FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THE POST
The Plaintiff's Claim
Michael Kiefer, 23, sued his former friends, Tristan Stanger, 21, and Marissa Cornell, 22.
He sought repayment of an unpaid loan.
The loan was for $750.
It was given to them to fix their car.
Mr. Kiefer confirmed this was his case.
His fiance, Angel McGee, was present to assist him.
She helped with paperwork due to his sight issues.
Moving In with Friends
Mr. Kiefer needed a place to stay.
He knew the defendants as friends for a while.
He asked if he could move in with them.
They agreed.
There was no initial rent arrangement when he moved in.
Mr. Kiefer moved in on February 4th, 2018.
He stayed until April 14th, 2018.
The Car Trouble
While Mr. Kiefer lived there, the defendants' car was damaged.
They needed a vehicle for transportation.
Tristan Stanger explained they needed it to get Marissa Cornell to work.
He also mentioned it was for emergencies.
Mr. Stanger was not working at the time.
He was a stay-at-home dad.
The Loan Agreement
The defendants asked Mr. Kiefer if they could borrow money.
They needed it to fix their car.
Mr. Kiefer agreed to lend them the money.
He wanted a written agreement to ensure repayment.
He wrote the agreement himself.
Judge Judy asked to see the agreement.
Mr. Kiefer provided it.
Acknowledging the Agreement
The agreement was shown to the defendants.
Judge Judy asked if they remembered it.
Tristan Stanger confirmed he remembered the agreement.
Marissa Cornell also acknowledged remembering it.
Judge Judy then asked if they ever gave Mr. Kiefer back the $750.
Mr. Stanger's response was unclear.
Judge Judy stated that if they did not pay it back, they owed him $750.
Mr. Stanger disagreed, saying, "I don't."
Judge Judy concluded, "It's easy."
The Defendants' Counterclaim
The defendants had a counterclaim.
They sought money owed for transportation, unpaid rent, and bills.
Judge Judy asked Marissa Cornell about Mr. Kiefer moving in.
She asked how they knew he needed a place to stay.
Ms. Cornell indicated she left most discussions to Mr. Stanger.
She also mentioned their other roommate.
The Other Roommate
The other roommate was named Michaela.
Michaela was not the owner of the house.
She was present when they asked her about Mr. Kiefer staying.
The defendants moved into the house in early December.
This was before Mr. Kiefer moved in.
They moved out of the house in late April or early May.
This was shortly after Mr. Kiefer moved out.
Tristan Stanger and Marissa Cornell separated for a couple of months.
They later got back together.
Rent and Expenses
Judge Judy asked how much rent the defendants were paying.
She specified for two adults and two children.
Marissa Cornell stated they were paying about $350 just for rent.
This was for her, Mr. Stanger, and their two children.
She explained they split the rent.
Judge Judy asked how much Mr. Kiefer was supposed to pay.
Ms. Cornell said it was "however much she agreed with him."
This referred to Michaela, the other roommate.
Contradictory Claims
Judge Judy pointed out that if Michaela agreed on the amount, the defendants did not pay anything for Mr. Kiefer.
Marissa Cornell disagreed.
She stated, "We did. We paid a lot of money just for him to stay--".
Judge Judy asked her to show proof of payment for Mr. Kiefer.
Ms. Cornell offered to show messages between her and Michaela.
She said she asked Michaela how much they paid for Mr. Kiefer's stay.
Messages with Michaela
Judge Judy asked to see the messages.
The messages were from Michaela.
Michaela estimated they paid about $820 for Mr. Kiefer's stay.
This amount included utilities.
It also included about $80 for food.
Ms. Cornell claimed Mr. Kiefer ate a lot of food.
She stated he mostly bought candy and junk food with his food stamps.
Mr. Kiefer confirmed this was true.
The Verdict
Judge Judy reviewed the evidence and testimony.
She focused on the written loan agreement.
The defendants acknowledged remembering the agreement.
They did not provide clear evidence of repayment.
Their counterclaim for Mr. Kiefer's expenses was based on messages with a third party.
The amount for the counterclaim was an estimate.
Judge Judy concluded the case.
She stated, "OK, you owe $750."
She declared, "We're done here."
Final Outcome
Judge Judy thanked everyone.
She then said, "Finished. All you are excused, you may step out."
The defendants were ordered to pay Michael Kiefer $750.