'Soccer Mom vs General Manager' & 'You Are as Crooked as They Come' & 'Shocking a Customer'

Added: 2026-05-31

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[00:00:55]>> Is your daughter a good player?

[00:00:56]>> Yes, you have to say >> was a >> Is your daughter a good player?

[00:00:59]>> She was >> She's a good player.

[00:01:00]>> She was a starter.

[00:01:01]Is she a starter? [music] >> This is the plaintiff, Scott Lynette.

[00:01:07][music] He says he's the administrator for a girl's soccer team that the defendant's daughter played on last year. She has since quit [music] the team, but they still owe him money from last season's events. He's suing them for $137.63, the amount he's most definitely owed.

[00:01:24]>> [music] >> These are the defendants, Beth and James. Beth says she informed the plaintiff she wouldn't be wasting money [music] on a warm-up suit because having one wasn't going to help the team win any games. Because of this, the plaintiff started singling out [music] her daughter during practices and made her feel uncomfortable. It became unbearable for her daughter, so she quit the team after [music] playing on it for seven years. The plaintiff is an evil, evil man. They owe him nothing and [music] are sure the judge will agree.

[00:01:57]They're accused of not warming up [music] to a coach.

[00:02:06]>> All parties, please raise your right hands.

[00:02:09]>> What you are about to witness is real.

[00:02:12]The participants are not actors. [music] They are actual litigants with a case pending in civil court. Both parties have agreed to drop their claims and have their cases settled here before Judge Marilyn Milian [music] in our forum, the People's Court.

[00:02:28]>> presiding.

[00:02:30]Be seated and come to order, please.

[00:02:33]>> Linette Thomas sworn, your honor.

[00:02:35]>> Thank you, Douglas. Okay. Scott Linette?

[00:02:38]>> Yes.

[00:02:38]>> You are suing uh Beth and James. You've asked us not to use your last name and we respect that for $137.63 that you say they owe for their daughter being on a travel soccer team.

[00:02:53]>> Correct.

[00:02:53]>> Okay, tell me what's going on.

[00:02:56]>> I am the uh team administrator for the soccer team.

[00:02:59]Um >> What what age group?

[00:03:00]>> Uh these are 11 and 12-year-old girls.

[00:03:03]>> Okay.

[00:03:04]>> Uh in June um their daughter um uh registered to be part of the team.

[00:03:11]>> Okay.

[00:03:12]>> And as part of the activities that we do towards the end of the summer to get rid of the fall season, we ran what we call a mini camp.

[00:03:20]>> Okay.

[00:03:21]>> Uh from 5:00 to 7:00 at night for 5 straight days. We have a paid trainer who trains the team during the season 2 days a week and coaches the games.

[00:03:30]>> Okay, but what Okay.

[00:03:31]>> And he ran the mini camp.

[00:03:33]>> The mini camp, which is a 5-day camp.

[00:03:35]>> Which is a 5-day camp.

[00:03:36]>> And And did they pay for the 5-day camp?

[00:03:38]>> Uh no, they have not.

[00:03:39]>> Okay, and the cost for the 5-day camp was what?

[00:03:41]>> $60 a player.

[00:03:43]>> Okay. So, how many months expenses are these that you're suing for?

[00:03:46]>> Um it's just the last week of August. It was for um the mini camp, which was $60. It was for an an Labor Day weekend tournament, which was $35 a play to participate. And then the cost of our trainer to be there to coach the girls at the tournament.

[00:04:04]>> Okay. Uh, I'm not paying him because um, my daughter, uh, before this started, before that mini camp, um, he, Scott, um, had suggested to the parents that we get an $86 warm-up suit, um, that everyone on the team, cuz they had new players from another team, that everyone look like a team. He sent out an email, and let's buy an $86 warm-up suit for everyone. Let's not worry about winning the game or having the team learn how to play good. Let's worry about looking good on the bench for the two seconds before the game.

[00:04:38]>> the email didn't say what you're saying, but I guess what you're saying is I don't want another expense. It's unnecessary and doesn't have to do with winning.

[00:04:45]>> have no problem. I've always paid, um, the dues. I've paid whatever Scott's expenses were. The reason why I have a problem with these expenses >> has your daughter been on the team?

[00:04:53]>> Uh, since kindergarten. And she is now in seventh grade. No. Uh, Scott for a few years before that, there was other coaches, you know, coaches change every couple of years.

[00:05:01]>> How is your daughter a good player?

[00:05:03]>> Yes.

[00:05:03]>> Do you have to say that? Is is your daughter a good player?

[00:05:05]>> She was She was a good player.

[00:05:06]>> Was she going to quit?

[00:05:07]>> Yes.

[00:05:09]>> What? She was Yes, she was gold tender.

[00:05:10]She was >> She's gold tender.

[00:05:11]>> Yes, she's very good.

[00:05:12]>> Okay, so go on.

[00:05:13]>> So, yep, she was a very good player. She loves soccer, but, uh, then Scott, uh, sent out the email and made the suggestion that we get, uh, Adidas warm-up suits for $86. I said I wasn't interested. Then when my daughter started practicing before, um, the fall season started, like he said, the mini camp, um, he sent out an email, I have samples, I'd like the girls to try them on. I came to pick my daughter up from practice. I'm in the car. I text her, okay, I'm here. Nope, Scott's making me try it on. I said, I told Scott no. He doesn't want me to go. He said, wait, wait, wait, on more than one occasion.

