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00:00You formed a band.
00:02The Michael Jackson Tribute Band.
00:04And then he quit the band.
00:06So you want your costumes back.
00:08I did not know he would own these costumes.
00:10If you're playing Sir Lancelot and you decide to leave,
00:14you don't take Sir Lancelot's costumes with you.
00:17They go to the next Sir Lancelot.
00:20This is Judy Justice.
01:00You're welcome.
01:01Mr. Polak, you are in the real estate business, according to what I read.
01:05But as a side hustle, you formed a band.
01:08Correct.
01:09And the band was a Michael Jackson impersonator.
01:13It was a Michael Jackson Tribute Band.
01:14And the defendant was part of that band.
01:17Yes, he was the impersonator.
01:19When did you hire him?
01:21Well, we met in mid-2018,
01:24but it was probably about two or three months later
01:27that we decided to work together on this project.
01:30And when did the band first perform?
01:32The band first performed in 2023.
01:35Okay.
01:36Now, at some point, you paid for costumes for the band.
01:40I did.
01:40And among the costumes that you paid for for the band
01:43were the defendant's costumes,
01:45who was the Michael Jackson impersonator.
01:48Yes, they were the costumes he would wear for the performances.
01:50And you do not deny, sir, that he provided the money
01:53for the materials for the costume?
01:56Some, but not all.
01:57Which ones are not all?
01:59Well, he paid for $2,772.52 of materials,
02:06and I paid for $460.64 of materials.
02:12Well, why don't you tell me exactly what it was that you bought?
02:14Crystals that were used on the main jacket,
02:16which were quite a bit of crystals.
02:19I believe came up to $187.
02:21And then I also bought the tools
02:25that were used by my girlfriend, who's the witness.
02:27She is the costume designer of these costumes.
02:29So there were certain tools that she needed
02:31to place crystals and things like that.
02:33Where are the costumes now?
02:34They are actually here, but they are in my possession.
02:37Okay.
02:37So you want your costumes back?
02:39I do, yes.
02:40That's what it's about.
02:40Then there was a loan that you made,
02:43allegedly to him, of $1,000.
02:45And you made that loan, according to you,
02:48he said he was short on expenses back in December of 2023.
02:53Correct.
02:54And then he quit the band in May of 2024.
02:59Correct.
03:00The defendant does not deny that you gave him $1,000
03:05in December of 2023.
03:07He says that that was an advance that was going to be taken out
03:12of his earnings from doing the shows.
03:15So my question to you, Mr. Pollack,
03:17before we get into the costumes,
03:20is between December in 2023 and May of 2024,
03:26approximately how many performances were done with this band?
03:32Two shows.
03:33When?
03:34That was April of 2024.
03:37Just two shows in April of 2024?
03:40So nothing in January, February, or March?
03:43Correct.
03:43Why is that?
03:44Just no booking?
03:45No booking.
03:46And how much did you make from those two shows in April?
03:50One of the shows, the gross pay was $7,600.
03:54Your gross pay or his gross pay?
03:56The band's gross pay.
03:57Okay.
03:58And the other?
03:59$5,600.
04:00And how much did the defendant make from those two shows?
04:04He made $1,082 from one show and $775 from the second show.
04:11Was any money taken out of his salary for this $1,000 loan slash advance?
04:19No, because for taxation purposes,
04:22we keep the money that he would get separate.
04:26The $1,000 was my personal money that I loaned him.
04:29So the money that you loaned him came out of your personal account?
04:32Yes.
04:32Okay.
04:33Did you receive $1,082 and $775 for those two shows?
04:39Yes, I did.
04:40Is it your claim that you were owed an additional $1,000 for those two shows?
04:44Yes.
04:46So that's your answer.
04:47Your answer is, your claim is you were owed an additional $1,000.
04:52Careful with your answer.
04:53Is that correct?
04:54Is that correct?
04:55Yes or no?
04:56No.
04:57Okay.
04:57I am owed $1,500 per show in our contract.
