Mr. Knott, the defendant
was a friend of yours,
and you decided
to rent an apartment together.
It was just the two of you
renting the apartment,
and both of you
were on the lease.
Is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Do you have a
copy of the lease?
>> Yes, I do.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So according to this lease,
you moved in together.
You were supposed
to split the expenses.
And the lease started in March
of 2016
and ended in February, 2017.
And the defendant,
Mr. Underwood,
didn't have his half
of the security deposit
and first month's rent.
You acknowledge that.
Is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you footed
the security deposit
and first month's rent.
Now, did you ever pay him back
for your half
of the security deposit
and first month's rent?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You did?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> Whenever I let him use
my vehicle.
>> Judge Judy: No.
Letting him use your vehicle is
not paying him back the security
deposit and rent.
>> We made an agreement
together.
>> Judge Judy: Letting him use
your car, sir,
is just an excuse now.
So the answer is you
never paid him back
for the security deposit
and the rent.
But he's not living there.
He moved out.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Correct?
>> That was in June of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: He moved out.
He moved out.
And you moved out when?
>> When the lease was terminated
in February of this year.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
And you moved out.
And I assume you got
your security deposit back.
>> No, ma'am. I did not.
>> Judge Judy: Why not?
>> Because of damages done
to the apartment,
mostly done to the room
that Jax was inhabiting.
I have some photos of damages
that were done, too.
>> Judge Judy: Well, you moved
out, when, sir?
>> I moved out in June of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: So you lived
there for March, April, and May.
>> Judge Judy: You lived there
for 90 days.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you lived
there for the entire year.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: So let me see the
pictures that you're talking
about, sir, and the statement
from the landlord with regard
to your security deposit.
>> I was not able to get
a statement from the landlord.
>> Judge Judy: Well, then you
have no case for the security
deposit, sir.
>> However, Your Honor,
I do have
a note from the landlord
whenever I tried to move.
>> Judge Judy: That is too bad.
When you move out
of an apartment,
if they want to keep
your security deposit,
you get a list of reasons
why they are not returning
your security deposit.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
I understand that, but his wife
was in the hospital.
And I even have text messages
from him saying that...
>> Judge Judy: Then I'll dismiss
without prejudice
that part of your case, sir.
And you can go back
and try that in Missouri.
Do you understand?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: When you come to
court, you have to come
to court prepared.
And the fact
that your landlord's wife
is not feeling well
is not a reason not to have
the evidence, especially
when you moved out in February.
Do you understand?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
However, I have text messages
from him saying
why he couldn't get it to me.
And I've been
trying to contact him.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
What difference does it make
that he can't get it to you?
Without it, I can't
decide your case.
>> I understand that.
However, he just
will not respond to me.
>> Judge Judy: Sue him for
the return
of your security deposit.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Not him.
Sue the landlord
if he doesn't respond to you
for the return of your security
deposit, which was how much?
>> $600.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Because you lived there
for 9 months
when he did not, right?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And if what
you're telling me is --
what you want me to believe
is that the reason the landlord
kept your security deposit is
because of damage to his room,
I have to see that
in an end-of-lease statement
from the landlord,
who has to give it to you to say
why you're not
getting your security back.
>> Got you.
>> Judge Judy: Got it?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Perfect.
Now, let's get
to the first month's rent,
which you also didn't pay.
Your share of the rent
was how much?
>> We split it half and half,
so $600.
>> Judge Judy: Your half of the
rent...
>> Oh, $300 each, $600 total.
I'm sorry.
I apologize.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
So you owe him $300
for the first month's rent.
Did you pay the second month's
rent, your $300?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And did you pay
May?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Did he?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And June?
>> Not June.
>> June 1st is
when Jax moved out.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So he owes you
for the first month, $300.
Now what you're asking for is
for the remainder of the lease,
after you lived there
for 9 months.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And you say that
the reason you couldn't sublet
his room is because you needed
the landlord's permission.
>> Yes.
And I was unable to find
a suitable person
to take that spot.
>> Judge Judy: Well, I want to
see what efforts
you made to try to find someone
to take his spot.
You have to be able to show
that you mitigated damages.
You can't wait
until the end of the lease
and come back and sue him.
Do you understand?
You lived there all by yourself.
So it was real comfortable.
I'm going to find out
why he left because you had
a problem with him that had
something to do with his dog.
Is that what the problem was?
>> The problem was is that we
had the initial argument
that caused Jax to move out
because
Jax had texted me one day saying
that he was on his way to work
and that the dog had went
to the bathroom on the floor.
And then he just locked the dog
up and left it sitting
there all day.
>> Judge Judy: And?
>> And whenever I had a problem
with that, we ended up getting
into an argument over that.
And then I believe it was
the next day that Jax just left.