Hot Bench - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

18 February

“I Don’t Rolls-Royce That Way”

New, Season 11, Episode  89

(Mary Jackson vs.  Hubert Chin)     

From the show site: A woman says her luxury vehicle was towed when her mechanic left it parked on the street; he says he lost his garage years ago, and she knew it.

Plaintiff/car owner Mary Jackson suing defendant/mechanic Hubert Chin because her Rolls was towed.  Suing for $5,000, for car repairs, unpaid tickets, faded paint, impound fees. Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. She paid him $2600 in 2021 to fix an oil leak, air conditioner, and a mechanical issue, plus sun fading on the paint.    Car was parked on the street, and incurred parking tickets, and impound fees.  In 2022 she claims she saw the car on the street, and told defendant she needed the car fixed, and he brought it to her home in 2023.  

Defendant says plaintiff was aware that he no longer had a garage, and street parking was his only option.    Business closed in 2015, and plaintiff brought car to him after that.   Even after plaintiff got tickets, she claims she didn't know about the issues. 

Plaintiff says when defendant finally brought her car home it was a mess.  She says defendant also worked on her Jaguar.   Registration had also lapsed, and mechanic told her about that.   

Plaintiff has no proof of payment for the impound fees. 

There is no evidence how much the impound fees are, but Corriero wants to give plaintiff what she claims it cost.    Juarez says the offset is because defendant did a lot of work on the car.

Three judges disagree on the money, of course Corriero wants to pay plaintiff over $3k.   Juarez says $0, because of the work offset.  Tewolde wants to give $1700. 

Plaintiff receives $850, half of impound and tickets.   Corriero dissents as usual. 

“Loan of Contention”

Rerun, Season 11, Episode 33  

p. 52, 24 October 2024

[AngelaHunter]

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Three judges disagree on the money, of course Corriero wants to pay plaintiff over $3k.

Even after seeing what kind of nonsense Papa gets up to all these years, I was just as stunned as Judge T when Papa wanted to give the P everything she was asking for when she had not one shred of proof of anything and didn't even know which year or years all this happened. 2015? 2022 or '23? Hmm. "Well, I don't have it," was her answer to requests for proof of any kind.

Papa: "She said she paid $1700 so I believe her." Like, what??? JT screamed at him and I thought she was going to punch him,😆 so stunned was she by this loony verdict he pulled out of thin air, based on nothing. Maybe he was dazzled by the Rolls Royce.

Is this the first old beater Rolls case we've had? Does a Rolls Royce really turn white in the sun? Gee. I'd expect better quality. Of course, I'd also expect someone who can afford a Rolls, Jags, and Mercedes(es) to take those cars to an actual qualified garage and not to some octogenarian who works on them on the street. 

RR does not recommend that anyone take their cars to mechanics who are definitely not qualified to work on them. That def was never going to fix it.

[AngelaHunter]

18 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

her Rolls was towed

I was just thinking - I bet that's not something you see every day!

[CrazyInAlabama]

19 February

“Not Letting Subletting”

New, Season 11, Episode  90

(Tippin Mae Harkins vs. Tula Fae Mooney)     

From the show site: A woman says she subleased a co-worker's apartment, but when she moved in, the co-worker was still living there and showed no signs of leaving, so she moved out; each party says the other broke the contract.

Plaintiff /subleasor Tippin Mae Harkins suing defendant/apartment landlord Tula Fae Mooney for failing to leave the apartment plaintiff was subleasing from her.  Suing for $1,330. Plaintiff was paying $900 a month rent, and $700 security, and is suing for not having exclusive possession of the apartment. (This happened in Portland). 

Plaintiff says defendant never left the apartment, and wasn't leaving, so plaintiff left. Plaintiff said when she was gone, defendant slept in the bed. 

Defendant is counter suing for $3,500 for loss of property.  Defendant says she stayed with friends part of the day.   Plaintiff claims the defendant not only didn't leave, but invited some friends over to stay.   