[00:05:47]And I said, I wrote back to Scott, I am not buying the warm-up suit. And he said, it is not for you to say I am not, we are a team, so everyone has to buy it.

[00:05:59]>> this is by text?

[00:06:01]>> Uh by email, which I I >> Why don't you guys talk to each other?

[00:06:06]>> Um I don't know. Scott >> my children?

[00:06:08]>> Um Scott Scott likes to email. Yes, I have no problem speaking. Scott likes to email. I I like speaking.

[00:06:15]>> No, I mean, you know, it's nice to have stuff in writing. It's just this is such a delicate thing. This is your daughter's coach and >> So, the bottom line was I had no problem with paying for the mini camp. I had no problem with paying the $35 Labor Day tournament fee or the $24 for Jack the trainer, his fee for the Labor Day tournament that we lost because we're so focused on the warm-up suit, but okay.

[00:06:39]Um but I said um after he made my daughter feel uncomfortable and >> How did he make her feel uncomfortable?

[00:06:46]>> Um he kept asking her said she had to stay in tryout on and then uh the straw that broke the camel's back was when she went to play the first game. Um he said that there would be a brief parent meeting after the game and after I had an appointment, I had to bring my daughter somewhere and I had to leave and Scott wanted me to wait and talk longer with him and Jack the trainer to be bullied into buying the warm-up suit.

[00:07:10]And I said, I have an appointment, I have to leave. He followed us out to the parking lot. It's me, my daughter went to the car, threw his bag on the parking lot ground, stomped his feet as we got in the car, then he called me on my cell phone which goes through it hands-free through the speaker in my car and proceeded to uh insult me with my daughter right in the back seat behind me. After that, she goes, I do not want to play with him. Scott is acting like a child.

[00:07:37]>> besides yelling at you in her ear range though? You were starting to say something about what something he did.

[00:07:42]>> He He made her feel uncomfortable because >> Cuz he really wanted her to buy a sweatsuit?

[00:07:48]>> Right. And because >> What about in the game? Did he do anything in the game?

[00:07:51]>> He said he said that she would be like an outcast and that I would be an outcast for not getting it and I was being ridiculous and and he he just he he just she was very upset when he was speaking on the phone and when she was at the practices I said he made >> ever say to your mom just buy the sweatsuit?

[00:08:11]>> No.

[00:08:12]No. She not at all.

[00:08:13]>> have other problems with the team already like she didn't want to play with them anymore?

[00:08:16]>> Um no. No, she had um the only thing that um she had asked is if uh instead of being the goalie full-time if she could split it because in the previous season he had split her between goalie and field time and his daughter also played goalie so they would go half and half.

[00:08:35]>> And?

[00:08:35]>> And um so after this first game uh we went and asked um well first she's she was very upset that they lost they got slaughtered and um we went up to Scott and said um you know it was quite upsetting um she would like to also play field too and he said happens. That's it. She'll have to get over it with you know with her standing next to me and um she was upset about that and then when we went to ask Jack the trainer who was there ready to start the parent meeting uh can't she also do field you know like she did He said nope. That's it. She has to be full-time goalie. That's it. There is no you know no choice uh for her to do half and half anymore. I said but she did in the past well the other season >> you don't get to call the shots on these things. You know how that works.

[00:09:22]>> Just so I um >> I assume you're dad.

[00:09:25]>> Yes, I'm dad.

[00:09:25]>> Okay.

[00:09:26]>> Uh what what also took place is uh we can't bring her to every game.

[00:09:31]We asked him if he'd be able to. He said yeah, it wouldn't be a problem.

[00:09:34]>> Before all this.

[00:09:35]>> Before all this. Now when we decided we didn't want to buy the warm-up suit, "Oh, I can't bring your daughter to the games anymore. And if she doesn't get to the game, she's going to be penalized."

[00:09:45]>> Jud- Jud- >> Yeah.

[00:09:46]>> For First, I want to I want to say something. You know, there are 15 girls on the team, and there are then 30 parent other parents. Does she ever reach out to any one of them? Does Is she actually friends with any of them? It's always >> or the child or her?

[00:10:03]>> No, her. It's The burden has always been put on me, and it's been in a threatening way. "If you can't take her, she's not playing." And it's always been that way.

[00:10:11]>> A ride?

[00:10:12]>> It's I've gone out of my way. Last winter, we played in the winter league where the indoor facility was closer to my house than her house. I'd go out of my way probably for half the games to pick her daughter up and drive her there and bring her back.

[00:10:28]Never once, "Oh, let me give you gas money." I've gone out of my way so many times to bring her daughter to games, and it it goes unappreciated.

[00:10:37]>> that her daughter's indispensable.

[00:10:39]>> I'm like I'm the crutch for her daughter. I mean, I've I've seen Dad at a game in the 3 years I've been with the team maybe three times.

[00:10:47]Um It like it's like if she if if Beth is not able to do it, the burden's put on me. I've never and I've I asked all I could have had all my parents come down tonight. I didn't want today. I didn't want to make a scene out of this, but none of I've asked them. They're never She never picks up the phone to call them. Parents get the full roster of all the other parents. It's always been put on me.

[00:11:09]>> Why do you take it? Put your hand down.

[00:11:11]Why do you do >> I'm I I've been trying to be the nice person, and the reason I stopped >> Cuz she's good.

