Question: How do I collect on a small claims judgement I won???? I was invited to go on your show with my claim but the defendant declined and then she didn’t show up to our local court! It has almost been a year and I haven’t seen a dime!

The Judge’s Answer: You will have to start a collection action against her. You can file a claim to garnish wages or freeze her bank account. If you don’t know where she works or banks, the court allows you to summon her in court so you can question her about her assets under oath. Failure to appear or respond to a court summons is considered an act of contempt.

Yes. If your boss made false statements about you, harming your reputation and you suffered economic damages, you may sue him.

Question: Sir, if I was driving through an alley, and someone backs out and hits my car, aren’t they at fault? The person that hit my car has a 6 ft. wooden fence that is impossible to see over, and he clearly could not see me approaching. We are both with the same insurance company and the adjuster handling my claim said that it was his fault. But his claim adjuster states that they’re waiting for him to submit pictures and are questioning why I didn’t stop. I submitted pictures and a witness came forward on my behalf. Is there anything else that I should do, or do I just have to wait it out?

The Judge’s Answer: Since you filed the claim with you insurance company, you should see if your claim is denied first. If your claim is denied, you can file a civil suit against the other driver. It appears that you had the right of way since the other driver was backing out. Make sure you file your civil complaint before the statute of limitations expires. You are bound by the statute of limitations even if the insurance company is still investigating your claim. The statute of limitation for property damage is 3 years and the statute of limitation for personal injury is 1 year.

Your landlord has committed a crime and is guilty of eavesdropping in a private place, and as a result, he or she may be prosecuted and may be imprisoned for up to five years. Your landlord is also liable to you civilly for invading your privacy.

Question: I signed an agreement with a professional football player to do groundwork on identifying potential commercial buildings for purchase. I met the terms of our agreement with him, but he failed to make funds available to close the deals, even though he used the business papers to set up a bank account. He encouraged us to complete and sign contracts but failed to follow through on his end. We never closed on any deals and became impoverished in the process. The operating agreement says that we’re entitled to 26% of the worth of the company, which in this case, is worth millions of dollars, we would just like to be made whole. He made an offer of $375,000 in retribution but again, never produced the money. We believe that he may have used the LLC to hide funds while he went through a difficult divorce. Do I have a case?

The Judge’s Answer: If you were in a partnership of LLC, you are entitled to your share of the profits per your operating agreement.