FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THE POST
The Plaintiff's Claim
Inga Bredson appeared before Judge Judy.
She was suing her former waiter, Mr. Beaver.
Ms. Bredson stated that she and her husband, Michelle, had loaned Mr. Beaver money.
The total amount loaned was $800.
However, Ms. Bredson was suing for $1,500.
Judge Judy immediately questioned this discrepancy.
She asked why Ms. Bredson was seeking $1,500 if only $800 was loaned.
Ms. Bredson explained that the additional amount was for "punitive damages."
She claimed this was due to the stress Mr. Beaver had caused her husband.
Judge Judy quickly dismissed the idea of punitive damages for stress.
She stated that everyone experiences stress.
The judge directed Ms. Bredson to focus on the $800 loan amount.
The Nature of the Relationship
Ms. Bredson explained how she and her husband knew Mr. Beaver.
They met him at a restaurant in Santa Ana where he worked as a waiter.
She said they frequented the restaurant because they liked his service.
Over time, they developed a friendship with him.
Ms. Bredson stated they trusted him as a friend.
The First Loan
Ms. Bredson detailed the first loan.
Mr. Beaver called her husband, Michelle, asking to borrow money.
Michelle then discussed it with Ms. Bredson.
She agreed to the loan.
Ms. Bredson provided her credit card number.
They wired $200 to Mr. Beaver via Western Union.
An additional $40 was paid for the wire fee.
The Second Loan
The second loan involved $300.
Mr. Beaver approached them again.
He claimed his car was about to be repossessed.
He needed the money for a car payment.
Ms. Bredson and her husband provided him with the $300.
The Third Loan and the Del Taco Meeting
The third loan was also for $300.
This loan, according to Ms. Bredson, was the most "interesting."
Mr. Beaver called them, claiming he was being threatened.
He said a loan shark was threatening him and his family.
This was because he had not repaid the loan shark.
Ms. Bredson and her husband drove to Newport Beach.
They met Mr. Beaver at a Del Taco restaurant.
There, they gave him the $300.
The Defendant's Counter-Narrative
Mr. Beaver presented a different version of events.
He acknowledged knowing the plaintiffs.
He stated they were customers at the restaurant where he worked.
He claimed they returned repeatedly because of his service.
He served them for about a year and a half.
Mr. Beaver described the plaintiffs as very generous.
He said they tipped him well, sometimes with $100 checks.
They also gave him cash.
Beyond money, he claimed they gave him gifts.
These gifts included gift baskets, an electronic organizer, and a Swatch Olympic collector's watch.
The Alleged Gift of $200
Mr. Beaver admitted he once asked to borrow money.
He needed it for car repair.
He claimed he asked Mr. Engelbretzen, Ms. Bredson's husband, for $200.
Mr. Engelbretzen agreed.
Mr. Beaver called back to confirm receipt of the money.
He testified that Mr. Engelbretzen explicitly told him it was a gift.
Mr. Engelbretzen allegedly said, "That is a gift from Michelle and I."
Mr. Beaver claimed he offered to pay it back on his next payday.
He said Mr. Engelbretzen insisted it was a gift and not to worry about it.
The Girlfriend Incident
Mr. Beaver recounted an evening when the plaintiffs invited him out.
They suggested going for a beer and a game of pool.
He expressed that he did not want to go without his girlfriend, Sam.
The plaintiffs agreed to let Sam come along.
Mr. Beaver claimed that from the moment Sam met Mr. Engelbretzen, there was tension.