[Michelle] He filed the complaint against me for the cyber stalking.
[Judge Judy] And he called the police because you refused
to leave his home.
Yes.
I said okay, "Well, then I'm not leaving."
That's interesting.
Uh, I have extensive damages to my apartment as well.
[announcer] This is Judy Justice.
[announcer] Michelle Wittenstein is suing fellow dog owner
Logan Rosenfeld...
[announcer] ...for the cost of a husky puppy she never received.
[Kevin] Court come to order, all rise.
Be seated, please.
[Kevin] Hello, Judge, case 1040.
Wittenstein versus Rosenfeld.
Thank you, Kevin.
Ms. Wittenstein you took on the responsibility
of dog sitting for the defendant's dog.
Correct.
[Judge Judy] The defendant has a husky mix.
How old is the dog?
Three and a half now.
- And it's a female? - Yes.
[Judge Judy] How old was the dog when you got the dog?
Three months?
[Judge Judy] And where did you get the dog from?
- [Logan] I bought her. - From where?
[Logan] Craigslist.
[Judge Judy] It's a mixed breed dog?
- Uh-hmm. - How much did you pay for her?
Two hundred bucks.
[Judge Judy] Pretty much what you would pay as an adoption fee.
- Yeah. - [Judge Judy] If you went to a place
that rescued dogs.
And what kind of dog do you have?
I have a husky Akita mix.
How old is that dog?
Four and a half.
[Judge Judy] And how old was the dog when you got him?
Two months.
[Judge Judy] Where did you get him from?
Also Craigslist, off an ad for $200.
[Judge Judy] Now, you got together how to get this job as a dog sitter?
[Michelle] My friend Max told me that Logan needed help,
needed a favor to watch the dog.
It's not a favor, a favor is for nothing.
He was paying you to take care of the dog.
- Correct. - [Judge Judy] So that's a job.
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] And how much
was he giving you to take care of the dog for a period of time?
We never actually negotiated on any terms.
But he paid me $150.
Actually, it was $180.
I have the bank statement for that if you'd like to see it.
That right? A hundred and eighty?
Yeah, but I thought that $30 was a tip.
Okay. You got paid a hundred and eighty dollars.
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] Now, this case
is a relatively simple case, while you were watching his dog,
your male dog and his female dog mated,
not at his request.
But as a result of probably both of your negligence
and not having your animals spayed.
He had a litter of puppies, and you're suing him
for the value of one of the puppies,
because you said that that was an agreement
and for filing a false restraining order.
He says he filed the restraining order
because you tried to take one of the puppies
out of the house without his permission.
And he's got a counterclaim
and his counterclaim is for the veterinary bills that he incurred.
Plus, plus, plus, but I'll deal with the veterinary bills.
For dealing with this litter of puppies that was done
because of your negligence.
That's his counterclaim.
So now you have four and a half year old dog.
- Do you take the dog to the vet? - Yes.
- [Judge Judy] Regularly? - [Michelle] Yes.
Has the vet suggested when it was a puppy to have it spayed?
- Yes. - And why didn't you do that?
At the time, I just didn't feel as if I needed to.
What does that mean?
I just didn't want to, you know, spay the dog.
[Judge Judy] No, did not want to spay the dog
is the final result of a thought process.
I wanna know your thought process.
You have a mixed breed dog
that has no real value to a breeding line
when there were tens of thousands of dogs out there
that need good homes.
So you're not involved in a breeding program
to breed the huskies or Akitas,
is it just that you didn't want to go through the trouble,
that you didn't wanna go through the expense?
Probably not because you take the dog to the vet regularly.
I need a reason. And then I'll get to you.
I didn't want to it's not a reason.
I didn't wanna pay the expenses.
So it had to do with cost?
Yes.
[Judge Judy] Oh, that's interesting.
And now you have a three and a half year old female
that you got as a puppy.
It's also a mixed breed dog same questions that I would ask her.
Would you tell me why you didn't act responsibly
and have that dog neutered?
Uh, I actually wanted to continue her lineage.
Uh, she's the first dog I've gotten.
And I thought it would be an interesting thing
to just keep it going.
- She's a very beautiful dog-- - That is the most ridiculous thing
I ever heard.
