in the matter of
Tan/Domingo vs. Riviera,
step forward.
>> Announcer: Liberty Tan and
her cousin, Maria Domingo, are
suing 22-year-old Daniel Riviera
for unpaid car payments and late
fees.
>> Judge Judy: Did the two of
you own this car together?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> I'm the cosigner of the car.
>> Judge Judy: So your name is
on the title?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And how are you
related?
>> Cousins.
>> Judge Judy: But she made the
deal with him?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Why don't you have a seat?
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: You got your
cousin to cosign a loan for a
car for you.
The car was a 2012 Ford Focus.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And there were
payments on the car.
Then you bought another car.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And you couldn't
keep both cars 'cause you
couldn't afford both cars.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So you advertised
for somebody to take over your
payments on the car.
>> Correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Did you find her
on a Craigslist, on a Facebook?
How did you find her?
>> We met when she gave me a
ride, 'cause she works for Uber.
>> Judge Judy: Oh. Okay.
So, you're an Uber driver?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you work for
Uber, and he was a client of
yours.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Did you drive him
more than once?
>> Only one time, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And then how did
you contact him again when you
wanted to sell him or you wanted
him to take over the payments on
this car?
>> We got into a conversation,
and we started being friends.
We started talking about going
out and stuff, so I had
mentioned about a car --
that he was looking for a car.
>> Judge Judy: When did you buy
your new car?
In what month?
>> In January.
>> Judge Judy: Of this --
>> Of last year, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And when did
Mr. Riviera take over the
payments on the old car?
>> March of 2017.
>> Judge Judy: So, a couple of
months later.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you and
Mr. Riviera went into the car
dealership and signed the
documentation for him to take
over the payments.
>> Yes. Correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: But he didn't
take over ownership of the car.
>> No, not yet, until it was
paid.
>> Judge Judy: He did not take
over the ownership of the car,
and they did not relieve him or
you and the cosigner of the debt
on the car.
>> Yeah. Correct.
>> Judge Judy: It merely got a
third person on the hook.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And then,
according to you, he paid for a
while but stopped paying.
>> That's correct, Your Honor.yt
take over the ownership of the
car, and they did not relieve
him or you and the cosigner of
the debt on the car.
>> Yeah. Correct.
>> Judge Judy: It merely got a
third person on the hook.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And then,
according to you, he paid for a
while but stopped paying.
>> That's correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: How long did you
pay for the car, sir?
>> I paid for the car up until
the tags were due in July.
>> Judge Judy: Just give me
the month.
>> July.
>> Judge Judy: When was your
last payment?
>> July.
>> Judge Judy: You made the July
payment?
>> That was -- Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Don't --
You're gonna have to show me.
Did you make the July payment?
>> Yes. I did make the payment.
It was not a full payment.
>> Judge Judy: So the answer is
you didn't make the July
payment.
>> I did make the payment, but
it wasn't the full payment.
>> Judge Judy: What was the full
payment?
>> $297.
>> Judge Judy: And how much did
you pay?
>> $90.
>> Judge Judy: Oh!
That's hardly the full payment.
So, you didn't make the July
payment.
When did you stop driving the
car?
>> July.
>> Judge Judy: When were the
tags up?
>> July.
>> Judge Judy: Is that why you
stopped driving the car --
'cause the tags were up?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Did you contact
Ms. Tan to tell her that she had
to renew the tags?
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> July.
>> Judge Judy: Is that correct?
>> No, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: When did he
contact you that the tags were
up?
>> He contacted me after --
I believe it was like a couple
of months after.
June, July.
About August...of 2017.
>> Judge Judy: Yes?
He contacted you and said...?
>> And he said that the tags are
due, and he wanted me to pay for
the tags, and I said, "Well,
it's your sole responsibility.
That's I'm giving the car to y--
you're taking over the car,
because you're solely
responsible for everything."
I told him that.
>> Judge Judy: Well, you told
him that that's what you
thought.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: And he said,
"No, I'm not."
>> Yeah. Yeah. Correct.
That's what he said.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
So, then what happened
with the car?
>> He still had the car.
>> Judge Judy: How long did he
keep the car?
>> Oh, gosh. Until --
Until they repossessed it,
the Financial Bank.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> I believe it was, um...
>> It was...
>> ...October, I believe.
>> ...December.
>> Judge Judy: Why didn't you