Hot Bench Season 3 Episode 15 High and Hijacked?!; Border Collie Blitz!

Hot Bench is a courtroom-based reality show where three judges hear and deliberate over small claims court cases. Season 3, episode 15, titled High and Hijacked?!; Border Collie Blitz! is an interesting mix with two cases that seem pretty unrelated, but the judges decide to tackle each of them on merit.

The first case involves a landlord-tenant dispute between a young couple who rented an apartment in Southern California and their landlord. The tenants claim that the apartment was in a terrible state of disrepair, with leaky pipes, mold, and a bevy of sanitation issues. They subsequently withheld rent for four months before moving out due to the leasing agreements that require tenants to fix issues and then deduct the cost from the rent due. The landlord insists that he started repairs as soon as he verbally received notification that there was trouble, but he never received written notice from the tenants.

The second case is a rather amusing one to watch and involves a Border Collie named Bonnie, who goes on a neighbor's property and starts herding some chickens. The neighbor claims that the dog injured one of her chickens while trying to herd them. Bonnie's owner claims that the neighbor does not have any written proof that Bonnie injured her chicken and wants her to pay for veterinary bills and emotional distress.

The judges start with the first case, in which the tenants are claiming $13,000 in damages and unpaid rent. Judge Tanya Acker is the first to speak, pointing out that the tenants did not follow the agreement completely by not sending a written notice of the issues. Judge Patricia DiMango agrees with Judge Acker that holding back rent could only be done for specific reasons, and mold is not one of them. However, Judge Michael Corriero is not convinced that the lack of written notice completely absolves the landlord of his responsibility for maintaining a safe and habitable living space. He also expresses scepticism over the detailed notes that the landlord presented as proof that repairs were completed in a timely manner.

Judge DiMango is a bit more sympathetic towards the tenants, who are new renters, as she thinks that they might have overlooked some of the leasing agreement's technicalities. But she also stresses that all parties in a rental arrangement need to follow the rules, and the tenants would have to pay the $6,000 in unpaid rent but not the entire $13,000 in damages they are requesting. The judges deliberate further over the nuances and contradictions in the evidence, and it remains to be seen what decision they will make.

In the second case, the judges have a field day with a lovable Border Collie named Bonnie in a chicken herding incident. Judge DiMango mentions that she once had chickens in her backyard and thus could see the neighbor's perspective. She also noted that Bonnie's herding nature is so ingrained that she would probably have gone after the animals even in a different location. However, she also noted that the neighbor could not back up her claims of chicken injuries with proper documentation.

Judge Acker mentions that "chickens are not people" and that it is hard to prove emotional distress with animals, although she finds Bonnie "adorable." Judge Corriero sees this as an issue of a reasonable person could know when to steer clear of another person's property; he opines that the neighbor should have taken more measures to keep her chickens safe from Bonnie. The judges continue to pontificate over the roles and responsibilities of pet owners and their neighbors, and it promises to be an entertaining case.

Overall, Hot Bench season 3 episode 15 provides two unique and interesting cases that delve into a landlord-tenant dispute and a dog-neighbor dispute. Judge Corriero remains vocal with his customary insightful and sharp observations, while Judge DiMango brings perspective about the human-dog relationship to the mix. Judge Acker takes a more measured approach, and it remains to be seen how the judges will decide in these two unique cases.