Judy Justice

You, sir. You had a big fight because you weren't paying rent.

She got crazy. Punched me in the face and I fell in the chair,

into the glass.

She started picking up the glass and stabbing me with it.

That's not true.

He has pictures... bleeding.

I was trying to grab the chair.

Before or after you stabbed him with the glass?

The chair actually collided with the mirror, and the mirror broke.

I don't believe a word of that.

This is Judy Justice.

DeAndre Benton is suing his former roommate, Chauncey Rayford,

for personal belongings, lost wages, and an assault.

Court come to order. All rise.

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge. Case 3119, Benton versus Rayford.

-Thank you. -You're welcome.

Mr. Benton, it is your claim that the defendant,

-who rented a room in her home to you... -Yes, ma'am.

...assaulted you, disposed of your property.

Correct.

And because of all the turmoil, you missed time at work.

Yes, ma'am.

- You want $7,500. -Yes.

That's what you're asking for.

Then it says that you assaulted her. She had lost wages.

She had pain and suffering as a result of this assault,

which I assume took place on the same day.

-Yes. -Correct.

Okay. How did you find the room in Ms. Rayford's home?

It was on a roommate app. Like, Roomster to be exact.

On what date did you find the ad?

June 15th.

And where was it located?

Atlanta, Georgia 30311.

So that was in June. And you looked at the room?

Yes, ma'am.

And what was the rent?

It was negotiated to be 750.

$750 a month?

Yes, ma'am.

What kind of work were you doing then?

I was working fast food at the moment.

When did you move in?

July 15th.

July 15?

15th, yes, ma'am.

And how much rent did you pay for the month of July?

This full amount, $750. I paid 250 to hold the room

and 509 for the remaining balance.

In the month of August, tell me what rent you paid her and when.

I did give her...

Look at me. Be very careful with me.

I want you to be very careful with me.

How much rent did you give her in the month of August?

I didn't give her anything.

How much rent did you give her in September?

She wasn't there.

How much rent did you pay anyone in September?

I paid her a portion of the rent.

What do you mean, "A portion of the rent"?

It was my understanding that you owned this home.

-Yes, Your Honor. That is correct. -No, she didn't own the home.

Just a second.

She didn't own the home. To my knowledge,

she wasn't even supposed to be renting out the home to have rooms.

Just a second. I'm just asking you... you're now living in somebody's house.

Mm-hmm.

And you agreed to pay $750 a month rent.

-Mm-hmm. - "Uh-huh" is a yes.

-Yes. - And you paid no rent

for the month of August.

That was because when I did come into the home on the 31st...

I moved in on the 15th like I communicated to you.

On the 30th, my belongings was outside the home.

I had to sleep outside like an animal.

Okay. What about in September? You were still in the home in September.

Yeah, I was still in the home in September and went through the same issue.

- Just a second. You were still... -And it was...

You're not gonna talk over me. You were still in the home in September.

-Mm-hmm. - Not "uh-huh."

-That's a yes. -Yes.

You were still in the home in September,

and how much rent did you pay in September?

I paid her $500 in September.

Just a second. In September, you paid her $500?

Yes.

Okay. October?

Nothing was paid.

After that, you paid no rent.

No.

Okay. Where are you living now?

I live with a friend now.

That's a lie.

That's a lie. We just checked.

-Yeah, I do. I used to before I moved. -Okay. Well, just a second. Just a second.

"Stupid" is not here, sir.

-I'm pretty aware of that. - "Stupid" is not here.

So now you're a squatter in a place where you're paying no rent.

And you live with him?

No, ma'am. I have my own place.

Oh, good.

'Cause he doesn't live with you.

He's living in a place where he doesn't pay rent.

He moved in and stopped paying.

Mm-hmm.

I'm not finished with you, either.

Do you understand?

- Yes, I understand. -Very good.

So if you understand, you weren't living outside like an animal,

and you've been living for

August, September, October, November, December, January, and February...

seven months in a place in which you pay no rent.

Well, can I ask a question? How am I supposed to pay rent

when I had several eviction notices and she wasn't there to show up?

Then leave! Then leave!

I mean, you're saying "leave," but...

You are a squatter!

-She told me I didn't have to... - You're a squatter.

Well, if she told you that you don't have to,

then the two of you are in collusion here.

I'm not talking about her, ma'am.

Who told you you didn't have to pay?

The judge, because... I didn't say the judge didn't say I had to pay.

The judge said I did not have to leave.

That she didn't find a reason to evict me,

'cause she didn't show up and provide her evidence.

I'm just telling you, you're a squatter! You don't pay rent!

Everybody else here pays a mortgage, pays a maintenance.

You moved in and you became a squatter.

And I don't care what some other nitwit said to you.

-You're a squatter. -

So you get zero for the rent, for your property.

I'll get to the assault in a minute. I read your answer.

When did you purchase the house?

Uh, June...

- June of what? -2021.

What was your mortgage?

The first year from June when I moved in, in 2021,

it was 1575 a month.

For the mortgage.

Correct.

June of 2022, it increased by $40 and went to 1615.

In what month did you stop paying the mortgage?

September of 2023.

Why?

You're a squatter!

Do I look like a squatter?

You live in a place that's not yours. You're not paying rent.

You're a squatter.

Yeah. For people that don't try to pay rent.

At least I was trying to pay the rent.

Listen, I try to make a baby every once in a while,

but I'm 81 years old. It doesn't happen.

DeAndre Benton claims his former roommate, Chauncey Rayford,

threw away his property and assaulted him.

Chauncey is countersuing for property damage

and says she was the one assaulted.

Now, in what month did you stop paying the mortgage?

Well, uh, to be completely honest with you...

Yeah. I don't want you to be dishonest with me.

You have to be honest with me because I know everything.

Yes, ma'am. I got laid off.

I was okay just living off of savings for a few months.

Things got hard.

Just a second. You got laid off from what job where?

Carvana. And this was November of 2022.

All right, so you've already been laid off for a year.

And you're telling me you paid your mortgage until September?

Yes, ma'am.

I was doing anything I could from an app called Instawork.

Okay. So then you stopped paying your mortgage in September.

Yes.

And when did they foreclose on your house?

October 23rd was the day that I was told

that myself and DeAndre needed to be out of the house.

I just asked you a question. They foreclosed on the house in October?

Yes.

Where did you go?

I had to move back with my mother in the state of Missouri.

I lost everything... my job, the home, my dog.

Okay. So now the bank owns the house.

Yes. Correct.

And he's been squatting in that house since October.

Yes. He will not leave.

Get outta here.

Now, I've listened to what she just said. Just about the ownership of the house

and when she turned it back to the bank.

You said in your brief questioning before

that she didn't own the house. She was a renter.

Yeah. I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, and she knew that.

-I wasn't even aware of that. -That's not true.

Just a second. If she owns the house, you can be there.

She doesn't own the house.

She doesn't own it anymore.

She never did.

Well, show me proof of that. Okay. That I'd like to see.

Were you renting with an option to buy?

-Yes, ma'am. With an option to buy. - Oh! I got it now.

He's absolutely right. You were not the owner of the house.