[00:11:15]>> is bec- And the reason >> Stop. You and I both know why you do it.

[00:11:19]Cuz she's good. Because if she was not good, you wouldn't be going out of your way to pick her up.

[00:11:24]>> it it Is she good? Yes, she's good. My daughter plays ball. Yes, >> she feel like she can dump on you?

[00:11:29]Because she's good. Cuz she was not good, she wouldn't have that kind of temerity to ask the coach to go out of his way to pick her daughter up. She would figure it out with another parent.

[00:11:37]I know exactly what's going on.

[00:11:40]>> Welcome back to The People's Court.

[00:11:41]Harvey Levin here. Who's more unreasonable in girls sports, [music] teachers or parents? What do you think?

[00:11:47]>> Uh parents.

[00:11:48]>> Why do you say?

[00:11:49]>> Um I just think that they parents all think that their kids are the best.

[00:11:53]>> Who's Who's into girls sports here?

[00:11:55]Who's into girls sports? Okay, what do you think?

[00:11:58]>> What do you think?

[00:11:59]>> Oh, me.

[00:12:00]>> Oh [laughter] oh you. Not a trick question.

[00:12:03]>> Um I think that the parents are more unreasonable because they want what's best for their kids and they push them sometimes to >> And maybe what they want is not necessarily best for the kids.

[00:12:13]>> True. My sister plays college volleyball and my mom's a little crazy about it.

[00:12:17]Anything.

[00:12:18]>> Okay. An expert. Going inside the courtroom.

[00:12:20]>> Clearly this is a parent who feel parents who feel that they have a daughter who is indispensable for the team. If they're asking the administrator to make rides and if they're like sitting there saying, "No, we're not going to do it." Because most parents would sit there and say in a travel team, "Oh well, good go along to get along." And they would just go ahead and spend the money on a stupid suit.

[00:12:38]You you know and I say stupid because they're right, it doesn't have anything to do with how THEY PLAY. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE $86. IT'S THE POWER PLAY THAT HAPPENS in these situations all the darn time. Now, STEP ONE. WHETHER I AGREE with how he phrased it to you or agree with how it is that this have is irrelevant. I have a lawsuit in front of me on his part for stuff that you admit that you were supposed to pay for. You made a decision based on him no longer giving your daughter rides and the rudeness of it and the pettiness and whatever else that you felt that it your daughter was no longer comfortable or based on the fact that your daughter wanted score time and not goalie time.

[00:13:16]Okay? No no. There's no excuse me. We're done. I'm ruling.

[00:13:19]>> Um >> No.

[00:13:20]>> I DIDN'T AGREE.

[00:13:21]>> NO. CUZ LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I AM NOT. I AM NOT THE COACH WHO DEPENDS ON YOUR YOUR GREAT PLAYING SKILLS.

[00:13:26]>> RIGHT.

[00:13:27]>> I'm actually the judge IN THIS COURTROOM WHERE I DON'T REALLY CARE WHO STAYS in or stays out. So, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT MY CALL IS, YOU CAN WALK OUT.

[00:13:35]BUT, my call's going to happen now. I don't need you to be part OF MY TEAM.

[00:13:38]NO, THAT MEANS THAT YOU DON'T TALK ANYMORE. YOU KEEP GOING THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

[00:13:49]As for all of these expenses that were incurred, I'm not going to listen to some tortured logic about well, I shouldn't have to pay it now because when all of this stuff happened, I thought my daughter could be part of the team, but I obviously had to pull her out because of the way that he was talking. No, I'm not listening to all that. You pull your daughter out, you pull your daughter out. If it had BEEN MY DAUGHTER, MY DAUGHTER WOULD KILL ME IF I pulled her out over this stuff. If she already had a team and the only way my daughter wouldn't kill me is if my daughter didn't want to play anyway. Okay? I find in favor of the plaintiff in this case in the amount of the $137.63. That's my verdict.

[00:14:20]>> All right, this side just hold on one minute.

[00:14:25]Well, the plaintiff does get the money that he sued for here. And here's the the parents of the soccer player. What's your reaction to the outcome here after this case is all said and done?

[00:14:33]>> I'm very upset because um we felt that she was forced off the team and I did not feel that he should have gotten um the whole judgment.

[00:14:42]>> the role of the grown-ups in this as the people interfering in what's supposed to be fun for a kid.

[00:14:48]>> Well, >> Kind of ruining it for the kid?

[00:14:50]>> Uh I always say the parents ruin it for the kids.

[00:14:52]>> Well, and that's what happened here?

[00:14:54]>> They always do.

[00:14:55]>> That's what you guys did?

[00:14:56]>> Always no, it's everybody. Not just us, everybody.

[00:15:00]>> Okay.

[00:15:00]>> She's in another league now and she's having a good time.

[00:15:02]>> All right, right around the corner this way, okay?

[00:15:04]>> Yep.

[00:15:05]>> All right, come on in here.

[00:15:07]Here's the other half of the equation.

[00:15:08]You win your case, you satisfied about that?

[00:15:11]>> Yeah, I just wanted to get paid back for the expenses that I laid out. I'm a volunteer. I volunteer my time to set up things for the team and for the girls and I just wanted to get paid back for my expenses when she quit the team. And you know, $86 is not that expensive.

[00:15:24]>> Harvey?

[00:15:25]>> Hey, this is real simple. You cannot start arguing that something is unreasonable when you signed a contract agreeing to it. It's really common sense. That will do it for this case.

