Passing the Bar and being a Good Lawyer are not inclusive, there are many that do good in Law School but never pass the Bar, for every seven figure Lawyer there are dozens of sub $50,000/year lawyers and dozens of "Ambulance Chasers", some do nothing except contract law and never enter a Courtroom to Try a case.. As Mac Geller(Len Cariou) said in Law and Order; Law School teaches Law not how to be a Lawyer.
This so called lawyer is related to the landlord. That's why they have her, she isn't charging them. They are dumb enough not to realize she is costing them money
It all makes sense now...she is most likely an unpracticed lawyer for many years and was asked to do this favor. That would explain how and why she is so out of her depth in these proceedings. She probably hasnt even practiced in landlord/tenant cases. Given her age of 80 she simply needs to stay retired. She is doing more harm than good. Also...arent attorneys required to be paid for their representation? I know theres pro bono work but, i thought attorneys cant simply work for free. Im probably wrong on this point anyways. The fact she kept whining that the defendants consulted a lawyer was telling...because she knew that she wouldnt be in control and she wanted her way. With the police reports mentioned at the very end...she seems like she is an out of touch Karen.
How this woman can sit and watch her lawyer fumble through these hearings and continue to retain her is beyond all understanding. It does not take a legal expert to recognize that Plaintiff’s attorney is an absolute mess here and is doing more damage than good in her advocacy.
The client found out the attorney wanna be was an uneducated one on landlord/tenant laws for the state and she probably should fire this wanna be who did not want anyone in mediation without her there.
She's so terrible that I thought they didn't have a lawyer. Sounds like someone completely unfamiliar with the legal system trying to but failing to screw over their tenant. She's a lawyer and tried to claim that someone else asking for legal advice in an appropriate format means they broke the lease!? What!?!
The last lawyer for the plaintiffs makes me insane. She has zero clue about what she’s trying to do and the plaintiff is suffering because of her incompetence. They need to get a different attorney.
Woah woah woah...lets be careful calling her a lawyer. We sure shes not just 'representitive'?? But she sure proud of the lease the wrote. She also loves taking 1-step forward and 3-steps backwards
As far as l can remember, from another vid (same case) she is N0T an actuaI, true, bonafide, Iicensed attny. BeIieve she’s just rep’ingfor them,because she wrote up the Iease agreement(?)
Caroline Jerome seems to have a lot of issues with these properties, she might need to rethink her source of income. If I were her I’d sell it all and retire
It's Rose Nylund, Attorney At Law! ..."So one time back in St. Olaf when Ole Rasmussen had a rent dispute with Gërde Petrübnöcken...." 🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂
That one attorney had a ton of AUDACITY to INTERRUPT after speaking for SO LONG about *nonsense.* She has a ton of audacity for Saying the defendants are acting in bad faith. When it's been cleared from the beginning that she's been acting in neutral faith at best. Then she has the cheek to talk under her breath the whole time.
@@kyleanderson2949 As an Atty myself I seriously think she's just really stupid. Two people in an apt, she wants it empty & two people signed the lease. She's only pursuing one person. 2nd grade math.
Really? I’m not saying he’s a bad judge, I like him. But sometimes you can see he’s impatient for the smallest things. It seems like “I’ve been doing this so long and it’s your first time here so just shut up” type vibe.
@@kc6647I get what you’re saying, but you can see how in all of the videos the special attorney has been extremely emotional , rude, and acting like she doesn’t understand what is happening. It must be exhausting having to explain basic legal principles to an “experienced “attorney.
This woman is afraid of another lawyer. She is being truly ridiculous. She must know that she’s at fault and somewhere in this situation. Otherwise she wouldn’t be looking for a loophole out of this mediation.
I don't think it's that, I think they just truly don't trust them, and they're bleeding money and want a resolution. You don't get to just say, "sorry, I'm withholding rent, figure it out", and as much as their attorney says, "oh, it's the air, as good of an attorney as she seems to be, if her client had sent an email or letter she'd be crucifing this incompetent women with the proof. But she's not, which seems to say he didn't do it right. And regardless, there's no reason they shouldn't be withholding the utilities? Withholding rent and not paying utilities is not the same thing, and I don't believe for a minute he's requesting them, again if he had, she'd be crucifing this twit, but she's not cause he's not paying it, that shows he's just being a prick and it's not about withholding, if it was he'd pipe up and say "Your honor, if they forward me the bill for utility, I'll begin to pay them and I'll pay X amount for the back pay. But he's not, because it about him not paying, not withholding. And now they way mediation because they think they can cut what they should pay, if it were you, you're not gonna say, "sure, you've screwed me, I'm just gonna accept it take half and move on and let to stay.". That's crap.
While they are different, in Michigan ESAs are considered a reasonable accommodation and are allowed to live in pet-free locations. However, they are required to be potty trained and can't be a nuisance to the neighbors or the property. Also, they have to be properly disclosed and up to date on all their shots. I don't agree with this because way too many people are passing off their pets as ESAs and apartments are worried about being sued, so they allow them even when they cause issues.
They aren't. However, housing is one of the two rights that an ESA has. A landlord doesn't get to say no. Period. Look things up before you try and play with the adults.
She doesn’t want the renter to go to a lawyer to go into mediation..against her a lawyer?? Sorry lady but we have the right to have lawyer around. You can go to mediation and have a lawyer at the same time. Not fair and she doesn’t want to go against someone competent is all.
Even Caroline seems to be losing patience with her attorney. Just watching her reactions when the attorney speaks., ask questions, etc. I don't know why she just doesn't find a new one & fire this one.