The dog is a mixed breed dog. It has no lineage.
You have a lineage which is what say you
it's the first dog I ever had.
So I wanted to continue that lineage.
[laughs]
Your lineage as reflected through the dog,
I mean I don't-- I don't understand that answer.
I really don't understand that answer.
[Logan] No, I just, um,
I had wanted to, you know, breed her
and then the kid and continue on, to keep it going.
Just intentional--
[Judge Judy] Keep what? Just a second.
Keep what going?
- [Logan] Her bloodline. - [Judge Judy] Oh,
- so you wanted eventually-- - I had intended to breed her.
Yeah. Absolutely.
Eventually you had intentions of breeding her,
well, there goes your counterclaim one, two, three.
You know, that was a pretty dumb answer.
Because you wanted a litter of puppies.
You had a litter of puppies.
So what are you suing her for?
Uh, not at this moment, it was a very--
[Logan] Oh, well, I did have a counterclaim.
It is now gone.
Now, when was it that you agreed to take control of his dog?
He dropped the dog off November 4th.
And you only have one dog?
At the time yes.
[Judge Judy] How many dogs do you have now?
- [Michelle] Two. - What is the other dog?
German Shepherd.
Did you get as a puppy?
Yes. At two months.
That you purchased?
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
Now, you negligently allowed these two dogs to breed
because he didn't make that request to you, correct?
- Correct. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
Now the only question that I have to ask you is,
you say that you're entitled to the value of one puppy,
and you're suing him for $3,235.
Some of that is for filing a restraining order against you.
Now, you explain to me why you think
you're entitled to the value of a puppy.
Logan and I had agreed
that I would be receiving one stud puppy.
[Judge Judy] Just a second.
Well, when he dropped the dog off,
he didn't ask you to breed the dog with his dog.
- Correct. But-- - [Judge Judy] Okay.
Then he finds out the dog is pregnant.
Tell me the exact circumstances
where he agreed to give you a puppy.
If he did in fact agree to give you a puppy, we'll move on.
When the dog was giving birth,
he had agreed that I would be receiving.
Agreed is a conclusion.
The dog was giving birth.
You had a conversation.
You had a text exchange, you had an email exchange.
We've had verbal and text agreements.
When he filed the complaint against me for the cyber stalking,
he had also acknowledged that we had a contract.
I'd like to see it.
[Michelle] And...
[Judge Judy] Okay, sir.
This clearly acknowledges that you told her
that "after the puppies had their shots,
I would give her the one."
- Uh-hmm. - So do you acknowledge
that you had an agreement with her?
To give her one puppy?
- Yes. However-- - [Judge Judy] Perfect, perfect.
I would like to say--
[Judge Judy] No, no, don't say anything.
Okay.
And you agreed to give her one puppy after they had their shot?
Absolutely.
And when did they have their shots?
L-- late February.
[Judge Judy] Now there was an incident when evidently
she made the request for her puppy.
And I want you to tell me about that.
Because based on that,
you changed your mind about giving her a puppy.
[Logan] So the morning of February 13th,
Michelle had called me, uh, twice.
And she sent me a text saying, "Hey, I'm gonna get the dog
without it being vaccinated."
Um, I wanted to sit down and write an articulate response
and not, you know let, throw that to the wind
- when I got home-- - Well, that's stupid by the way.
I agree. I have a text where he said--
[Judge Judy] Just a second,
just a second, that would be stupid.
To take a puppy that hadn't had at least it's first shot.
I was going to bring it to the vet immediately.
[Judge Judy] Uh, I'm just telling you it's stupid.
- [Michelle] Yes. - It's too young.
If it's too young to get its first shot,
it's stupid to take it because you want it.
So you said you sat down
and you wrote her an articulate response,
so it probably said, "I want puppies to get their first shots."
Actually, I didn't get a chance to respond because as I got home,
Michelle and a friend of hers were waiting for me
outside of my apartment.
Okay, and tell me what happened.
She asked if she could see the puppies.
I said, "Yeah, for five minutes. I'm about to run back out, actually."
And I said I addressed her text message.
I said, "Unfortunately, I don't think that you can take the puppy today.
They're not vaccinated."
