Your sister lived in California.
You and your wife
lived in Florida.
Your sister became ill,
and she was diagnosed
with cancer.
You and your wife
relocated from Florida.
Are you retired?
>> No, not retired.
>> Judge Judy: Did you get
a new job in California?
>> My wife is a contractor,
so we move around quite a bit.
>> Judge Judy: So you came
to California,
and you had another project
in California.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And how long
was that project for?
>> It's ongoing still.
>> Judge Judy:
So you moved to California
because you had a new project.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Well, then this is sort
of misleading, Mr. Reilly.
I'll get to the whole thing.
This is probably going to be
more interesting
than I even thought
it was going to be.
This is the situation.
Your sister was
sick in California.
You came to California.
You led me to believe,
in your complaint,
that you and your wife
gave up your life in Florida
to come to California
to minister to your ill sister.
>> This is true.
>> Judge Judy: That's what I got
from your complaint.
>> It's very much true.
>> Judge Judy: Now it appears
that you have a contracting job,
and even though your sister
is no longer with us,
that contracting job is ongoing
because that's
what you and your wife do,
so it was probably a combination
of both things.
In any event,
you came to California with
your wife for a job,
which you're still doing,
and you're still
living in California.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You're still
living in California...
>> Still living in California.
>> Judge Judy: ...even though
your sister is not here anymore.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
>> We're from California
originally.
>> Judge Judy:
That doesn't matter.
>> I know.
>> Judge Judy: I was just
misled by the complaint.
Maybe it was my own silly
misreading of it.
>> I'd love to clarify
if I could.
>> They still have work here.
>> Judge Judy:
I didn't ask you a question.
>> Sorry.
Sorry, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: In any event,
your sister was here.
She came to live with you
for awhile.
She was ill.
She was getting treatment
while you were in California,
and you are her
closest living relative.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: ...closest
biological living relative.
>> No.
Physically close, yes.
Biologically,
we have six siblings.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, but she
didn't live with
any of the other six siblings.
>> No.
She lived by herself...
>> Judge Judy: And...
>> ...until she lived with us.
>> Judge Judy: She was a
single lady.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: No children.
>> Never married, no kids.
>> Judge Judy: And the defendant
is her cousin.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So you
took care of her,
drove her
to her doctors' appointments,
did whatever had to be done.
Sister passes.
>> For months, I may add...
>> Judge Judy: Hmm?
>> ...for months, years.
>> Judge Judy: For months,
years, whatever.
>> Just so you know.
>> Judge Judy:
You did all of those things,
and your sister unfortunately
succumbed to cancer.
She passed away, and when her
will was read, to your surprise,
you were not made beneficiary
of any part of the estate.
Her entire
estate went to her cousin,
Ms. Wells, as the beneficiary.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: But your sister
did a double whammy.
She made you the trustee.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And that, I assume, Mr. Reilly,
if you and I are
being honest with each other,
was both irritating to you
and probably to your wife,
who was very anxious
to talk to me before.
>> No.
Not really.
>> Judge Judy:
It wasn't irritating?
>> It was irritating,
but not for the reasons you say.
It was not monetarily driven.
I cared for my sister.
It was...
>> Judge Judy: I understand.
>> It was a surprise.
It was always just a surprise.
>> Judge Judy:
It was a surprise.
In any event, there was ongoing
acrimony
between you and Ms. Wells.
That is clear from both
your complaint and her answer.
But this is what your complaint
is about
because it's the only thing that
your complaint can be about.
You ultimately turned over
the trust to Ms. Wells
because you didn't want to be
involved in it anymore.
>> No, not true, not true.
>> Judge Judy:
There had been...
>> She didn't like the way I was
handling the trust, and she...
>> Judge Judy: Right.
>> ...she stripped me
of my trustee duties.
>> Judge Judy: She didn't like,
as beneficiary, the way
you were handling the trust.
And she said, in her mind,
you were dissipating the trust,
and since she was
the beneficiary of the trust
and a together person, she said,
"I can take care of this myself,
and I'll spend the money
differently."
>> With three different
attorneys, by the way.
>> Judge Judy: It doesn't
matter.
>> ...in six months.
>> Judge Judy:
It doesn't matter.
>> It does to me.
>> Judge Judy: Doesn't matter.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: Do you see?
Thank you.
What you're doing now
is demonstrating just
how irritated you still are.
>> I'm sorry.
I get emotional
about my sister's death, still.
I'm sorry.
>> Judge Judy: Well, this isn't
about your sister's death.
This is about money.
>> Mm-hmm.
Okay.
>> Judge Judy: If you were
emotional
about your sister's death,
then you would've said,
"You know, my sister died.
She knew how she felt.
It was her money.
She felt, for whatever reason,
either close to Ms. Wells,"
or she felt that Ms. Wells
needed the money
more than you did, that you
and your wife were doing okay.
For whatever reason,
it was her money.
That's what
she decided to do with it.
So...
>> Absolutely.
>> Judge Judy: ...when people
pass away,
whether it be a parent
or a grandparent or whatever,
and you, as a relative,
don't think that you're getting
the appropriate love
from the deceased
by way of monetary
reward, it's irritating.
It happens all the time,
and you're not unusual for that,
but this is what...
>> But that's not me.
>> Judge Judy: You're not
unusual for that, but this
is what your case is about.
>> It's not.
Sorry.
>> Judge Judy: After Ms. Wells
took over the trust
and finally got into the condo
that was very much in dispute,
she found that there were
certain things
missing from the condo.
And as a result of that,
she notified
the insurance company
because evidently, your sister
had had homeowners insurance.
She found laptop missing.
She found someone had
purposely damaged
a Sleep Member bed.
>> I really want to speak
to that, if you let me.
>> Judge Judy: Shh, shh, shh.
Just a second.