That same faucet that was broken had been turned on full blast,
flooded my backyard.
So you've been to his home.
How many times, and used his faucet?
Maybe like 15 or 20.
Fifteen or 20 times?
Suddenly, I started hearing banging.
And I see the faucet snapped.
Each one of you took a shot at it.
I'm not gonna let them get away with it this time.
[announcer] Now on Tribunal Justice.
["Ride of the Valkyries" plays]
[announcer] Today's case was filed in Plano, Texas.
[Cassandra] Your Honor, this is case number 2010, Soares versus Bolton.
All parties have been sworn in.
Thank you, Cassandra.
You may be seated.
- All right. Mr. Soares. - Yes.
[Judge Levy] The defendant's two grandsons
and a friend of theirs broke your outdoor water spigot at your house, is that right?
That's correct, Your Honor.
You got an estimate to repair it. It was $536.
The defendant paid $200 restitution
and a hundred dollars came from the other boy's family,
totaling $300.
And you are suing the defendant here for the remaining balance,
$236, is that right?
- That's correct, Your Honor. - [Judge Levy] All right.
- Mr. Bolton. - [Bolton] Yes.
[Judge Levy] According to your answer,
you say that you gave the plaintiff what you thought
it was worth to fix the spigot.
He paid too much and you don't owe him another dime?
- Correct. - [Judge Levy] All right.
Mr. Soares, tell us.
This incident happened when?
It happened, uh, July 10th, 2023.
Explain to me how this all transpired.
Uh, so I was working from home on my second floor
when suddenly I started hearing banging just coming through all the way
to the second floor.
For a whole solid minute, I'm like, "What is going on?"
You know, it's shaking the walls.
So I rush downstairs and head outside, and I see the faucet snapped, metal torn.
It's thankfully not leaking any water but it's broken.
And I look and I see a couple kids just walking away.
[Judge Levy] And how many of them were there at the time?
[Soares] Uh, there were three boys.
- You know, I… - What'd you do?
You know, I was just--for the first time, in just a state of shock.
I was like, "This happened?" you know, "In this neighborhood?" you know? Crazy.
But I called the police and I'd let them know, I was like,
you know, "There's damage,
can I have the detectives come down here, get a record--a case going?"
Police came down, took pictures, took, uh, took the videos I had.
[Judge Levy] And you saw them two days later?
You were able to identify the same boys who you had seen on July 10th?
That's correct. I had videos on the front and back of my house,
so I could see them walking up.
And that's when I--that's when I saw them and I called the police again
to let them know, "Hey, those kids are back.
Can we get a detective out here?"
Why did you have videos on the back of your house?
Had something in the past that caused you some concern?
Yes. So, in the two incidents prior to this, uh, my faucet,
that same faucet that was broken, had been turned on full blast for hours,
flooded my backyard, front yard.
But after that happened, I put a lock on the faucet,
I'm not gonna let this happen again.
[Judge Levy] That's smart.
And on July 12th, when you saw the boys,
- what happened? - [Soares] I called the police,
I'm not gonna let them get away with it this time.
You know, once was enough.
So I followed them.
Um, and then when I was following them, the detective came by, saw me,
I let them know the boys were that way.
Uh, he was able to catch up with them, and he was able to get, uh, Mr. Bolton
and the kids to come to my house,
you know, confess that they committed the crime, and that we would handle it.
Tell me about the discussion, if any, that you had with the defendant at that time.
I let him know that, uh-- we discussed the damages.
I let him know I had a plumber coming out to do work on the inside of my house.
You just happened to have already a plumber scheduled?
- [Soares] Yes. - Go on.
So I let him know I had the plumber coming, um,
and that we can fix the outside pipe.
And what, if anything, did the defendant tell you in response?
He said that he would agree to pay for the damages.
[Judge Levy] Okay. What happened after that?
I had the plumber come out, they did the repairs,
and I let Mr. Bolton know in a text message,
"This is the invoice for the damages.
It's for $536, and I'm expecting payment for it."
[Judge Levy] Did you provide him with a copy of the bill?
