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00:00Now on Tribunal Justice.
00:03It looks like you were in a relationship for about 10 years.
00:06She took the car, she left.
00:08So then pay me for half the car and we're done.
00:10Threats of wage garnishment, I'm hiring a lawyer.
00:13The last email he sent called me a liar and a thief.
00:16She sent me an email saying I hid the car.
00:18Maybe because you were being so overbearing.
00:20She didn't want to be with you anymore. Get it through your head.
00:23So one thing that you did not provide us was the bill of sale. Why?
01:00Parties have been sworn in.
01:01Thank you, Cassandra.
01:02You may be seated.
01:03Okay, Mr. Duckett, it looks like you and the defendant were in a relationship for about 10 years and you
01:10lived together.
01:10Yes.
01:11According to your complaint in 2023, you jointly purchased a car and you each contributed half.
01:18Yes.
01:19After you broke up, the defendant took the car and you're now suing her for your $7,000 contribution.
01:27Well, we didn't break up. She left.
01:31I get that.
01:32Ms. Anderson, you claim the car is yours, even though he contributed half because he had crashed your car that
01:41resulted in the purchasing of this newer one.
02:12Right.
02:14And I was having to take him and spend a lot of money on him at the vet.
02:20I needed a car to haul him back and forth.
02:22I just want to correct one thing on the accident in Linda's car.
02:27Linda was with me.
02:28We were at a red light sitting and a lady rear-ended us.
02:31Is that right?
02:31I did not wreck her car.
02:33Okay.
02:33All right.
02:34Well, that was unclear to me.
02:35Let's put up that car.
02:36Photo 11.
02:37So, Ms. Anderson, this was your car?
02:39Yes.
02:40It was an 05 what?
02:42Pontiac Sunfire, and it did get totaled.
02:44And did you receive any money as a result of this accident?
02:47I did, and I gave all the money that I received from that car to him.
02:50And how much was that?
02:51I think it was $5,000.
02:52It was $5,000 that you contributed directly from the proceeds of the insurance claim?
02:57Mm-hmm.
02:58It was $1,000 from your savings?
03:00Mm-hmm.
03:00And $100 checks?
03:02For $1,500.
03:03Exactly, for $1,500, which represented your one-half share.
03:06Mm-hmm.
03:07Okay.
03:08So, now back to you, Mr. Duckett.
03:09Yes.
03:10Can we put up 03, please?
03:12That's your check, sir.
03:14March 18th, $11,000, correct?
03:17Yes, and two days later, I spent $2,400 at Les Schwab, getting tires, everything, making
03:23it all as new as possible.
03:25This is a document you prepared for purposes of this litigation, Mr. Duckett?
03:28Yes, sir.
03:28And this just gives us an idea as to the items that you added to the vehicle after its purchase,
03:33yes?
03:34Yes, sir.
03:34So, one thing that you did not provide us with, Mr. Duckett, was the bill of sale.
03:39Was there anything on that bill of sale that you didn't want us to see?
03:42No, sir.
03:42No?
03:43It was in her name.
03:44So, you agreed that the car, after it was purchased on March 18th, was registered in the
03:49defendant's name?
03:50Yes.
03:51Why?
03:51We're both licensed insurance agents in the state of California.
03:55So, we understand the liability questions regarding people driving cars and getting hit.
04:01I had recently inherited a little money.
04:04That was how I was able to purchase this vehicle.
04:07And at the time, we agreed that since I worked from home and I didn't need to drive to work,
04:12she drove to work every day.
04:14If she got hit and we were both co-owners, they could then come after my deeper pockets.
04:19The money that you got from the inheritance, was it six figures or less?
04:24It was six figures.
04:25It was six figures.
04:26All right.
04:27So, at the time we discussed the liability issue, I said, well, from here on, you will
04:31pay taxes and insurance and upkeep and we'll put it in your name for the liability issue.
04:36Yeah, but first of all, is that correct, ma'am?
04:39He never said anything about the liability purposes.
04:41He just said, we're going to put it in your name since you drive it to work.
04:45Okay.