I had intended to go to the vet the next day.
[Judge Judy] Whatever. They weren't vaccinated.
Did he tell you can't take the puppy today
because they weren't vaccinated?
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
And that was on February 13th.
Yes.
[Judge Judy] And what happened next?
[Logan] I showed them the puppies and as Michelle was trying to leave,
she actually reached into the puppy pin,
picked one up and tried to walk out the door.
At which point I blocked the door--
[Judge Judy] Just one second, is that what happened?
- No. - What happened?
[Michelle] Well, my friend and I were inside Logan's apartment.
And we were playing with the puppies, nothing out of the ordinary.
I had been invited to Logan's place several times prior and he told me,
"You are actually not getting a puppy."
So I said, "Okay, well then I'm not leaving."
So then he called the cops and then the cops came.
Nothing was filed. No police report.
And I left the premises.
[Judge Judy] And did you pick up a puppy?
- Yes, to play with. - [Judge Judy] Just a sec.
You picked up a puppy?
- [Michelle] Yes. - [Judge Judy] And he said,
"You're not leaving with it today."
[Michelle] Yes.
[Judge Judy] Okay, good idea.
And he called the police because you refused to leave his home
- without a puppy. - Yes.
[Judge Judy] So that's called in the law a trespass.
I will tell you why it's a trespass
because you were originally invited into the home to see the puppies.
Once he told you that you were no longer welcome in the home
and you continued to remain there,
you were remaining in his home without his permission,
and that's a trespass.
So he's entitled to call the police
and I'm sure the police escorted you out
- and told you to go home. - [Michelle] Uh-hmm.
[Judge Judy] He is entitled therefore to file for an order of protection
if he feels that you might come back, period.
It's a very simple case.
I'm not going to make it into a scopes trial.
So the part of your claim that requests damages
for filing a false report
resulting in a protective order is dismissed.
So the only thing left is the value of a puppy.
Right?
Uh, I have extensive damages to my apartment as well, I'm sorry.
Not from her.
No, from the litter of puppies.
Well, that's because you wanted to continue your bloodline.
- [laughter] - That's fair, that's fair.
[Judge Judy] You were the one who told me that.
[Logan] Uh, as well--
[Judge Judy] It was your first puppy
and you thought somehow that gave it magical powers, Mr. Rosenfeld?
- [Logan] No, I just thought-- - Are you an only child?
- Yeah, only child. - [Judge Judy] You're an only child.
Got it.
And this, is the puppy
who's other ear has to learn how to stick up.
Mine too. He's got the same floppy ear.
Did you say yours too?
Yeah, mine also has the same floppy ear.
- Not you, your dog. - No, no, no, my puppy.
[announcer] And later today.
Did you file a restraining order?
[Marisa] I did. And I have proof.
I have the pictures from the assault um just after the assault
and then I do have the police reports.
[Judge Judy] Just a second.
You filed two different actions.
- Correct. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer] Michelle Wittenstein.
Claims she never received the husky puppy...
[announcer] ...defendant Logan Rosenfeld agreed to give her.
Logan is countersuing Michelle
for a refund of dog sitting charges and property damage.
So let's get real.
The reason that you didn't give her a puppy
is because of all this kerfuffle and the police had to be called.
You did in fact have a contract with her
to give her a puppy after it received its shots.
- Yeah. - [Judge Judy] But now
we get to the value of a puppy.
Well, you paid $200 for your mixed breed
that was half Husky half Akita.
And you paid $200 for yours.
- That was half-- - Husky and half,
uh, I think she was a wolf dog.
That's what they had told me.
So we really don't know.
[Logan] No, no, I have no idea.
Can I see pictures of these?
I would just like to take a look at them.
Just to amuse myself.
Come on, let me see a picture of yours.
[Judge Judy] I'd like to see.
I got too much stuff.
And I'd also, Mr. Rosenfeld--
- [Logan] Uh-huh. - I'd also like to see
if you have pictures of the puppies.
- [Logan] I do. - You kept two.
I kept one actually.
- [Judge Judy] You kept one? - Yes. So this is my dog.
This is her dog.
This is one of the puppies.
And this is actually his DNA report.
Uh, there's no Akita on it.