[Soares] Yes, I did.
Now on that bill, did the work that the plumber do
at your home include a breakdown of work for the spigot repair
and work that the plumber was coming to your home to do anyway?
- Yes. - [Judge Levy] Can you describe the type
of work that the plumber had to do in order to fix the spigot?
Was it just a matter of screwing a new one on?
[Soares] No.
So, from speaking with the plumbers as they discussed it,
the metal kept tearing, so it wasn't an easy just twist it,
remove it, put one back in.
- Mr. Soares, do you recognize that photo? - [Soares] Yes.
Uh, the back of my house.
[Judge Levy] All right. And the spigot,
where approximately on that photograph is that spigot?
It's along the side.
So it doesn't show on the back picture here.
[Judge Levy] Okay. Do you recognize that photograph?
[Soares] Yes, I do. That is the new faucet they installed.
[Judge Levy] Mr. Soares, you talked about a camera…
- Yes. - … that you would put up
because you had some prior damage.
- Yes. - [Judge Levy] You know what,
let's play that video if we can, please.
What are we looking at right now?
[Soares] So right now, we're seeing a picture of my backyard
and we're seeing the boys, uh, walking up through it.
My backyard's one of the only backyards in the neighborhood
that doesn't have a fence, so everyone traffics through it.
So the two boys, I believe, were the--uh,
Mr. Bolton's grandchildren along with the taller one.
[Judge Levy] And then there was the larger boy
who you knew to be one of their friends?
- [Soares] Yes. - [Judge Levy] Okay.
We're gonna put this volume on loud so everyone hears.
[banging]
[Soares] Yeah. So there, you can hear the banging.
- [banging continues] - [Soares] It's not quiet.
[Judge Levy] And you're up on the second floor of your house at the time?
Yes.
And this is what you're hearing,
and you also said that you felt almost like shaking?
Yes. You could see the walls visibly shaking from how hard they're kicking it.
[banging]
I mean, they're kicking it for a full solid minute.
[Judge Levy] So there were seven distinct kicks.
- [Soares] Yes. - Then there was a break.
And then nine kicks.
- That's correct, Your Honor. - [Judge Levy] And a break.
And then ten distinct kicks.
[Soares] Correct, Your Honor.
- [Judge Levy] And a break. - [Soares] Yes.
I have nothing further. Judge Acker.
[Judge Acker] Thank you, Judge Levy.
It looks like such a beautiful community
except for these little rascals running around, wreaking havoc.
How long have you had custody of your grandchildren?
- About ten, 12 years. - [Judge Acker] Ten, 12 years?
Do you mind telling us how that came about?
[announcer] Coming up on Tribunal Justice.
The plaintiff was informed by me on that day to get a quote,
and he went and had the work done instead of supplying a quote.
I think I paid what's fair.
[dramatic musical sting]
[theme music plays]
[announcer] Kenneth Soares is suing neighbor Jeffery Bolton for damage done
to an outside water spigot by Jeffery's grandsons.
But Jeffery claims Kenneth should have used a cheaper plumber.
How long have you had custody of your grandchildren?
- About ten, 12 years. - [Judge Acker] Ten, 12 years?
Do you mind telling us how that came about?
Uh, just sometimes life throws you a curve ball, you learn how to hit it.
We had to take--better with us than at the time with their parents.
And I'm sure you're very protective of them.
Absolutely. They're my princes.
[Judge Acker] I think that's outstanding.
But princes have responsibilities.
- [Bolton] That they do. - Don't you agree?
They do.
[Judge Acker] Now, I'm interested in your defense,
because it seems to be premised on two things.
One, you think that the repairs are inflated.
- [Bolton] Absolutely. - And two,
you think that your young princes aren't responsible
for the actual breaking of the faucet, that that was caused by the third one.
We'll call him the duke. [laughs]
- Correct. Correct. - So the duke broke the faucet.
Now, you did submit evidence that he could have had this repair done
more cheaply, about $200 cheaper.
I don't know that the $200 is unreasonable.