05:02Oh, I'd like to see that.
05:03Yes.
05:04And also, he is the sole investor of everything.
05:06It doesn't matter.
05:07No worries.
05:08It doesn't matter.
05:09I just want to see where it says that you get $1,500 a show.
05:17You'll see that in Section 2 as an estimate.
05:19Shh, shh, shh.
05:20This is just an estimate.
05:22This doesn't say how much you're going to get, sir.
05:24He's absolutely right.
05:26Can't tell how much you're going to get.
05:27It's estimated.
05:28I will also state that I did not know it was a loan, as I thought it was an advancement.
05:33I also had the proof of that.
05:35The sale that he sent.
05:36All I'm asking you is, did you pay him out of this income?
05:40Out of those two shows, I did not know, ma'am.
05:42No.
05:43Then you owe him $1,000.
05:44That's easy.
05:45And then you quit in May.
05:46What was the reason that you quit?
05:48Communication.
05:49Business communication.
05:51Just the relationship in general.
05:53We were supposed to be business partners.
05:55And it didn't work out?
05:57Correct.
05:57Okay, fine.
05:58Have you done any shows since?
06:00Yes.
06:01With whom?
06:02We brought in a replacement Michael for that show.
06:06Okay.
06:07And what did you do for costumes?
06:09That impersonator we hired brought their own costumes.
06:12Is he still working for you?
06:14No.
06:15Okay.
06:15No.
06:19Dating back to what month and year do you claim he did not pay your travel expenses?
06:26Uh, from the very first show.
06:28Well, then that's a problem that you have, sir.
06:30We're talking about over a year ago.
06:32And later today.
06:33I don't believe you when you say, I wanted to pay for it myself.
06:37I want you to understand that.
06:38I do.
06:38I do want to.
06:39I want you to understand that I don't believe that.
06:42Well, you don't have to believe me.
06:43You can believe what you want.
06:44I am believing what I want, sir, because it sounds stupid.
06:56Mark Polak claims his former bandmate, Christian Robinson, is wrongfully keeping the wardrobe
07:02he purchased.
07:03Christian is countersuing for travel expenses and the profit from merchandise sales.
07:08Do you have anything else to tell me about the costumes other than the fact that your
07:11girlfriend made them?
07:12Uh, she created them.
07:13She was never paid for labor.
07:15She has to have a contract to be paid for labor.
07:17Yes, I understand.
07:19You know, that's an investment she's making in you.
07:22Unless she had a contract with him, he's not responsible for her.
07:25Yeah, it was never under any of my knowing that he would own these costumes or own anything
07:32that was paid for as far as being the sole investor because it was towards me as far as makeup
07:38or anything like that.
07:39Um, I also helped pay for the costumes and also helped build the costumes as well, so.
07:45It doesn't matter.
07:45They're his costumes.
07:46If you are in a Broadway show and you're playing Sir Lancelot and you decide to leave, you don't
07:55take Sir Lancelot's costumes with you.
07:57No, but...
07:58They go to the next Sir Lancelot who is coming to work for Flo Ziegfeld.
08:04But ma'am, we did this together.
08:06This was not a he hired me for something.
08:08We were two business partners together.
08:10How much did you put into the business, sir?
08:12I put $4,000.
08:14This includes my counterclaim.
08:16Your counterclaim's nonsense, sir.
08:19It is $4,186 because of travel expenses that I paid for, which he was supposed to...
08:24Just a second.
08:26Yes, ma'am.
08:26You have to return his costumes today.
08:28You have to return his $1,000, which you have not returned so far.
08:32Could I pay him instead of returning the costumes?
08:35Could you what?
08:35Because that was his deal.
08:36What?
08:37His deal was that he would like $3,019 instead of the costumes.
08:39Let me explain something to you.
08:40He was getting the costumes back.
08:41Yes, ma'am.
08:42That's what he wants.
08:43That's what he should have had.
08:44Should have had the costumes back.
08:46So he's getting the costumes back.
