step forward.
>> Announcer: Flooring
contractor Nhan Nguyen is suing
his former client,
Terry Russell, for unpaid labor
and materials.
>> Judge Judy: You did some work
for the defendant, staining her
floors.
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: And she didn't
pay you when you were finished
with the job.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: That's what
you're suing her for, your
compensation.
And the balance of what she owes
you is...
How much was the whole job?
>> The whole job was $9,080.
>> Judge Judy: And how many
rooms did you do, how many
floors?
>> We did an existing floor, 450
square feet of the existing
floor for her, and I put in a
new kitchen floor for her.
>> Judge Judy: And how much did
she pay you?
Did she give you a deposit?
>> She didn't me any deposit or
anything.
>> Judge Judy: You bought the
materials first?
Had you ever done work for her
before?
>> I recently did the same house
for her about a year ago.
>> Judge Judy: And she came back
to you.
>> She came back to me because
we did a good job, and she
requested --
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so that's
why you didn't take a deposit
from her for this job.
>> Right.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Who do you live with in this
house?
>> Myself and my four dogs and a
cat.
>> Judge Judy: You have a son?
>> Yes, I do.
>> Judge Judy: How old is he?
>> He is 54.
>> Judge Judy: Where does he
live?
>> He lives in South Sacramento.
>> Judge Judy: And where do you
live?
>> I live in Rocklin,
California.
>> Judge Judy: How far away is
that?
>> They're about 35 miles.
>> Judge Judy: You were away
when Mr. Nguyen came back to
complete the floors.
Is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Nguyen
doesn't have a key to your
house.
>> Yes, he did have a key to the
house.
>> Judge Judy: He had a key.
Did you use the key to get into
the house, Mr. Nguyen?
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: On what date?
>> Around August 15th, I
believe.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, and that
was the arrangement, that you
were going to come in and finish
the floors?
Was that the arrangement that
you made with Ms. Russell?
>> Yes, we had a talk of a
roughly date that she was gonna
be out of town, for me to come
by and complete the floor.
So she was going to be away from
what days to what days?
Do you recall?
>> I'm not sure exactly the
date.
>> Judge Judy: Well, I want you
to know exactly the date.
That's why you're here.
It's your business.
This is a business that you
have.
Because, bottom line, she says
that you did do the floors but
you didn't contain the cat, her
cat.
Her cat was out.
Her cat got out and damaged all
the floors that you did by
leaving paw prints all over,
which meant that, once it dried,
the floors would have to be
stripped down again and redone,
so that's why we're here.
She has a ridiculous
counterclaim, which is, because
of your negligence, the cat got
out and ruined her couch.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
The dates are important,
Mr. Nguyen.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: She has four dogs
and a cat.
She clearly took care of the
dogs, but there was a cat that
was left home to fend for
itself, which somebody had to
take care of so that the cat
wouldn't step all over
everything.
Do you understand?
>> That's right, yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And she told you about that.
>> She never told me about that.
She told me that she was gonna
be out on those day and that she
will --
>> Judge Judy: What days?
>> I believe it was the 23rd
that she was gonna be out of
town, which that would be a good
time for me to come by and
finish the floor.
>> Judge Judy: Is that the date
that you came in?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: On the 23rd?
>> I believe so.
>> Judge Judy: Do you remember
what day he came in,
Ms. Russell?
>> August 16th.
>> Judge Judy: Were you out of
town?
>> Yes, I was.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so maybe he
has the dates wrong.
Who was taking care of your
dogs?
>> My son was staying there,
taking care of the animals.
>> Judge Judy: And how long had
your son been staying there?
>> For about three weeks.
>> Judge Judy: Did you contact
her son?
>> When I got there, her son was
there.
The entranceway to...
>> Judge Judy: So he was there
when --
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you used your
key, opened it up.
Son was there.
Were the dogs there?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Interesting.
Did you have a discussion with
him?
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: Did you tell him
what you were going to be doing?
>> Yes, we did.
>> Judge Judy: And he took the
dogs away?
>> The dogs were contained by a
gate.
They were all contained with the
gate.
>> Judge Judy: Who put the dogs
in that area?
>> When I got there, it was
there already.
It was in the main living room.
>> Judge Judy: So the dogs were
already containe