who is this person?
>> Anthony Dee.
>> Judge Judy:
Anthony was your roommate?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And then the three of you --
Anthony, you, and Mr. Bates --
became roommates?
>> Correct.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Well,
all three of you lived together?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: In an apartment
that was yours,
and you were on the lease?
>> It was a house.
>> Judge Judy: A house,
and only you were on the lease?
>> I was on the lease,
and Anthony was on the lease.
>> Judge Judy: And give me
the period of time when you were
all living together?
>> From June of 2016
through present.
>> Judge Judy: Well, he doesn't
live there anymore.
>> Correct.
Excuse me, he moved out May 9th.
>> Judge Judy: And am I correct,
Mr. Bates,
that it was the practice
while you were all living
together for the plaintiff
and Anthony would give you
their share of the rent,
which was how much?
>> We each paid 606.67.
>> Judge Judy: And you would pay
the landlord?
>> For the second two years,
yes, ma'am.
The first year,
we split the rent
between just Anthony and myself.
>> Judge Judy:
But the last two years,
it was the three of you,
and Anthony and Ms. Scheller
would each give
you either in cash...
Did you give it to him
in cash or check?
>> Cash.
>> Judge Judy: Cash, 606.63,
and you would write a check
to the landlord
or you would pay the landlord?
>> I would go and get
a cashier's check.
>> Judge Judy: Check and pay
the landlord?
>> Pay the rent.
>> Judge Judy: Each month?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And then,
according to your answer,
you ran into
some financial difficulty.
In what month and year was that?
>> October of 2015 I started
having financial problems.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
At some point, you, let's say,
fell behind in the rent.
In what month was that?
>> October or November of 2016.
>> Judge Judy:
And did that mean, Mr. Bates,
that you did not pay the rent
at all, let's say, starting
in November or December?
>> I did not pay
for four months.
>> Judge Judy:
Four months, okay.
Which four months?
>> It may have been October,
December, March and April.
>> Judge Judy:
Okay, so those four months.
>> The exact dates
I'm not exactly sure.
>> Judge Judy:
It could have been five months?
>> Possibly, yes.
>> Judge Judy: How many months
was it, Ms. Scheller?
>> Five.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, great.
She has the documentation
that it's five months.
Okay.ee
Ms. Scheller and Anthony,
during those five months,
gave you 606.63 each.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And those funds
you converted to your own use
because you did not pay
those funds to the landlord.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And then
Ms. Scheller and Anthony,
who were notified...
I don't care how
they were notified.
I don't care if it came
by carrier pigeon or whatever.
They were notified that the
landlord
was kicking you out of the house
for nonpayment of rent.
They say, "What do you mean?
We gave Brad our rent,
but Brad was keeping our rent,"
and they wanted to stay
in the apartment or house,
so Ms. Scheller
paid the back rent.
So now she's paid
the rent twice.
>> I...
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
Just a second.
She's going to prove that to me.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: Just a minute.
You don't know that,
but she's going to prove it...
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: ...to me
that she paid the rent
in order to permit her
and Anthony
to stay in the house,
and they kicked you out
because I have a counterclaim,
and that's what the case
is about.
She paid the money that
she and Anthony
had already given to you.
She paid the landlord again
so that they could maintain
the house,
and now she is suing you
for the money
she gave you already.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: I don't see
an issue here.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe you want to tell me what
the issue
is because the only thing
that you say in your answer is,
"Since Ms. Scheller
was not on the lease,
the landlord could not have come
against her for the back rent,
and, therefore, if she chose
to pay the back rent
that she already paid,
that was her choice,
and I shouldn't have to give her
back the money."
Is that your defense?
>> My defense is that
she was not on the lease
and that I moved
out of the house in May,
and what she did after
that, I have no idea.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> But...
>> Judge Judy: Well, that's not
a defense, Mr. Bates.
>> But the person that I owe
would be the landlord
or the property
management company.
>> Judge Judy: No.
She paid them already.
>> I...
>> Judge Judy: So she steps
into their shoes.
>> I don't know
that she did that.
>> Judge Judy:
Well, I'm telling...
Well, that's what she's going to
prove to me.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: That she did,
in fact, pay in order
to remain in the house
because you stole her money.
You stole his money.
I don't know why he's not on it,
but I don't know
if he paid or she paid.
I don't know who paid,
but you stole her money.