08:48Next, we're going to get to your counterclaim.
08:51Dating back to what month and year do you claim he did not pay your travel expenses?
08:59From the very first show.
09:00Well, then that's a problem that you have, sir.
09:03Do you have communication to him, starting with the first show, that indicates these are my expenses.
09:09I'd like to be paid.
09:10We're talking about over a year ago.
09:13I'd like to see a communication that you have with him that says, these were my expenses for the first
09:21show, traveling, that he did not respond.
09:23I would constantly just tell him I've spent this much.
09:26Yeah, that's why I said you counterclaims nonsense.
09:28It's dismissed.
09:29He gets his $1,000 and his costumes back.
09:31We're finished.
09:32Thank you very much.
09:32That's all.
09:33This court is adjourned.
09:37I thought it was a great ruling and it was right along the lines that I was expecting.
09:43Yes, it was very much creative differences.
09:45The band did well and the audiences just loved it.
09:48And he would constantly combat me with different things.
09:51He kept demanding more and more money.
09:52Well, the whole band left him, if that's any indication, and they are working with me now.
09:58Can you imagine the producers of Broadway shows if every time one of their actors decided to quit to move
10:06on to something else, took their costumes with them?
10:09Very expensive.
10:10It would get them, I'm sure.
10:11Very expensive.
10:11And really, in order for his girlfriend to be compensated for the time that she spent in making or designing
10:17the costumes, she has to have a contract with the plaintiff instead of an arrangement with her boyfriend, whose career
10:24she wanted to encourage.
10:27Relatively easy case.
10:28And as far as his expenses were concerned, unless you, in a timely fashion, say, this is the money that
10:34you owe me.
10:35These are my plane tickets, train tickets, car expenses.
10:39Yeah, the fact that he didn't have one communication about them led me to believe it was sort of an
10:43after-the-fact ad.
10:44Fact, I'm going to count.
10:46Yeah.
10:46Yeah, me too.
10:48Case 40-42, Johnson v. Livingood.
10:51All parties, please come forward.
10:52Madison and Jonathan Johnson are suing their former friend, Ryan Livingood, for vet bills and the return of their dog.
11:01Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, there was a period of time recently, in the last year or so, that you were
11:06separated.
11:06Is that right?
11:08Yes.
11:08Yes.
11:09And then you got back together again?
11:11Yes.
11:11You purchased two German shepherd puppies.
11:14Did you purchase them when you were separated or together?
11:17Together.
11:18This is after you got back together or before you separated?
11:22Was that before or after?
11:23Come, come, come, come, come.
11:25This is not a hard question.
11:27Let's do it this way.
11:28In what month and year did you separate?
11:30November.
11:31Of 2023?
11:33Yes.
11:33And when did you get back together again?
11:36What month and year?
11:37We got back together January 2024.
11:40And when did you get the two dogs?
11:43We got them December 28th.
11:46Where did you get them from?
11:47A lady in Salem.
11:49Salem where?
11:50Salem, Oregon.
11:52And they're German shepherds?
11:53Yes.
11:54Male or female?
11:55Both male and female.
11:57There came a time when you realized that you couldn't take care of both of these puppies.
12:01They were two whatever.
12:03And you knew the defendant.
12:05According to your complaint, you agreed to give one of the dogs to the defendant.
12:10And that dog was the female or the male?
12:13Female.
12:13And there were some conditions, according to you.
12:16One condition was that he allowed you to take the dog to the vet to finish up the shots.
12:24Yes.
12:25And he did let you take the dog.
12:29Don't make me dizzy.
12:32He did let you take the dog to finish up the shots.
12:36What were the other conditions?
12:38To have a stable home.
12:40Now, when you gave him the dog, where was he living?
12:43He was living at a friend's house.
12:45Okay.
12:46So when you gave him the dog, he really didn't have a stable place to live.
12:50He was living at a friend's house.
12:52Yes.
12:53And were there any other conditions?
12:55That he was to just take proper care of her.