[00:15:33]Litigans for the next case in the way into the courtroom right now.

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[00:16:41]>> This is the plaintiff, Eric Manello Arthur. He says he hired the defendant to replace two parts on his [music] car that he purchased on his own. And when they weren't working properly, he took his car to the dealership. They replaced the very parts the defendant installed and returned them to him. [music] He was appalled and shocked to discover he'd been ripped off because the parts that were returned to him were different than the factory [music] parts he purchased.

[00:17:04]The defendant stole from him, caused him to have even more work done to his car, and he's suing [music] the crook for the $635.39 he's now out.

[00:17:20]>> This is the defendant, Laroche Voyard.

[00:17:23]He says he replaced some parts the plaintiff gave him, and 2 weeks [music] later the guy came back asking for the boxes. He doesn't keep boxes once the work's completed. Can you imagine the storage [music] you'd need if you had to keep every part box? As far as him not putting the proper parts in the car, hogwash. Even the cops who were called to the scene said this was a bunch of nonsense. He's accused of fully [music] a switcheroo.

[00:17:52]>> All parties, please raise your right hands.

[00:17:53]>> Thank you, Douglas. Eric Minel Arthur, you are suing uh the defendant's company you're the owner, Laroche Voyard. You've asked us not to mention the company name, we'll respect that, for $635.39 in hood damage, sensors, casket screw brackets, and having to figure out somewhere else that according to you what he charged you for he didn't do.

[00:18:18]Okay. How did you uh learn of the defendant?

[00:18:22]>> Well, um I was going out to another mechanic, and I kept having to bring my car to the other mechanic, and the problem still wasn't fixed. So, he took it to a specialist, and they diagnosed the car as needing a catalytic converter and two oxygen sensors.

[00:18:40]Okay, so I went online, talked to a specialist there, ordered >> Specialist where?

[00:18:45]>> on autoparts.com.

[00:18:47]>> An online auto part place. Okay.

[00:18:49]>> Yeah, I mean, you talk to someone, and they they let you know what parts >> ordered the parts?

[00:18:53]>> Yeah, after market parts for my Honda.

[00:18:55]>> Okay.

[00:18:56]>> And um they sent me uh all the parts that were required.

[00:19:01]Um there was they were in boxes, and I >> was it you ordered?

[00:19:06]>> I ordered a catalytic converter, all the the gaskets that were required to put the catalytic converter, the bolts, and two oxygen sensors made by Bosch.

[00:19:18]>> Okay.

[00:19:19]>> So, um I gave it to the I I >> How'd you find him?

[00:19:24]>> I just happened to be riding by.

[00:19:26]>> And you And riding by what?

[00:19:28]>> By, you know, by his place, actually. I just wanted someone different, you know, cuz I kept going >> That's a hell of a way to find someone different, but okay. So, you go in there, it's fine. So, you go in there and you tell him, "Here, I have these parts. Will you do this job? How much will you charge me?" You guys come to terms. He does the job. You take the car and there's a problem. What's the problem?

[00:19:49]>> The When I take When I came back to pick up my car, he he also put it a car alarm and a radio in the >> And that's fine.

[00:19:57]>> That's work perfect.

[00:19:58]>> Okay. So, you but you drive off and what happens?

[00:20:01]>> Well, when I got to there, he he was saying he's mentioning to me that you have problems closing the hood and I said, "No."

[00:20:08]He says, "Well, I had a hard time closing the hood." And then he Then I said, "What do you mean you had a hard time?" I said I said, "Open it because you don't want to drive off and get stuck." So, he opens it and he was right, you couldn't close the hood. He started looking down at the car and and then he All of a sudden he figured out what he needed to do to close the hood.

[00:20:28]He put He sticks his hand underneath here under underneath underneath the car and then slams the hood and then it closes fine.

[00:20:36]So, now, before I got there, I never had to do that.

[00:20:40]But, there was another thing. I drove off with the car, you know, and um a few hours laters a few hours later I got you know, got the the check engine light came back on.

[00:20:54]So, I had texted him and said, you know, there's a you know, there was a there was a cover missing in the car as well.

[00:21:01]And then um the um I I let him know that there was a a cover missing and the check engine light was on.

[00:21:09]>> What kind of cover?

[00:21:10]>> It was a cover for the engine the other mechanic had left off.

[00:21:14]I initially accused them but >> out some other mechanic had it?

[00:21:17]>> Some other mechanic had it but I apologize to them.

[00:21:19]>> Okay, that's fine. So go on.

[00:21:21]>> So um you know, he told me to you know, he told me to bring it in you know, and then he claims, "Well, let me check the car and you know, if I find what's wrong with it, I'll order the parts and put it in and fix your car for you."

[00:21:37]But I said, "You know what? I didn't want to deal with him. I just took it to Honda."

[00:21:42]Paid $133 for them to diagnose the problem.

[00:21:45]And they found out that it needed a catalytic converter and two oxygen sensors.

[00:21:49]>> But you just bought one.

[00:21:51]>> I did.

[00:21:52]But they didn't want to use the ones that were aftermarket. They wanted to use Honda parts. Which is All right. I can >> I think you just were so frustrated by this point.

[00:22:03]>> Absolutely.

[00:22:04]>> That you know, we have a saying in Spanish, "Lo barato sale caro." The cheap comes out expensive. That you just wanted to know that the next time you reach into your wallet is the last time no matter what it cost.