[Judge Judy] Okay.
Whose dog is this?
- [Michelle] My dog. - [Judge Judy] Good looking.
- Uh-hmm. - [Judge Judy] And this is your dog
that has a lot of Husky in it.
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] And this is the puppy.
[Logan] One of them, yes.
[Judge Judy] Who's other ear has to learn how to stick up.
- Mine too. - [Judge Judy] What?
Mine too, he's got the same floppy ear.
Did you say yours too?
[Logan] Yeah, mine also has the same floppy ear.
- Not you. Your dog? - No, no, my puppy.
I'd like to think my ears are both standing up.
[Judge Judy] Well, they're lovely dogs.
And Mr. Rosenfeld, you can't change the agreement with her
to give her one puppy.
She actually doesn't want one puppy because it's been a while now
and she's already gotten a new puppy, a German Shepherd.
So I'm going to award her $200 which is what you paid for your puppy
and what you paid for yours.
That seems like a fair value.
$200 judgment for the plaintiff, counterclaim is dismissed.
Thank you very much.
Goodbye. Good luck. Have a happy life.
- We're done. - [Kevin] Court is adjourned.
She told me, I have a slew of text messages
I was trying to pull up she said the dog will be supervised,
it'll be cared for, she's home 24/7.
I found out pretty quickly within 30 minutes
that the dogs w-- were mated.
I wish it was a little later.
I was not expecting this.
It was a complete accident.
Make sure you, uh, watch who, uh, dog sits your dog.
Glad to put this behind me.
[Sarah] It seemed as though they were both nice people
just trying to settle a disagreement peacefully and--
I like them both.
I don't think that there was any venality.
There were a couple of good lessons,
and I think good lesson for her
was that she should have her dog spayed.
I think that any responsible person who has a dog
that they don't intend to breed for a particular reason
should exercise good judgment.
There are plenty of animals out there that need loving homes,
so that's a good lesson.
But I must confess to you that
when I was much younger,
I did in fact have a Maltese dog
and Jerry and I decided it would be wonderful
to try having a litter of puppies, and I was a judge at the time.
I was sitting in Manhattan and I remember that for six weeks
I would carry the puppies cause I was afraid to leave them home
and their mother to work with me
and I would keep the mother in the back, in the robing room.
I'd keep the puppies in a drawer and I said to myself,
"This is an awful lot of work."
So I can imagine having a litter,
I think he had six puppies and took care of them.
And he said, "You should see the damage
that they did to his house."
But he was very cute.
It's his first dog and he wanted to continue the line.
- The memory of the first dog. - [Judge Judy] The memory--
the memory-- memory in the line of the first dog.
Anyway, I thought that they were cute
and I thought that the decision was fair.
He had in fact agreed to give her a puppy.
I couldn't change his mind.
- Nice people. - Good turnout.
Case 1043, Williams versus Rettig.
Please step forward.
[announcer] Twenty-two-year-old Marisa Williams
is suing her ex-husband...
[announcer] ...twenty-one-year-old Benjamin Rettig
for stimulus money and an assault.
Ms. Williams, how old are you?
I'm 22.
[Judge Judy] And you, Mr. Rettig?
Twenty-one.
You were married to each other for a short period of time.
How old were you when you got married, Ms. Williams?
Twenty, I believe.
In what month did you marry?
- December. - [Judge Judy] And you have a son?
- We do. - How old is he?
[Marisa] He'll be two years, uh, September 5th.
[Judge Judy] Now, in what year did you separate?
2020.
When in 2020?
May.
How old was your son when you separated?
Seven months.
And who were you living with at the time of the separation?
I was living with Ben.
In your own apartment?
No, we had a house together.
Anybody else live in the house?
Just our son.
[Judge Judy] Who was working?
[Marisa] Ben was working, as I had--
I was dealing with health issues since the pregnancy.
[Judge Judy] Okay.
Now, you moved out of the house?
You moved out of the house in May?
- [Marisa] Correct. - Of 2020?
That is correct.
[Judge Judy] And with whom did the child reside in May?
[Marisa] We had an agreement where Ben would have our son
um Friday until Sunday as Ben worked long shifts
from 4:30 PM to 4:00 AM.
