defendant was your landlord and
also your neighbor.
So, I assume, sir, you have two
houses that join each other.
Is that correct?
>> Well, they were on two
different properties, but yes,
the properties do touch each
other.
>> Judge Judy: They touch each
other.
And they touch each other, and
you have a common backyard that
is unfenced.
>> Not a common backyard.
We have separate backyards, but
there's no fence, correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you have a
large dog.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you have a
small dog.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You no longer
live there.
Is that right?
>> No, I do not.
>> Judge Judy: When did you move
into the house?
>> February of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: When did you move
out?
>> July 30th of this year, 2017.
>> Judge Judy: Did you have a
one-year lease?
>> I thought I did until I
realized I had a tenant-at-will
lease.
>> Judge Judy: Did you ever sign
a one-year lease?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You never signed
any lease.
>> I did sign a lease, but it is
a tenant at will.
>> Judge Judy: Is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: What was your
rent?
>> $1,000 a month.
>> Judge Judy: And the incident
involving your dog, which is
what precipitated all this
trouble -- you have a little
Chihuahua?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: The Chihuahua,
according to you, was bitten by
Mr. Bow's larger dog.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: On what date?
>> January 30th of this year,
2017.
>> Judge Judy: After that
incident, you asked Mr. Bow if
he would pay for the vet bills.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Bow said he
would not, that it wasn't his
dog's fault, that your dog came
on his property, and your dog
was unintended, and that's how
your dog was injured.
So, he refused to pay the vet
bills.
And you, at some point, stopped
paying rent.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: When was that?
>> I did not pay rent for
February.
>> Judge Judy: Why?
>> I was trying to work
something out with him about the
vet bills before I handed him
the money.
>> Judge Judy: Well, he told you
he wasn't responsible for the
vet bills.
>> That was after we had
discussed.
Originally, he told me he was
going to cover the vet bills,
that he was responsible, he knew
his dog had bit mine.
>> Judge Judy: Well, if his dog
bit yours, it's not irrelevant,
but it depends upon where it
happened.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you see it
happen?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you see it
happen?
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: Did you see it
happen?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Did you?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: So, only you saw
what happened.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me what you
saw, Mr. Bow.
>> I was in the center of my
house, on the second floor.
I heard my dog barking in the
backyard.
I looked out my window.
I seen my dog jumping around
like a horse.
The Chihuahua was snapping like
a snapping turtle.
And I seen the head go down on
my dog, take a bite of the
little Chihuahua.
I was out, screaming out the
window, telling the dog not to
bite the dog, and I seen it, and
I watched him do it.
>> Judge Judy: Where was your
dog?
>> My dog was in her area behind
the house, my house, on my
property.
>> Judge Judy: Was your dog
chained in any way?
>> My dog has an electric-fence
collar twice -- two collars that
will go on her neck.
They're a stubborn dog.
Collar has worked beautifully
for a couple years.
So, she was on an electric
fence.
>> Judge Judy: What kind of dog
do you have?
>> A shepherd.
>> Judge Judy: And what was your
dog doing outside?
>> My dog was on a lead.
I have a 60-foot lead in my
backyard.
I have two dogs.
So, that way they could go out.
I had brought my bigger dog in
and put the small dog out on the
lead so she could run the
60 feet.
As you said, our backyards are
a common backyard.
There is no division.
So, I tried to make the lead
according to my standards, so
that way she could not go around
his shed.
And she had to be on our side
of the fence.
>> Judge Judy: There's no fence.
>> Right.
So, my dog was outside on a
lead, using the bathroom.
She was outside approximately
four minutes.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care what
it was.
Mr. Bow said he saw the
incident.
Your dog was on his --
>> He called me and told me he
did not see anything, that he
happened to hear a yelp from the
backyard so I should check my
dog because she possibly got
bit.
He said he did not see anything.
>> Judge Judy: Is that right?
>> Absolutely not.
I watched my dog bite her.
>> I have text messages, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: No, no, no,
that's not what I'm asking you.
Did you tell her that you did
not see the incident?
>> Absolutely not.
I did fully see -- yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So that he says he's not
responsible.
You did not see the incident
yourself.
It's a common backyard.
So, you resorted to self-help,
and you decided not to pay
February's rent.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And then what
happened?
>> I didn't hear from him again
from February 4th, when I told
him we were gonna work something
out for the vet bills.
>> Judge Judy: Well, that's what
you said to him.
That doesn't make a contract.
>> Right, no.
>> Judge Judy: Just 'cause you
say to him, "I'm not gonna pay
rent until you pay the vet bill"
doesn't mean you have an
agreement.
>> Nope.
So, I sent him a text, and he
said when could he come over
with rent, and I asked what we
were gonna do about the vet
bills.
At that point, he said they were
not his responsibility, and he
never responded to me again.
On February 8th, I got a 30-day
notice to quit.
>> Judge Judy: And?
>> He served me a 30-day notice,
saying I was in breach of my
lease.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so, you
didn't pay rent in February.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you pay rent
in March?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you live
there in March?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Pay April?
>> I was told by the board of
health to not pay any more rent.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Did you pay it March, April,
May, June, July?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: How dare you.
You're ridiculous.
>> I was told by the board of
health, ma'am, to not --
>> Judge Judy: [ Laughs ]
Who is this man?
>> My father.
>> Judge Judy: Even he knows
you're ridiculous.