[00:22:14]>> That's what it was.

[00:22:15]>> So what are you here for? You want him to return the money that you paid him.

[00:22:20]And you want him to pay you for the Honda diagnostic.

[00:22:26]>> Right.

[00:22:27]>> And you want and and according to you he he you want him to repair your hood because you say he broke it?

[00:22:34]>> Yeah, well >> But that wasn't even in your lawsuit until today, right?

[00:22:37]>> Right, because I didn't >> So how come when you filed the lawsuit you weren't accusing him of breaking the hood?

[00:22:42]>> It was always there. I just I just >> point. If it was always there, why wasn't it part of your original lawsuit?

[00:22:47]>> I just didn't I just didn't >> You're not just throwing in everything but the kitchen sink now, are you?

[00:22:52]>> No, I'm not.

[00:22:53]>> Okay. Now according to you Honda tells you that one of your sent one of the sensors that Honda returns to you, according to you, Right. is not a Bosch.

[00:23:02]>> Right.

[00:23:02]>> It's Denso.

[00:23:03]>> this sensor here.

[00:23:04]>> Okay, and that sensor is a sensor that comes with the Honda.

[00:23:08]>> No.

[00:23:09]>> No?

[00:23:10]>> Bosch and uh Denso make aftermarket parts for Hondas as well.

[00:23:15]>> Okay.

[00:23:16]>> So, um he I gave him boxes that look like this. I went last night and purchased this.

[00:23:27]>> I presume you'll be able to return these?

[00:23:28]>> Yes, I hope so.

[00:23:29]>> Okay.

[00:23:30]>> And here's the the other sensor.

[00:23:35]Now, if you open that up, it's going to give >> it up, will you be able to return it?

[00:23:38]>> Yeah, the part should say Bosch on it.

[00:23:45]If you read it.

[00:23:46]>> Mhm.

[00:23:49]And this >> That came out of my car.

[00:23:54]And >> is Denso. This what this says is Denso.

[00:23:57]>> this came out of your car according to whom?

[00:24:00]>> From Honda. This These >> Honda says this came out of your car?

[00:24:02]>> These are the parts that they returned.

[00:24:04]>> Yeah, I know.

[00:24:05]>> That they took out.

[00:24:06]>> Do you have anything from Honda besides what you handed me, which just charges you for this job?

[00:24:12]>> Um What do you mean, like?

[00:24:15]>> I mean, you want the money returned >> Mhm.

[00:24:19]>> because you've now decided that you want to use Honda parts. You're the guy who supplied the parts. You but you want the whole money returned because the light was still on, but you admit that you never brought it to him to give him a chance to fix it.

[00:24:32]>> No, he They sold me everything I needed to put those things that the parts that I gave him in the car. He claims that he did they that I didn't give him all the parts. They all came from >> No, wait. That's not what he claims.

[00:24:44]Let's hear what you claim.

[00:24:46]>> Well, after we agreed to change those parts, he said that, you know, he was just robbed the day before, that he needed some protection for his car. So, we sold him a you know a security system and his radio was also broken. So, we sold him a radio.

[00:25:03]So, the next day when he come and pick up his car, before I I handle the car to the gentleman right here, I noticed that the hood wasn't closing properly. So, I told him, "Listen, is is something prior to you from you bringing the car here with the hood." He said, "No, that uh that the hood was never like that." So, he start arguing, making a big deal about the situation. I said, "Okay, you know what? No problem. Bring the car inside. Let me take a look at it and see what's going on with the hood." When I go and I check the stuff and I look under the car, the stuff that was broken, it wasn't even broken. It was a screw that was missing and it was rusted. I mean, it wasn't done uh right on that moment. It was something that was there from long time ago. So, I proceeded to go under the car, okay? I didn't have none of my workers there. I did it myself with him next to me and I replaced the screw. After I replaced the screw, the hood closed properly.

[00:26:04]And because he was talking a lot of stuff, so I said, "Okay, you know what?

[00:26:07]I'm not going to charge you for it.

[00:26:08]It's on me."

[00:26:10]Then, he came back um like about 5 days later, okay?

[00:26:16]Telling me that I did this, I did this, I did this.

[00:26:18]>> Well, no. What was he saying?

[00:26:19]>> He's saying that uh I didn't change the sensor >> Right.

[00:26:23]>> and that um I also stole some stuff and I didn't replace it.

[00:26:28]>> that what he ordered from the auto part place were two Bosches.

[00:26:31]>> Exactly. And we also >> Right. So, did you put in two Bosches?

[00:26:34]Do you remember?

[00:26:35]>> Yeah.

[00:26:36]>> Okay.

[00:26:37]>> We put We put two Bosches in the car.

[00:26:39]But, what I realized due to my investigation because his story is is never right.

[00:26:47]So, I did my investigation and I realized that this guy he goes from shop to shop, okay, ask for an advice, buy the parts, and if something goes wrong, he blame it on the person, but it's not my fault.

[00:26:59]>> How do you How does your investigation How do you investigate and >> Because when he came back, he came back like 3 weeks later, okay, he showed me a beautiful 3,000 and something dollars from Honda.

[00:27:11]And I asked him, "Why did you spend all that money?" He said, "Oh, I needed my car to be right because my car wasn't passing inspection."

[00:27:19]I said, "Okay, very nice." He said to me, "Did I um kept the boxes?"