Wake up Caroline, this lawyer is NOT helping your case! OR You are directing her to do these idiotic motions(wasting courts time) instead of agreeing to mediation. You all are avoiding the mediator and the judge getting the results without you being awarded a judgment, pre-judgement! You all sound shady!
Raise your hand if you want mediation to fail so we can be entertained by this nin-com-poop lawyer. I'm guessing there are lots of hands up; barring Judge Simpson, of course 😅
“How do I prepare this paperwork?” HOW IS SHE A LAWYER??? The fact that she has no clue how to file anything, no clue how the process works, I mean. HOW?!?!?!
@jamesrowden303 Yeah, true, I wasn't trying to defend having an 80 year-old attorney. But now that you mentioned these other professions... I actually haven't seen an old police officer in a long time.
In a way i think it's worse that she actually asks how to file it! It's so basic to know you don't ask the judge questions & cannot seek advice on how to proceed with a case. So to have an alleged lawyer think it appropriate is crazy. Any competent lawyer would be far too embarrassed.
@jamesrowden303 I didn't say otherwise I just used a different more descriptive way of putting it. Obviously she is qualified in that state by passing the bar OR she is committing crime! Frankly they would be better off hiring an actual felon as I expect they have more legal knowledge.
My dad will be 80 this year and he still works full-time. He’s going strong. But this lady is off her rocker. She needs to go back to it and sit down and shut up.
The incompetent attorney absolutely baffles me. Ok, so she doesn’t know landlord/tenet law as well as she should to handle this case. But she doesn’t even know courtroom decorum. She interrupts, talks under her breath, speaks to the judge like she’s a petulant teenager… Lady needs to learn how to act appropriately, with respect, in a courtroom.
😂 i laughed out loud when she said..."oh yeah" then started flipping her pages. She is one hot mess but it's hilarious to watch. If i took a shot every time she started her "they haven't paid their rent" i wouldn't be able to stand up within the first 3 minutes😂
Omg All I hearing with the last lawyer is "I'm the only legal representative allowed on the case, how dare the tenants seal legal advice without asking me first!"
I literally loathe listening to this attorney and her level of incompacity. She got her sister to purchase this house and then ill advised her as to how to handle this rental.
Is Ms Jerome's lawyer keeping information from her client because she has not managed the property properly? Both sides cannot be true. The tenant's lawyer is much more believable. Lack of Air Condiitioning and mice infestations are big issues. Ms Jerome does not seem to know this. I hope her lawyer does not bankrupt her. I think she would be better off representing herself.
"Retaining an attorney means they've violated the mediation clause!" opined plaintiff's attorney, who plaintiff had retained. I think clearly this woman is a friend of the plaintiff and she's really too close to it.
I feel bad for the owner. Especially after this hearing, the owner has to realize now that her "attorney" is floundering and that it is probably too late to rectify the situation. Regardless of the merits of either side, competent representation could have handled this dispute in a way that better protected her client, e.g., by getting escrow put in place long before this. An attorney should not be coming to court over and over again confessing her ignorance of the law to the judge and depending on him to guide her as to how to handle the case. Don't mean to be involved in age discrimination, but she should probably use her 80th birthday as an occasion for retiring.
I am a 75-year-old woman and I agree with you. I don't see this as age discrimination. I actually appreciate that you are conscious about her age and being sensitive about the issue. I think you would be saying she should not be there even if she were younger, assuming her "performance" were exactly what it is here. Why hasn't she gained the wisdom to say when she is in over her head. At 80, it seems like she would have learned to admit she doesn't know something or that someone else is better at a task than she is. Of course, I think she should have also learned when to be quiet, when not to argue, how to listen, etc.
@@freeman0048 true.. but I can’t say I blame them for wanting to save money. They probably thought this would be easy enough for her to handle. But after the first hearing, they should have realized she is incompetent and they should have actually hired a good attorney. There’s some things you shouldn’t be frugal on.. hiring an attorney is one of those things. This woman has probably filled their heads with a bunch of nonsense as well and being that they are lay people, they probably assumed she knew what she was talking about. This attorney is the one who is wasting time. She’s the one who is holding everything up. And considering how messy these hearings have been, the tenants were smart to hire their own attorney as well. The sad part is that the tenants could actually be in the right here.. if im not mistaken, werent they working for her? Not sure. We may not ever know who is in the right the way this case is going.
@@southernladyishAs a lay person I don't think it takes an education in law to recognise she doesn't know what she's doing. Besides legal knowledge she lacks decorum & court etiquette which is clearly obvious to anyone watching.
Listening to the last attorney I think I’m going to sit outside and watch the grass grow. Far more satisfying than listening to this excuse of a lawyer
YEARS ago I was in Court for a nothing traffic case, dressed in my funeral suit, I think the Judge thought I was the Lawyer, I was properly prepared and spoke proper court language.... case dismissed.
this woman needs to retire. immediately. there’s zero problem with the tenants retaining counsel. it’s their right. there IS a problem with another attorney being so pissed the tenants did hire an attorney and treating that AS A VIOLATION OF THE LEASE.
the good thing that will come out of all of this will be for the residents of Washtenaw County, MI to NEVER use Donna Tope as a lawyer. they can see the train wreck with their own eyes.....hopefully
In the first hearing there's an exchange that kinda got overlooked/thrown out. The landlord on the lease is listed as an LLC and not the couple she's representing. The LLC is the attorney's LLC and she says something like "I manage it (the property)." I'm guessing it's just accepted who's owed what and ultimately the couple has standing. She's definitely involved though.
@@mcgoo721you are correct, in the latest videos she gets removed from the case as a conflict of interest, he had to force her to go. He basically said don’t make me report you to ethics
It’s like this lawyer (lawyer!?) never heard of landlord/tenant problems, except her website says it’s one of her specialties! It’s worse than that. It’s like she’s never been in court.
