The People’s Court Podcast

First, the plaintiff bought a motorcyle from the defendant. Unfortunately, the plaintiff alleges the motorcycle was defective, so he's suing for a refund. The defendant argues the plaintiff saw the motorcyle in person, purchased it, and decided he wanted to return it five days later.

Then, the plaintiff gave the defendant, a realtor, $2,000 to hold an apartment. However, the plaintiff couldn't afford the entire deposit for the lease and wants her $2,000 back. The defendant won't return the money, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues the fee is nonrefundable.

Plus, the plaintiff says debris...

First, the plaintiff used to live with the defendant in college. Unfortunatley, the defendant never paid rent and stole from him, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues he got into a bad accident, and the plaintiff allowed him to live with him rent-free.

Then, the plaintiff, a mental health counselor, says the defendant, the owner of a transitional housing organization, owes him for back wages and stolen belongings, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant denies owing anything because nothing was stolen. In terms of the back wages, the defendant argues the defendant missed work...

First, the plaintiff parked his car on the street and claims the defendant illegally towed the vehicle, so he's suing. The defendant argues he had every right to tow the car because the plaintiff wasn't supposed to park there.

Then, the plaintiff claims the defendant, his daughter's mother, borrowed his computer but hasn't returned it, so the plaintiff is suing. The plaintiff is also suing the defendant for an unpaid loan he gave her for personal expenses. The defendant insists the plaintiff is just trying to get back at her because she filed a restraining order against...

First, the plaintiff brought her shoes to the defendant's repair shop. However, the defendant used the heel on her shoe to fix someone else's shoe, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues the plaintiff didn't pick up her shoes for three months. The defendant's policy says he's not responsible for a customer's shoes after 30 days.

Then, the plaintiff moved into an apartment the defendant owned. The defendant lived downstairs, and it was a crazy atmosphere. The plaintiff had to move out, but the defendant won't return her security, so the plaintiff is using. The defendant argues...

First, the plaintiff paid the defendant to rent an apartment. When she went to move in, there was a no trespassing sign on the fence, and the gate was locked. The plaintiff found out the apartment was illegal, and she couldn't move in, so the plaintiff is suing for her money back. The defendant claims the plaintiff gave him money to hold the apartment, but he ran a background check and found out she was being evicted. The defendant told the plaintiff she was not welcome and alleges she tried to break into the place.

Then, the...

First, the plaintiff was hired to work for a toy drive at a hospital but hasn't been paid, so he' suing. The defendant insists the organization doesn't owe the plaintiff a dime, and this lawsuit is meritless.

Then, the plaintiff says the defendant, her daughter's father, owes her money for an unpaid loan she gave him after she won the lottery, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant insists the money was a gift.

Plus, the plaintiff says the defendant's unleashed dog attacked his leashed dog, so the plaintiff is suing for vet bills. The...

First, the plaintiff says the defendant crashed into her car, so she's suing for damages. The defendant insists it's the plaintiff who backed into him.

Then, the plaintiff claims the defendant, her ex-husband, cashed in one of her insurance checks, so she's suing. The defendant argues the check was intended for him, not her.

Plus, the plaintiff went to the defendant's shop to purchase prescription glasses. However, when he went to pick them up, the lenses were there, but the frames were missing, so the plaintiff is suing for a refund. The defendant says the...

First, the plaintiff and her boyfriend moved into the defendant's basement apartment. However, the plaintiff claims the defendant is withholding her security deposit and owes her for items that were damaged in a flood, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues the plaintiff smoked marijuana in her home, and she had to evict her. The defendant denies owing the plaintiff anything. The defendant is countersuing for damages.

Then, the plaintiff hired the defendant to install a heating and air conditioning unit, but it doesn't work right, so he's suing. The defendant insists he did a great...

First, the plaintiff says she and the defendant have been dating on and off for years, but they eventually broke off the relationship. The plaintiff claims she paid for various things during their relationship, but the defendant hasn't paid her back, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues the items the plaintiff purchased were intended for both of them for their apartment, and he doesn't believe he owes a dime.

Then, the plaintiff was in her car with her daughter when the defendant crashed into her door. The plaintiff is suing for damages. The defendant argues...

First, the plaintiff purchased a leather couch from the defendant, but the seat cover started to peel off. The plaintiff was told it was a leather blend and feels deceived, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant insists the plaintiff purchased a real leather couch but was told up front it was a leather blend. The defendant argues he also offered to fix the couch for free.