[00:27:26]I said, "You did a job 3 weeks ago. Why would I keep the the the the you know, the empty boxes?" He said, "Oh, you shouldn't throw it on the garbage." Blah blah blah blah. I said, "I'm here to do the job, not to keep, you know, boxes after I finished with the job."

[00:27:39]So, he got mad.

[00:27:41]>> Here's what I don't get. Why um How do I know that the people who put pulled the switcheroo wasn't Honda?

[00:27:48]>> Why would Honda do that?

[00:27:50]>> Are auto repair shop guys generally dishonest or is it a bad rap?

[00:27:55]>> Bad rap.

[00:27:55]>> Why do you say?

[00:27:56]>> Um I just think they're mis- mis- I don't know, misrepresented every now and then. People give them bad information, and then they try to fix their car up based on that.

[00:28:04]>> What do you think? What do you think, sir?

[00:28:05]>> Well, I think one bad one makes all the ones look bad, even though most of them aren't bad.

[00:28:11]>> And what do you think?

[00:28:12]>> I agree.

[00:28:13]>> Not bad.

[00:28:13]>> Not bad enough.

[00:28:14]>> Oh, you guys are such optimists. I like that. Going inside the courtroom.

[00:28:16]>> Why would Honda sell you something you don't need?

[00:28:20]>> Honda >> Can I just tell you something? I I I love Hondas. I've owned Hondas all of my life. I I am a van girl. I got a big family.

[00:28:28]But I got to tell you, every time I pass by the Honda dealership, something major is wrong with my car.

[00:28:33]>> All dealerships are like that.

[00:28:34]>> Exactly.

[00:28:36]>> I understand that. However, however, can I just >> Do you have anything from Honda saying that he did something wrong in the job that he did or something?

[00:28:47]>> They not They didn't say that. They diagnosed the They diagnosed the car and they said that what it needed. And and And it's receipt. I mean >> Here Here's the thing though. For for you to be able to to claim Oh, where do you get $200 for a repair for the hood?

[00:29:05]Do you have Where's How do you pick that figure?

[00:29:07]>> Honda says it's it's about a 2-hour job.

[00:29:10]>> Can I see the estimate from Honda?

[00:29:12]>> Well, I don't have an estimate from Honda.

[00:29:15]>> Okay. How >> I don't have an estimate from a Honda, but that their their labor is $99 an hour.

[00:29:21]>> Okay, but I need proof of what it is you're saying and that it needs doing and then proof that he did it, but uh you don't have that. So, really the question is are you able to prove to me in a court of law that he s- pulled a switcheroo on the Bosch versus the Dens >> Denso.

[00:29:39]>> Denso.

[00:29:40]>> You just pulled that That's a brand new thing out of the box there. A new sensor out of the box. Why would that Why would Bosch put >> I don't know. It could be that that, you know, Honda just like pulled a Yeah, that's his and they could Who knows? I don't know. How can I know that this is the one that they pulled out of your car? You don't even have that much Honda telling me. The only proof you bring me from Honda is them charging you soup to nuts to for an expensive job. You know, I'm sorry that you're in this position, okay? But nothing that you have said to me here today will cause me to force him to reimburse you any of the money that you paid him, much less all of the money that you're suing for uh for the reasons that I've already explained. Verdict for the defendant.

[00:30:21]>> All sides, just hold on a different >> Well, so the plaintiff comes out just It's just a case of simply being unable to come up with enough evidence to pin it on him or really anybody else.

[00:30:32]>> Evidence?

[00:30:34]>> Yeah, that's what courts are about.

[00:30:36]>> Well, I mean, what am I going to do? I mean, if there's smoke, there's fire. So, >> All right. Is the car driving all right?

[00:30:44]>> The car's driving great.

[00:30:45]>> Okay. My hood still needs to be fixed.

[00:30:47]>> [laughter] >> All right. All right. So, step on in here. While he's talking, you just try and look like you're trying not to pay attention, or what?

[00:30:54]>> Well, I did what I had to do. And he bought the parts. There's nothing else I could do.

[00:31:01]The guy does that. He goes from different shop one to another, and God is before me and knows that, you know, I never done anything more than my Hebrew >> For me to put on his car.

[00:31:11]>> Okay. All right, Harvey.

[00:31:12]>> Just a side note, when you ask when you have a really expensive part replaced, when they say it needs replacing, maybe a good idea to ask them to show you the part that was replaced, just to make sure that it was really done. That will do it for this case. Litigants for the next case are on their way into the courtroom right now.

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[00:32:03]>> These are the plaintiffs, Michael and Angela Mason. [music] Michael says he and his wife hired the defendant to conduct a home inspection on a house they ended up buying.

[00:32:11]>> [music] >> The defendant failed to detect a major problem with the electrical panel, and it seems there'd been a fire of some sort because [music] several of the connectors have been burnt. In fact, the burnt areas were covered with metal plates to hide the damage, and the defendant didn't detect this. Now, they're out a whole heap of money due to his ineptness.

[00:32:29]They're suing for $2,200, the cost [music] of a new electrical panel.

[00:32:41]>> This is the defendant, David Polo. He says he's been a home inspector for 27 years and knows a thing or two about detecting problems in a house. Thank you very much.

[00:32:51]>> He inspected a home for the plaintiff and a [music] year later they call him complaining about their electrical panel. He isn't allowed to dismantle an electrical panel because it's dangerous [music] and he could get electrocuted. No inspector could have done anything more than he did. He takes his job seriously and >> [music] >> he's sorry but he made no mistakes on the job and hopes the judge will agree.

