:21:16,400
you were not going to be able
to clean up that mess.

467
00:21:16,467 --> 00:21:19,400
So, we found, sir,
that there was nothing you did.

468
00:21:19,467 --> 00:21:22,734
that would not warrant you getting
every penny that you've asked for.

469
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,300
So, the verdict is in your favor,
unanimously, for $7,000.

470
00:21:26,367 --> 00:21:27,467
-[Minnich] Thank you.
-You're welcome.

471
00:21:27,533 --> 00:21:28,834
[Byrd]
This case is concluded.

472
00:21:28,900 --> 00:21:31,133
Parties are excused.
You may step out.

473
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,400
[theme music playing]

474
00:21:35,433 --> 00:21:37,967
We're probably both right and wrong
in certain ways.

475
00:21:38,033 --> 00:21:39,300
I think justice was served.

476
00:21:39,367 --> 00:21:41,000
I'm glad-- I'm glad it's done
and behind us.

477
00:21:41,066 --> 00:21:43,867
Yeah, it could have been
settled outside the courtroom.

478
00:21:43,934 --> 00:21:47,433
I just felt kind of uncomfortable
with some of the situations

479
00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:51,133
on a broken window and then the rat
are found inside of the apartment.

480
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,166
I always try to work with my tenants
as much as possible.

481
00:21:53,233 --> 00:21:55,166
I learned a lot
from this situation,

482
00:21:55,233 --> 00:21:57,667
how to make myself
a little bit more organized.

483
00:21:57,734 --> 00:22:00,734
He just wanted to lie and string me along
for as long as he can,

484
00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,166
and when the excuses ran out,
he was trying to ditch out.

485
00:22:04,233 --> 00:22:06,000
[announcer]
Does someone owe you money?

486
00:22:06,900 --> 00:22:10,066
Let Tribunal Justice decide your case.

487
00:22:10,133 --> 00:22:13,000
Find us on social media
at Tribunal Justice.

488
00:22:13,066 --> 00:22:16,100
[end theme music plays]