how long had you been living
in this duplex?
>> About 2 1/2 years.
>> Judge Judy: And you were
living there with one child.
>> Yes, and my mom.
>> Judge Judy: So your mother
and your daughter
lived with you.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When did you
rent part
of the duplex to Miss Douglas?
>> June of 2015.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: What date?
>> I rented from the landlord
August 1, 2015.
>> August.
>> I have it
in my lease right here.
>> Judge Judy:
May I see it, please?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Just one second.
What's your first name?
>> Nicole.
>> Judge Judy: Who's Tammy?
>> My mother.
>> Judge Judy: So your mother
was the person on the lease.
>> Her and I.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
But your mother had put down
the security deposit, 1,385.
>> Her and I.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, whatever.
The lease says
"brought forward from Tammy,"
so 1,385.
So clearly,
when you signed your lease,
you were already living there
because the security deposit
didn't come from you.
It came from her.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> That's right.
>> Judge Judy: Good.
So you originally moved in,
not renting from the landlord.
>> I originally moved in, yes,
and then I got the lease.
We moved in in June.
We got the lease in August.
>> Judge Judy: Listen,
Miss Douglas.
Let's understand
where we're going.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: You originally
moved in in June.
To whom did you
pay rent in June?
>> To the landlord.
>> Judge Judy: Show me.
>> No.
It's --
>> Judge Judy:
Show me that you paid rent
to the landlord in June...
>> It was to me.
>> Judge Judy: ...of two thou--
Show me that you paid rent
to the landlord in June.
>> I don't know.
Maybe it was, ma'am.
Maybe it was to her.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> I don't have proof of it.
>> Miss, I have proof from my
mother
of the deposit right here.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
I didn't ask you anything.
>> Sorry.
>> Judge Judy:
How did you find this duplex?
>> I was friends with Nicky.
>> Judge Judy: You what?
>> I was friends with Nicky.
She needed a roommate because
her mother was moving out
and asked us to move in.
>> Judge Judy: Fine!
So you moved in,
and you paid her rent in June.
>> Yes, correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you paid
her rent in July, her.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And then, she moved out.
She says she moved out
at some point,
and you moved into her space
because your lease says,
"The security deposit, 1,385,
brought forward from Tammy"...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
...which means that you paid
no security deposit.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy:
But I did not move in her space.
We lived in one bedroom
in the house.
>> Two.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy:
You want your security
deposit back.
You're no longer there.
>> I moved out a year later,
after they moved in.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And you're still there.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So the security deposit
is 1,385.
She wants her
security deposit back.
When is your lease up?
>> I don't know
when my lease is up.
I don't know if it says
on there,
but I didn't pay
any security deposit.
When she moved out,
there was so much damage
to the house that --
>> Judge Judy: Show me.
>> I only have pictures
of the work that we've done.
I have a text message
from my landlord
stating the work
that we have done.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> He's provided all
the materials,
and we've redid the house.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Okay.
Just a second.
What Miss Edwards is going to do
is show me pictures of the house
when she moved out.
Is that what you're going
to show me?
>> They're pictures of
when I still lived there of
how they treated the property,
her bedroom, her bathroom,
holes in the wall, break-in
evidence to my side of the
house, side of the area.
>> Judge Judy:
Oh, just a second.
>> She spray-painted
the kitchen cabinets black.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
Listen to me.
No.
Listen.
>> I stained them.
>> Judge Judy: I'm not looking
at any of these pictures.
I have a feeling that you both
probably deserve each other.
I'm asking this question to you.
When you moved out,
did you call your landlord
and ask for a walk-through?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: No.
Just a second.
You did?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: May I see
the walk-through report
from the landlord?
>> He did not give that to me.
>> Judge Judy:
Why didn't you ask the landlord,
since you were moving out,
for your security deposit back?
Then you would have done
a walk-through, and you
would have had no trouble
getting your security
deposit back.
She would have had to put up
security deposit
if she signed a new lease.
>> I did,
and he didn't do any of this.
I also have have a suit going
with him as well.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, well,
then I'm not doing anything.
I'm not going to do anything
to help you.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy:
I don't know whether you made
the mess in the 2 1/2 years
you were living there,
she made the mess when she was
living there.
The way that you have that
taken care of is
when you move out
of an apartment
or a house, especially
under the circumstances
that you claim
with the defendant,
you have a walk-through
with the landlord.
The landlord says, "Look.
This is what
the place looks like."
Now you've been
living there 3 1/2 years,
2 1/2 years on your own
with your mother
and a young child.
I don't know what you did
to the house in 2 1/2 years.
I have no idea,
but you come here
two years later and say,
"Well, this is what the place
looked like, and she was a slob,
and I didn't get
my security deposit back."
How do I know
you didn't make a mess?
>> Because I have pictures of
different portions of the house.
>> Judge Judy:
I don't know who made the mess,
and I'm not going to figure out
who made the mess two years ago.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: What else?