12:59So that she would get her shots, that he had a place to live, and that he would take care
13:03of her.
13:03Yes.
13:04She was also supposed to be going in for her spay appointment.
13:07And she did not get there for that.
13:09Okay, well, just a second.
13:10Who made a spay appointment for her?
13:12We did.
13:12You did?
13:13And when was she supposed to be spayed?
13:15March 12, 2024.
13:19Which wasn't part of the agreement.
13:20Yes, it was.
13:21Well, just a second.
13:22Why would you not want to have the dog spayed?
13:25I want to pay for it myself.
13:27Why am I going to have her pay for it?
13:28And why am I going to have the dog in her name?
13:30No.
13:31No, no, no, no, no, don't talk.
13:32Just listen to me carefully, sir.
13:34Okay.
13:37You say you wanted to pay for it yourself.
13:40Yes.
13:41We're now in October.
13:44Yes.
13:45Have you had the dog spayed?
13:47No.
13:57Madison and Jonathan Johnson claim their former friend, Ryan Livinggood, broke their agreement
14:04and refuses to return their German shepherd.
14:07Now, who made a spay appointment for her?
14:10We did.
14:10You did?
14:12And when was she supposed to be spayed?
14:14March 12, 2024.
14:17Which wasn't part of the agreement.
14:19Yes, it was.
14:19Well, just a second.
14:21Why would you not want to have the dog spayed?
14:23I want to pay for it myself.
14:25Why am I going to have her pay for it?
14:27And why am I going to have the dog in her name?
14:29No.
14:29No, no, no, no, no, don't talk.
14:30Just listen to me carefully, sir.
14:32Okay.
14:33If she had a spay appointment for March and they were going to take care of it, are you
14:40saying that there was another proviso in that visit to the vet or she was just going to
14:48be spayed?
14:49No.
14:49She wanted her spayed and neutered and microchipped and named in her name.
14:53No.
14:54Okay.
14:54Just a second.
14:55Did you at any time tell him that you wanted the dog microchipped in your name?
15:01We did not want her microchipped in our name.
15:03We told him that we would have her microchipped in his name since it would be his dog.
15:07Nope.
15:08That's a lie.
15:08And that's the reason that you want her back?
15:11Is he didn't follow the agreements that we had.
15:14The spaying part of the agreement?
15:16Yes.
15:17Okay.
15:18Well, that's a very reasonable part of an agreement because certainly someone who's living at
15:24a friend's house and according to him somewhere between his friend's house and a car shouldn't
15:28have a female dog that's not spayed.
15:30You would agree with that, sir?
15:31Yes.
15:32Yes, I agree with that.
15:33Okay.
15:33And I want you to understand something.
15:35Yes.
15:36That other than the fact that you say that they wanted to have the dog chipped in their
15:41name, which they say they don't want, I don't believe you when you say, I wanted to pay
15:47for it myself.
15:48I want you to understand that.
15:49I do.
15:50I do want to pay for it.
15:50I want you to understand that I don't believe that.
15:53Well, you don't have to believe me.
15:54You can believe what you want.
15:55I am believing what I want, sir, because it sounds stupid.
15:58You don't have enough money for your own apartment.
16:00Just a second.
16:01You don't have enough money for a place to live.
16:03Then why give me the dog?
16:04I'm speaking.
16:05I'm speaking.
16:06You're not.
16:07And you have people who gave you a dog who you allowed to take to the vet to get shots,
16:12which you didn't pay for, which they did.
16:15You didn't say, no, I want to pay for the shots.
16:17You let them pay for the shots because that was your agreement.
16:21And they had an appointment to have the dog spayed in March, which was just about the
16:26right time for a female dog to be spayed.
16:28So I couldn't understand it if you said to me, no, they were going to take the dog to
16:35be spayed and chipped in their name.
16:37And I didn't want that.
16:38That I couldn't understand.
16:40But what you said was, I wanted to pay for it myself.
16:44I didn't want them to take the dog.
16:46So I want you to listen to me carefully now.
