>> Judge Judy: Mr. Hilgers,
it is your claim that
the defendant owes you money
for breach of lease...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...and for some
damages that you allege she did
to a house she was renting.
This is what I gather
the situation was, Miss Colvin.
You stop me if I'm mistaken.
You rented two separate
properties.
>> Correct. Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You rented
the properties to run
businesses, halfway houses
for women.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And how many
women did you have living
in each house?
>> The first house held
12 women, and the second
house --
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
The first house, you had
12 women.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And how much was
the rent on that house?
>> From him, it was $800
a month.
>> Judge Judy: This is not
the house that you subsequently
rented to buy?
>> No, this is the first home.
>> Judge Judy: So, it was $800
per month.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And when did you
lease that house?
>> I leased that house in
July of 2015.
>> Judge Judy: And you were paid
by the state as a halfway house,
or you were paid by the women?
>> I was paid by the women.
>> Judge Judy: And how much did
you charge each of them
a month?
>> $400 a month.
>> Judge Judy: So, in the first
house, you made $4,800 a month.
>> If my house was full,
yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You said there
were 12 women.
>> It holds 12 women,
but I wasn't full.
No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Well, not always.
So you made $4,000 a month.
>> Somewhere around there
if my house was full.
>> Judge Judy: It wasn't full
all the time.
Let's say you made $4,000
a month, and you paid $800
a month rent.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: That's a neat
profit.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Were these
single-family homes?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Was it zoned
for commercial use?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Is that correct?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: No.
Just a second.
Is it zoned for commercial use?
That's either "yes" or "no."
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: You have proof
that it was zoned for commercial
purposes?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Show me.
>> I'm licensed to have this
house.
>> Judge Judy: Not interested.
I don't care whether you're
licensed or not.
I want to know if the home,
that property is zoned for
12 tenants.
>> It is already zoned because
other recovery houses are in
the area.
>> Judge Judy: That doesn't mean
anything.
Okay.
So that house you rented
in July of 2015.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And the lease
for that house was up when?
>> I finally left the first one
in October of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: In what month
and year did you lease
the second home to buy?
>> I leased the second home
to buy in June of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: And you leased it
from the plaintiff.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So I have to
assume that if you leased
the house from the plaintiff,
and you had been his previous
tenant from 2015, one must
assume that unless there's
something wrong with you,
you were satisfied with him
as a landlord.
>> I was.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
And when you leased the other
house from him in June of 2016,
you leased it under different
circumstances.
I would like to see a copy
of that lease.
My understanding is that
he would sell you the house
after seven years.
So this is --
Let me see the agreement
and let me see --
Where did you sign this?
>> The lease purchase is
a separate document not in
that lease.
>> Right.
Because it came later.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> And it's signed on Page 7.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
Just a second.
So you were renting this house
for $750 a month...
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: ...starting
June 19, 2016, and it terminates
June of 2017.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: When did you move
out of that house?
>> August 17th of 2017.
>> Judge Judy: May I see
the subsequent agreement
that you had with her?
Okay. Very, very easy.
This he sent to you, but you
didn't sign it.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: But is this what
you agreed to?
>> Yes.
Well, verbally between us
because I haven't seen what
he gave you typed up.
>> Judge Judy: Would you show
that to her?
Which said that if you agreed
to rent the house for seven
years and pay him the rent
of $750 a month, at the end
of seven years, he will sell you
the house for $10.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Well, that didn't
happen.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: So, now we're
back to the original lease.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: When was the last
month that you paid rent?
>> The last month that I
actually gave him some money
was July 28th of 2017.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And what day in August
did you move out?
>> I moved out completely
August the 17th of 2017.
>> Judge Judy: So you didn't
pay him for August.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So you owe him
for August.
>> Uh, he thinks so.
>> Judge Judy: Well, if you
lived there, and you didn't pay
him...
>> We was in the process
of moving out.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
Process, process.
I don't care.
>> No, ma'am, I didn't,
but I find my reasoning
why I quit paying him.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me why
you stopped paying him.
>> Like I said, I moved in
this house --
>> Judge Judy: No, no, no.
Tell me why you stopped paying
him.
>> Due to the damages of
the house, due to a lot of
damages that was going on
with t