Defendant claims she was packing and moving, even after plaintiff left.   Plaintiff was in apartment for two weeks before she left.  Defendant says plaintiff harassed her for not leaving, and left blood in plaintiff's bed, and says plaintiff was mean to her.    When plaintiff saw blood outside her door, she tried to get a restraining order, and called the police.    

Plaintiff submitted a text saying she would still be staying there through the next two weeks, and so plaintiff left. 

The sublet wasn't legal, and plaintiff agreed she would lie to visitors or landlord that defendant was actually at work, and hadn't moved out.  There was a requirement in the apartment lease that visitors would only stay 10 days maximum.  

Corriero says plaintiff isn't coming to court with clean hands. 

Defendant's counter suit is ridiculous and dismissed. 

Plaintiff receives $1330. 

“Man’s Best Friend”

Rerun, Season 11, Episode  31

p. 52, 22 October 2024

Edited Wednesday at 08:23 PM by CrazyInAlabama

[DoctorK]

6 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

I bet that's not something you see every day!

Actually I would like to have seen this specific tow-away event. I have a feeling that this classic Rolls Royce Silver Shadow might not look very good in real life, maybe more like the abandoned cars the guys on "Road Kill" find in barns or under trees where they have sat for 20 or 30 years. As dumb as the plaintiff was (box of rocks level), even she would take a decent Rolls to a real specialist for repairs, not a guy who didn't even have a garage to work in. Maybe she is rich and dumb and loves having Rolls, Jags, Mercedes etc.  even if they don't run, or dumb enough to keep a non working Rolls for status rather than a shiny new Honda for probably the same cost as maintaining an ancient Rolls.

[AngelaHunter]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Tippin Mae Harkins vs. Tula Fae Mooney

 

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Defendant says plaintiff harassed her for not leaving, and left blood in plaintiff's bed, and says plaintiff was mean to her.

Really? I think not.

1 hour ago, DoctorK said:

Maybe she is rich and dumb and loves having Rolls, Jags, Mercedes etc.  even if they don't run, or dumb enough to keep a non working Rolls for status rather than a shiny new Honda for probably the same cost as maintaining an ancient Rolls.

I recall another litigant, either here or on TPC who had a bunch of broken-down luxury cars cluttering up his property. A maintained RR breaking down would be unusual. People who own them can afford to maintain them. I bet her Jags don't run either and the Mercedes are probably the kind usually seen here - at least a quarter of a century old. But no one will point and stare with awe at a new Honda or Toyota. My Totoyta Matrix is nearly 12 years old and has never conked out, although it sadly lacks the "Wow" factor.

1 hour ago, DoctorK said:

I have a feeling that this classic Rolls Royce Silver Shadow might not look very good in real life

If it turns white when left outside, I would say you're right.😄 A fun case.

[CrazyInAlabama]

20 February

“You Can’t Buy Me Love”

New, Season 11, Episode  91

(Bobby Grigsby vs. Marcelino Lomeli)      

From the show site: A man says his younger ex-boyfriend accepted a car loan but refuses to repay him; the younger man denies that they were "dating" and says he eventually had to Google "how to get rid of a sugar daddy." Who was manipulating whom in this case?

Plaintiff Bobby Grigsby suing defendant/ex-boyfriend Marcelino Lomeli for repayment of a car loan.   Suing for $2,185. Plaintiff telling his story gets bleeped a lot

Defendant denies it was a loan, but a gift as a Sugar Baby from plaintiff. He also says it wasn't a loan, and he felt coerced to sign the agreement to repay.  

Plaintiff keeps saying it wasn't a romantic relationship, and he was just being nice.   However, he's now ticked off Juarez and Tewolde with his foul language, but made the person who bleeps foul language happy, if they get paid by the bleep. 

Plaintiff paid for a car, and defendant still has it, but it's in plaintiff's name.  Leading to defendant swearing and getting reprimanded too. 

Corriero takes over the questioning.   Poor Corriero doesn't understand any of the slang plaintiff is using.  (I don't either).  Corriero thinks the money wasn't a loan.   

$1800 to plaintiff, only the price of the car loan.  