[00:33:11]He's accused of shocking a customer.

[00:33:19]>> All parties, please raise your right hands.

[00:33:21]Let the record show I've been sworn, your honor.

[00:33:22]>> Thank you, Douglas. Okay, Michael Mason and Angela Mason.

[00:33:25]>> Yes.

[00:33:25]>> Yes.

[00:33:26]>> You're suing David Polo and Polo and Associates Home Inspection, that's your company?

[00:33:30]>> Yes.

[00:33:31]>> Because he inspected your home before you bought it and according to you there are major electrical problems that he did not catch. Tell me what's going on.

[00:33:37]>> Uh that is correct. Uh we we we bought the home uh in 2010.

[00:33:44]Uh we had a storm in October of 2011 and we lost power. Uh when we lost power, we decided to put a generator on the the box, the panel.

[00:34:00]Uh I had a a contractor, electrical contractor come out to install the generator uh panel and when he opened the box, uh my electric panel, he opened the box up, he saw that there were several breakers that had been burnt inside the box.

[00:34:19]He asked me if I had a fire in the box and I says, "No, we had no problems with the box."

[00:34:25]And he says, "Well, the box might have been done burnt The burns might might been done before."

[00:34:31]>> Might have been done before?

[00:34:33]>> Might have been done before. Yes.

[00:34:35]>> been done after?

[00:34:36]>> He No, he says if it was done after, your whole garage would have been on fire.

[00:34:41]When you look at I I brought pictures.

[00:34:43]When you look at the area that was burnt >> These are areas that you can see were burned if you did what? Cuz obviously you can't You couldn't just look at it and see burned. You'd have to do what?

[00:34:54]Flip off the plastics?

[00:34:55]>> Well, yes. Well, what we When the electrician came he pulled off a metal plate that was on top of this breaker.

[00:35:04]>> So, it's one particular breaker?

[00:35:06]>> Yes.

[00:35:07]>> And so, your premise is that he has to pay you for the cost of an entire new electrical panel because he missed this.

[00:35:13]>> Yes.

[00:35:14]>> What evidence do you have that this is something that was there when you closed on the house a year earlier?

[00:35:19]>> The only evidence I have is from the electrician.

[00:35:22]>> Yeah, let me see what you have from the electrician. This is >> Just the email from Steve.

[00:35:26]>> is his email describing the whole breaker panel >> me hear from you.

[00:35:29]>> Yes. Yes.

[00:35:30]>> Okay.

[00:35:30]>> Um Your Honor, I've been in business a little while and uh >> while?

[00:35:34]>> Well, I've been in this industry my whole life, about 27 years.

[00:35:37]>> Right. And how long have you been doing inspections?

[00:35:39]>> Home inspections, 15.

[00:35:41]>> Okay. So, when you do the inspection, do you um have Have you First of all, have you seen the pictures in there?

[00:35:47]>> No, I know nothing. I haven't seen anything.

[00:35:50]Yeah, I don't I >> Just a moment, sir.

[00:35:52]>> Yeah.

[00:35:53]>> That would be yours.

[00:35:54]>> Thanks.

[00:35:55]>> Okay. Well, yeah, once again, this I can tell you this certainly wasn't present or visible the day of the inspection.

[00:36:01]>> Okay, but that's my question. Present or visible? In other words, what is it that you folks do, people in your industry do when they're checking the electrical?

[00:36:09]>> In regard to the panel box, uh what we're required to do is take off the panel, take off the cover, assuming it's uh not going to be hazardous to it or us.

[00:36:18]>> Okay, when you take off the cover, what does that mean?

[00:36:21]>> I take off the cover and the breakers are visible. Pretty much what you're seeing there.

[00:36:25]>> Okay. So, the cover's is of this one.

[00:36:27]>> Yes.

[00:36:28]>> Right. Okay, but when you were there there was something here.

[00:36:31]Right? There were two more breakers there covering this.

[00:36:34]>> No, this inspection was about two years ago.

[00:36:38]What I can tell you is that was >> you have noted it if there was if there was something like this you would have noted it, right?

[00:36:43]>> means, I would have noted >> And it's not noted in the report.

[00:36:46]And you agreed that your guy took out whatever was there.

[00:36:49]>> Yes, there was a plastic like cover over it.

[00:36:52]>> A plastic cover with breakers and just a plastic cover?

[00:36:55]>> No, just a plastic cover. You cannot put breakers in that slot.

[00:36:59]>> Because?

[00:36:59]>> Because it's burnt and they don't fit.

[00:37:01]>> what right do you have to assume that you could have put breakers in that spot?

[00:37:05]>> Because how does it burn? It is only there's >> I don't know. Well, how's it his fault that it's burnt? You told me to look at the form that you had from uh your guy and that I would see that it was burnt at the time of the inspection. I don't see that from the form from your guy.

[00:37:21]Your guy is just saying install a new panel due to burnt bus bar and breakers.

[00:37:26]That's all your guy says.

[00:37:28]YOUR GUY IS SAYING APPARENTLY everything else is working just fine. It's just that you need these breakers to put in a generator.

[00:37:33]>> And we emailed um Paul said >> it is you have it's his fault that he missed something. The fact that there was a little plastic over and he he had a responsibility to remove that plastic.

