in the matter of
Ware/Hutchinson vs. Ware,
step forward.
>> Announcer: Betty Ware and her
boyfriend, Thomas Hutchinson,
are suing Betty's brother,
James Ware, for his share of
their mother's funeral expenses.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Ware, did
your mother have a burial
policy?
>> Yes, she did, but it --
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: The answer was,
"Yes, she did."
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And your mother
passed away in what month and
year?
>> September 2nd, 2017.
>> Judge Judy: With what
insurance company was her burial
policy?
>> GPM, I believe.
>> Judge Judy: And who paid
the premiums on that policy?
>> She did.
>> Judge Judy: How old was
she when she passed away?
>> 75.
>> Judge Judy: And who was the
beneficiary of that policy?
>> There was no policy.
>> Judge Judy: Well, there was a
burial policy.
>> It was surrendered.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> I have my evidence here.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to see
it.
She surrendered the policy
September of 2016 and would have
received somewhere around $2,000
in 2016.
Did you see these?
>> No, I've never seen any of
them, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, I'm going
to show you the letter when...
Your mom was Geraldine Long?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Because this case
has to do with --
This is your brother, and you
think that he should be
responsible for your mother's
funeral expenses.
That's what the case is about.
You say there was a burial
policy, or a life insurance
policy, that covered death
benefits.
If that were the case and if
he were the beneficiary of that
and it included a benefit
for burial, then I would,
of course, agree with you.
Other than that, we'll have to
approach this case in a
different way.
Do you understand?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so I'm
going to show you what he has
just shown me.
>> Thanks.
>> Judge Judy: The first letter
is from the company, which
indicates the day she took out
the policy, which was in 2010,
and the next letter is the
receipt for the money that she
cashed in the policy in
September 2016, and then that's
the payout of what she would've
gotten at the end of so many
years, had she kept the policy
and maintained the premiums.
Got it?
>> Okay. I got it.
>> Judge Judy: Got it?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So there's no
policy, unless you have proof to
the contrary.
Do you have any proof to the
contrary?
>> No. I don't.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Then you don't, so now there's
no policy, so now your mom died
September of 2017.
You paid for the funeral.
How much?
>> I paid $5,373.
>> Judge Judy: Did your brother
contribute anything towards the
funeral?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: How much?
>> $1,174.
>> Judge Judy: And you and your
husband paid $5,373?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Did your mom leave any property?
>> No, she didn't.
>> Judge Judy: Did she leave any
personalty -- anything,
furniture, anything?
>> I'm not aware of that, but
nothing came to me.
>> Judge Judy: Did anything come
to you?
>> No, it did not.
The only thing that I received
was her pension payout of
$3,100.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so she had
a pension payout.
>> A pension payout that she
left for James Ware for taking
care of her for 14 years.
>> Judge Judy: So you are the
beneficiary of her pension
payout.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So you got an
additional $3,000.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Anything else?
>> Actually, yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Mm-hmm.
>> Of the 14 years of taking
care of my mother, I was the
sole person responsible for
everything.
I've had maybe 6 to 7 days of
help from my sister during her
time of...
>> Judge Judy: Let me explain
something to you, Mr. Ware.
Let's be clear.
Did you live at home
with your mother?
>> No, I didn't.
>> Judge Judy: No. Listen to me.
Did you live at home with your
mother when you were growing up?
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: Did she take care
of you when you were a year old?
>> Yes, she did.
>> Judge Judy: 2, 3, 4...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: ...5, 6, 7?
How old were you when you moved
out of the house?
>> 19.
>> Judge Judy: You were 19,
so she took care of you for
19 years.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Sounds to me
like you're on the plus side.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: Got it?
>> Got you.