04:46Tell us the circumstances, ma'am, of you moving out.
04:49Well, the place that we lived was just the electricity didn't work.
04:54I had to turn everything off to blow dry my hair or blow fuses, always having to go and
04:58do fuses and things like that.
05:01He had inherited some money, but made no attempt to try to improve our lifestyle at all.
05:07The place was constantly cluttered.
05:10So, I found this room to rent and it's a really nice room.
05:14And so, I moved out.
05:15Okay.
05:16But I was still driving him around in the car, but he wasn't paying for any of the fuel
05:20or anything.
05:21Is that consistent with your understanding?
05:23Kind of.
05:23She was, when Tiger, I had to put him down, she told me at the time she wasn't going to
05:28go through that with me again.
05:30I got a rescue dog.
05:31Ended up having to spend $3,000 on him.
05:34And you used your inheritance to kind of do that?
05:36And you weren't all that thrilled with him using the inheritance in that way?
05:39No.
05:40I would like to say that when she moved out, she sent me pictures of the water bowls and
05:45the dog beds and said my house was too cluttered.
05:48Yeah.
05:48And that she's since said to me several times, I like the dog hair-free zone.
05:53I get that.
05:53She's never been what I would call a dog person.
05:57Yeah, I just couldn't live in that house anymore.
06:00Okay.
06:01It's a rental, by the way.
06:02I don't have the right to change anything.
06:04So, anyhow.
06:06What I think Ms. Anderson is saying is that she was hoping for an upgrade.
06:09Well, that's, what am I supposed to say?
06:11You know, oh, please come back?
06:12No.
06:13So I said, okay.
06:14So she did.
06:15And then November 3rd, she texted me that, hey, she's at the airport and she's going
06:22on a cruise to Jamaica and don't text her, call her.
06:25And then when she got back, she emailed me, I went on this trip, I didn't tell you about
06:31it, I knew you would be upset because, you know, she's been coming around my house.
06:35That's okay, I knew you would be upset.
06:37Yeah, because I've been feeding her and stuff, I felt sorry for her because she's always got
06:40money problems.
06:41That's why she kept coming around, I was feeding her and felt sorry for her.
06:44What about the car?
06:45Well, then she sent me an email saying I hid the car.
06:50Coming up on Tribunal Justice.
06:52She was the one that was name-calling and stuff in that, and I kept saying,
06:55hey, look, don't, let's not brand.
06:55You got mad, and I'm quoting you.
06:57She never had any money.
06:59I had to feed her.
07:00I mean, he makes you sound like you're some kind of stray puppy that you rescued.
07:08Steven Duckett is suing ex-girlfriend Linda Anderson, claiming after they bought a car
07:12together, she left him and took the car.
07:14He wants over $7,000.
07:17His half of the car costs back.
07:19But Linda says they only bought the car because Steven wrecked her car, so she owes nothing.
07:24What about the car?
07:25Well, then she sent me an email saying I hid the car.
07:28I wouldn't hid it because I was afraid that when I came back, you wouldn't give it back to me.
07:32Is that right, ma'am?
07:33Well, partly and partly because the cars had been hit twice in that spot where we'd park
07:39it at his house.
07:40Okay.
07:40And I was worried somebody was going to hit it again.
07:42Okay.
07:43But you knew if he took it back.
07:45I may not get it back.
07:46Exactly.
07:47Judge Acker.
07:48Thank you, Judge.
07:48I'm not going to hold my cards too close to the vest.
07:51The title to me is somewhat dispositive.
07:54So it's your burden to prove that I should discount a document that says it's her car.
08:00I'd also ask you why the heck you think that you're entitled to the full value.
08:04I mean, cars depreciate.
08:06Okay.
08:06She sent me emails saying that she owed me the $7,000.
08:10She agreed that that was the price of the car.
08:11Maybe because you were being so overbearing.
08:14I was not being overbearing.
08:15I was very polite in those emails.
08:17As a matter of fact, she was the one that was name calling and stuff in that.
08:19And I kept saying, hey, look, don't, let's not rant.