From simply watching 5 of these cases, here's what I've learned: To recover rent for non-payment, you must give the tenant a 7 day notice and THEN file a complaint. To evict, you must give a 30 day notice and file a complaint to evict. It's not that difficult!
If she is almost 80 years old, one would think that she would understand the law better. I am SO impressed with Judge Simpson…I don’t think that most judges would be able to keep their temper in check when dealing with someone like her.
Regardless of the lawyer for landlord, the tenants are not paying the rent and utilities. The landlord rented out the residence to make money not to let someone live there for free!
They must not be able to pay an attorney so a friend is doing it for free, no other explanation for this " lawyer" to be representing them. She is so incompetent
She is the property manager and the lawyer for the property owners. She was before him before and it was dismissed. She filed the wrong paperwork before
i truly believe that lawyer has no clue what mediation is. Edit: 1:05:53 "if you make it earlier" holy shit what entitlement this woman has. i don't have the patience.
When the plantif seems more knowledgeable and reasonable than her attorney you know theres an issue. Her putting her head in her hand when her attorney interrupted the defense after like 3 sentences spoke volumes lol
@@timcarter817she said that as soon as they acquired legal representation mediation was off the table (according to the contract she said) but my problem with that is if you mediate, you have a lawyer present, that’s what they do isn’t it?
And the contract didn't say MUST mediate, just CAN. I get the feeling this lady has got her way in life by giving everyone a complete headache and bullying them with nonsense jargon and legal sounding crap.
If someone moves into a home and there are no bug or rodent infestation and all of a sudden the tenants report an issue, I would do an inspection with 24 hour notice to find out what the tenants are doing to cause an infestation!!!
This woman is afraid of another lawyer. She is being truly ridiculous. She must know that she’s at fault and somewhere in this situation. Otherwise she wouldn’t be looking for a loophole out of this mediation. This woman is ridiculous for sure her and her if.
A competent manager would have taken care of the issues quickly and the landlord would not have lost so much rent etc Manager advised landlords not to go to mediation ?!
so, let me see if I can understand this. Donna K. Tope states that before any litigation can be done, mediation is required and then in the same breath, she states she is afraid to go to mediation. color me confused
It seems this lawyer doesn't want the other party having a lawyer and seems to want to not want a mediator because she doest want anyone checking her work. Her filings are backward and who ever heard of a lease forbidding a renter from getting a lawyer. I would be willing to bet, she never filed anything correctly and now she is trying to save face with her friends. I would bet that she botched the maintenance of the property and that's why they are in this position in the first place. They say they sent emails about maintenance issues and she denies them. I've never heard so much double talk. She says, yes we want to go to mediation but then says she says she doesn't want to go because trust issues. Isn't mediation necessary to eliminate trust issues. I mean you either have the paper trail to back up what you are saying or not. Also when she is talking the other side says absolutely nothing for an hour, not one word until it was her turn and was immediately interrupted. It seems she has pulled the wool over the poor landlords eyes but they are believing her bull so they think poorly of the renters. The case at one point the bad lawyer wanted to evict the husband but not the wife, like how is that even possible!
She starts litigation and then claims they shouldn't get a lawyer and ask for mediation. This woman is no lawyer, she is a giant settlement waiting to happen.
It always amazes me that people refuse to pay rent and cliamn.They're place that they're renting is unhabitable.But stay and don't feel they should have to pay rent. Alot of people rent out a place so they have income for their primary residence. Why do so many think they should have a free ride through life?
@@jim6214or they are "forced" due to life circumstances, either way it is time for her to either retire if she can or find a job that she can actually do/cut expenses. Retirement can be tough if you didn't plan correctly or your investments didn't do as well as you thought they would, however when you are in a position of trust like lawyers or doctors it's very important to evaluate yourself honestly and either have a partner or get out.
So if you're accused of mass murder in an orphanage on Christmas Eve, you are "presumed innocent" and are entitled to be represented by an attorney. But if you're a tenant and your lease says you must agree to mediation but you hire an attorney instead, that means you are "acting in bad faith" and are not entitled to be represented by an attorney? And on an unrelated note, who in their right mind is willing to pay $4k/month for RENT?
This lawyer is constantly looking for an end around to just get what she wants without following proper processes of the court and is told repeatedly she cant, and then has the gall to act like she is fearful the defendents wont be acting in good faith.
If I was withholding rent/utilities etc I would put it into a savings account so when the issues are resolved I have the money. Also I wish this judge wouldn’t keep this up with this lady. It could have been resolved easier.
This is a case of a tenant getting a pet, then trying to force a landlord into excepting the pet as an emotional support animal that’s either destroying their house or they simply don’t want one in the house.
This so called lawyer/ property manager has clearly shown herself to be totally incompetent I am SHOCKED her clients have not looked for new, competent representation. THIS SO CALLED “ATTORNEY” IS MOST OF THE PROBLEM. She is leading them down the back, muddy path of dragging this case out longer than necessary for both landlord & tenants. That lawyer is even too dense to see she is making a complete fool of herself (professionally ).
@@1tents yeah but there’s due process so you have to participate in the court system to be able to collect that money and if you’re being difficult and filing paperwork, that’s not getting you anywhere and asking the same questions that are just pissing the judge off you’re not gonna get anywhere
This is absolutely ridiculous. In 99.99% of cases, you're better off letting your attorney do the talking. This might be a rare exception. The attorney is WORSE than a pro se. How this person finished law school and is a licensed attorney I have no idea.
