FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THIS POST
YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HE TOLD JUDGE JUDY!
A Divorced Couple's Living Arrangement Goes Sideways
Imagine a divorced couple deciding to live together again.
It sounds complicated.
It often is.
The Plaintiff Seeks Repayment for a Loan
Ms. Stiff is the plaintiff.
She was once married to the defendant, Mr. Stiff.
They have two daughters who were still living at home.
About a year after their divorce, Mr. Stiff proposed a new living arrangement.
He wanted to buy a home.
He invited Ms. Stiff and their daughters to live with him.
Ms. Stiff claims she loaned him $5,000.
She wants that money back.
The Defendant's Side of the Story
Mr. Stiff is the defendant.
He has a counterclaim against Ms. Stiff.
He is suing for unpaid bills.
He also alleges assault.
The House and the Child Support Agreement
Judge Judy establishes the timeline.
The couple divorced.
A year later, in March 2013, Ms. Stiff and the girls moved into Mr. Stiff's new home.
Mr. Stiff bought the house for $468,000.
The mortgage is about $2,400 a month.
Before moving in, Ms. Stiff and her daughter were renting a home for $1,900 a month.
Ms. Stiff was receiving $952 a month in child support from Mr. Stiff.
Judge Judy notes an arrangement was made.
Instead of paying child support, Ms. Stiff and the girls would move into the house.
Ms. Stiff confirms this agreement.
She states they did not withdraw the child support order through the court.
It was a private agreement.
Judge Judy points out that Ms. Stiff came out ahead financially.
She saved $1,000 a month by not paying rent.
Mr. Stiff also benefited by not paying child support.
Judge Judy calls it a "win-win" if they could get along.
She observes that they did not.
The $5,000 Loan in Question
Ms. Stiff explains the $5,000 loan.
She says Mr. Stiff needed the money to purchase the home.
He had to pay off an existing 401k loan.
This would allow him to take out another 401k loan for the house.
The existing 401k loan was about $4,800.
Ms. Stiff claims she paid it off with a check.
Mr. Stiff has a different version.
He says Ms. Stiff wanted to contribute to the house.
He claims she offered him money multiple times.
He initially refused.
He states she had received an inheritance.
She wanted to do her part.
He suggests she knew she was running out of resources.
Ms. Stiff clarifies her account of the $5,000.
She states Mr. Stiff asked her for two amounts of money.
One was $4,000.
The other was $5,000.
She explains that through their divorce settlement, Mr. Stiff owed her $10,000 in an asset equalization payment.
He had paid it down to $3,000.
She gave him a check for $4,000.
This brought the asset equalization back up to $7,000.
Then, she says, he asked for $5,000 to pay off his 401k loan.
She wrote him the check.
She states she wrote the check on November 1st.
It cleared the bank on November 7th.
She refutes Mr. Stiff's claim that he held onto the money.
The Counterclaim: Unpaid Bills and Assault
Mr. Stiff's counterclaim is for unpaid bills and an assault.
He claims Ms. Stiff's state disability ran out.
She was not receiving federal disability.
He estimates she had no income from March 2013 to November 2013.
He asks about Ms. Stiff's inheritance.
He claims she had already spent all of it.
Judge Judy asks about his grown children.
He states only his 23-year-old daughter lives with him.