08:21You got mad, and I'm quoting you.
08:22She never had any money.
08:23I had to feed her.
08:24I mean, he makes you sound like you're some kind of stray puppy that you rescued.
08:27But I noted, ma'am, that you indicated that you had some property that you'd contributed to your...
08:34Household.
08:35To your household that he still has.
08:37Yes.
08:37Treadmill.
08:38A treadmill.
08:38I spent $1,000 on the treadmill.
08:40He thinks it's his because it replaced an old broken one.
08:45And I bought the new one.
08:46You bought the new one.
08:47It actually worked.
08:48She used it for two years.
08:50And then when it broke, she bought a new one.
08:52With her, she never had any money, and she was always having money problems.
08:56I put her through bankruptcy already once.
08:57And it seemed like you really wanted to put her through that again with the threats of wage garnishment.
09:03I'm hiring a lawyer.
09:04I'm doing all of this.
09:06I told her, I said, look, could you please make payments for anything?
09:09Sir, sir, you didn't say, could you please make payments.
09:12I'm going to read your messages right now.
09:14You will now need to pay me $200 per month until you have paid me the amount of $7,000
09:20for the 2006 Toyota Matrix, which you have taken.
09:24Yeah.
09:25I will be paying the attorney $2,000 and a court filing fee of almost $1,000 to bring suit
09:31against you.
09:32If you do not pay me for my car, I will include those charges, and your debt will be $10
09:37,000.
09:38Now, does that sound like, would you please just contribute?
09:42Why do you think that the car should be appreciated at a value from several years ago?
09:48Cars depreciate.
09:50They do, but the loans and the banks don't, you don't go to the bank after you've bought a car
09:55for a few years later.
09:56You're not a bank.
09:56You were a boyfriend.
09:57Well, I was the bank.
09:58You were not a bank.
09:59You were a boyfriend.
10:00Some of the money to purchase the car was hers, sir.
10:02No, it wasn't.
10:03Did you contribute $5,000 to the car?
10:06After I'd purchased the car.
10:08She gave you $5,000 of her money.
10:10Now you're being petty.
10:11I do not see how, even if you have an ownership interest at this point, that we can value a
10:18car in the same way that we did two years ago.
10:20I know you'd like to see yourself as standing in the stead of a bank, and I have a legal
10:25document that says whose car it is.
10:27That's why we have such legal documents.
10:29I don't have anything else, Judge Domingo.
10:31When was the last time you saw one another?
10:33The last time I talked to him, or when he, the last email he sent, called me a liar and
10:38a thief, and I've not talked to him.
10:39How long ago was that?
10:40A while ago?
10:41It's been a while for the both of you?
10:42A while ago, yeah.
10:43All right.
10:43I like to look at a big picture.
10:44You're together 10 years.
10:45In the course of those 10 years, you shared your life.
10:48Sometimes you paid more.
10:49Sometimes you paid more.
10:51Sometimes you didn't pay at all.
10:52But anyway, so now you have this car, and you want to pay the least amount of insurance.
10:57You both know what the insurance companies are looking for, so you put it in her name, because she's judgment
11:04-proof, basically.
11:05You've got nothing.
11:08So when Joe hits the back of your car, and he thinks he's got a bad back or whatever, and
11:13he sues you, he gets nothing.
11:15If he sued you, he'd be looking at a six-figure amount, possibly.
11:19Yes, ma'am.
11:19So you both wanted to protect yourselves.
11:21Would I be right?
11:22Yes, ma'am.
11:23Would I be right?
11:24Yes, I just needed a car.
11:26So you gave $7,000.
11:28You gave $5,600 plus $1,000 plus some other money.
11:31And you admit it was $7,000.
11:33Yes, ma'am.
11:34So the vehicle cost $11,000 and the $3,000 in extras.
11:38You paid $14,000.
11:39You paid for it.
11:40You paid cash for it, right?
11:42I wrote a check, yes.
11:43Yes or no?
11:44Yes, I wrote a check.
11:45I would like to say I didn't even ask her for the money she owed me when she moved out
11:50at the beginning of the month and that.