I've seen some incompetent lawyers before, but this individual takes the cake. She doesn't even know basic court rules. She flatout admits she has huge gaps in her knowledge of landlord-tenant law. Combine these details with her being obviously WAY too involved in this case makes me think she's a family member who has done some Other type of law, retired, and is now sort of coming out of retirement to "help". When all she's doing is hurting. Honestly, I don't know who's in the right here. The plaintiffs could be in the right, but this awful lawyer is making them seem shady through her incompetence. Or maybe the plaintiffs are actually malicious. Nobody is squeaky clean here, but dear Lord... get a better lawyer! Edit: Wow! I wrote all of that before I got to the 1:08:00 mark! Dear LORD was I right!
To those who wish to be lawyers but are worried that about law school or passing the BAR exam, just remember this woman did it. So can you.
It was probably easier to get licensed when she took the exam back in 1874.
I don’t know how she did
Well, Did you hear about the State of Washington? They don't even have to pass the Bar in order to practice law...Lmao
Passing the Bar and being a Good Lawyer are not inclusive, there are many that do good in Law School but never pass the Bar, for every seven figure Lawyer there are dozens of sub $50,000/year lawyers and dozens of "Ambulance Chasers", some do nothing except contract law and never enter a Courtroom to Try a case.. As Mac Geller(Len Cariou) said in Law and Order; Law School teaches Law not how to be a Lawyer.
@@patfrazier9285 A bit more complicated than that, just anybody can't practice Law.
Mrs. Caroline I can be your lawyer. Haven't passed the bar or been to law school, but i've watched all 3 of these videos so far. I got it.
Totally 😂
This so called lawyer is related to the landlord. That's why they have her, she isn't charging them. They are dumb enough not to realize she is costing them money
It all makes sense now...she is most likely an unpracticed lawyer for many years and was asked to do this favor. That would explain how and why she is so out of her depth in these proceedings. She probably hasnt even practiced in landlord/tenant cases. Given her age of 80 she simply needs to stay retired. She is doing more harm than good. Also...arent attorneys required to be paid for their representation? I know theres pro bono work but, i thought attorneys cant simply work for free. Im probably wrong on this point anyways.
The fact she kept whining that the defendants consulted a lawyer was telling...because she knew that she wouldnt be in control and she wanted her way. With the police reports mentioned at the very end...she seems like she is an out of touch Karen.
@@CascadeGamer I think the fact that she is an idiot has something to do with it!
they are not related - she is the property manager who happens to have a law degree
@@rebeccab2446 you must not have watched the first video where she says she is related to them
Dumb and dumber
Caroline my opinion is….you need to FIRE that so called lawyer and in my opinion, hire one that knows what he/she is doing.
That couple is going to end up living rent-free for life while that lawyer flails around in court
😂😂😂😂
How this woman can sit and watch her lawyer fumble through these hearings and continue to retain her is beyond all understanding.
It does not take a legal expert to recognize that Plaintiff’s attorney is an absolute mess here and is doing more damage than good in her advocacy.
They may be siblings or some other relation. I think I remember that from one of the other videos of this case
The client found out the attorney wanna be was an uneducated one on landlord/tenant laws for the state and she probably should fire this wanna be who did not want anyone in mediation without her there.
My thoughts EXACTLY. 'Familiy' or not, the Jeromes need a new attorney.
She's so terrible that I thought they didn't have a lawyer.
Sounds like someone completely unfamiliar with the legal system trying to but failing to screw over their tenant.
She's a lawyer and tried to claim that someone else asking for legal advice in an appropriate format means they broke the lease!? What!?!
Sounds like a case of either nepotism or cronyism because this lawyer is so bad the plaintiff might be better off representing themselves
The last lawyer for the plaintiffs makes me insane. She has zero clue about what she’s trying to do and the plaintiff is suffering because of her incompetence. They need to get a different attorney.
My bet is the lawyer is family member or a friend of friend. Because if she isn't the plaintiff needs to find a new lawyer fast.
Woah woah woah...lets be careful calling her a lawyer. We sure shes not just 'representitive'?? But she sure proud of the lease the wrote. She also loves taking 1-step forward and 3-steps backwards
For real, has anyone checked her credentials? She doesn't seem to know the most basic aspects of the law.
This attorney really is above her head and thinks she's in charge yet she's the only one ticking off the judge!
As far as l can remember, from another vid (same case) she is N0T an actuaI, true, bonafide, Iicensed attny. BeIieve she’s just rep’ingfor them,because she wrote up the Iease agreement(?)
Caroline Jerome seems to have a lot of issues with these properties, she might need to rethink her source of income. If I were her I’d sell it all and retire
Sounds like a plan😊
Meanwhile there is some poor bastard at the University of Michigan who is watching this and praying to not get this case!!! Lol
Right?! 😂
😂😂😂
So true... I feel bad for whatever mediator they do get
If the landlord wins, it’ll be IN SPITE of their lawyer.
It's Rose Nylund, Attorney At Law!
..."So one time back in St. Olaf when Ole Rasmussen had a rent dispute with Gërde Petrübnöcken...." 🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂
😂😂😂
Rose at least eventually made a coherent point 😂
Hahahaha....you are so right
😂😂😂
Naw don't do Rose like that 😂😂
That one attorney had a ton of AUDACITY to INTERRUPT after speaking for SO LONG about *nonsense.* She has a ton of audacity for Saying the defendants are acting in bad faith. When it's been cleared from the beginning that she's been acting in neutral faith at best.
Then she has the cheek to talk under her breath the whole time.
she lies so frequently she forgets which track she chose lol
@@kyleanderson2949 As an Atty myself I seriously think she's just really stupid. Two people in an apt, she wants it empty & two people signed the lease. She's only pursuing one person. 2nd grade math.
