Mrs. Boyer, you hired
Mr. Johnston
to do some work on a house
that belongs to you in Arkansas.
It is your claim
in this lawsuit
that he did a substandard job
and did some work
that he shouldn't have done,
which you were caused to repair
at some cost to yourselves.
Mr. Johnston
actually has a countersuit.
He said he did more work
than originally contracted for,
and you actually owe him money.
I gather from reading
the complaint,
Mr. and Mrs. Boyer,
that you moved from Arkansas
to Pennsylvania.
When was that?
>> We moved, um,
to Pennsylvania
in April of 2015.
>> Judge Judy: And when did you
move back to Arkansas
from Pennsylvania?
>> We moved approximately
May 1st of 2016, back.
>> Judge Judy: And your house
has been for sale
since what month and year?
>> We had it for sale by owner,
which a friend of mine
was doing first.
And then we listed it --
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
What month and year
did you have it listed?
>> We listed it --
>> Judge Judy: By owner.
>> Oh, when we left the --
the state of Arkansas
in April of 2015.
>> April of '15.
>> Judge Judy: Prior to that,
had it ever been for sale?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So you
subsequently,
when you left,
listed it with a broker.
>> No, ma'am, it was for sale
by owner in the beginning,
and then when it did not, uh,
sell, we contracted, uh,
contacted Laura Dryer here.
She's our Realtor.
And then she listed the house
approximately February of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: Did it sell?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Are you currently
living in it?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: So you moved back
to Arkansas?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you moved
back into the house?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And you are
currently living in the house.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And is it your
intention
to remain in the house?
>> No, ma'am, it's still
for sale.
>> Judge Judy: And still
hasn't sold.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Now, did you
yourselves hire Mr. Johnston,
or was that the Realtor?
>> No, ma'am. It was me.
>> Judge Judy: It was you?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When did you
hire him?
>> I hired him --
Um, the first contact with, um,
Clay was March 9th of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: Did he come
to the house
when you were there?
>> I was in Pennsylvania.
>> Judge Judy: I thought
you moved in April.
>> To Pennsylvania.
We didn't come back
until about May of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: So what was
your contact
with Mr. Johnston in March?
>> My previous boss,
Bill [bleep],
owns a lot of rental houses.
And he, um, has contracted with
Clay to do his work.
And, uh, he's a very
trusted friend of mine.
And so I trusted his judgment
when I asked him
if Clay would do work for us.
He suggested him.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
So he came with
a recommendation.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Did you have a written
contract with him?
>> I had it over text, ma'am.
Uh, he sent me
a list of everything.
>> Judge Judy: So the answer
is you didn't have
a written contract.
>> No, ma'am.
>> On paper, no, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Do you have
the text messages
that formed the basis
of your oral understanding?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to take
a look at them.
>> Okay. Here's the initial,
uh, list of things that he said
he was going to do for us.
And then the estimate down
at the bottom was $1,200.
>> Judge Judy: Okay,
Mr. Johnston.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you tear off
the wallpaper in the kitchen,
study, and dining room?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did he tear off
the wallpaper in the kitchen,
study, and dining room?
>> No, ma'am.
There was no wallpaper
in the dining room.
We had a designer --
>> Judge Judy: Well, just --
just -- just a second.
This is what he says.
>> I know.
>> Judge Judy: Tear off
wallpaper in the kitchen,
study, and dining room.
>> Yes, ma'am.
If you look further down,
I told him
that there was no wallpaper
in the dining room.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
So don't take the wallpaper
off the dining room 'cause
there's no wallpaper there.
Fix garage door.
Did you do that?
>> No, ma'am, I didn't.
>> Judge Judy: You did not.
>> It was on the estimate.
And I --
there was a latch broke on it.
And I didn't get to it by
the time they moved back.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
So did not fix the garage door.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Make a drawer
front for the cabinet
on back of the kitchen bar.
>> Judge Judy: Did you do that?
>> No, ma'am. I removed it.
>> Judge Judy: Shh, shh.
>> Oh, sorry.
>> Judge Judy: The answer is no.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And paint it.
So if --
I assume, if you didn't do it,
you didn't paint it.
Touching up any trim downstairs,
which includes putting in
and painting trim.
Did you do that?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you clean up
the backyard
and repaint
the front porch swings?
>> Cleaned up the backyard.
The front porch swings,
no, they were taken down.
>> Judge Judy: No swings.
Okay.
Could you stand up, please?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me your
last name.
>> Dryer.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Dryer, you're
the Realtor?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And I assume
you were showing the house.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Did you show
the house
while Mr. Johnston was working
in the house?
>> I did not.
But fellow other agents did.
And that was the problem.
It was just too overwhelming
for buyers
with all the chaos in there
and the half painting
and everything goin' on.
They, um,
said it looked like too --
>> Judge Judy: Well,
there was chaos before because
it didn't sell before either.
>> Right. And I --
I'm the one that suggested
that they get it redone.
>> Judge Judy: Re...spruced up
a little bit.
>> Spruced up, yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Spruced up
a little b