FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THIS POST
YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HE TOLD JUDGE JUDY!
A Neighborly Dispute Ignites
Imagine a quiet night shattered by a loud party.
Then imagine seeing six-foot flames from a fire pit next door.
This is the scene Mr. Newell describes to Judge Judy.
He is the plaintiff in this case.
He is suing his neighbor, Mr. Tesmar.
Mr. Tesmar is the defendant.
The Plaintiff's Fiery Account
Mr. Newell claims Mr. Tesmar's party in June of 2015 caused damage to his fence.
He says he woke up around midnight or 12:30 AM.
The party was loud and getting louder.
He looked out his bedroom window.
The window is only 15 to 20 feet from the fence line.
He saw smoke coming from a fire pit.
Then, he says, there were six-foot flames.
He saw a person standing by the fire pit.
This person appeared to throw gas into the fire.
The flames lit up the person.
Mr. Newell called the police.
Police Reports and Discrepancies
Judge Judy asks for the police report.
Mr. Newell confirms he has one.
He initially states he called the police around 12:30 AM.
He then corrects himself, saying it was closer to 1:30 AM or 2:00 AM.
He claims the police came twice that night.
Judge Judy notes the report shows police were dispatched at 2:38 AM and arrived at 2:56 AM.
This report states no one was at the party.
Mr. Newell insists this was the second police visit.
He says people were still there during the first visit.
He admits he has no report for that first visit.
He thinks the police were just driving by then.
Evidence of Damage
Mr. Newell explains the fire pit was seven feet from the fence.
He says the gasoline ignited the fence.
He presents photographs of the fence to Judge Judy.
The photos show warpage in the fence material.
He points out the warpage ranges from half an inch to two inches.
This damage is on one specific panel.
He states this is exactly where the fire was.
He confirms the damage is visible on both sides of the fence.
The Confrontation
Mr. Newell says he spoke to Mr. Tesmar a couple of days later.
He noticed the problem then.
He went to Mr. Tesmar's house.
Mr. Tesmar recalls Mr. Newell ordering him over to assess the damage.
Judge Judy clarifies that Mr. Newell did not "order" him.
Mr. Newell confirms he called Mr. Tesmar over.
Mr. Tesmar says he looked at the fence.
He claims he saw no damage.
He argues that if there was a "towering inferno," his guest house would have been damaged.
His guest house has vinyl siding and is right next to the fence.
He believes the vinyl siding would have warped.
His furniture would have been wrecked.
The Defendant's Explanation
Mr. Tesmar points to the specific panel Mr. Newell is discussing.
He says Mr. Newell's wife leans a bench against the fence.
He suggests this bench causes the "mild bowl" in the fence.
He also claims there is dirt pushing against the fence.
He states this damage was not from a fire.
The Bonfire Under Scrutiny
Judge Judy turns her attention to the bonfire itself.
She confirms Mr. Tesmar had a party.
She confirms he had a fire going in the fire pit.
She asks if the fire got larger.
Mr. Tesmar admits it did, later in the evening.
Judge Judy asks if he knows who poured the inflammatory substance.
Mr. Tesmar says he does not know.
He states he had four guests.
They arrived between 12:00 AM and 1:00 AM.