you need a signed contract
rather than a proposal
and an unsigned contract
because that
sounds ridiculous to me,
actually, that you can,
without an endgame...
because she's never going
to be satisfied
because her business
is never going to be perfect,
never going to have
enough clients,
never going to be able
to charge them enough money.
You know, your business
is always growing.
And until she's finished
with you,
this would make you her slave,
which is ridiculous.
>> Yes, Your Honor, exactly.
And this is why
I only do monthly billing today.
>> Judge Judy: So this initial
proposal was initiated
in what month and year?
>> In December 2015.
>> Judge Judy: And he did three
videos.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: He did
recordings, pared articles
from those recordings?
Okay.
And he came to your offices
in order to do that?
>> He came to my office
once for the videos.
>> Judge Judy: And what about
for the recording?
>> It was over the phone.
>> Judge Judy: Was that a
different day?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When was the last
conversation you had with him?
>> September of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: So you were
speaking to him
about business in January,
February, March, April...
>> There was a big dry spell.
>> Judge Judy: When?
From when to when?
>> March.
>> Judge Judy: March.
So, January
and February you spoke to him?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: About what?
>> Videos, the recording
of the statements
that we would put into
elaborating a newsletter.
>> Judge Judy: Fine, January and
February.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: March, you didn't
hear from him.
What happened in April?
>> Couldn't get ahold of him.
>> Judge Judy: March and April,
there was a dry spell.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: When did that
dry spell get moist?
>> When I called
our legal service in August
because I didn't know
how to get a hold of him.
>> Judge Judy: And when you
called him
at the end of February, did he
indicate to you, you know,
"I've sort of done my job"?
>> Nothing.
>> Judge Judy: Nothing.
What happened in March, sir?
>> Your Honor, I continued
services as promised and
in e-mails from Kate apologizing
that they had been unreachable
and saying,
"Sorry, we're not avoiding you."
Again, each week --
>> Judge Judy: Can I see that?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
Each week,
my clients get a weekly report.
If my clients
are paying monthly,
I'll stop their account
until I can get
in touch with them
because when you're doing
marketing, you need approvals.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
Well, this was in June.
On June 10th, Kate,
that would be you, said,
Dr. Donna and I say thank you,
and we're not avoiding you.
We're almost done."
What does that mean, Kate?
>> But part of the agreement
was I was going to working
on a website with his help
for website-building.
And many times, we tried
reaching out to Mr. Steffen
to help we with the website.
>> Judge Judy: This says
you're apologizing to him.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: He's not
apologizing to you.
You're apologizing to him.
"And please don't think
we're avoiding you.
We're almost finished."
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: That's what this
e-mail says.
>> Right.
>> Judge Judy: Why would you
send him that e-mail?
>> Because I was still working
on the website.
>> Judge Judy: Because you were
working on it?
Okay. Fine.
He's done with you.
You had enough.
You got $899 worth of business.
Now, the next part
of your lawsuit
is about damages
for libel and hacking.
You want to explain to me
in 30 seconds what that's about?
Thirty seconds.
>> I contacted him
because we still didn't have
much of the information.
Kate recommended
I send a Google review
because I was not satisfied.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
So you sent a Google review.
And?
>> And it was a one.
He came in and changed it
to a five.
>> Judge Judy: Prove that to me.
>> Mr. Gehler is here.
>> Judge Judy: Don't.
>> Yes, so we sent credentials
to the website.
All the passwords and everything
were pretty simple.
We use the same password
for everything.
So I was on the computer at that
time when the review changed
to a five,
and I went back to a one.
And then I went and contacted
Google services and asked,
"How could that happen?
Can you please help me?"
So that's when we got in contact
with Mr. Gehler.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Gehler,
you come from where?
>> I come from
Richmond, Virginia.
>> Judge Judy: And you don't
know them at all?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
What do you have to do
with Google?
>> I'm not a Google employee.
I'm a volunteer under
their help forum.
I'm considered
a top contributor.
I have that title.
So when they posted on
the official Google Help Forum,
they said, as she stated,
their review was --
>> Judge Judy: She posted a
review giving the defendant's
company one star.
>> Correct, business review.
>> Judge Judy: That was changed
somehow.
>> Right.
And there's only one way
that could be changed
is having access directly
to the plaintiff's
Gmail account,
their Google-associated account
and password.
That's the only way
that information
could be changed.
>> Your Honor, I never had --
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
Shh, just a second.