>> Judge Judy: Mr. Canty, how do
you know Mr. Satkowski?
>> I met him through a friend,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> August 17th.
>> Judge Judy: You met him
through a friend because...?
>> Because I want to get into
flipping cars or reselling cars,
and one of my friends who used
to resell cars had recommended
him to me.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so you
wanted to go into business of
flipping cars.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Which means
buying very cheap, fixing them
up a little bit, and selling
them for more money.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So he was the
first person who was gonna help
you flip a car.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Mechanically.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Who did you buy
the car from?
>> I bought the car off of a guy
off an app called OfferUp.
It's an app -- basically, it
looks up cars around the area,
and you can basically find cars
around and see what's wrong with
them mechanically.
>> Judge Judy: And you bought a
2007 Charger...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...that wasn't
running well?
>> It needed a new engine.
>> Judge Judy: At least.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You don't know if
it just needs a new engine,
because it wasn't running well,
so it's the kind of thing, well,
if you put in an engine, then
you find out what else is wrong
with it.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Right?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
And how much did you spend for
this car?
>> I paid $800, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you brought
it over to the defendant.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And he was
supposed to put in a new engine.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Or an engine.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And how much was
he gonna charge you for this
engine?
>> For the engine alone, he was
going to charge me $1,250.
>> Judge Judy: How much did you
pay him?
>> In total, I gave him $1,650,
ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: $1,650.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So far, is all of
that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And how many
times did you pick up the car
and take it out and it was no
good and pick up the car and
take it out and it was no good?
>> A total of three times, but I
went to his shop more than that
just 'cause he'll inform me that
the vehicle...
>> Judge Judy: 'Cause he put in
an engine, but then it started
smoking.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And then he put
in something else.
What else did you put in after
you put in the engine?
>> A radiator.
>> Judge Judy: 'Cause it also
needed a radiator.
You couldn't tell that when you
were putting in the engine?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: So first, you had
to get it running, and then you
could see that the radiator was
no good.
What else did you put in the
car?
>> We put a starter and a
battery in the car.
The starter was bad, and the
battery was missing.
>> Judge Judy: So you knew the
battery was missing.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So, he put in a
starter and a battery.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And then you took
the car out when?
>> The first time I took the
car --
>> Judge Judy: No, no, after all
that was done -- starter,
battery, radiator, engine.
You took the car out after all
that was done, and...?
>> When I drove it off, after I
picked it up from Mr. Satkowski,
I literally made it up the
street.
This is after I paid him.
I made it up the street, and I
noticed that the temperature
gauge kept fluctuating and it
kept -- like it was about to
overheat.
So I pulled it over into a --
At first, in my head, I'm like,
"I don't know that much about
cars," but I'm thinking --
>> Judge Judy: If you don't know
that much about cars, car
flipping is not your strong
suit.
>> Yes, ma'am, I know.
I thought maybe it just needed
to get adjusted, because it's in
a new car.
So after it got in the red, I
contacted Chris and I'm, like,
"It's overheating," and he was,
"Oh, really?
Bring it back up here."
So I brought it back up there.
Then he took a look at it, and
he said, "Oh, you need a new
radiator."
So I was, like, "Okay."
>> Judge Judy: He put in a new
radiator.
>> At first, he just put an
engine in.
>> Judge Judy: No, listen to me.
You're not following me, 'cause
you're on your own story.
I've already determined he put
in a new radiator, engine,
starter, and battery.
After he put in all of those new
things, then you took the car
out again, for the last time.
And what happened?
>> For the last time, it started
to smoke, fluids came out.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, and when
was that?
>> That was September 14th.
>> Judge Judy: And how far had
you driven it?
>> I drove maybe 3 miles
from his shop.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so it was
running.
>> It shut down three times
within those 3 miles.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
As I said, car flipping is not
your thing, or maybe this
mechanic is not your thing.
Anyway, so, you called him.
Ultimately, your car got left by
the side of the road.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: By whom?
>> When I called him after it
shut down, he said a tow
truck was 10 minutes away, but
instead of a tow truck coming,
he came, 'cause throughout all
of this --
>> Judge Judy: Whatever.
You're standing with the car and
him.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And...?
>> Then he gave me a ride to my
grandma's house, 'cause I'd
already been late for work
twice, and that was about to be
my third time.
So he gave me a car ride there.
He said, "Yeah, the tow truck
should have picked it up by now.
Everything's good."
So I'm, like, "Okay."
>> Judge Judy: Did you call a
tow truck, Mr. Satkowski?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you called a
tow truck on September 14th?
Whose tow truck?
>> It's a friend of mine's
company -- an acquaintance.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Did they ever pick up the car?
>> He went there and advised me
the car was not there.
>> Judge Judy: Car was gone.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Whose fault is
that?
>> I believe it is his fault,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Well, Mr. Canty,
that's a problem.
I'm gonna tell you why.
And I feel very sorry for you.
It's not his fault you were late
for work.
You bought a car that was
clearly a non-running lemon for
800 bucks.
You want to just take a look to
see the cost of a 2007 Charger?
I've, sadly, had cars that break
down.
I never leave the key or the car
exposed until the tow truck gets
there and takes the car.
You never know who's gonna take
the car.
Right?
>> Yes, ma'am.