whose name is Dusty here?
That would be you.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You are the
plaintiff's wife?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Are you together?
>> Not at this moment, no.
>> Judge Judy: And you are
appearing
as a witness for him?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Interesting.
Now, Mr. Barnes,
you lived with you wife
in a rental property
that is owned by the defendant.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Your wife's name
was on the lease.
Your name is not on the lease.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: The defendant
knew you were there.
Is that correct?
>> That's not correct.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, that's not
true.
Then your counterclaim is
dismissed because your
counterclaim is that he was
supposed to fix a shed for you.
You paid him to fix the shed.
He never fixed the shed,
and the materials disappeared.
Well, why would you pay...
you mean, he was just
a maintenance guy
that was around?
So you knew he was living there.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So why did you
say no?
>> It's been
a rocky relationship.
And they split up
a number of times.
>> Judge Judy: That's okay.
But you knew
he was living there.
>> I did know, yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And you knew he had been
living there
for a long period of time,
as long as Dusty has lived
there?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: How long
was Mr. Barnes living there?
When did you move in,
Mr. Barnes?
>> October 19th of 2015.
>> Judge Judy: And on what date
did you change the locks?
>> November 9th, 2016.
>> Judge Judy: You can't do
that.
So his lawsuit is
for an illegal eviction
and for some property
that he claims was lost,
somehow.
You have a counterclaim.
Your counterclaim
is some damage that was done
to the house by this person
who you first said that
you didn't know was living there
and something that has to do
with this shed that he was
supposed to build for you.
Okay.
What I find is curious --
did you bring him today?
>> We flew together.
>> Judge Judy: Because the story
is a rather convoluted one.
According to Ms. Howell,
you advised Ms. Howell
that you and the defendant were,
once again, off again.
You were leaving.
Is that right?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Go stand up over
there.
When did you tell her
you were leaving?
>> It was, like, November,
a little after November.
>> Judge Judy: And when was
Mr. Barnes,
the last night that Mr. Barnes
stayed at the house?
>> I have no idea
what was the last night.
>> Judge Judy: What was the last
night you stayed at the house,
sir?
>> It was, like, November 10th,
somewhere in there,
a little over the first week.
I'm not sure
of the date, either.
>> Judge Judy: Well, she changed
the locks November 9th.
So it had to before.
>> Yeah, it was two days after
Dusty left.
It was two days that Ms. Howell
came over there and changed the
locks.
>> Judge Judy: And you left in
November.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Had you paid
November's rent?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Who paid it?
>> My name is on the receipt.
>> Judge Judy: Who paid it?
>> He did.
>> Judge Judy: How much was it?
>> $575.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Barnes,
who gave Ms. Howell the rent?
>> Ms. Howell isn't at the
office when we go to pay the
rent.
We both went in there
when we paid the rent.
I got receipts.
>> Judge Judy: And it was
accepted?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Why did you
change the locks?
>> Because I got text messages
to show you
that Dusty had moved out
and that Harold had changed
the locks on the house
and that she had turned off --
>> Judge Judy: Oh, okay.
Just a second.
So you show me where she said
that Harold had
changed the locks on the house.
Did you change
the locks on the house?
>> No, ma'am, I did not.
>> Judge Judy: So show me.
Did you tell her that Harold had
changed the locks on the house?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to see
that.
>> Ma'am, the only locks
that -- I put locks on the shed.
I put a door on there.
And I put a padlock and a lock,
a door-handle
one that had a key to it, also.
But I didn't change no locks
on the residence whatsoever.
>> Judge Judy: What locks
were you talking about?
You say you went
to get the things,
that he has changed the locks.
Did that have to do
with the locks on the residence?
>> The house, the door lock
from the house,
were put onto the shed.
And then they had went
and got new locks for the house.
>> Judge Judy: What kind of
lock?
You mean a...
>> Like a regular door,
the front-door lock.
>> Judge Judy: The question is,
were you able to get into the
house to get your things?
>> Yes, I was.
>> Judge Judy: So what did you
say to her that you went back to
the house to get your things,
but he went and changed the
locks?
What does that mean?
>> He had changed the locks.
When my daughter
and I went to get my things,
he had changed the locks.
That's what he said
at that time.
>> Judge Judy: Just a minute.
Did you go there?
Or did he tell you
he changed the locks?
>> He told me
that he changed the locks.
>> Judge Judy: Did you go there?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Were the locks
changed?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you couldn't
get in.
>> As far as I knew.
>> Judge Judy: It doesn't really
make any difference.
You knew he was there.
You had accepted his rent.
You had no right to evict him.
That's what he's suing for,
an illegal eviction.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: You know that you
have no right.
Is this your only
rental property?
>> No.
Bu