Then, the plaintiff had a raccoon hole on her roof and hired the defendant's company to repair it. The defendant's workers were unable to fix it, so the plaintiff is...

First, the plaintiff says her dentist, the defendant, ruined her crown, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues he was willing to fix the crown for free, but the plaintiff got angry with him because she tried coming in without an appointment, and he was busy.

Then, the plaintiff hired the defendant to sing in a show he was producing. However, the defendant backed out of the show last minute, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant admits she agreed to perform, but she realized there would be no record labels or producers at the show...

First, the plaintiff was hired by the defendant to nanny her son. However, the defendant owes the plaintiff for unpaid wages, so she's suing. The defendant insists the plaintiff was irresponsible with her son.

Then, the plaintiff says the defendant, his former friend, owes him for rent and paint, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues she gave money to the plaintiff and his girlfriend to help them out, so they're even.

Plus, the plaintiff has known the defendant for 34 years and put him in charge of a trust. The plaintiff claims the defendant...

First, the plaintiff says she built a shed on her property decades ago, but the defendant, her longtime neighbor, is infringing on her land. She claims he even put up cinderblocks that diverted water into her shed, so she’s suing him for the cost of repairs. The defendant says he’s surprised the plaintiff is suing him, especially since the plaintiff never put rain gutters on her shed. He denies owing anything.

Then, the plaintiff claims the defendant, her husband, stole money from her bank accounts. She went to the police, who told her the defendant had...

First, the plaintiff says he has an ad business for restaurant menus. He claims the defendant, a laundromat owner, backed out of a deal they made, so he’s suing. The defendant says he agreed to an ad as long as he was the only dry cleaner advertising, but his main competitor was on the same ad page. He denies owing anything.

Then, the plaintiff claims she rented an apartment from the defendant, but the woman won’t return most of her security deposit. She denies damaging anything, so she’s suing for the balance back. The defend...

First, the plaintiff purchased a diamond engagement ring from the defendants and asked them to resize it to fit his fiancée’s finger. He claims the defendant compromised the ring because the diamonds are falling out and he’s replacing them with diamonds of lesser value. He’s suing for the cost of the ring. The defendants argue the plaintiff’s fiancée wore the ring for months and the diamond fell out due to abuse. They say they fixed the jewelry and even sent it back to the manufacturer for a new ring.

Then, the plaintiffs...

First, the plaintiff’s dog was killed when the defendant ran over his pet. He claims the defendant is rude and won’t take responsibility. He’s suing for pain and suffering, the cost of cremation, and shots. The defendant argues she drove slowly until the dogs were safely on the side of the road, but one ended up running under her car.

Then, the plaintiff organizes biannual trips with her church. The day they were supposed to leave, the bus operator said one driver couldn’t do it, but another would show up. The second driver never sh...

First, the plaintiff and defendant are both exotic dancers at the same club. She claims the defendant took the plaintiff’s car without her permission, crashed it, and fled. The plaintiff says the defendant won’t pay for the damages, so she’s suing. The defendant argues she and the plaintiff were both drunk, so she shouldn’t completely be at fault because the plaintiff handed her the keys.

Then, the plaintiffs, a married couple, live next to the defendant. They say the defendant failed to trim his trees, which caused a limb to fall into their car. The...

First, the plaintiff rented a room from the defendant and claims it was like living in a house of horrors. He says the defendant is withholding his security deposit out of spite after he called Child Protective Services on her. He is suing to get the deposit back. The defendant claims she was falsely reported to CPS and is countersuing for defamation and pain and suffering.

Then, the plaintiff claims that while she was out walking her dog in public, the defendant’s dog reached through his fence, grabbed her dog, and caused injuries to the animal. Sh...

First, the plaintiff has known the defendant for 40 years and says he was just trying to help a friend out. He claims the defendant won’t return an expensive textbook he borrowed or pay the plaintiff back for gas or tobacco either. He is suing the defendant for the money he is owed. The defendant claims he doesn’t have the textbook and doesn’t owe the plaintiff money. He is countersuing because he believes he is owed money for printer repairs and auto supplies.

Then, the plaintiff claims the defendant was his ex-roommate, who locked the plaint...

First, the plaintiff says she hired the defendant to make her lawn look long and beautiful, but that he made it worse. She argues he would not do anything to fix the situation and is suing him for the money she initially paid. The defendant claims he wasn’t paid for the work he did, and that the plaintiff kept overwatering, which caused the issues with her yard.