11:51I didn't include any of that.
11:52She just left, and I didn't ask for that.
11:54She didn't want to be with you anymore.
11:55Get it through your head.
11:58Coming up on Tribunal Justice.
12:01You mentioned just now that the car was involved in an accident and she paid for it.
12:05Was she driving?
12:10Steven Duckett says ex-girlfriend Linda Anderson left him one day with the car they bought together.
12:16He's suing for the money he paid plus rental costs, totaling over $7,000.
12:22But Linda says Steven totals her old car.
12:25The new one's hers, and she's not paying him anything.
12:28She took the car she left.
12:30She just wanted out because she was not being fulfilled by you.
12:33You know that.
12:34Am I right?
12:35Right.
12:35So then pay me for half the car and we're done.
12:37Maybe.
12:37That's all I asked for.
12:38Yeah, but that's the point we're making here.
12:39What is that half value, if you get it at all?
12:42Think about it.
12:43She had major money problems and she was having billing problems.
12:46Okay.
12:46And so she told me she was going to save money by moving to this new place.
12:51She was lying to you.
12:52She wanted to give it away.
12:53I know.
12:53Okay?
12:53That's what made me mad.
12:54I don't believe it.
12:55I never said that.
12:56But the reality is you both half own this vehicle.
13:00So when you take the whole car, in my mind this is now, when you take the whole car, he's
13:05entitled to something.
13:06But he's not entitled, in my view, to $7,000.
13:08That was years ago.
13:10The value of that car today is about $4,700.
13:14So even if I were to think that you were to buy him out of the car, you might only
13:18be selling that car for $4,700.
13:21Now, for me, I just need to decide how much it is, if you want to keep the car, how
13:26much it is that he would be entitled to, if at all.
13:29And so that's where my mind is at this moment.
13:31I'm done.
13:32So, Mr. Duckett, if I understand you correctly, in response to Judge Domingo, you would say,
13:36no, she owes me $7,000 because she agreed to $7,000.
13:40Yes, sir.
13:41And she agreed to $7,000 in an email on November 11th.
13:46Yes, sir.
13:47That's not what the email says.
13:49Let's put it up.
13:50It's really small, but let me do this.
13:52So, on the top, the defendant is listing items that she paid for during the relationship.
13:57Treadmill, shed, lamp, shelf, curio cabinets, dishes.
14:01She says, I think it's interesting that you want to sue me over $7,000 when the car is registered
14:07to me.
14:08I was looking at getting a loan to pay you, but you've gone over the deep end again.
14:12And why still $7,000?
14:16You've had use of the car for over a year.
14:19She's making the depreciation argument right there.
14:22You would agree that up to that point, there has been no agreement to $7,000?
14:27In that conversation, no.
14:29This is the only evidence of that $7,000 agreement that you're relying on.
14:33Well, and she paid me her half for $7,000.
14:35No, it doesn't make a difference.
14:36All I'm doing is showing you proof that you provided us that contradicts that testimony.
14:42The amount was never agreed to, correct?
14:44Correct.
14:45When there's not a meeting of the minds, there can be no contract.
14:51You agree with that?
14:52Yes.
14:52In addition, my question to you is, was the vehicle in November of 2024 in the exact same condition as
15:02it was in March of 2023?
15:04No, it was better.
15:06It was better?
15:07I spent all that money to make it a brand new vehicle.
15:10What about an accident?
15:11Was it ever in an accident?
15:12It was.
15:13It was in an accident.
15:14And she had to pay to fix it.
15:15It doesn't make a difference.
15:17Let me ask you this, since you are in the insurance business.
15:19When a car is involved in an accident, does it make its value higher or lower?
15:24Depreciates.
15:24There we go.
15:25You acknowledge the depreciation, and you acknowledge that the reason why you put it in her name and only her
15:33name
15:33was to protect yourself from anyone ever coming after you and your inheritance, so that means that if the two
15:43of you were together in the car, you were driving, and there's a crash, and someone sues successfully.
15:49They sue the owner of the vehicle, correct?
