FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THIS POST
THIS EXCUSE DID NOT GO WELL IN COURT!
A Nanny's Claim for Unpaid Wages
Imagine being a nanny.
You work for a family.
Then you get fired.
And you don't get paid.
That is the situation Ms. Morehouse, the plaintiff, finds herself in.
She is suing Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, the defendants, for unpaid wages.
The Defendants' Counterclaim
Mr. and Mrs. Hudson have their own complaints.
They claim Ms. Morehouse put expensive steak knives in the dishwasher.
They also say she left their house a mess.
These are their reasons for not paying her.
Judge Judy Establishes the Facts
Judge Judy starts with the basics.
She asks Mr. Hudson how many days Ms. Morehouse worked.
He confirms it was five days.
She then asks how many days they paid her for.
The answer is zero.
Judge Judy is clear.
"You have to pay her," she states.
She explains that even if they fired Ms. Morehouse, they must pay for the days she worked.
Ms. Morehouse confirms she worked those five days.
Calculating the Unpaid Wages
Ms. Morehouse details her hours.
She worked 21.5 hours in total.
Her hourly rate was $15.
This calculates to $322.50.
Judge Judy confirms the amount.
"They have to pay you $322," she tells Ms. Morehouse.
The Disturbing CPS Report
Now, Judge Judy turns to a more serious issue.
Ms. Morehouse filed a report with Child Protective Services (CPS).
She claims she saw a bruise on the Hudsons' five-year-old daughter.
This happened on May 21st.
Ms. Morehouse describes it as a "goose egg" on top of the child's head.
She alleges the child told her her dad got mad the night before.
This suggested the father hit her.
The Timing of the CPS Call
Judge Judy finds the timing of the CPS call troubling.
She asks Ms. Morehouse when she made the report.
Ms. Morehouse states she called CPS on June 10th.
Judge Judy points out the significant delay.
"You found CPS's number and you reported that they were abusing a child," Judge Judy says.
She questions if it was "a call out of concern" or "payback for no paycheck."
Judge Judy notes that Ms. Morehouse waited three weeks to call CPS.
This was after she had already requested her money multiple times.
Ms. Morehouse explains she looked up the number online.
Judge Judy emphasizes that a legitimate concern about child abuse should be reported immediately.
Not weeks later.
The Pay Request Timeline
Judge Judy presses Ms. Morehouse on her pay requests.
Ms. Morehouse states she requested her pay six times.
These requests were made between May 26th and June 10th.
She even had her father-in-law deliver a letter requesting pay on June 9th.
Judge Judy connects the dots.
The last pay request was on June 9th.
The CPS call was on June 10th.
"You understand where I'm going?"
Judge Judy asks.
"It doesn't look good for you."
The Hudsons' Excuse for Non-Payment
The Hudsons offer their reason for not paying.
They claim Ms. Morehouse refused to provide her personal information.
This included her address, birthday, and social security number.
Judge Judy quickly dismisses this.
She states that such information is not needed for a payment under $1800.
The Expensive Knives and Lack of Background Check
The Hudsons also bring up their damaged Wusthof chef knives.
They claim damages of over $1000.
Judge Judy is unimpressed.
"I don't care about the cost of the knives," she states.
Mrs. Hudson then mentions text messages.
She says these texts show Ms. Morehouse promised to bring an application and undergo a background screening.
Judge Judy questions this.
Why did they leave their children with Ms. Morehouse for five days without a background screening?
Mrs. Hudson states her husband was home, working.
Judge Judy reiterates the point.
They left their children with Ms. Morehouse without a background check.
Judge Judy's Verdict on the Nanny's Actions
Judge Judy poses a hypothetical to Mrs. Hudson.
What would she do if she saw a friend's child with a "goose egg" and the child identified the father as the cause?
Mrs. Hudson replies she would "probably seek help."
Judge Judy then delivers her assessment of Ms. Morehouse.
She concludes that Ms. Morehouse either didn't see what she claimed.
Or she was a terrible nanny for not reporting it immediately.
The Final Ruling
Judge Judy makes her decision.
Ms. Morehouse is entitled to her $322 in unpaid wages.
The Hudsons are also entitled to $322.
This is for the day they wasted at CPS.
Judge Judy dismisses the claim for the knives.
Mrs. Hudson states the CPS report was found "completely unfounded."
Judge Judy advises the Hudsons to get to know families better before accepting jobs.
She calls Ms. Morehouse "a very bad nanny."
Watch the Full Judge Judy Case Below
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FULL VIDEO
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