This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we look at three fascinating legal cases. The first involves a couple that are undeniably bad neighbours, but who maybe got something out of their behaviour in the end. Then, we examine a man who used COVID-19 financial relief in all the wrong ways. Finally, we look at the case of a judge who just got fed up.
Follow the jump to read more of this week’s weirdest and wackiest legal cases!
The Worst Neighbours
Imagine having a lovely house, with a nice basement suite that you build. And, as you are lawfully entitled to do, you build your home right up against the property line. Then, along come some crazy neighbours who want to put a fence against the property line. They build their fence in such a way that you can no longer open the windows of your home.
Sounds like an episode of a sitcom, right?
But it was real life for one Calgary homeowner, who found himself embroiled in a legal battle with his neighbours over the right to be able to open the windows of his house.
Ultimately, the court ruled that the fence had to be torn down. But the bullies did gain something… sort of. The homeowner had to buy the property necessary for sufficient space outside the window from the bully fence-builder. So while they made some cash, they lost their property.
Forget CERB Complaints
This man in — you guessed it — Florida has put all the complaints about “lazy millennials” and “CERB slackers” to shame.
Apparently, after signing up for the US Government’s Paycheck Protection Program, which provides small business loans to prevent employee layoffs in the midst of COVID-19, a Florida man was able to collect something close to $4 Million from the program.
But, rather than spend it on employee salaries and improving his business, the man instead dedicated the CERB payments to purchasing a whole host of luxury goods. That included a Lamborghini car that cost over $300,000, trips to high end hotels, jewelry, and $15,000 to his mother. But, you know, maybe his mother was an employee?
He’s now facing some serious fraud charges.
One Way to Get in Trouble as a Judge
Judges are required to be polite, respectful, and treat people in the courthouse with dignity. But, like all humans, judges are imperfect and sometimes they falter.
They just don’t normally falter to this degree.
A Miami judge found himself in trouble with the judicial council after trying to silence some noise in the courthouse. To be fair, courthouse hallway noise can be a huge distraction when you are in the middle of an important proceeding. But there are ways to make it stop. For example, a judge can ask a sheriff to go out and quiet people down. A judge can stand down the proceedings. A judge could ask counsel to shush the people.
What a judge should not do is step down off the bench, march into the hallway, and start yelling, screaming, and waiving his hands. Especially not when that response interrupts an entirely different trial.
But… I guess this Miami judge didn’t know that. He was issued a reprimand, and probably given a set of earplugs.
