The People’s Court Podcast

First, the plaintiff hired the defendant, his friend’s sister, to work at his deli and loaned her money to purchase a car. He claims the defendant stiffed him on the payments. The defendant says she has paid off the car in full and owes the plaintiff nothing. She believes he is in cahoots with her sister to get more money out of her. Then, the plaintiff says she was hired by the defendant to repla...

First, the plaintiff says he hired the defendant to move him from downtown New York city to uptown, and the defendant damaged his flat-screen TV in the process. He claims the defendant is not owning up to her mistakes and he is suing for the price of a new TV. The defendant believes the TV was already damaged when she had her employees move it. She says the plaintiff had already bubble wrapped the...

First, the plaintiff claims the defendants never watch their children while they’re outside, and their son wedged his bike between her car and the house, damaging her vehicle. She is suing for the amount needed to repair her car. The defendants say they heard the plaintiff yelling at their kids one day, even using bad language at them. The damage they say caused the commotion isn’t nearly as bad a...

First, the plaintiff was at the dog park with his dog when the defendant approached him with her dog. The defendant’s dog reportedly grabbed the plaintiff’s dog in its mouth. After the fact, the defendant refused to pay the vet bills for the plaintiff’s dog, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues that both she and the plaintiff are responsible pet owners, and it was impossible to tell whi...

First, the plaintiff and defendant used to be good friends, and they moved in together. The plaintiff says the defendant’s dog bit him, so he moved out. He claims the defendant locked him out and won’t let him pick up his belongings, so he’s suing. The defendant argues the plaintiff was a bad roommate who broke everything. He’s countersuing for the cost of a washer and dryer and unpaid rent. Then,...

First, the plaintiff let the defendant, his neighbor, borrow two dune buggies from him. He says the defendant got a DUI and the cops impounded one of the vehicles. Now, the plaintiff has to pay tons in impound fees, so he’s suing. The defendant argues he asked the plaintiff if the cars were legal, but it turns out they didn’t have VINs or license plates. He thinks he paid his share because he had...

First, the plaintiff hired the defendant to do work on his mini race car. He says the defendant loved the car so much that he decided to sell it. The defendant raced it and blew the engine, but now the defendant won’t pay him the rest of the balance. He’s suing for what he’s owed. The defendant argues the weight distribution on the car was all wrong and the car didn’t handle properly. He’s counter...

First, the plaintiff purchased twin bed frames for her daughters from the defendant. However, the bed frames were too short, so the plaintiff is suing for a refund. The defendant insists she sold the plaintiff her childhood bed frames, and she was up front about the shorter size. Then, the plaintiff was riding his motorcycle when the defendant’s car was stopped, blocking traffic. The plaintiff tri...

First, the plaintiff loaned the defendant, a former business partner, money for products for his store. However, the defendant has avoided the plaintiff and hasn’t paid it back, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues the plaintiff gave him the money and is only suing him because they are no longer romantically involved. Then, the plaintiff is suing the defendant for a broker’s fee because...

First, the plaintiff says he and the defendant were roommates, and there were issues right from the start. He was told the defendant wasn’t totally clean, but the defendant was in fact a heavy smoker. The plaintiff got kicked out after two months with no deposit in sight and is suing to get it back. The defendant says all he asks of tenants is to be clean, pay bills on time, and don’t do damage to...

First, the plaintiff has been neighbors with the defendant for the past four years. He says he provided her two loans when she needed some financial help, but she’s never paid him back. He says she even made a pass at him in the hope of getting the loans forgiven. He is suing to get his money back. The defendant claims that the plaintiff was the one to make several moves, not her. She was led to b...

First, the plaintiff sold the defendant an authentic collector’s edition New England Patriots jersey. Two months later, the defendant reached out and said he wanted to return it because he didn’t think it was real. The plaintiff stands behind his business, so he wired back the money, only to not receive the jersey from the defendant. He is suing to get the cost of the item back. The defendant says...

