The People’s Court Podcast

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

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

First, the plaintiff says her dentist, the defendant, ruined her crown, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues he was willing to fix the crown for free, but the plaintiff got angry with him because she tried coming in without an appointment, and he was busy. Then, the plaintiff hired the defendant to sing in a show he was producing. However, the defendant backed out of the show last minut...

First, the plaintiff was hired by the defendant to nanny her son. However, the defendant owes the plaintiff for unpaid wages, so she's suing. The defendant insists the plaintiff was irresponsible with her son. Then, the plaintiff says the defendant, his former friend, owes him for rent and paint, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues she gave money to the plaintiff and his girlfriend to...

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

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

First, the plaintiff purchased a diamond engagement ring from the defendants and asked them to resize it to fit his fiancée’s finger. He claims the defendant compromised the ring because the diamonds are falling out and he’s replacing them with diamonds of lesser value. He’s suing for the cost of the ring. The defendants argue the plaintiff’s fiancée wore the ring for months and the diamond fell o...

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

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

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

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

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

First, the plaintiff says that when his brother borrowed his car, damage appeared that matched the shape and size of the plaintiff’s trailer hitch. When the cops arrived, the defendant refused to back his car up to see if the damage matched. The plaintiff is suing for the cost of repairs. The defendant claims there were plenty of trucks with trailers around that could have caused the damage, and h...

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

First, the plaintiff is a former law enforcement officer who has a seven-unit rooming house. The defendant rented from him for a while, smoked marijuana, and shortchanged the defendant on rent. The plaintiff is suing him for unpaid rent plus interest. The defendant argues the renting house was terrible to live in, as it had a bad smell, was infested with flies, and was covered in stains. When he c...

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

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

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

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

First, the plaintiff says that he and the defendant dated for several months. After they broke up, he agreed to care for her apartment and animals while she was incarcerated. The defendant agreed to pay the plaintiff back, but hasn’t, and now he’s suing her. The defendant claims the plaintiff became obsessed with her, even proposing at one point. She did get arrested at one point by accident. When...

First, the plaintiff says the defendant was a bartender he employed at his restaurant who served alcohol to a minor. That minor got into a car accident and the employee was fired. However, the restaurant was fined $3,000 for providing the alcohol, and the plaintiff is suing the defendant for the cost of that fee. The defendant claims the minor was a regular who was given drinks by all the bartende...

First, after an eight-year relationship gone nowhere, the plaintiff decided to break up with and kick the unambitious defendant out of her home. She claims he still owes her for rent and a cell phone and is suing him. The defendant claims they had a rocky relationship where the plaintiff threatened him occasionally. He argues he is the one who ended things and had never made any promises to repay...

First, the plaintiff claims that when she bought a car from the defendant, he illegally forged her name on some bank documents, and she reported him to the department of consumer affairs. Because the terms of the loan are wrong, she wants out of the deal and wants her deposit back. The defendant says the plaintiff returned the car to the bank, who she took out the loan with for the car, so he has...

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

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