Judge Faith Season 1 Episode 19 Odometer Setback
- TV-PG
- October 9, 2014
- 19 min
In episode 19 of season 1 of Judge Faith, titled "Odometer Setback," a man named Alex is suing his former mechanic, Joe, for fraud and deceit. Alex claims that Joe intentionally rolled back the odometer on his car before selling it to him, causing Alex to overpay for the vehicle.
Alex explains that he purchased the car from Joe for $5,000, believing that it had only 65,000 miles on it based on the odometer reading. However, he later discovered that the car had actually been driven over 100,000 miles, meaning that Joe had rolled back the odometer by approximately 35,000 miles.
Alex had initially taken the car to Joe for some repairs and maintenance work, and Joe had convinced him to buy the vehicle after he finished the work. Alex claims that Joe assured him that the car was in good condition and had not been in any accidents, but that turned out to be untrue as well.
During the trial, Joe admits that he did roll back the odometer, but claims that he did it because he was trying to help Alex out. He says that he knew Alex wanted to buy a car with lower mileage, but that he couldn't find one that met his requirements within Alex's budget. Joe claims that he rolled back the odometer to make the car more attractive to Alex, and that he never intended to deceive him.
Judge Faith is skeptical of Joe's explanation, pointing out that rolling back an odometer is illegal and can result in serious consequences for both the seller and the buyer. She also questions Joe's claim that he was trying to help Alex, given that he charged him $5,000 for the vehicle when it was actually worth significantly less due to the mileage discrepancy.
Alex also presents evidence in the form of a Carfax report, which shows that the car had been involved in a minor accident before Joe sold it to him. He argues that Joe should have disclosed this information to him before he made the purchase, and that it further proves that Joe was not acting in good faith.
In the end, Judge Faith rules in favor of Alex and orders Joe to pay him $2,500 in damages. She notes that while Joe may have thought he was helping Alex, he actually caused him harm by deceiving him and putting him in a difficult situation. She warns Joe and others watching the show that rolling back an odometer is never a good idea and can lead to serious legal problems.
Overall, episode 19 of Judge Faith is a cautionary tale about the importance of transparency and honesty in business transactions, and the consequences that can result when trust is violated. It also highlights the power of evidence and the role it can play in helping to resolve disputes and uncover the truth.