Like, if there was evidence that the extra money that he's seeking was used
for something else than these repairs,
I hear it. But do you have any evidence of that?
Yes, ma'am, I got a quote.
- I have the quote. - But does the quote indicate
that the work that he had done
includes jobs that these boys aren't responsible for?
It doesn't, does it? It's just cheaper estimate.
No, ma'am. All I got on that part was verbal when I obtained the quote.
All I got on that was verbal.
Why should he be compelled to take the absolute cheapest estimate?
[Bolton] The plaintiff was informed by me on that day,
that was questioned earlier, to get a quote,
not to get the work done… [clears throat] and supply me a bill.
He was informed I wanted a quote to what it was gonna cost to get done.
And he went and had the work done instead of supplying a quote.
He supplied me a bill, not a quote.
Did you suggest to the defendant?
Because it strikes me that maybe this is just a misunderstanding,
that you were gonna run the numbers by him first before he did the work.
Did you ever make that suggestion?
- Uh, not that I can recall. - [Judge Acker] But maybe you did.
- Maybe I did. - But you didn't,
then you just went ahead and got the work done?
In the text messages, I actually do--
apologize for that, I did say it is a misunderstanding.
I--I'm looking right at the text message, like, you're reading my mind.
Because there is a message from the plaintiff to you, sir, where he says,
"I apologize for the misunderstanding, but what's done is done.
Can't undo the work."
So now he's done the work,
it's work for which your young princes
- are, at least in part, responsible. - [Bolton] Correct.
[Judge Acker] There's about a $200 difference.
- [Bolton] Uh-hmm. - Do you think that that
is worth all of this?
I think I paid what's fair.
[Judge Acker] Are the young princes here?
- [Bolton] They are. - [Judge Acker] May I see them?
- Absolutely. - [Judge Acker] Okay, let's bring them in.
Let's meet this nobility.
Did the two of you know each other or meet one another before this incident?
- [Bolton] First time I met him. - [Soares] No.
- [Judge Acker] So no bad blood… - No, ma'am.
[Judge Acker] … no reason for any hostility?
No, ma'am.
[Judge Acker] Here come these kings.
Can you please tell us your names? Let's start with you, sir.
- Ayden Pagett. - [Judge Acker] Ayden?
- And what's your name, young man? - Rylee Pagett.
- [Judge Acker] Say it one more time? - Rylee Pagett.
[Judge Acker] Ayden and Rylee.
Do you remember in July
playing in the plaintiff's yard? Do you remember that?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
[Judge Acker] And you remember kicking the faucet?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
- And you had another friend there, right? - [both] Yes, ma'am.
[Judge Acker] But were you kicking the faucet along with your friend?
Were you playing with the faucet too?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
- And then you saw it break? - [Rylee] Yes, ma'am.
So, like, whenever, um, me and him kicked it, it didn't break or anything.
So then when our friend kicked it, it, like, broke.
[Judge Acker] That did the final damage.
So if I take this cup and I hit it
with this gavel and it starts to shatter,
and it gets weaker,
and then if I give it to Judge DiMango
and she hits it with her gavel and it breaks,
doesn't that mean that both I and Judge DiMango are responsible
for damaging the cup?
- [both] Yes, ma'am. - [Judge Acker] You get that?
So that's kind of like this situation a little bit, isn't it?
Like, you did some damage and then maybe your friend, with his kick,
that was the icing on the cake.
But you all are kind of in this together, weren't you?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
[Judge Acker] You've been very candid.
Granddad told you to apologize.
But there's a still a little dispute between your granddad and Mr. Soares.
But I think it would be nice,
because courts are a real pain for everybody.
Maybe it would be nice to just give him another apology again,
because it's a big pain when you got to take off work
and come to court and do all of this.
Do you wanna say sorry again?
Yes, ma'am.
- Sorry. - Sorry.
All right. [chuckles softly]
Judge DiMango?
I think your kingdom was in trouble there for a while.
- [laughter] - Good thing I got them two coming up.
[laughter]
So if we settle this case in a way
where we say your grandpa owes another $200...
your grandfather really didn't do anything wrong, did he?
