>> Judge Judy: Mr. Semmler,
you own a condo
in Naples, Florida.
>> That is correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: It's a
one-bedroom condo?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: How long
has Mr. Beal
been your tenant in that condo?
>> Four years,
a little over four.
>> Judge Judy: And until
this past year
when Naples was
in the eye of a hurricane,
he was a regularly
paying tenant?
>> Up until the last year,
yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And when you say
"Up until the last year,"
that's until the hurricane?
>> No. Probably the last year
he's been late a lot.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, late,
but has paid you?
>> He has paid me.
>> Judge Judy: And the hurricane
was on what date, sir?
>> September 10, 2017.
>> Judge Judy: Now, your case
against Mr. Beal
is for rent after the hurricane
and for destruction
of certain common property
on the grounds of the condo
that you are being charged for?
>> That's correct, Your Honor,
but the rent hadn't been
paid for September
before the hurricane.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Tell me what
his monthly rent was.
>> Eleven hundred.
>> Judge Judy: You have proof
that you paid September's rent?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so I assume
you
did not pay September's rent?
The answer is no?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so you
owe September's rent?
That's $1,100.
The hurricane hit October 10th.
>> Judge Judy: Where
were you living in --
>> September 10th.
>> Judge Judy: September 10th.
Where were you living
in October?
>> In the apartment.
>> Judge Judy: Did you pay
October's rent?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: So then you owe
another $1,100.
>> Judge, there is a statute
that Florida has.
May I enter this, please,
that my apartment sustained
severe damage --
>> Not true.
>> Judge Judy: Sir,
do not interrupt him.
>> Okay.
I had spent the week and a half
before the hurricane prepping.
We knew we were going to get
a hurricane, but not --
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
Pay careful attention.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
If the premise is rendered
uninhabitable
and you can't live there,
that's fine,
but if it's not
uninhabitable and you live
there you have to pay rent.
It's as simple as that.
>> Okay.
After the hurricane, Judge,
there is no place to go.
Florida has special statutes.
May I enter this?
>> Judge Judy: No. No.
>> Because it says, "You may
stay in where you are --"
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me very
carefully, sir.
I live in Naples.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: I know exactly
what Naples was like.
I know that you
live in Naples,
and you have a vehicle.
You live in Naples,
and you have a car,
and you, just like everybody
else who lives in Naples
and who found that their place
was actually uninhabitable,
roof was blown off,
windows were blown out,
they got in their car,
and they drove to Atlanta.
They drove up north.
They drove someplace.
You chose not to do that.
>> I could not.
>> Judge Judy: You chose --
>> I didn't have
financial means.
>> Judge Judy: You chose --
Well,
you should have financial means.
You didn't pay September's rent.
>> I protected his apartment.
>> Judge Judy: You didn't.
Listen.
>> He did nothing
for his apartment.
Apartment above, apartment
below blew out.
Mine did not.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
You lived there for 4 years.
>> And I protected my children.
>> Judge Judy: It was your home.
>> And I always paid Brian.
>> Judge Judy: No,
you didn't pay him in September
before the hurricane.
>> And we had an agreement
after that that I didn't have
the money to pay him
and that it was okay because
the apartment was blown out...
>> Not true.
>> ...that I had water coming
down through my walls.
I have a spore count of 15,000.
That's uninhabitable.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
Move.
Take your children and move.
How old are you?
>> I'm almost 50 years old.
>> Judge Judy: Well, if you're
almost 50 years old --
>> My children go to Marco
Island Elementary.
There is no housing.
>> Judge Judy: Pay careful
attention.
>> It's after a disaster.
>> Judge Judy: Pay careful
attention to me, sir.
>> Yes.
>> People don't keep their
children in dangerous places.
I assume that if you can afford
$1,100 a month rent
that you didn't pay,
you can afford 100 bucks in gas
not to keep your children
in a dangerous --
>> It's more than that.
People were displaced
for 3 to 4 weeks.
I'm a single dad
of two children.
How do I do that?
>> Judge Judy: Don't ask me
questions.
If you're 50 years old
and you have two children,
then that's what you do.
You didn't pay rent --
You didn't pay
rent for beginning of September.
You owe him
for September's rent.
>> I told him at the beginning
of September.
He said it was okay.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> I have a text from him
saying that it was okay,
and my plan worked.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
>> He agreed to it!
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Beal,
if that's what you're telling me
and if that's what
your defense is,
that he agreed for you
not to pay rent in October --
>> September.
>> Judge Judy: No, not
September.
>> Why would he agree for --
>> Because the hurricane
was coming, and I told him,
"I'm going to take the money.
We're going to get supplies."
We're the only humanitarian
people there
at that point, and we did,
and I protected his property.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
All I want you
to do is show me
where he said to you
in the beginning of September,
you don't have to pay rent
in September.
>> I don't have that.
I have a text from him
that says,
"Yes, we came through it.
Sounds like your plan worked.
Thanks for the offer."
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> You owe him for September.
You owe him for October.
Did you live there in November?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Good.
>> Where did you move in
November?
I moved to another apartment
in the building.
He didn't even
give us a 30-day notice.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
You moved to another apartment
in the building
because you were...
>> We were homeless.