>> Judge Judy: Ms. Soiza,
you and the defendant
have a child together.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And you had
an apartment
that was jointly leased,
and you lived in the apartment
until shortly after the baby
was born.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy:
And then you left.
When was that?
What year?
>> 2015.
>> Judge Judy: What month?
>> August.
>> Judge Judy: And you left
because?
>> The relationship ended.
>> Judge Judy: A mutual thing?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Who ended it?
>> It ended 2 days after our son
was born, so I decided to leave.
>> Judge Judy:
Was there an argument, a fight,
or was it just, "We're done"?
>> It was a, "We're done."
I left with my parents because
he had nowhere else to go,
so for the time being,
he stayed in the apartment.
>> Judge Judy: So you left
with your parents.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And did you have
any sort of a discussion
with each other
about the apartment?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: You just left?
>> I left.
He stated about a month later
that he would like
to move to Koreatown,
which is where he lives
right now,
so eventually, he did leave.
I wanted the apartment
once he left.
>> Judge Judy:
And did you move back?
>> No.
I never got the option.
He terminated
the lease without my permission.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
He terminated the lease because
he left,
and that was a month later?
>> That was 2 months
after I had left.
>> Judge Judy:
When you were living together,
were you sharing the expenses
of the apartment?
>> I paid the bills.
He paid the rent.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So you were
sharing the expenses.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And when you
left, now all of the expenses
were his.
Correct?
>> All the expenses were his
when he terminated
the lease early.
>> Judge Judy: No.
You terminated your lease
by not paying the expenses
and leaving with your parents.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: [ Laughs ]
You moved out.
I mean, as it happens,
as between the landlord,
you both terminated the lease
early,
and there was
an early-termination fee,
which is what she wants.
She wants you to pay half of
the early-termination fee.
You did, in fact,
terminate the lease early.
Correct?
I did terminate the lease
early, but...
>> Judge Judy: Did you pay
an early-termination fee?
>> No...
>> Judge Judy: Oh.
>> ...because I was forced
to leave.
I didn't want to leave.
I could've stayed there,
and she could've avoided
those expenses herself
if she would've
signed off her lease,
but she refused to do that.
>> Judge Judy: Well...
>> That's not the way
that it happened, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Just a sec.
So Ms. Soiza,
after you moved out
with your parents,
did you ever return
to the apartment for 5 minutes?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: How often?
>> We were visiting
with our son, probably...
>> Judge Judy: No, no.
How often did you return
to the apartment?
>> Once a week.
>> Judge Judy:
Did you always come announced?
>> Yes.
>> No.
>> There was only once that
I came unannounced,
and it was to get my furniture.
>> Judge Judy: And on what date
did you come to get property?
>> I don't recall
the exact date.
>> It was August 24th
when she moved out
and had her family
help her move all of the...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
But she left
the beginning of August?
>> Yes.
All of my
belongings stayed there.
>> Judge Judy: And 3 weeks...
And 3...
Well, then you were there.
Did you pay the expenses
that you were supposed to pay?
>> All the expenses that were on
the inside the home,
the furniture, the bills...
>> Judge Judy: No, no.
Listen to me.
>> ...I continued paying.
>> Judge Judy:
The month of August?
>> The month of August, yes.
>> Judge Judy: Yes.
What bills did you pay?
>> We had Internet,
all the furniture
that we were paying.
I paid myself.
I continued to pay any type
of extra expenses
aside from the rent.
>> Judge Judy: And who did you
give that money to?
>> I paid directly to the gas
company, to the Internet.
>> Judge Judy: In August?
>> August and forward
until he left.
>> Judge Judy: Were those bills
in your name?
>> Yes.
One was mutually under both
of our names,
which was the furniture.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Zamora,
it's relatively simple, sir.
You both terminated the lease
on this apartment within
relatively close period of time.
The landlord levied
a early-termination fee.
You have to pay half.
Do you understand?
>> That was not the case.
We excessively tried to get her
to sign off on the lease
and have that evidence here.
>> Judge Judy: I don't...
>> But she never signed.
>> Judge Judy:
It doesn't matter.
>> And I had to move out
because she was, you know,
constantly
harassing me, coming there.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
>> I had to get a restraining
order for her to stop coming,
and that's when the landlord
allowed for me
to be able to break the lease.
Otherwise, I would not.
I was not able
to break the lease.
>> Judge Judy: Do you have proof
that you got a restraining order
to keep her out of the house?
>> Yes, I have it.
>> Judge Judy:
I'd like to see it.
>> It was a temporary
restraining order that...
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> ...was dismissed.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
It just belies your story
that you had just appointments
to meet once a week for visits.
I want to see what he says.
Doesn't look like the kind
of a nut that would waste time
to go to a family court
to get a restraining order if
you were coming only on notice.