This is a story about a legal fight between a landlord, David Philp, and his former tenant, Paul Saye. The case took place in Judge Judy’s famous courtroom.

The Conflict

David owned a beautiful, historic apartment in Hollywood. Paul lived there for five years. When Paul moved out, he owed rent for nearly two months. However, David was already holding $5,500 of Paul’s money as a security deposit.

Instead of using the deposit to pay the rent and returning the rest, David kept all of it. He claimed Paul had caused a lot of damage and owed him even more money.

The Broken Tile

David showed the judge a photo of a broken floor tile from 1926. Paul admitted he accidentally dropped an ashtray on it. David explained how hard it was to find a replacement and how he had to hire a workman to paint a new tile to match the old one.

Judge Judy wasn’t impressed. She felt David was overcharging for a small accident. She valued the repair at only about $100.

“Wear and Tear” or Damage?

Next, David pointed to a broken door frame. He guessed that Paul had “shouldered” the door open after locking himself out. He also claimed Paul left behind illegal smoking pipes (bongs). Paul denied everything.

Judge Judy stopped him right there. She explained an important rule: “Normal wear and tear.” * When someone lives in a place for five years, things naturally get old.

A landlord cannot make a tenant pay to make the apartment look “brand new” again.

The Final Decision

Judge Judy looked at the math. Paul owed rent, but David already had $5,500 of Paul’s money. That deposit was more than enough to cover the unpaid rent and the small repairs (like the tile).

David wanted even more money to “restore” his historic building, but the Judge said no. “Case dismissed,” she said. She told David he already had enough money and the case was over. David was shocked, but the battle was finished.