16:49Okay?
16:49That seems to me to be a perfectly reasonable set of rules and conditions to give you this
16:59dog.
17:00But that was...
17:00Don't speak.
17:01Don't speak.
17:02I'm talking.
17:03Don't speak.
17:04I'm talking.
17:05Perfectly set of reasonable rules that you have a place to live.
17:09So you have a place for the dog.
17:11The dog is current on shots, which they were going to pay for, which they did.
17:16And that you spay this female dog.
17:18Three reasonable things.
17:20Now, you say you wanted to pay for it yourself.
17:24Yes.
17:25We're now in October.
17:27Yes.
17:28Have you had the dog spayed?
17:30No.
17:31The dog's going back just as a...
17:34What?
17:34It's my decision.
17:35I'm the owner of the dog.
17:36Not anymore.
17:38Not anymore.
17:39So she kept the dog...
17:40Not...
17:41No, I'm walking out.
17:42I'm not doing this.
17:45Okay.
17:46So let me give you my decision.
17:49They kept the dog in a cage all day.
17:50If you want to come back, I'll speak to you, sir.
17:52This way, sir.
17:53This way.
17:53This way over here.
17:53If you want to come back, I'll speak to you.
17:55Don't speak to me from the past.
17:56I'm not doing this, dude.
17:57She's calling me a liar, dude.
17:59They're liars, dude.
18:00No, I'm not doing this.
18:03Now, that was your choice to give the dog to him.
18:06Yes, and we understand.
18:07Because what I was going to say to him was, if he had proof within the next 30 days that
18:14he has the dog spayed, which is what he said.
18:17He said, I wanted to pay for it myself.
18:19Well, that's March.
18:20March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
18:23That's eight months.
18:24Now, the dog is older.
18:25It's a bigger deal as the dog is older to have the dog spayed.
18:29Okay?
18:30It's just a big deal.
18:31They're bigger dogs.
18:32It's more of an event.
18:34But if he did it and paid for it, it would be his dog.
18:38He didn't, so you get the dog back.
18:41Now, you can get the dog back with a sheriff, with a marshal.
18:45I will give you an order that he breached the contract that you made with him by not allowing
18:51the dog to be spayed, and you can go get the dog.
18:54I'm telling you, that's up to you, whether you want to do that or not.
18:58Yes.
18:59You don't know where he is.
19:00Do you know where he is?
19:01Not currently.
19:02That was this whole problem, is we were playing a wild goose hunt, trying to find him to
19:07get the dog back.
19:07Well, now you found him enough to get him here.
19:12Yes.
19:12So I'm going to give you an order that, according to him, because he was here long enough to
19:19testify that he had not had the dog spayed in eight months, and his original statement
19:25was, I wanted to pay for it myself, which is belied by the fact that he didn't do it.
19:33Do you understand?
19:33It's simple.
20:02It's simple.
20:03Do you want to have a future vet appointment made for her?
20:06We're ready to bring Angel home.
20:09Clear contract.
20:11We will give you this puppy for no money, despite the fact that they paid for the two puppies.
20:16We want to make sure that it's okay.
20:17We want to pay for its shots, because you have no money.
20:20And they made an appointment in March to fulfill the rest of the contract, which was to have
20:26the puppy spayed.
20:27He didn't do that.
20:29Yeah.
20:29Now, his excuse was angry.
20:33My dog, I wanted to pay for it myself.
20:35Well, reasonable.
20:37Yeah.
20:37And even in the papers, I think he mentioned something about at the spay appointment,
20:42they were going to try to sneak in chipping the dog in their name.
20:46And so I could understand from that perspective, if he wanted to do it himself, fine.
20:49But eight months later, she's still not paid, and the contract is still just as breached as
20:54it was on that day in March.
20:56So I think the right thing happened.
20:59Have you been cheated?
21:00Go to JudyJustice.tv.
21:20Go to Judy Media Options.
21:22Go to Judy News.
21:23Go to Judy mensen.
21:29Go to Judy.
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