[00:37:43]What what is your theory?

[00:37:44]>> Well, that's my theory. Yes, is that when you do when you do a home inspection and you pull off that cover, you notice right away that there's that plastic shouldn't be there.

[00:37:56]If the if that if that slot is empty, it should it should be just be empty and I can go ahead and put a breaker in there and then use it to to power something else in the house. But because that cover was there, it should have been taken off to see what's behind it because on a normal box you don't have that kind >> of what was there before your guy messed with it?

[00:38:16]>> Unfortunately, no. I didn't I when Steve came >> I know it didn't have breakers that just, you know, aren't usable that we discover aren't usable once we remove them. I don't I don't How do I know what it looked like?

[00:38:27]You don't have pictures from the home inspection, do you?

[00:38:30]>> No, I don't, but >> Would you have Would you If you had seen just a plastic cover on two of the breakers, just a plastic cover, would you have inspected behind it?

[00:38:38]>> No, but I would have put that in the report that there's a cover covering breakers.

[00:38:41]>> Right.

[00:38:42]>> Could be any kind of any sort of >> Here's what we need, okay? If you want him to pay you 2,000 something dollars, you have to prove that he has to pay you 2,000 something dollars. You can't just say, "Hey, you got insurance?" Yeah, that's not how it works. So, you have to be able to prove that that he did something wrong, like the standard in the industry is that you take apart the electrical panel, which you disclaim.

[00:39:03]You say that is absolutely not the standard. You disclaim that. You disclaim that. Show me that information that according to you the standard in the industry is not that you take apart an electrical panel.

[00:39:11]>> No, that's not >> But I Let's put that to a side. You're going to show me that, but let's put that to a side. What evidence do you have that a year later it was there a year earlier? You said that your electrical guy says that it might be.

[00:39:24]First you say in your complaint that your electrical guy said it was. Now you're saying in your testimony your electrical guy said it might be. And now I'm looking at what your electrical guy says and he doesn't say any of those things. So, what evidence do you have?

[00:39:36]>> there's just, you know, I I might have said like or whatever, but what I'm saying >> proof that someone says it was there a year ago.

[00:39:46]>> I don't I don't have that >> have proof, then you can't pin it on him. How are you going to pin it on him?

[00:39:51]Why is it his fault? If you can prove Prove to no one. You said your electrical guy would say that. Why isn't he saying that?

[00:39:58]>> Why isn't he saying that it was there before?

[00:40:00]>> Yeah.

[00:40:02]>> So, the problem surfaces a year in a a year later.

[00:40:05]Are Is this plaintiff out [music] of luck?

[00:40:07]>> Well, the problem is that the defendant or the plaintiff is just screwing up because they probably broke it at this point.

[00:40:14]>> So, you think they did and the inspector didn't. Anybody Anybody here think that this plaintiff has a case that he should be able to sue a year later?

[00:40:21]>> No.

[00:40:22]>> I think you guys are all right. Even the dog going inside the courtroom.

[00:40:26]>> Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a home inspector to insert any tool, probe, or testing device inside electrical panels. And this is the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Home Inspection Advisory Committee.

[00:40:41]>> [snorts] >> Okay.

[00:40:43]It's not looking good, folks.

[00:40:45]Okay, I'm sorry that you're in this situation that you find yourselves in, but it certainly does not appear to be his fault that you find yourself in that situation. When you come to court as a plaintiff, you have to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that there is liability on the other person's part.

[00:40:59]You have to prove to me that he did something wrong, and you can't prove to me he did anything wrong. His evidence proves he's not even supposed to probe, but you can't even prove that there's evidence that that was there a year earlier. You're looking for a deep pocket, and that's not how court works.

[00:41:14]Verdict for the defendant.

[00:41:16]>> All sides hold on your difference.

[00:41:22]>> All right, so the plaintiff's unable to prove the case. Uh You understand why the judge had to rule the way she did.

[00:41:28]>> Yes, I understand how uh she saw it, but how I'm not electrician, so how do I How do I take loose a box? I You know, I don't I don't understand.

[00:41:39]Was I supposed to go out there and inspect the box after an inspector? I'm not electrical inspector, so I don't know what to look for. When I had electrician come, the first thing he says is, "Mike, there was a problem here."

[00:41:52]>> Mhm.

[00:41:52]>> And he says to me, "If it was during the storm, the whole house would have been on fire." So, >> Well, >> you know, I don't I don't understand that. If a breaker catches on fire, it's something had to be put out.

[00:42:05]>> Right.

[00:42:05]>> So.

[00:42:06]>> All right. Well, I'm just unable to pin it on him with the proof, unfortunately for you. All right, so step on in here.

[00:42:13]The inspector comes out. Uh was this about money for you? Was this about your reputation? What?

[00:42:17]>> Uh principal reputation.

[00:42:19]I I don't hold nothing against them.

[00:42:21]It's just that um I make a living from their referrals.

[00:42:25]The last thing I'm going to do is not report something that's present the day of the inspection.

[00:42:29]>> Well, you could miss something.

[00:42:31]>> Anything's possible, but um I didn't miss that.

[00:42:35]Harvey.

[00:42:36]>> So here's the thing. When you hire an inspector or somebody like that, they're not guaranteeing that they're going to find everything. They are only required to use the professionalism that people in that community, other inspectors, >> [music] >> would do when they inspect a job. If they're acting professionally and they do their job, that's all they're required to do.

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