Okay.
And you would have him during the week while he was working?
- That is correct. - Did that work out?
- Yes, it did. - Is it still working?
We have 50/50 custody now, so I have him every other week.
[Judge Judy] This case is about stimulus money.
I assume you were unemployed in 2020?
That is correct.
[Judge Judy] And for the time that you were married,
you jointly filed tax returns twice, is that correct?
That is correct.
[Judge Judy] And each time, he was the filer,
your Social Security number was second,
and the only income that was reported was his?
Correct.
[Judge Judy] So, when the court entered a judgment of divorce,
which was in what year?
- This year. - [Judge Judy] Did the court say
who was to take the child as a deduction?
We did not have a divorce decree yet, and nothing was in order.
[Judge Judy] You don't? Okay.
Well, if I had to make a judgment
with regard to previous tax filings,
I would say that if there was a refund from taxes
and you're no longer together,
my judgment would be you're not entitled to half of the refund,
if you weren't working.
I am just asking for the stimulus money because he did receive 1,400
for me and our son and therefore I am asking for half of our son
- as well - [Judge Judy] Okay.
So you didn't receive any stimulus check in your name?
- No, I did not. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
And you did receive stimulus checks in whose name?
My name.
How much did you receive?
First stimulus check, I received roughly $3,000.
[Judge Judy] Three thousand?
[Benjamin] Yeah. It was for me, her,
- and Jack. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
And how do you know it was for you,
and the plaintiff, and your son?
Did it delineate who it was for?
It went by the tax returns
which had myself, Marisa, and Jack on there.
[Judge Judy] No.
There's usually a stub with it.
Do you have a copy of what you received?
I do not.
[suspenseful music playing]
Just because the court dismissed her complaint
does not mean you could sue her for filing a false restraining order
unless you have some evidence to show me
that she filed the restraining order knowing that it was false.
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer] Twenty-two-year-old Marisa Williams
claims her ex-husband...
[announcer] ...twenty-one-year old Benjamin Rettig
owes her for stimulus payments.
Benjamin is countersuing for car damage
and filing false restraining orders.
[Judge Judy] Now, I can tell you that
I'm not an IRS specialist so I can only tell you from experience.
The IRS makes a check payable
to one person or a check to two people
if they filed jointly, and if they're getting a refund.
I never heard of the $3,000 stimulus check.
First stimulus check I believe was $600?
Am I getting that right?
Tina, would you check that for me, Sarah?
[crowd] It was 1,200.
- [Judge Judy] Hmm? - [crowd] It was 1,200.
[Judge Judy] Thank you.
Check it for me.
First stimulus check was 1,200.
Even that way, the math doesn't work out,
because if it was a stimulus check for the three of you,
it would have been $3,600.
For children, it was less.
The first was 1,200 per person
followed by 600, and then an additional 1,400.
And is there a difference for a child?
The stimulus package for one year
upped the child tax credit from 2,000 to 3,000 per dependent
ages six to seventeen,
while children five or younger, the credit was increased
from 2,000 to 3,600 per dependent.
And that was for 2020?
Yes.
[Judge Judy] What other monies did you receive, sir?
I received money from the tax return and the three stimulus checks.
Well, how much did you receive from the tax return?
- I'd like to see it. - I have the tax return right here.
Do you have any evidence to show what he received?
- Yes, I do. I have-- - [Judge Judy] I'd like to see it.
I have a picture um showing the last four numbers of my bank account
and then the last four of the bank account
that the stimulus checks went to.
It doesn't say anything here.
It just shows um the last four numbers of my bank account.
[Judge Judy] It shows that you didn't get anything.
[Marisa] Exactly.
[Benjamin] I have the tax returns right here showing how much I got.
Read it off to me.
For the 2019 federal filing,
I received $4,409.
[Judge Judy] And that was for a child credit?
Yes.
[Judge Judy] And at that time, in 2020,
the child's sole source of support
both before you separated and after was Mr. Rettig, is that correct?
- That is correct. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
And in 2020, I received $4,346.
And what was that?
That was my 2020 tax return.
What was 4,409?
That was 2019.
- Yeah. - And how was that broken down?