First, the plaintiff met the defendant when she was a go-go dancer at a club. They used to date and got engaged, but they broke up due to the defendant’s cheating ways. The plaintiff is suing for the return of his engagement ring. The defendant argues the plaintiff is an abusive man. When they split up, the defendant insists the plaintiff told her she could keep the ring. Then, the plaintiff says...

First, the plaintiff hired the defendant to paint his plane. However, the paint doesn’t match the fabric, so the plaintiff is suing for a refund. The defendant argues the plaintiff is just impossible to please, and everything matches just fine. Then, the plaintiff purchased an unhealthy Rottweiler from the defendant. There were so many issues with the dog, the plaintiff wants to return him. The pl...

First, the plaintiff was hired by the defendant, who he alleges stopped paying him, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant argues he caught the plaintiff trying to steal on the job, and they got into a fistfight. The defendant is countersuing for items the plaintiff never returned. Then, the plaintiff booked a trip through the defendant. There was a change in itinerary, and the plaintiff had to...

First, the plaintiff says the defendant stole valuable items from her aunt’s apartment as she was dying in the hospital, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant insists she didn’t steal anything. The defendant is countersuing for pain and suffering. Then, the plaintiff says her cousin, the defendant, lived with her. The defendant got mad during a party one time and threw a brick through a window,...

First, the plaintiff claims she was hired by the defendant for painting services but is still owed money, so he’s suing. The defendant insists she kept a strict log of all of the plaintiff’s work hours, and the plaintiff is lying. Then, the plaintiff says the defendant did some work on his car but botched the job, so the plaintiff is suing. The defendant claims the plaintiff’s complaints have to d...

First, the plaintiff owns a high-end breastfeeding equipment company, and the defendant purchased a pump online from her. She got a confirmation of delivery, and then two weeks later the defendant said it was never delivered. The package ended up at the defendant’s mother’s house, and the defendant disputed the charge for the product. Now the plaintiff doesn’t have the money and the defendant has...

First, the plaintiff says he was hired by the defendant to drive her client around town for three days while he was there for a jazz performance. He also booked a hotel room for the client with his money under the reassurance he would be reimbursed. He didn’t get reimbursed and did not get paid the agreed-upon fee for driving the client around, so he’s suing. The defendant claims the plaintiff was...

First, an aunt and her lover agreed to watch the plaintiff’s Chihuahua for her, but when she came to pick the pet up, they refused to return the dog to her! The defendants are trying to get away with stealing her pet, so she’s suing for $5,000, the cost of her dog, and any future breeding income. The defendants claim they were given the dog to watch while the plaintiff was in rehab, and the plaint...

First, the plaintiff was at a friend’s apartment complex for a party when she went outside to give her two service dogs a bathroom break. The defendant reportedly told her there were no pets allowed, instigating an argument because they’re service animals. The plaintiff is suing for pain and suffering due to discrimination. The defendant doesn’t understand the concern because he owns the property...

First, the plaintiff took his truck to the defendant’s shop for repairs, only to get a call several weeks later from the cops saying it had been stolen and was currently at impound. The defendant went to get the car back and refused to return it to the plaintiff unless he was repaid for the cost of release. The defendant says the plaintiff wanted to sell the car, but the defendant wasn’t intereste...

The plaintiff allowed her niece to live in her home with her, but now owes her rent. Her own family is disrespecting her, so she’s suing for the rent she deserves. The defendant says she’s lived in that house since long before her aunt took over the family finances and has never once been asked to pay rent. She’s a minister and doesn’t come from a place of hate. The plaintiff put down a deposit on...

First, the plaintiff claims the defendant’s big dog attacked her small dog, Nemo. The dog required stitches and needed part of his tail amputated. She claims the defendants never apologized and promised to reimburse her for the vet bills, but they haven’t done it, so she’s suing. The defendants argue their dog isn’t vicious at all. They say the plaintiff’s dog instigated the interaction, and their...

First, the plaintiff hired the defendant to do work at his house. He claims the defendant broke knobs on his clothing dryer. He’s suing for the cost. The defendant claims he bought new knobs, but the plaintiff became impossible to work with. Then, the plaintiff was going to rent an apartment from the defendant, but she claims it was a fire trap because there was only one way in and one way out. Sh...