ATTENTION Caroline Jerome: You have an utterly incompetent attorney who doesn’t have any idea what she’s doing. Get a real lawyer!
I have to say, judge Simpson is THE most patient judge EVER!
Really? I’m not saying he’s a bad judge, I like him. But sometimes you can see he’s impatient for the smallest things. It seems like “I’ve been doing this so long and it’s your first time here so just shut up” type vibe.
@@kc6647I get what you’re saying, but you can see how in all of the videos the special attorney has been extremely emotional , rude, and acting like she doesn’t understand what is happening. It must be exhausting having to explain basic legal principles to an “experienced “attorney.
This woman is afraid of another lawyer. She is being truly ridiculous. She must know that she’s at fault and somewhere in this situation. Otherwise she wouldn’t be looking for a loophole out of this mediation.
I don't think it's that, I think they just truly don't trust them, and they're bleeding money and want a resolution. You don't get to just say, "sorry, I'm withholding rent, figure it out", and as much as their attorney says, "oh, it's the air, as good of an attorney as she seems to be, if her client had sent an email or letter she'd be crucifing this incompetent women with the proof. But she's not, which seems to say he didn't do it right. And regardless, there's no reason they shouldn't be withholding the utilities? Withholding rent and not paying utilities is not the same thing, and I don't believe for a minute he's requesting them, again if he had, she'd be crucifing this twit, but she's not cause he's not paying it, that shows he's just being a prick and it's not about withholding, if it was he'd pipe up and say "Your honor, if they forward me the bill for utility, I'll begin to pay them and I'll pay X amount for the back pay. But he's not, because it about him not paying, not withholding. And now they way mediation because they think they can cut what they should pay, if it were you, you're not gonna say, "sure, you've screwed me, I'm just gonna accept it take half and move on and let to stay.". That's crap.
She hates the fact that the defendants have an attorney now. It's frustrating her.
An emotional support animal is not the same as a registered service animal, and people need to stop conflating the two.
I think the whole movement is undermining people w real service dogs.
Why on earth would you third party utilities?
While they are different, in Michigan ESAs are considered a reasonable accommodation and are allowed to live in pet-free locations. However, they are required to be potty trained and can't be a nuisance to the neighbors or the property. Also, they have to be properly disclosed and up to date on all their shots.
I don't agree with this because way too many people are passing off their pets as ESAs and apartments are worried about being sued, so they allow them even when they cause issues.
No such thing as a "registered service animal".
No state or federal registar exists and this is a belief that needs to go away.
They aren't. However, housing is one of the two rights that an ESA has. A landlord doesn't get to say no. Period.
Look things up before you try and play with the adults.
I love Honorable Judge Simpson. He's the only judge I could binge all day. To me alot of judges are power hungry. He actually listens
Judge Boyd, Judge Manning and Judge Bryant are also VERY good and take no mess off of anyone.
He does a LOT of Housing Court cases, he has heard pretty much every story.
He's very personable.
How does someone get behind $20,000 in rent in 2015, pay it off, then get behind another $28,500 by 2024? Wtf?!?!
I'm amazed the first was paid off.
That was my question . They would have been evicted a long time before arrearages got that high
I thought i heard her say that they owed 31k in utilities and later on changed it to 3k. She is all over the place.
Maybe a commercial property?
A frat house was my first thought!
She doesn’t want the renter to go to a lawyer to go into mediation..against her a lawyer?? Sorry lady but we have the right to have lawyer around. You can go to mediation and have a lawyer at the same time. Not fair and she doesn’t want to go against someone competent is all.
Even Caroline seems to be losing patience with her attorney. Just watching her reactions when the attorney speaks., ask questions, etc. I don't know why she just doesn't find a new one & fire this one.
Wake up Caroline, this lawyer is NOT helping your case! OR You are directing her to do these idiotic motions(wasting courts time) instead of agreeing to mediation. You all are avoiding the mediator and the judge getting the results without you being awarded a judgment, pre-judgement! You all sound shady!
Raise your hand if you want mediation to fail so we can be entertained by this nin-com-poop lawyer. I'm guessing there are lots of hands up; barring Judge Simpson, of course 😅
Yes please!
@@Devils.Advocate. I shouldn't be surprised that a devil agrees with a demon 😉
Simpson's gonna have an aneurysm from this lady lol
They would have been in mediation months ago but the windbag lawyer wanted to go on and on and on. . .
Hell yes
“How do I prepare this paperwork?”
HOW IS SHE A LAWYER??? The fact that she has no clue how to file anything, no clue how the process works, I mean. HOW?!?!?!
She's also 80 years old, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
@jamesrowden303 Yeah, true, I wasn't trying to defend having an 80 year-old attorney. But now that you mentioned these other professions... I actually haven't seen an old police officer in a long time.
In a way i think it's worse that she actually asks how to file it! It's so basic to know you don't ask the judge questions & cannot seek advice on how to proceed with a case. So to have an alleged lawyer think it appropriate is crazy.
Any competent lawyer would be far too embarrassed.
@jamesrowden303 I didn't say otherwise I just used a different more descriptive way of putting it. Obviously she is qualified in that state by passing the bar OR she is committing crime!
Frankly they would be better off hiring an actual felon as I expect they have more legal knowledge.
My dad will be 80 this year and he still works full-time. He’s going strong.
But this lady is off her rocker. She needs to go back to it and sit down and shut up.
The incompetent attorney absolutely baffles me. Ok, so she doesn’t know landlord/tenet law as well as she should to handle this case.
But she doesn’t even know courtroom decorum. She interrupts, talks under her breath, speaks to the judge like she’s a petulant teenager…
Lady needs to learn how to act appropriately, with respect, in a courtroom.
