>> Judge Judy: Ms. Ammer, you
are a building manager...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...of an
apartment complex?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: How many
apartments in the complex?
>> Two apartments, a two-bedroom
and a one-bedroom.
>> Judge Judy: Where do you
live?
>> I live upstairs in the
two-bedroom apartment.
>> Judge Judy: So, it's actually
a two-family house, two-family
condo?
>> It's a commercial property,
too.
There is a beef-jerky storefront
and a lady that does hair, as
well.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And do you manage the commercial
premises, as well?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And you get a reduced rent
for that?
>> I wish. [ Chuckles ]
>> Judge Judy: What do you get
for that?
>> Um, nothing?
I mean, I just help them manage
the building.
I mean, he's family.
>> Judge Judy: No.
>> He takes good care of my
family.
We're good.
>> Judge Judy: Okay. Fine.
Is there storage in the
apartment?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Where?
>> The basement, and I also have
storage -- Like, I got closets I
can use for storage.
>> Judge Judy: When the
defendants moved in, that was on
what date?
>> July 10th.
>> Judge Judy: Did you know them
before they moved in?
>> Not Caleb, but I did know
Mariessa.
We've met in the local bars
around town.
>> Judge Judy: And did they move
in because of your
recommendation?
>> The apartment came available,
and being the building manager,
I had to rent it as quick as
possible.
And she had said that she was
living with her mom and things
were kind of getting a little
squirrelly, so I told her I had
an apartment available, she
could come look at it to see if
she was interested.
>> Judge Judy: Are they still
there?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: They have a
lease.
>> We've never exchanged a
lease.
>> Judge Judy: So, they're
month-to-month tenants.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: What furniture
did you lend to them, according
to you?
>> I lent them an armoire and
two lamps, two end tables, and a
hutch.
>> Judge Judy: Where had those
things been?
>> Downstairs in the basement.
I have a big basement, a lot of
overflow furniture.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> The armoire was actually in
the hallway, though.
It was too big to go down in the
basement.
>> Judge Judy: Did it look as if
it should have been there?
>> It was there 'cause I
couldn't get anyone to take it
up to my apartment -- too heavy,
too bulky.
So I just left it there until I
could find somewhere to put it.
>> Judge Judy: Well, then you
were very happy that they put it
into their apartment.
>> I was. I was.
>> Judge Judy: Okay. Fine.
And then you had a spat about
something.
In what month did you have a
spat with them?
>> That would be October 1st.
>> Judge Judy: What was that
about?
Quickly.
>> Quickly, I had a bathroom
that need to be renovated.
They said that they were gonna
be late on their rent.
I said, "Well, let's work
something out.
Let's do some work to the
bathroom to pay your rent."
$1,000 was the agreement, $500
for labor, $500 for materials.
He started on the bathroom,
ripped things apart, left them a
big mess for two to three days.
>> Well, what made you think he
could renovate your bathroom?
>> Well, he said that he had a
small business, that he's a
handyman, he does handyman
services.
>> Judge Judy: A handyman
doesn't renovate a bathroom.
Handyman renovating a bathroom
requires pulling permits, doing
a whole bunch of things.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
Well, then you were trying to
get a job done for very little.
>> I was trying to help them
out, too.
>> Judge Judy: Well, and
yourself.
>> Yes. Yeah.
I need it remodeled.
>> Judge Judy: You needed a
remodel, and it didn't work out.
So, that was what the spat was
about.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And so you said, "Give me back
my furniture."
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And then you
claim that they put it in the
hallway and some of it was
damaged.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: All right.
What's the value of all the
furniture?
>> The armoire was $1,100
purchased and --
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
If you went to sell it, you'd
get 50 bucks.
You couldn't even move it.
What else?
>> The lamps.
>> Judge Judy: What else?
>> $40 apiece, not --
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
We're talking about nothing.
So, my question to you is,
Ms. Ammer, why are you suing
them?
'Cause we're really talking
about nothing.
>> Because this piece -- it
wasn't about the money.
It was sentimental.
I acquired it from taking care
of an elderly lady for two
years.
And I just felt as though me
helping them out, they shouldn't
ever damage my property like
they did.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me what they
did to the armoire.
>> I have pictures if you'd like
to see them.
>> Judge Judy: I would.
Thank you.
I can't tell what this whole
thing looks like.
Is it glass?
>> Yes, ma'am.
The first picture that I gave
you was one of it whole.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Want to tell me how this got
damaged?
>> Yes, ma'am.
The piece was actually sitting
in front of our bed, kind of as
a footboard.
And I would watch her younger
son frequently.
He would sit on the bed, and he
would throw items at the top of
it.
That's how the top got cracked.
The burn holes are incense cones
that were placed there and had
burnt through and melted the
piece by complete accident.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Are you gonna have it fixed?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Did you get an estimate on
having it fixed?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Well, how am I
supposed to guess having the
cigarette burns fixed?
It has to be refinished.
Okay. That's your fault. $250.
Now, you have a counterclaim.
What's your counterclaim for?
>> The counterclaim is for the