is suing his ex-girlfriend,
Stacey Adams, for loans to put a
down payment on a car and to pay
for medical and living expenses.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Berenbaum,
according to your complaint,
Ms. Adams was your girlfriend.
She lived in your apartment,
your house.
Is it house or an apartment?
>> House.
>> Judge Judy: House.
For a period of time.
She's no longer your girlfriend.
And you claim she owes you money
for a car deposit and for some
rent.
Ms. Adams says that there was a
rental arrangement when she
moved in, that she agreed to pay
you $750 a month.
Is that how much the rent was?
>> That is correct.
>> Judge Judy: $750 a month.
You moved in in December?
>> I moved in the end of
November.
December 1st was the first
payment.
>> Judge Judy: So, December 1st,
she gave you $750, correct?
>> It was $700.
>> Judge Judy: Say $700.
And you accepted the $700.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
And January, she also paid you
$700.
>> I don't think so.
She got sick in January.
>> Judge Judy: Well, let's let
me see.
"She moved in in December.
We agreed on $750 a month."
That's what you say.
Not long after she moved in, she
ended up having some surgery.
When was your surgery?
>> My first emergency surgery --
they had to remove my
gallbladder and repair an
internal hernia.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> It was January 15th.
>> Judge Judy: So, you didn't
work in January.
>> I did not work for eight
weeks in January, into February.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so, did you
pay January and February?
>> Yes, your honor.
I get paid every end of the
month, so it's a month behind.
So I paid December, January, and
February.
March, April I did not pay.
>> Judge Judy: And that's
because you were out.
>> Yes. And I had two surgeries
in that time.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And you acknowledge that, that
she had two surgeries.
>> Yes, she did.
But she didn't pay me what she
claims.
She only paid me twice for
rent -- for December and I have
one check for February.
>> Judge Judy: Okay. Great.
>> She was.
>> Judge Judy: And she was ill.
>> Yep.
>> Judge Judy: And that's why
she wasn't working.
Otherwise, she was working,
right?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you were
taking care of her.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And she was
taking care of you, when she was
able.
>> [ Chuckles ]
Yeah, when she was able.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: And then there's
some nonsense here about a down
payment for a car.
When was that?
>> It's not nonsense.
>> Judge Judy: When was it?
>> It was in -- I think it was
in December.
No, actually, I can tell you the
exact date.
Actually, November 2nd, I helped
her with the down payment.
It was a loan.
>> Judge Judy: November 2nd.
>> 2015.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: A year ago.
Now, when she moved in, in
December, and she paid you,
according to you $700, did you
ask her about the November loan?
>> Yeah, I asked.
She didn't get paid all summer,
because that's the way her work
structured it.
>> Judge Judy: Well, we're not
talking about during the summer.
We're talking November.
November 2nd is when you gave
her $1,100 towards the down
payment on a car.
>> She only got paid monthly.
She didn't have the funds.
She said she would pay me back
when she could.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Well, she can't.
Because her defense to your
action of these rent payments
after her surgery and this
year-old $1,100 is that that's
what people do when they're
living together as a couple.
Were you living together with
her as a couple?
>> We were, but we had a rent
agreement.
>> Judge Judy: Yeah, that's
fine.
Anything else you want to tell
me?
>> Me in particular?
>> Judge Judy: Yeah, just you.
I'm not asking her any
questions.
>> Oh, okay.
Yeah, I mean, there was a bunch
of loans made during that time
for living expenses.
I have them all outlined here.
She paid for the DMV for $650.
I have, like, vitamins and
Amazon for $418, surgery for
$225.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Berenbaum,
have you ever been married, sir?
>> I have.
>> Judge Judy: And you're
divorced, I assume.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You went to
court?
When you got divorced, did you
go to court?
>> I did, but it wasn't -- It
was just a -- I was just by
myself.
>> Judge Judy: It was an
uncontested divorce?
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: In what state?
>> Texas.
>> Judge Judy: Did you have to
divide property?
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: And there were
rules in Texas about dividing
property with a spouse, I
assume.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Whatever they
were.
Either it's an equitable
distribution or it's community
property.
Whatever it was, you know what
the parameters are.
Do you understand?
Unfortunately, we don't have the
same rules with people who are
housekeeping together and we
don't have courts that can
indulge people who live
together, and when things don't
go right, the courts are gonna
occupy their time with
litigation over vitamins.
[ Laughter ]
It's not going to happen.hings
had worked out between the two
of you and she had her surgery
and then she went back to work
and then she could only work
part time, but everything was
okay, we wouldn't be standing
here.
Things didn't work out, and, all
of a sudden, you and I are
talking about vitamins.
>> I mean, she agreed to pay it
all back.
She wrote out the debt she owed
me.
>> Judge Judy: Good. Very good.
Then she should absolutely pay
that back.
But we are in a court.
We're done. Goodbye.
>> Are you serious?