37:24 Judge Simpson: “No, don’t say ‘oh my gosh’. Because if you say ‘oh my gosh’ one more time, I’m going to find you in contempt” 🤣😂😂😂👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😂😂😂😂
😂 i laughed out loud when she said..."oh yeah" then started flipping her pages. She is one hot mess but it's hilarious to watch. If i took a shot every time she started her "they haven't paid their rent" i wouldn't be able to stand up within the first 3 minutes😂
Remind me: If I ever need an attorney, NOT to hite this crazy A*S woman!!!🤯😵
@@patriciawitt8174 😂😂
"i was saying omg to myself" the most b.s thing i ever heard. She does it to other lawyers as well
Passive aggressive
If they're trying to use a family friend lawyer and use University of Michigan mediators to try and cut on costs, looks like they're doing it wrong
This is all wrong. Everything they’re doing is wrong. 😂
The lawyer is also the property manager. Complete conflict of interest. Luckily she gets kicked off the case
@@damedusa5107 You can own property/ manage it, etc & be the owners' lawyer. I think there is confusion because she keeps helping the tenants.
@@dawndurante1554 it’s not that. It’s because she was witness. And was going to be called to the stand if it went to trial. That’s the issue.
“It’ll just be me and that will just be mediation with a hammer>” Simpson kills me.
Why do they continue to use this woman to represent them...my God she's intolerable to listen to she makes zero sense!!!
My 7yr old son has been watching Judge Simpson and has announced that he wants to become a Judge. There's something really good about that.
poor Ms. Jerome needs to find a competent attorney.
Shes married to an atty🤷🏻♀️
Omg
All I hearing with the last lawyer is "I'm the only legal representative allowed on the case, how dare the tenants seal legal advice without asking me first!"
Poor Judge Simpson looks like he wishes he had something stronger in that cup. 😂
The Jeromes need a new lawyer bc this lady is insane
“I don’t know the fine points”
Then why the hell are you employed as an attorney?
Caroline Jerome: you have an “attorney” that is completely inept. She is literally saying in open court how much of a muppet she is
When he's on camera, watch the bailiff's reactions.
I literally loathe listening to this attorney and her level of incompacity. She got her sister to purchase this house and then ill advised her as to how to handle this rental.
Is Ms Jerome's lawyer keeping information from her client because she has not managed the property properly? Both sides cannot be true. The tenant's lawyer is much more believable. Lack of Air Condiitioning and mice infestations are big issues. Ms Jerome does not seem to know this. I hope her lawyer does not bankrupt her. I think she would be better off representing herself.
I’m so invested to see where this Cracker Jack box lawyer ends up. “Oh my gosh”😂😂😂
How did she pass the bar??? I know more about the law than this lawyer.
Had to be witchcraft. Possibly a couple virgin sacrifices, and selling her soul. That’s the only explanation that makes sense.
"Retaining an attorney means they've violated the mediation clause!" opined plaintiff's attorney, who plaintiff had retained. I think clearly this woman is a friend of the plaintiff and she's really too close to it.
It seems they don't want the tenants to be represented and them to have their way. That being in a lease is already red flags to me.
FAMILY MEMBER!!
I think the so called lawyer is employed by the plaintiff as her tax and property overseer.
Yep and a dumb a...
You should NEVER EVER be "friends" with your Doctor OR Lawyer.
I feel bad for the owner. Especially after this hearing, the owner has to realize now that her "attorney" is floundering and that it is probably too late to rectify the situation. Regardless of the merits of either side, competent representation could have handled this dispute in a way that better protected her client, e.g., by getting escrow put in place long before this. An attorney should not be coming to court over and over again confessing her ignorance of the law to the judge and depending on him to guide her as to how to handle the case. Don't mean to be involved in age discrimination, but she should probably use her 80th birthday as an occasion for retiring.
I am a 75-year-old woman and I agree with you. I don't see this as age discrimination. I actually appreciate that you are conscious about her age and being sensitive about the issue. I think you would be saying she should not be there even if she were younger, assuming her "performance" were exactly what it is here.
Why hasn't she gained the wisdom to say when she is in over her head. At 80, it seems like she would have learned to admit she doesn't know something or that someone else is better at a task than she is. Of course, I think she should have also learned when to be quiet, when not to argue, how to listen, etc.
The owners are trying to cut costs by not hiring a real attorney. They knew what they were getting into.
@@freeman0048 true.. but I can’t say I blame them for wanting to save money. They probably thought this would be easy enough for her to handle. But after the first hearing, they should have realized she is incompetent and they should have actually hired a good attorney. There’s some things you shouldn’t be frugal on.. hiring an attorney is one of those things. This woman has probably filled their heads with a bunch of nonsense as well and being that they are lay people, they probably assumed she knew what she was talking about. This attorney is the one who is wasting time. She’s the one who is holding everything up. And considering how messy these hearings have been, the tenants were smart to hire their own attorney as well. The sad part is that the tenants could actually be in the right here.. if im not mistaken, werent they working for her? Not sure. We may not ever know who is in the right the way this case is going.
@@southernladyishAs a lay person I don't think it takes an education in law to recognise she doesn't know what she's doing.
Besides legal knowledge she lacks decorum & court etiquette which is clearly obvious to anyone watching.
Listening to the last attorney I think I’m going to sit outside and watch the grass grow. Far more satisfying than listening to this excuse of a lawyer
Talking snotty to the judge always works out...
There are loads of videos that show the person doing exactly that and wonder why they lose or get charged with contempt.
YEARS ago I was in Court for a nothing traffic case, dressed in my funeral suit, I think the Judge thought I was the Lawyer, I was properly prepared and spoke proper court language.... case dismissed.
this woman needs to retire. immediately. there’s zero problem with the tenants retaining counsel. it’s their right. there IS a problem with another attorney being so pissed the tenants did hire an attorney and treating that AS A VIOLATION OF THE LEASE.