[Benjamin] That was a child tax credit and I overpaid on taxes.
[Judge Judy] Okay. So that's his money?
That is correct.
[Judge Judy] And in stimulus money,
you got in total, it says $3,200,
that's what you should've received.
- You said you received 3,000? - It's based upon income, I believe.
[Benjamin] The first stimulus check...
- Oh. - ...it was 1,200 for each adult
and then it was 500 per child.
- So the first one-- - Okay.
[Benjamin] ...would have been 2,900.
So you understand she's entitled to hers?
- You understand that? - Yes.
Did you give it to her?
- No. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
So you understand you have to give her $1,200
because that's her stimulus check.
If what you're telling me is each person,
you and your wife, got a stimulus check
and you took both of them,
that was not the intention of the stimulus check.
Certainly, I know it wasn't gauged on what you earn,
it was a per capita payment.
Not that there was any rhyme or reason to the payments because
I will tell you that there was not rhyme or reason to the payments,
they're just printing checks.
But you have to return the $1,200 for her's,
do you understand?
- Yes. - [Judge Judy] Okay.
You have a cross complaint for car damage?
Yes.
[Judge Judy] This is what your ridiculous claim for car damage
is that when she left,
she took one car that belonged to you,
that she was supposed to maintain in good working order,
and when she returned it, it wasn't maintained in good order?
That's what it's about?
Take that up with the judge who does the divorce.
I'm not dealing with that.
And for filing a false restraining order and legal fees.
Okay. Did you file a restraining order?
I did and I have proof.
I have the two--I have the pictures from the assault.
Um just after the assault and then I do have the police reports.
[Judge Judy] Just a second.
You filed two different actions?
Correct.
[Judge Judy] Was there a trial related to those actions?
- There were. - There were two trials?
- [Marisa] Yes. - [Judge Judy] Well, I'm not hearing
that evidence again.
That judge made a determination as to whether or not
there was a low level of proof
as to whether or not the incident occurred.
Were you granted a restraining order?
- I was not. - [Judge Judy] So after you testified
and your husband testified,
the court dismissed your complaint?
That is correct.
I also didn't have a lawyer, so I did not show this evidence.
[Judge Judy] I don't, don't-- shoulda, woulda, coulda,
you went to court,
the judge heard your case,
and at the end of the case with the lowest quantum of proof,
at least the same quantum of proof as required here,
the court dismissed your complaint.
Just because the court dismissed her complaint, Mr. Rettig,
does not mean you could sue her for filing a false restraining order,
unless you have some evidence to show me
that she filed the restraining order knowing that it was false,
a text, a message, that sort of thing.
She's entitled to file for a restraining order,
and if she loses,
the court could grant you cost if in fact
you had a lawyer because you're suing for legal fees.
Did your lawyer make a request for legal fees?
No.
[Judge Judy] Well, that's not my problem, that's your problem.
You've had your day in court.
Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $1,200.
We're finished. Thank you very much.
[Kevin] Court is adjourned.
I am not happy with it because he took so much money from me.
She only wants money, that's all she's ever wanted.
He received payment.
He's also not paying child support,
therefore, um, he's pretty much just doing this to get back at me.
There was a time where I was paying child support.
I have since been ordered to not pay child support.
He didn't care and he didn't wanna give it to me.
I hope she gets her stuff together and...
doesn't bother me.
I hope that he really leaves me alone and he does what's right.
[Judge Judy] You know what was nice to see, Sarah?
Even though those kids were very young and very young
to accept the responsibility of child,
if what she said is true,
I think she's putting her life in a better direction
if she's applied to school and stuff.
Could you imagine yourself taking care of a baby and going to school?
[Sarah] No, 50/50 custody,
that responsibility while trying to do college starting at 21?
- That's tough. - That's tough.
So, you're supposed to think before you start a family.
Think about your future and how to make it the best future you can
possibly--and make yourself the best person you could possibly be.
But she sounds bright and he's certainly--
I was actually impressed with how smart he was
knowing about his tax returns.
And supporting three people.
[Judge Judy] Supporting three people. Yeah, you're right.
impressive.
Sad but impressive.
[announcer] Want justice?
Go to JudyJustice.tv.
[theme music playing]