In the hallowed, wood-paneled halls of Judge Judy’s courtroom, the air is usually thick with tension. But on this particular day, it was thick with something else: absolute, baffling confusion.

This is the story of Mr. Whalen, a man who seemed to have forgotten almost everything about his own life, and Mr. Goodman, a man who had treated Whalen like a “surrogate son,” only to find himself paying the price for that kindness.

The Fog of Memory

The case began with a simple question from Judge Judy: “How many cars did you buy from Mr. Goodman?”

Mr. Whalen blinked. “Two,” he replied. He identified the first as an ’83 Mighty Max—a classic small pickup. But when the Judge asked how much he paid for it, the fog rolled in. “I think it was $3,500… or $4,000… maybe $3,800?”

Judge Judy’s patience, famous for its short fuse, began to simmer. “Are you on any controlled substance right now?” she asked, dead serious. Whalen’s answer—”No, but I…”—didn’t help his case.

As it turned out, Whalen didn’t even buy the Mighty Max from Goodman; Goodman had simply put his own credit line on the line to finance it for him. It was a $4,500 act of paternal love that had resulted in only $800 being paid back. Goodman had eventually repossessed the truck, but it was now rotting behind a fence, its value diminished.

Judge Judy made a swift procedural call: she dismissed the claim for the Mighty Max “without prejudice.” Goodman had the truck back; he needed to sell it first to determine the exact financial loss before the court could award him the difference.

The 4Runner Fiasco

Then, the focus shifted to the second car: a ’96 Toyota 4Runner. If the first car was a financial mess, the second was a legal catastrophe.

Mr. Goodman had sold this one to Whalen for $2,150. Whalen’s girlfriend, Ms. Hale, stood by his side as the truth came out. Whalen claimed he had paid back “over half.” Goodman produced records showing they had paid a measly $560.

But the real shocker wasn’t the debt—it was where the car ended up.

Ms. Hale, despite having a suspended license, had taken the wheel. She was pulled over, and because neither she nor Whalen had a valid license or the cash to pay the fees, the car was towed and impounded.

“We live out of our cars,” Whalen pleaded, trying to explain why they didn’t have a mailing address to receive the impound notice. “It’s our only transportation.”

The Equalizer

Judge Judy was unmoved. To her, the logic was ironclad: if you don’t have a license, you don’t drive. If you allow an unlicensed person to drive your car, you are responsible for the consequences. Because of their negligence, the 4Runner had been sold at an auction, vanished forever, while Goodman was still owed his money.

“You have no business driving a car,” Judy barked. She brushed aside the couple’s confusing explanations about “incomplete registrations” and “smog checks.”

The Final Verdict:

Mighty Max: Dismissed (for now) until Goodman sells the truck.

Toyota 4Runner: Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $1,690.