Next, what else did you do
for the house?
>> I went numerous times
back and forth from my house.
It's a 100-mile
round trip to mow...
>> Judge Judy: Absolutely.
>> ...the grass.
>> Judge Judy: You're absolutely
entitled to something
with regard to that.
Did you give her back
her $10,000?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Why not?
>> I didn't think she was
entitled because...
>> Judge Judy: She put down
the $10,000 deposit.
>> She defaulted on her promise
that she was going to assume
the loan after two years.
>> Judge Judy: No, no, no.
What I'm asking you, sir, is,
in addition to making a profit,
which I'm not
so sure you're not entitled to
because it's your house, and
she sort of walked away from it.
According to this, she put down
$10,000 deposit on the house.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And I'm asking you,
even if you wanted to keep
a profit of $10,000,
why would you think you would be
entitled to her down payment?
Even if you said, "You know
what?
I've done a lot of work on this,
and I made $20,000 in profit."
If you gave her back her
10,000...
>> Well, your Honor,
I'm an investor,
and I buy and flip houses.
The time that I carried the note
for her,
I was unable to do
any investments.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Is what you're telling me
there was not a mortgage paid
to the mortgage company?
You carried the mortgage
on this house?
>> The mortgage was my mortgage,
and she paid...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> ...the monthly mortgage,
my mortgage payments.
>> Judge Judy: What do you mean
your mortgage payments?
Are you telling me
that you financed the house...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: ...in total?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You financed
the house?
>> It was in my name.
It was financed.
I financed it.
>> Judge Judy: With whom
did you finance it?
>> With Simple Loan
and then Chase bought the loan,
so it was through Chase.
>> Judge Judy: So somebody else
had the loan.
>> It was my credit.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care
if it was your credit or not.
Doesn't matter.
You didn't buy this house
from the seller
or using your money.
You used bank's money
plus her $10,000.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Plus her $10,000.
Well, why do you think
you're not responsible
for giving her back her $10,000?
>> I thought she was entitled
to about 4,000 for defaulting.
>> I didn't default.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> He threw me out.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
You thought she was entitled
to $4,000.
That's what you figured.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And is that what you sent her?
>> That's what I gave her.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Shush.
Show me that you gave
her $4,000.
>> Well, the...
>> Judge Judy: Not a "well."
Don't "well" and don't do
anything but show me a check
where you gave her $4,000.
>> The only thing I've got -- I
deposited into her
bank account cash money.
>> Judge Judy: Show me.
>> I don't have a deposit slip,
but she knows that.
I gave her $2,500,
and I had given her...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> ...$1,500.
When I did the roof, I gave her
another 1,500,
so I had given her $4,000.
>> Judge Judy:
I've got news for you.
I think that
you're a scam artist.
>> Amen.
>> Judge Judy: I think that you
scammed the insurance company.
I think that, first,
you said to me,
"I gave her $4,000."
Then I said, "Well,
I gave her $2,500
and another time 1,500."
I think that you're a hustler.
>> Yes, he is.
>> Judge Judy: I think that
you're a hustler,
but what I want to see is where
you got $10,000
to put down on this house.
>> Ma'am, from my divorce.
>> Judge Judy: Just shh.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: Just show me
where you got $10,000 in cash
to put down on this house
when it was purchased.
>> I had gone through a divorce,
and I got my part
of our combined savings,
which was $39,000.
It's there as a deposit,
and then the $10,500
is what I withdrew to give him,
10,000 for the house
and 500 for his help.
>> Judge Judy: Mm-hmm.
>> And he took it.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
Okay.
Mr. Rea, I actually don't think
think that unless -- and absent
an agreement
on who was going
to get the fruits
of the profit of the house,
I don't think that you have to
give her
any of the profit of the house.
You have to give her back her
$10,000
that she put into it.
That's not profit.
That's her money.
The maximum limit that I have
is $5,000,
so that's what I'm going
to order that you give her.
But she is entitled
to her deposit back,
not necessarily the profit
because I don't see an agreement
that if the house is sold,
you're going
to split the profit,
and she clearly walked away
from the house in May
and stopped making
the mortgage payment.
That became...
>> He...
>> Judge Judy:
...your responsibility,
but you have to give her back
the money that she put into it.
That's my judgment.
>> Thank you.
>> Judge Judy: That's all.
We're done.
>> Byrd: Parties are excused.
You may step out.
>> I feel that it was
a just decision.
>> Well, I tried
to help a relative.
And...
>> She called it.
She said he was a scammer.
>> Never again will I, you know,
try to help a relative...
>> I didn't leave.
He told me to move out.
>> ...and get into
this kind of mess.
I should have just mind my own
business
and not get involved with her.
>> You think you know
your relatives
and that they're trustworthy.
In this case, he wasn't,
and he wanted to keep it all.