15:52Yes, sir.
15:52That's her.
15:53Right.
15:54And because you're not listed anywhere on the ownership paperwork, that person would have no way to collect from you,
16:00but can go after her, garnish wages from her, right?
16:05So what you really did, with all due respect, is shoot yourself in the foot, because what you did was
16:12by trying to absolve yourself of any and all future liability,
16:16gave up all rights, title, and interest in that vehicle to her so that any liability attaches to her and
16:25protects yourself.
16:26No, that was the whole intention of putting it in her name, was to protect my money from that.
16:32It was our money, basically, you know?
16:35I got it.
16:35And I thank you very much.
16:36So that was the whole point.
16:37Quick question for you, sir.
16:38You mentioned just now that the car was involved in an accident, and she paid for it.
16:42Was she driving?
16:43No, it was parked.
16:44It was parked.
16:45And somebody hit it.
16:46Somebody hit it, and she paid for those damages.
16:48Yes.
16:48You didn't come to trip into it.
16:49Her insurance paid for it.
16:49Oh, her, your insurance.
16:51So it's a mark on your insurance.
16:53It was the second time my car got hit in front of his house.
16:56We're going to retire to deliberate.
16:58Thank you both.
16:59Court is now on recess.
17:00All parties will be recalled.
17:10The way I see it, he's arguing breach of contract, breach of an oral contract that she agreed to pay
17:16$7,000,
17:17and therefore she should be held to that agreement.
17:20I think we've all been through it.
17:22There is no meeting of the minds.
17:24There was no agreement as to the $7,000, so his breach of contract claim, in my opinion, must fail.
17:29Then there's unjust enrichment.
17:31That would she be unjustly enriched by having exclusive use of this vehicle despite the fact that he made a
17:38substantial contribution?
17:41Well, no.
17:42Well, no.
17:42If, because it's solely in her name and he wanted it solely in her name, it was giving him a
17:47benefit.
17:48Both of them a benefit.
17:49Well, both of them, but most certainly him a benefit because it was only him who had inheritance money.
17:54The fact that he wanted her name and only her name benefited on the title, the insurance, all that, really
18:02only benefited him.
18:04And so his unjust enrichment argument, so too, should fail.
18:09And while there are a lot of people that may say, as you did, you should give him something because
18:13he contributed to it,
18:15I say, unless there's another cause of action that I didn't think about, I don't think that that applies.
18:21When he put her name on everything, he was thinking right there.
18:25And he wasn't considering what was going to happen if they split up because he didn't see that happening.
18:30Well, that happens.
18:31And so as a result of all of that, I believe that his lawsuit should be dismissed.
18:37I'm right there with you.
18:39I think that the decision to put her name solely on the title, I don't think those were like shenanigans
18:45or they were playing fast and loose.
18:46I think it was a choice.
18:47She would be on the hook for potential liabilities.
18:50And the flip side of that is that it is her car.
18:54So I'm with Adam.
18:55I think they did it both for themselves.
18:57I think it was a benefit that was going to inure to both of them.
18:59I think they didn't count on breaking up.
19:01So therefore, his several hundred thousand dollars was going to be in a pot that they were all going to
19:06use.
19:07She had nothing.
19:07So they were going to be living off of that.
19:10I think that she made it clear that she was willing to give him some of the money that he
19:15contributed.
19:15I think she made it clear it wasn't going to be $7,000.
19:19And I think that he is entitled to something.
19:22He is basically selling her his portion of the vehicle that's valued at today's value.
19:27And so I feel very comfortable giving him a buyout amount that would reflect that sale.
19:32Do you think she offered to pay him something?
19:34But I think that those were offers to try to settle a dispute.
19:37I wouldn't bind her to those.
19:39I don't think he has any legal entitlement.
19:40And just to put a further pin on it, as we just established before we left the bench, there was
19:46an accident.
19:47She's bearing the burden of that accident.
19:49It's on her insurance.
19:50So he just wants to, like, get all of the benefits of owning something without really having to step up
19:54on the other side.
19:55I agree with that.