How did this lady pass the bar? Did she have someone take it for her?
the good thing that will come out of all of this will be for the residents of Washtenaw County, MI to NEVER use Donna Tope as a lawyer. they can see the train wreck with their own eyes.....hopefully
She found her license at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.
My theory is she passed the bar 50 years ago and never really practiced
@@charanth182 or I think she had a long career , retired, and decided to go to law school in her 60s
@@dirtysouth5038 guess she'd be just as inexperienced that way too.
OMGosh!!!!! This attorney is absolutely insane!!! I can’t watch her anymore!!!!
Im not shocked about last attorney being sued, shes to emotionally involved as if she was the landlord.
Have to find this now
In the first hearing there's an exchange that kinda got overlooked/thrown out. The landlord on the lease is listed as an LLC and not the couple she's representing. The LLC is the attorney's LLC and she says something like "I manage it (the property)." I'm guessing it's just accepted who's owed what and ultimately the couple has standing. She's definitely involved though.
@@mcgoo721you are correct, in the latest videos she gets removed from the case as a conflict of interest, he had to force her to go. He basically said don’t make me report you to ethics
I’ve been trying to figure out why the attorney said that they used up$32k in utilities?lol She’s delusional
CAROLINE JEROME - GET A DIFFERENT LAWYER!!!
Look at her, does she look like she’s got a clue 😂
It’s like this lawyer (lawyer!?) never heard of landlord/tenant problems, except her website says it’s one of her specialties! It’s worse than that. It’s like she’s never been in court.
"We just want some assurances that somewhere down the road we will be paid." Im sure all plaintiffs do but thats not how litigation works.
Mrz Fieldz - that was the most entertaining court case I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you so much for putting it together!
The only Michigan bar this elderly lady attorney has passed is the Last Chance Saloon...!
She is... just the worst lawyer ever.
From simply watching 5 of these cases, here's what I've learned:
To recover rent for non-payment, you must give the tenant a 7 day notice and THEN file a complaint.
To evict, you must give a 30 day notice and file a complaint to evict.
It's not that difficult!
And that poor lady filed it wrong 3 times!
If she is almost 80 years old, one would think that she would understand the law better. I am SO impressed with Judge Simpson…I don’t think that most judges would be able to keep their temper in check when dealing with someone like her.
How is it that Donna Tope be so incompetent at both being a LAWYER AND A PROPERTY MANAGER?!
Regardless of the lawyer for landlord, the tenants are not paying the rent and utilities. The landlord rented out the residence to make money not to let someone live there for free!
Judge Simpson: I thought we figured this out...
Pseudo Lawyer: WRONGGGGGGG!
We surely need an update on this one. Thank you so very much for all you do putting this all together. 🤩
Get. That. Woman. Out. Of. There!
They must not be able to pay an attorney so a friend is doing it for free, no other explanation for this " lawyer" to be representing them. She is so incompetent
She is the property manager and the lawyer for the property owners. She was before him before and it was dismissed. She filed the wrong paperwork before
Holy sh*t!!!! The judge needs to throw her out of his courtroom, and she needs to just retire so nobody has deals with her incompetence
i truly believe that lawyer has no clue what mediation is.
Edit: 1:05:53 "if you make it earlier" holy shit what entitlement this woman has.
i don't have the patience.
When the plantif seems more knowledgeable and reasonable than her attorney you know theres an issue. Her putting her head in her hand when her attorney interrupted the defense after like 3 sentences spoke volumes lol
Can these poor people not see that attorney is completely incompetent? They could have had this done a long time ago.
They have a right to mediation. They also have the right NOT to do mediation. This “lawyer” is so incompetent, I question how she holds a bar card
@@timcarter817she said that as soon as they acquired legal representation mediation was off the table (according to the contract she said) but my problem with that is if you mediate, you have a lawyer present, that’s what they do isn’t it?
@@vikiallen9756 yes, people generally have council present at mediation.
And the contract didn't say MUST mediate, just CAN. I get the feeling this lady has got her way in life by giving everyone a complete headache and bullying them with nonsense jargon and legal sounding crap.
If someone moves into a home and there are no bug or rodent infestation and all of a sudden the tenants report an issue, I would do an inspection with 24 hour notice to find out what the tenants are doing to cause an infestation!!!
This woman is afraid of another lawyer. She is being truly ridiculous. She must know that she’s at fault and somewhere in this situation. Otherwise she wouldn’t be looking for a loophole out of this mediation. This woman is ridiculous for sure her and her if.
The court does not tell you anything about the paperwork. They say you have to ask an attorney . Delaware
That lady should not be an attorney. She's so untrustworthy. She also has NOO idea of what she's saying.
A competent manager would have taken care of the issues quickly and the landlord would not have lost so much rent etc
Manager advised landlords not to go to mediation ?!
At some points during the Caroline Jerome case I would start laughing at her lawyer then I would see Caroline's face and feel guilty.
😂😂😂the atty take on mediation is so ridiculous! This lady is dragging this out yet wants it settled asap!
If Judge Simpson just enforced the escrow statute so many of these cases would take so much less time.
so, let me see if I can understand this. Donna K. Tope states that before any litigation can be done, mediation is required and then in the same breath, she states she is afraid to go to mediation. color me confused
I'm not sure I'd have the patience to enter into good faith mediation with this lawyer either to be completely fair
Ms. Jerome: your attorney is completely incompetent. You probably should fire her post haste.
Caroline is a paragon of composure watching her attorney reveal that she slept through all of her law school classes.
