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Judge Judy

Matt of North Port FL (06/18/08)
In March 2005 I purchase a John Deere L111 lawn tractor fromHome Depot for around $1700. I have experienced alot of problems with it. After 75 hours but unfortunately 3 months out of warranty the right deck spindle seized up. (they come without grease zerts designed to break) After removing the deck and closer examination it was apparent that the left spindle was dry and should be replaced as well.

When I went to the dealership for parts they have the opinion that the parts are manufactured cheaper for the big box stores. Nonetheless I purchased 2 new spindles (which came with grease zerts what a surprise) and installed them. After installing the spindles I noticed the right spindle is sitting at an angle. My friend Mike (a lawnmower mechanic) and I have spent hours trying to adjust the deck checking the tires doing everything you can imagine because it always left a stripe when you mowed you never got that nice flat yard. I guess I got a deck with a bad stamp.

Once we figured out what was wrong the dealership told me to get out the old persuader and give it a whack. We fixed the problem by fabbing a spacer. So Now we have new spindles, a deck that is mowing nicely for 6 months 50 hours then it happens all over again. Now the left spindle seizes up. So it starts all over again. Remove the deck replace the spindles, replace the belt the idler pulleys are making noise so replace them as well.

As I am looking under the deck I can see the body is rusting away to nothing. The powder coating is coming off in big sheets. Once I start wire brushing the metal it was like opening a big box of worms. It is just going to continue and continue and eventually rust away. You would have to remove and sandblast the thing and have it painted. When I purchased this mower I thought it would be a 5 year investment and then I would probably need a new mower. I'm sure it will be sooner. The dealership said that John Deere would tell me the rust is due to the fact that I live 20 miles from the Salt Water. My reply is I live 30 miles away and if that is the case maybe they should only sell them in Nebraska.

4 spindles @ $70 each and 150 miles wear and tear on my vehicle.

Debbie of Palmdale CA (03/26/08)
I was contacted by the producers wanting us to solve our case on the program. Having never really watched this type of show, I agreed. The producers told me repeatedly that my case was a no brainer and that all of the evidence I needed I had already. They told me that the sheer fact that my previous landlord had cashed a 3 year old check (he found in a file cabinet) was evidence enough (it seemed so for me as well). When we got to the show, the same producer told me that we should lie and change our story. We were rushed to sign countless legal documents while being pushed onto the set. They also told me to get angry and go on stage in an angry fashion. I was very upset as they literally told us to lie.

I asked to review documents that the defendant would present and that request was denied. It was clear to me after the taping that they were not interested in the truth, only in creating a melodrama, not based on truth, but on what may get good ratings. When we got to the stage, the Judge asked for receipts for rent that they knew I did not have. The case was based on my prior landlord cashing a check I had given him three years prior, which had been replaced with cash long ago. Six months prior to this show, I disposed of all items pertaining to that rental as I had moved out 2 1/2 years prior and figured I'd never need them. This Judge did not even listen to my story for a second. She ruled against me simply because I did not have the receipts for rent, when it had been an extended period of time since I had vacated.

The Producers told me I had such a good case that I should ask for damages, and I subsequently changed the suit for $5,000 at their suggestion. This never even came up on the show. The story of the rental is: I found a condominium on 5-5-05 and gave the Broker (it was a fee management agreement between this guy and the owner) a check to hold the apartment. Two days later, he approved my application and I asked him if we could move little items in prior to 6/1 when we wanted to move in. He told me this was fine, but he needed the check replaced with cash, as it would not clear for 10 days and he could not give me keys until they had the cash. My daughters and I met him at the property on 5/9, gave him cash to replace the check. He forgot it and told me he would throw it out. To be safe, I placed a stop payment on it. I moved in on 6/1 and gave him a check for rent for June and following months until I moved out on 3/1/06. He let me use the deposit (given to him in cash form on the 9th of May) for last months' rent. The prior check was never addressed again until 3 years when he cashed it for no reason other than he found it in a file cabinet. As stated above, I disposed of all records on this property six months prior to this happening so I no longer had the receipt for the cash he had given me. The Producers advised me that I did not need anything else, and that they understood the nature of the case. Judge Judy did not even ask anything about the case, only accused me of trying to get something for nothing. (In addition, I sent them a detailed case history which they compressed into a one page statement. This was what the Judge viewed prior to the case. They told me there was not time to review the statement myself as we were rushed onto the stage. I still do not know if it matched what I wrote).

As a result, the landlord kept my money and even received money for his participation on the show. The funniest part of this was in his post-show interview where he advised landlords to keep good records. This was incredibly comical because he alleged that he did not remember getting the check until he found it in a file three years later. How can he advise to keep good records?

Karen of Milwaukee WI (03/23/06)
I solicited the JUDGE JUDY SHOW -with the promise of "Justice" advertising "the cases are real, the people are real, the rulings are final! Want Justice? Call JUDGE JUDY (collection on the judgment is guaranteed)"

The day of my trial, the JJ show notified my court they were taking arbitration, leaving witnesses, attorneys, etc. "hanging." Then they failed to contact the court on next court date 1/4/06 for status conference - continued to accept the case promising "taping dates to tape the case for TV" - canceled these dates without notice to all parties, continued to re-schedule other taping dates (again canceling without notice and then rejecting the case after FOUR MONTHS and with only TWO DAYS prior to the rescheduled Court TRIAL (pending since 2004).

Shannon W gave me the 'silent treatment'  for 10 days and then notified me via E-mail -(WITH ONLY TWO DAYS BEFORE MY COURT DATE TO SUMMON WITNESS AND TO CONTACT MY ATTORNEY ) that she was no longer interested in my case and to go to trial in Milwaukee without so much as my court papers they still had in their possession. -Sarcastically disclaiming GOOD LUCK in court !

My claim was for $4,400 for breach of contract -- the tenants signed in a 'non-standard rental provision contract'  -- loss of rent, advertising cost to attempt to mitigate damages , and some repairs from the tenants residing there for one month before evicting.

The judge would NOT postpone my case any longer and when I called in (I had the flu) the court the day of the trial to ask for postponement - the judge refused and dismissed my case with a judgment to the tenants.

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