- No, ma'am. - No, ma'am.
Rylee, were you with that group the first time that turned the faucet on?
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] You were?
And another occasions, I'm gonna ask you, Ayden,
was that the first time that you turned the faucet on?
- Uh, no, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] No?
So you've been to his home how many times and used his faucet? Rylee.
- I don't know. - [Judge DiMango] Approximately.
Give me a guess. How many?
Maybe like 15 or 20.
[Judge DiMango] Fifteen or 20 times?
- I think you watered the whole yard. - [laughter]
Maybe 15.
Ayden, tell me, how many times?
Six to ten times.
[Judge DiMango] Six to ten times.
Why?
We were, um, thirsty and we didn't live that, like, at--close.
[Judge DiMango] Well, that's just not right.
I mean, that's taking from somebody else.
It's going on their property.
Do you know why he had to put a lock on it?
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] Why?
Because we're, um, turning his faucet on.
[Judge DiMango] Because you're turning it on.
Judge Levy doesn't do too much for no reason,
and he was very specific to say there were a group of kicks and a break,
a group of kicks and a break,
and a group of kicks and a break. And I'm gonna guess that in his mind,
he was thinking, "Each one of you took a shot at it."
So is that what happened?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
Who kicked first, Rylee?
[Rylee] I think I'm pretty sure our friend.
[Judge DiMango] Your friend kicked first?
So he wasn't even the guy that blew through the last blow.
So he kicks. Who kicked second?
Rylee.
- Me. - [Judge DiMango] Who kicked third?
Me.
[Judge DiMango] You know what that's called in the law?
That's called "acting in concert."
And that means that everybody
who in some way participates is equally responsible
or fully responsible.
You could be held responsible for some of it or all of it,
or shared equally. Do you understand that concept?
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] Do you understand that?
Yes, ma'am.
[announcer] Coming up on Tribunal Justice.
[Judge DiMango] So what if I asked, "What would you wanna do to help Mr. Soares?
Maybe, um, pull some weeds and do some gardening?
[Judge DiMango] Do you have a need for that, sir?
- Is there any kind of stuff… - He doesn't want the child labor!
[laughter]
They could--well, they could help him clean up.
[dramatic musical sting]
[theme music plays]
[announcer] Kenneth Soares is suing Jeffery Bolton
for plumbing damages caused by Jeffery's two grandsons.
But Jeffery claims Kenneth agreed to get repair quotes,
then surprised him with an overcharged bill.
If we settle this case in a way
where we say your grandpa owes another $200...
grandfather really didn't do anything wrong, did he?
No, ma'am.
[Judge DiMango] And what if I told you that, uh, Mr. Soares here,
like, needs a little work done around his yard,
like some gardening and things like that or picking up weeds?
I'll be fine with doing it.
You'd be fine with maybe working off that $200?
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] So what if I asked you,
Rylee, what would you wanna do to help Mr. Soares?
Maybe, um, pull some weeds and do some gardening?
Do you have a need for that, sir?
- I do have a gardener that I pay. - Is there any kind of stuff [indistinct].
He doesn't want the child labor [indistinct]!
- [laughter] - [Judge DiMango] They could--well,
they could help him clean up.
- [Judge Acker laughs] - They could help him--
because they should be in some way responsible.
I mean, they broke something, they admit to breaking it.
So why should Grandpa keep getting stuck with the bill?
- Yes, sir. - Judge, they did pay for the $200.
They pay me back by mowing yards around the neighborhood.
- [Judge DiMango] They did? - That's their money. Not mine.
Okay. So there. There goes your child labor today.
- [Judge Acker] Yeah, I know. - [laughter]
[Judge Acker] [indistinct] child labor, I'm good with it.
They probably got more money in their wallet than I do right now.
[laughter]
If we rule in favor of the plaintiff, you are still stuck with this bill.
- So, I'm gonna ask… -[Jeffery] Then they're gonna pay me back.
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judge DiMango] Yeah. All right.
Both of you have a seat.
Let me just say to you, I know you wanted him maybe to get an estimate.