19:56And also, Pat, to your point about this was an agreement that they had.
20:00The car was going to be put in her name and that they were both going to use it.
20:03And she was going to benefit by the additional monies that he had from this.
20:06That they were protecting in case of something.
20:08But at the same time, what she was expecting was a little better lifestyle.
20:12She was expecting a bit of a better place.
20:14Yeah, but so they both screwed each other in the relationship.
20:16But that doesn't have to do with the legal aspect of the case.
20:18She had cat hair, she had dog hair, no electricity.
20:21She hated that.
20:21Well, listen, I understand your position, and I disagree.
20:25That's all.
20:25Okay, so I am willing to give him back something.
20:28I'm willing, the car is valued right now at $4,700.
20:31I'm willing to give him about $2,350.
20:33I'm at zero.
20:34I'm at zero.
20:35Okay, I'm willing to do that.
20:36Okay, 23 and zero.
20:39Zero.
20:40Got it.
20:41Go away.
20:46Court is back in session.
20:47All parties are reminded that you're still under oath.
20:49All right, well, we have deliberated, and we have reached a decision, but it is not unanimous.
20:55I have two things that I want to mention.
20:56One, I would like to put up on the monitor, please, O2.
21:00I just want to put that photograph up and say, rest in peace, Tiger 5.
21:04Yeah.
21:05All right.
21:06You're welcome.
21:06I know it's tough.
21:08The other thing I wanted to mention, Mr. Duckett, we've been asked by Ms. Anderson, just send
21:13a very polite message that right now, she would much prefer to have no further communication
21:18at this time.
21:19And if there is going to be further communication in the future, let it come from her.
21:22Great.
21:23Fair.
21:25Now, back to the case.
21:27Judge DiMango's position, taking depreciation into consideration, she would award you $2,350,
21:37and that it would, in effect, be unjust for you, Ms. Anderson, to take full 100% control
21:44of a vehicle that's been fully paid off that he contributed money to.
21:47However, the majority, between Judge Acker and myself, we've discussed the email, and
21:53we now know she never agreed to $7,000, so there was no meaning in the minds.
21:57Then that last issue, then, becomes one of unjust enrichment.
22:00Is she being unjustly enriched by getting a car that you contributed half to?
22:05Part of your burden under an unjust enrichment claim is to prove that the circumstances surrounding
22:13all of this are unjust, and that she, in fact, had the benefit by getting possession of this
22:20vehicle.
22:20But the benefit that you were receiving was that you were liability-free, and that she
22:26was assuming all liability for future accidents.
22:30And so your unjust enrichment claim cannot succeed.
22:33You agreed to have the vehicle put solely in the defendant's name to protect you from any
22:40and all liability.
22:41Therefore, the judgment of the court is that your claim for $7,000 denied, and your lawsuit,
22:48sir, is dismissed.
22:51This case has concluded.
22:52All parties are excused.
22:57Basically, I get nothing for a car that I bought.
23:00He thought I was robbing him.
23:02Yeah, she'd been taking stuff out of the house, and I noticed, and then she just left.
23:07There were dog beds everywhere.
23:08There were clothes everywhere piled.
23:10I would clean the kitchen, and then it would be cluttered again.
23:14I offered to take her to dinner last night and said, we won't talk about anything.
23:18We'll just be have a friendly dinner.
23:20She didn't want to do that.
23:21Because I'm broke up.
23:23And he's suing me.
23:24She doesn't like me now because I asked for my money.
23:27I don't ever want to see him again.
23:29Life goes on, and I'm pretty unhappy.
23:31Did a bad breakup cost you more than a broken heart?
23:34Commit to letting tribunal justice make it right.
23:38Find us on social media.
23:52We'll see you next time.
23:53We'll see you next time.
23:54We'll see you next time.
23:56We'll see you next time.
23:58We'll see you next time.
23:58We'll see you next time.
23:58We'll see you next time.
23:58We'll see you next time.
23:58We'll see you next time.
24:00We'll see you next time.
24:02We'll see you next time.
24:03We'll see you next time.
24:06We'll see you next time.
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