Is this the same lawyer that filed the wrong paperwork in the first place
Yes! I'm not sure if this is second or third video. But it's the same.
There seems to be 3 videos. Not sure how this one falls in that line
42:38 Clip for you. Judge Simpson: “I should have stayed in bed today.” 😂😂😂
I totally felt that. ❤😂
They can lie to us but we can't lie to them? Something isn't right there.
It seems this lawyer doesn't want the other party having a lawyer and seems to want to not want a mediator because she doest want anyone checking her work. Her filings are backward and who ever heard of a lease forbidding a renter from getting a lawyer. I would be willing to bet, she never filed anything correctly and now she is trying to save face with her friends. I would bet that she botched the maintenance of the property and that's why they are in this position in the first place. They say they sent emails about maintenance issues and she denies them.
I've never heard so much double talk. She says, yes we want to go to mediation but then says she says she doesn't want to go because trust issues. Isn't mediation necessary to eliminate trust issues. I mean you either have the paper trail to back up what you are saying or not. Also when she is talking the other side says absolutely nothing for an hour, not one word until it was her turn and was immediately interrupted.
It seems she has pulled the wool over the poor landlords eyes but they are believing her bull so they think poorly of the renters. The case at one point the bad lawyer wanted to evict the husband but not the wife, like how is that even possible!
The guy is worried about mold while simultaneously and willingly inhaling cancer. Good job.
I’m glad the attorneys for the defendants are suing Tobor!! I’d love to know the result of that litigation.
She starts litigation and then claims they shouldn't get a lawyer and ask for mediation. This woman is no lawyer, she is a giant settlement waiting to happen.
“Is that getting across?”
She is 79....seems to explain some of the behaviours we have seen from the "attorney" in the last case
80 th Birthday , I think she should have retired many years ago . Wow what a women .
Seems Mrs. Jerome may have been better off representing herself.
It always amazes me that people refuse to pay rent and cliamn.They're place that they're renting is unhabitable.But stay and don't feel they should have to pay rent. Alot of people rent out a place so they have income for their primary residence. Why do so many think they should have a free ride through life?
80th birthday? This Karen should just retire and stop making all lawyers look worse than they already do
Sometimes people stay "on the job" too long. I guess it's a matter of pride. I think this woman is one of them.
@@jim6214or they are "forced" due to life circumstances, either way it is time for her to either retire if she can or find a job that she can actually do/cut expenses.
Retirement can be tough if you didn't plan correctly or your investments didn't do as well as you thought they would, however when you are in a position of trust like lawyers or doctors it's very important to evaluate yourself honestly and either have a partner or get out.
So if you're accused of mass murder in an orphanage on Christmas Eve, you are "presumed innocent" and are entitled to be represented by an attorney. But if you're a tenant and your lease says you must agree to mediation but you hire an attorney instead, that means you are "acting in bad faith" and are not entitled to be represented by an attorney? And on an unrelated note, who in their right mind is willing to pay $4k/month for RENT?
I have PTSD, and I love animals. But this "emotional support" animal crap has become a huge scam.
This lawyer is constantly looking for an end around to just get what she wants without following proper processes of the court and is told repeatedly she cant, and then has the gall to act like she is fearful the defendents wont be acting in good faith.
If I was withholding rent/utilities etc I would put it into a savings account so when the issues are resolved I have the money. Also I wish this judge wouldn’t keep this up with this lady. It could have been resolved easier.
@netflix please make a docuseries about this nut job attorney. How did she get through law school and this far in life alive?
Omg that would be amazing! Who would play her???!!!
This is a case of a tenant getting a pet, then trying to force a landlord into excepting the pet as an emotional support animal that’s either destroying their house or they simply don’t want one in the house.
Accepting.
I just love when Judge Simpson rests his chin in his hands like a little kid at story time in the library. It always means winter is coming.
Why don't they just start eviction process?
This so called lawyer/ property manager has clearly shown herself to be totally incompetent I am SHOCKED her clients have not looked for new, competent representation.
THIS SO CALLED “ATTORNEY” IS MOST OF THE PROBLEM. She is leading them down the back, muddy path of dragging this case out longer than necessary for both landlord & tenants. That lawyer is even too dense to see she is making a complete fool of herself (professionally ).
I’m assuming she is a long term family friend
The problem is the TENANT who hasn’t paid any rent. NONE.
@@1tents yeah but there’s due process so you have to participate in the court system to be able to collect that money and if you’re being difficult and filing paperwork, that’s not getting you anywhere and asking the same questions that are just pissing the judge off you’re not gonna get anywhere
She should just show up in a clown wig, oversized shoes and a red bulbous nose.
@@1tentsif the terms of the contract were followed and proper procedures were followed then the clients wouldn’t be in this position.
This is absolutely ridiculous. In 99.99% of cases, you're better off letting your attorney do the talking. This might be a rare exception. The attorney is WORSE than a pro se. How this person finished law school and is a licensed attorney I have no idea.
This one lady "lawyer" never seems to know how courtrooms work.
I've seen some incompetent lawyers before, but this individual takes the cake. She doesn't even know basic court rules. She flatout admits she has huge gaps in her knowledge of landlord-tenant law. Combine these details with her being obviously WAY too involved in this case makes me think she's a family member who has done some Other type of law, retired, and is now sort of coming out of retirement to "help". When all she's doing is hurting.
Honestly, I don't know who's in the right here. The plaintiffs could be in the right, but this awful lawyer is making them seem shady through her incompetence. Or maybe the plaintiffs are actually malicious. Nobody is squeaky clean here, but dear Lord... get a better lawyer!
Edit: Wow! I wrote all of that before I got to the 1:08:00 mark! Dear LORD was I right!