Did Renter’s Cause House Flood? | Part 1

Did Renter’s Cause House Flood? | Part 1

Introduction

A peaceful eviction was not in the cards for the Gibbs family, who had a rental agreement to vacate a property in March 2019. However, disputes arose with their landlords, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, over the return of a $ 950 security deposit and compensation for damages resulting from a flood. The case catches the attention of Judge Judy as she examines the claims, counterclaims, and the evidence presented by both parties.

The Dispute Details

The Gibbs family moved into the property owned by the Allens in November 2017. When it came time to vacate in March 2019, a series of accusations emerged. According to the Gibbs family, the Allens had agreed to pay them $ 950 to vacate the property, allowing them to get back some of the damages incurred by a flood – a point of contention not about the security deposit but as compensation for property damage.

Mr. Gibbs claimed that the Allens did not follow through on the agreement, which required the back-and-forth exchange of a check and house keys facilitated by the attorneys of both parties. The Gibbs family also raised issues about excessive utility bills due to unresolved leaks.

Judge Judy’s Examination

Judge Judy inquired directly about the damages incurred and whether these claims had been proven during the eviction hearing. It became apparent that the Gibbs family still had possession of the property at the time of the hearing, and no assessment of the damages had been done then.

The case took a turn when Judge Judy asked Mr. Allen about the payment process, specifically whether a $ 950 check had been handed to the attorney to hold until the keys were turned over. Mr. Allen confirmed that the check was never given to the attorney, leading Judge Judy to dismiss their counterclaim.

Conclusion

Judge Judy ruled in favor of the Gibbs family, granting them their $ 950 security deposit back and making it clear that the verbal agreement and failure to deposit the check with the attorney were the lynchpin in the ruling.

Keywords

• Eviction
• Security deposit
• Property damage
• Flood
• Verbal agreement

FAQs

Q: When did the Gibbs family move into the property? A: November 2017.

Q: When did the Gibbs family move out? A: March 2019.

Q: How much was the security deposit in question? A: $ 950.

Q: What was the nature of the verbal agreement between the Gibbs family and the Allens? A: The Gibbs family was supposed to vacate the property by February 15th, 2019, in exchange for $ 950, which compensated for some damages due to a flood.

Q: Why did Judge Judy rule in favor of the Gibbs family? A: Judge Judy ruled in their favor because the Allens failed to provide the $ 950 check as agreed upon with their attorney, which underlined their counterclaim’s dismissal.