according to
what I read in your papers,
your daughter
went off to college,
and you had an extra room,
and you thought it might
be interesting
to rent that room in your home.
I assume you had not done
that before.
>> It's been a long time.
Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
That was in what month?
>> I rented it September 24th
to Issa.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
According to what I read in your
complaint,
you had been trying to find
just the appropriate person
for a very long time.
>> That is correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Just...
Because when you've been used to
living either by yourself
or with a child, you have...
Was your daughter
living with you?
>> She was part-time,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Part-time.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you were,
most of the time,
living by yourself?
>> That is correct.
>> Judge Judy:
And she lived with her mother?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
But she would come to visit you?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: That makes
a better story.
Okay.
So you were really used
to living by yourself.
>> Mostly, yes.
>> Judge Judy:
According to what I read,
you looked a long time
for a roommate
and finally found Ms. Forrest,
who would answer, probably,
an ad.
What?
>> I was just going
to add to that.
The reason why it took longer,
too, is because it is a condo,
you know, a townhouse, you know,
the rules and regulations that
I'm sure you're familiar with.
You have to be a little more
particular
about the type of tenants,
you know, renter that
you would have in there for,
you know, noise purposes,
courteous to your neighbor.
>> Judge Judy:
It keeps me in business.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you found
the defendant,
and you were renting her a room.
Was it a furnished room?
>> No.
It was not.
>> Judge Judy: So she had
to bring her own furniture.
>> That is correct.
>> Judge Judy: And she moved in
on what day,
the 24th of September?
>> That is correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, and her
monthly rent was how much?
>> $745 per month.
>> Judge Judy: And the lease
that you signed with her
was a 6-month lease.
I'd like to take a look at it.
>> Yes.
This is
all the information here.
>> Judge Judy: And when
she moved in,
did she give you
the $900 security deposit?
>> Yes.
She did.
>> Judge Judy: And in October,
Ms. Forrest,
did you pay him his rent?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And what about in November,
did you pay him
the rent in November?
>> I did not.
>> Judge Judy:
When were you there in November?
>> I was there from November 1st
until the 22nd.
>> Judge Judy: So you didn't
pay him for November.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy:
Now, when you moved in,
Ms. Forrest,
you had to bring your furniture,
a bed, dresser, television.
What did you bring?
>> Just a bed and clothing.
>> Judge Judy: Did you rent
a U-Haul to bring that,
or how did you bring it?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Where had
you been living?
>> With a girlfriend.
I'm new to California.
>> Judge Judy:
So when she moved in,
she brought all of her clothing
in a U-Haul.
She brought her bed in a U-Haul.
>> Your Honor, I really
didn't see
the U-Haul on this there...
>> Judge Judy: Well, how do you
think she got the bed?
>> You know, I wasn't there.
It was actually a mattress.
It wasn't a bed.
It was a mattress that she had,
and I knew it was...
>> Judge Judy: Well, it's too
big of a thing to fit in a car.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Right?
So you had to rent a something.
>> Correct.
Her clothes was
left there in a box.
I don't know how it got there.
I did help bringing it upstairs,
you know, to her room there,
but she didn't have a lot
of personal items.
>> I had two very large wardrobe
boxes full
of clothes and [Indistinct].
>> Judge Judy: She moved
her life
into that room, correct?
And she didn't
pay November's rent.
Why?
>> I had given notice
on October 30th.
>> Judge Judy: You gave him
notice that you were moving?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Now, for my own
information,
where did you move to...
>> When I left on the...
>> Judge Judy:
...when you left his house?
>> I've been staying
with friends.
>> Judge Judy: When you moved
into his house,
were you working?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy:
How do you support yourself?
>> At the time, I had just moved
from another state,
and I was working part-time
for my former employer
and looking
for a job full-time down here.
>> Judge Judy: So in the month
of September and October,
you were not working?
>> I got my job October 8th.
>> Judge Judy:
And where is that?
>> A mortgage company.
>> Judge Judy: Is that close by
to where you were living?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: In his house?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And you're still there?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
So let me understand this.
You found a job close to where
you were living.
You had already moved
in all your things,
your bed, your clothes.
You're all set up, and,
I assume, you were at the time
that you first saw it
and first met the plaintiff,
you were perfectly happy
with the living arrangement.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
So now I'm going to come to you.
Why do you think
she gave you notice?
Because what you want
in this lawsuit, sir,
is you want 6 months'
worth of rent from her.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You want her
to pay out the lease.
>> Yes, correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you want her
to pay out the lease despite
the fact that you said to her,
"I'm not letting you out
of your lease,"
and you posted notes --
she'll tell me about them --
on her room and on her car
that you wanted her to give you
the full 6-month rent.
Why would you think if she found
a job close by
to where you were,
where she was living,
and she's already moved in,
why would you think
she would want to move out?
What do you think
she's going to tell me?
>> I think what she would
tell you is that actually
when you say close by,
I think it was more convenient
for her where she's living with
her friends for lesser money.
It probably might be walking
distance to where she works,