Then, the plaintiff claims that while driving one afternoon, the defendant rear-ended him as he was stopped at a flashing red light. The defendant seemed nervous when they got ou...

First, the plaintiff says that when his brother borrowed his car, damage appeared that matched the shape and size of the plaintiff’s trailer hitch. When the cops arrived, the defendant refused to back his car up to see if the damage matched. The plaintiff is suing for the cost of repairs. The defendant claims there were plenty of trucks with trailers around that could have caused the damage, and he was not the one to hit the plaintiff’s car.

Then, the plaintiff says she agreed to watch the defendant’s six cats while the woman was in...

First, the plaintiff says her father and stepmother stole her car and won’t give it back. In fact, she says they’re even trying to sell it. She says she saved up money for a car, which she eventually bought at a yard sale. The defendants claim they purchased the car for the plaintiff, so they didn’t steal anything. They also say she started dating a much older man as a teenager and moved out because they disagreed with this choice.

Then, the plaintiff says he rented the defendant’s theater location for a festival he was h...

First, the plaintiff is a former law enforcement officer who has a seven-unit rooming house. The defendant rented from him for a while, smoked marijuana, and shortchanged the defendant on rent. The plaintiff is suing him for unpaid rent plus interest. The defendant argues the renting house was terrible to live in, as it had a bad smell, was infested with flies, and was covered in stains. When he complained to the plaintiff, nothing was done about the issues. The defendant also claims the plaintiff put him in a headlock and has drinking and anger problems.

Then...

First, the plaintiff runs a kids soccer team the defendant’s daughter played on the previous year. He says the defendants still have not paid him for some of the soccer events while she was playing and is suing them for that money. The defendants argue they didn’t want to purchase a warm-up suit for their daughter, and because of that the plaintiff started singling out their daughter. This made the defendant’s daughter uncomfortable, and she quit the team after playing on it for seven years.

Then, the plaintiff says he hired the defendant to replac...

First, the plaintiff claims he hired the defendant to film a commercial for him, but he disappeared with the money without completing the job. The plaintiff is suing to have his money returned. The defendant argues the plaintiff kept changing his mind on what he wanted the commercial to be, and the defendant eventually got fed up with it. He believes he deserves to be paid for his wasted time.

Then, the plaintiff says his neighbor improperly trimmed some of her trees, causing branches to fall onto his property and break branches off his own trees. When...

First, the plaintiff claims the defendant’s dog attacked her small dog out of nowhere one day and is suing for $5,000, the cost of vet bills. The defendant claims the plaintiff had allowed a toddler to walk her dog, and the attack happened when the defendant’s dog felt unsafe by its personal space being invaded. She says even the cops believe the child should not have been walking the plaintiff’s dog. The defendant is countersuing for aggravation.

Then, the plaintiff and defendant have been good friends since college and at one point decided to get an apa...

First, the plaintiff has been friends with the defendant for 20 years and didn’t hesitate to lend him a car when he needed one. Three weeks later, he agreed to sell the defendant the car, but the defendant hasn’t paid him for it and has even threatened to file a restraining order against the plaintiff! The plaintiff is suing for the money he is owed. The defendant claims he paid the plaintiff for the car, which promptly started falling apart.

Then, the plaintiff says she hired the defendant to clean an apartment. When he used too much...

First, the plaintiff says that he and the defendant dated for several months. After they broke up, he agreed to care for her apartment and animals while she was incarcerated. The defendant agreed to pay the plaintiff back, but hasn’t, and now he’s suing her. The defendant claims the plaintiff became obsessed with her, even proposing at one point. She did get arrested at one point by accident. When she returned to her apartment, she found that the plaintiff had taken all her money and other items, leaving her with nothing. She is countersuing for the money he s...

First, the plaintiff says the defendant was a bartender he employed at his restaurant who served alcohol to a minor. That minor got into a car accident and the employee was fired. However, the restaurant was fined $3,000 for providing the alcohol, and the plaintiff is suing the defendant for the cost of that fee. The defendant claims the minor was a regular who was given drinks by all the bartenders at the restaurant, and she had even cut the individual off that evening. She had watched the minor get into a car as a passenger with someone who had...

First, after an eight-year relationship gone nowhere, the plaintiff decided to break up with and kick the unambitious defendant out of her home. She claims he still owes her for rent and a cell phone and is suing him. The defendant claims they had a rocky relationship where the plaintiff threatened him occasionally. He argues he is the one who ended things and had never made any promises to repay her, especially since he did not live with her.