“Family Fallout”

Rerun, Season 11, Episode  30

p. 52, 21 October 2024

[AngelaHunter]

20 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Bobby Grigsby vs. Marcelino Lomeli

I think I lasted about 1 1/2 minutes. P, who found a "homeless, stinky drug addict" irresistible gives his testimony, which is peppered with obscenities since he doesn't know any appropriate words, had more bleeps than a Hell's Kitchen episode, and was riddled with a zillion "Like like like. It had me yelling, "OH STFU you moron!" and finding my "Off" button before hearing anything from the creepy, smelly little troll Def.

20 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

made the person who bleeps foul language happy, if they get paid by the bleep. 

😄

On 2/19/2025 at 5:56 PM, AngelaHunter said:

Tippin Mae Harkins vs. Tula Fae Mooney

Since I couldn't bear the Grindr love story, I reluctantly watched this. It was bizarre, with "Tippin", perky, dramatic, and animated, acting like she was dishing with her friends or looking for a reality show. Or maybe she took too many "Wake Ups".

"Tula" was the direct opposite - bizarre, subdued, and appeared to be heavily medicated or in the grip of hypnosis and gave answers not really related to the questions. I was puzzled until Tippin mentioned that that apartment was crammed with junk. Then I thought, "Aha!" Tula must be a hoarder, with a typical, flat hoarder demeanor.

I left this one before hearing about the blood.

[CrazyInAlabama]

“21 February

“Boulevard of Broken Leases”

New, Season 11, Episode  92

(Waneta Woodruff vs. Sam Caparell)       

From the show site: A woman says she overpaid rent for a year because her landlord didn't tell her how much was paid by a rental assistance organization; the landlord denies receiving overpayments and says the organization makes tenants well aware of their portion.

Plaintiff/former tenant Waneta Woodruff suing defendant/former landlord Sam Caparell for repayment of her portion of rent, because she claims the rental assistance organization paid more than she was told.   Suing for $2300, suing for triple damages, including the security deposit on the place she rented after being evicted.   Defendant says she was evicted after allowing tenants into the unit without being on the lease.    

Defendant says the organization tells tenants exactly how much their part of the rent payment will be. Defendant says every month the charity tells tenant and landlord about the upcoming rent payment. 

Defendant/landlord says the charitable organization paid the $2,300 security deposit.   Unlawful tenants included plaintiff's daughter and boyfriend, her dog, and others.   Plaintiff was supposed to move out on 25 March, didn't move out for a few days later.  Defendant says plaintiff painted rooms and some walls other colors than the white required by the lease.   Defendant says there were damages from damaged floors from dog urine.   

Corriero says plaintiff causing electric outages by overloading circuits and defendant or representative having to go turn power back on. 

Tewolde asks about the security deposit, but why would plaintiff  get a security deposit back, when the charity paid that money?   Charity should get the money back.    Also only plaintiff's video shows the move out inspection with landlord, he trashed the photos he had after the eviction hearing. 

Plaintiff's video doesn't show open cabinet doors, and is very selective with what they show.   

Defendant says the cabinet doors were inoperable.  Exhaust fan in kitchen was broken, fridge was brand new and trashed.  Roach infestation in plaintiff's room, and kitchen cabinets.  Also, floor was supposed to be dry mopped, not soaked down the way the boyfriend is doing.   

Tewolde wants an itemized list to tenant, but it's not her security deposit.  Court says disputes were to be settled with the housing court, but plaintiff didn't go to the court.  Security deposit is jurisdiction of the housing court.  Plaintiff left no forwarding address, California law says in this case mail to last address (the apartment), and if it is left unclaimed in 21 days, then the issue is over.  

My view the $2300 should go to the charity, which is the organization that paid and is owed the money. 

Plaintiff receives $1850, minus the damages plaintiff admits.   Juarez dissents, because the case should have gone back to the housing court.  (Because the court pays the judgments, defendant isn't out anything.   In the interviews after the case, defendant says plaintiff was letting homeless people stay with her, including her daughter.  )

“Lickity-Split on the Permit”

Rerun, Season 11, Episode  34

p. 52, 25 October 2024

Edited Yest. at 08:30 PM by CrazyInAlabama