But it's not easy to have people come to your home while you're working.
He already had this scheduled.
He already had this worker
- coming to the house. - Yes, ma'am.
[Judge DiMango] You know, he's not gonna say, "All right.
Let me get three or four estimates here
to see whether or not I could save them $50."
- [Soares] Not at all. - [Judge DiMango] No?
I mean, why would he? Would you?
- No. - [Judge DiMango] No. You wouldn't.
So, I don't have any other questions at this time.
Does anybody else have any questions?
Then we're going to retire to deliberate.
Thank you very much.
- Yes, ma'am. - [Cassandra] Court is now in recess.
Parties may exit.
[dramatic musical sting]
- Out of the mouth of babes. - [laughter]
Can you imagine?
They fessed up, they told the truth.
Boys are gonna be mischievous.
But I'm glad the worst thing that happened to them
is that they had to do some extra chores,
which was the right thing for Granddad to do.
Uh-hmm.
[Judge Levy] I can completely understand why Granddad
didn't wanna pay the additional $236.
- Sure. - [Judge Levy] But legally,
the law's clear that parents and guardians are responsible for the intentional
mischievous acts of their charges,
and joint and several liability applies.
So if Granddad has a problem with what I suggest is the correct verdict
in the case, which is that he should pay $236 to the plaintiff,
Granddad could always go to the other boy's family
and ask for contribution, but that's beyond what we're doing here,
but I believe that that is, uh, a fair and just verdict.
I do, too. Like, to an extent, they're still kids.
My hat's off to the defendant for doing such a fine job
and my hat's off to us for cracking such a…
- [laughs] - Difficult case.
For cracking the uncrackable.
But no, seriously, I'm with you, Adam.
- Kids that drink together, sink together. - [laughter]
[Judge DiMango] Both of them responsible and I really felt that Mr. Soares,
he had no other obligation to find a cheaper price.
And I'm with you, I'm on board,
- he owes $200. - [Judge Levy] Unanimous?
- [Judge Acker] Indeed. - All right.
[dramatic musical sting]
Court is now in session.
All parties are reminded that you're still under oath.
Ayden and Rylee, yeah, you were a little mischievous.
Who's not at your age?
As long as you learned a good lesson.
Do you think that you learned a good lesson, Rylee?
Yes, sir.
[Judge Levy] What's that lesson that you learned?
Not to go to other people's houses and break their stuff.
Ayden, is that about right?
- [Ayden] Yes, sir. - [Judge Levy] I'm glad
that you learned the lesson that you did.
Mr. Bolton, as I think that you can pretty much gather,
we don't think that you were wrong at all for questioning the bill.
It's common sense. But law is the law.
Yes, sir.
And what that law says is, number one,
that parents and guardians are responsible for the intentional,
willful, mischievous acts of their charges.
And number two, that those parents and guardians are jointly
and severally liable for damages that they cause.
So, it's the unanimous verdict of the court that you pay the plaintiff
the $236 that's outstanding on that bill.
- Okay. - [Judge Levy] Now, boys,
he's gonna have to pay $236 more to the plaintiff over here
for the damage that you did
because the damage was more than he thought.
Do you understand that?
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
[Judge Levy] So you're gonna have to go back, work off that debt.
You would agree to do that?
To pay your granddad back?
- Yes, sir. - [Judge Levy] Right on.
That is the unanimous verdict of the court.
- Thank you all. - [gavel bangs]
[Cassandra] This case has been concluded.
You're now excused.
[theme music plays]
Uh, I think the bill was still overinflated.
I think justice was served.
But you gotta pay for your mistakes.
Oh, I believe a police report was warranted because major damages were done.
I probably shouldn't do it ever again.
Yeah, I mean, I still hope we'll be good neighbors
and stay out of each other's way.
I'm ready for them to go back fishing in that neighborhood.
Oh, I'm actually getting a fence.
- [laughs] - We'll find another way.
[announcer] Have you been scammed, cheated, or swindled?
Let Tribunal Justice decide your case.
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["Ride of the Valkyries" plays]