Then, the plaintiff says he rented a taxi from the defendant and gave him a $1,000 deposit to cover...

First, the plaintiff claims that when she bought a car from the defendant, he illegally forged her name on some bank documents, and she reported him to the department of consumer affairs. Because the terms of the loan are wrong, she wants out of the deal and wants her deposit back. The defendant says the plaintiff returned the car to the bank, who she took out the loan with for the car, so he has nothing to do with him. He also claims he received the deposit for the car a year ago, making it nonrefundable.

Then...

First, the plaintiff is the founder of a ladies social club that gets together and does things for the community. New members are required to pay dues and an initiation fee. The defendant ended up leaving the social club but still has a due balance to pay, and the plaintiff is suing for that. The defendant claims the club doesn’t even exist to begin with, so she couldn’t possibly owe the bitter plaintiff any money.

Then, the plaintiff claims his girlfriend was told her van could be fixed by the defendant. When the defendant received the...

First, the plaintiff claims the defendant, his great-granddaughter, has a camera and some money of his that she refuses to return. As much as he doesn’t want to, he is suing her for what he is owed. The defendant says her great grandfather is sue-happy and has even sued a restaurant for age discrimination. She claims the money he’s suing her for was a loan given to her now deceased mother, and as far as she knows, her brother has the camera.

Then, the plaintiff claims her neighbor of 15 years cut down a 40-foot tree in h...

First, the defendant allowed the plaintiff to park her car in their driveway for two years for a minor fee. However, when the defendant’s daughter moved back in, they asked the plaintiff to move her car out of their driveway. The plaintiff claims that she paid for two months in advance, but the defendant now refuses to refund her for those two months. The plaintiff is now suing for those parking fees. The defendant claims that the plaintiff stole water from her elderly mother, hiking up the water bill. She also claims the plaintiff used the garage as he...

First, the plaintiff argues that she went to the defendant for a hair straightening treatment but left with hair as curly as when she arrived. When she returned several days later for the same treatment, it failed a second time. When she demanded her money back, the defendant refused to do so, and even called the police on the plaintiff. She’s suing for her money back. The defendant argues that the treatment the plaintiff requested doesn’t straighten hair, just makes it shiny. He also says he explained this to her, and just did the job he was hire...

First, the plaintiff claims he was hired by the defendant to do four days of landscaping with his bulldozer, but the defendant now refuses to pay him for his work. He soon learned the defendant has a history of not paying people for their work. The defendant claims the plaintiff got verbally abusive on the job, tried to go against plans, and even demanded to be paid in cash under the table. Since the defendant doesn’t work that way, he refused to do so and paid the plaintiff through proper channels.

Then, the plaintiff says she re...

First, after dating for several months, the plaintiff discovered the defendant was seeing someone else. She left him and now claims he’s stiffing her for an expensive phone bill. She is suing him for these bills. The defendant claims they were only ever friends with benefits, and he paid his phone bills in full.

Then, the plaintiff, a cop, says his police car was parked in the employee lot at his station while he was on duty when it was damaged by a group of kids throwing rocks over a fence. One of the kids was th...

First, the plaintiff claims he was driving his mother’s car when he made a right turn and the defendant darted out in front of him, smashing into his car. He argues the defendant didn’t stop until farther down the street and is arguing the plaintiff is at fault. No police were called for the accident. The plaintiff is suing for damages to the car. The defendant claims he was making a legal right turn and is not at fault.

Then, the plaintiff’s son had his bike stolen, and the plaintiff knows it was the defend...

First, the plaintiff hired the defendant’s company to provide a photographer, videographer, and DJ for her wedding but claims they didn’t do their jobs right on the big day. She says the photographer didn’t know how to use a camera, the DJ was dressed inappropriately, and the videographer only had one arm. She is suing for the cost of services. The defendant says the plaintiff purchased the cheapest package possible, which doesn’t include any editing, and the attendants of the event had a great time with the DJ. He even offered to edit the photos just to...

First, the plaintiff boarded two horses at the defendant’s farm, but the defendant completely neglected them. She claims her beloved animals were underfed and treated terribly. She’s suing for a refund. The defendant argues he took great care of the horses. He’s countersuing for feeding costs and unpaid boarding fees.

Then, the plaintiff ordered firewood from the defendant after he lost power due to a hurricane. He claims the defendant delivered soggy wood, which wasn’t helpful. The plaintiff says the defendant won’t take the wood back, so he’s suing. The defendant argues he de...