Special Assignments And Investigations

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― A Roseville bride says her wedding reception was a nightmare, and when the venue refused to respond to her after three months of calls and emails, it was time to call Kurtis Ming. In the three years we've been doing our Call Kurtis program, Kurtis has never had a business try to pull one over on him like this one did.

Renae and Calvin Lamb's wedding day would have been perfect, if they weren't the only ones who danced at the reception, and if the air conditioning worked so guests didn't have to fan themselves with plates, and use bottles of ice water to stay cool inside the reception hall.

"It felt like a sauna, it was incredibly hot," Lamb told Kurtis.

It was so hot inside the Roseville Opera House that August afternoon her dad had to apologize to the 170-guests.

"I'm sorry for the heat, they told us they put a brand new air conditioner in here," Lamb's father is heard apologizing to guests on the wedding video.

"People started leaving, and coming up to me apologizing saying I can't take the heat. I've got to go," Lamb told Kurtis.

She says calls to the maintenance number went unanswered. Now she wants a refund of some of the $1400 she paid to rent the hall.

"This is my wedding reception, not a birthday party," Lamb told Kurtis. "I can't redo this next year and they just shrugged their shoulders at me".

We called owner of the Roseville Opera House Richard Ryan a number of times beginning in November. We heard back from staffer Rebecca McGill from the Roseville Legal Center which is on the first floor of the building. She said Lamb didn't follow instructions about the air conditioner's timer.

"There was nothing ever mentioned to me about a timer," Lamb said.

McGill assured me it was clear in the contract, so Kurtis asked her to fax it to the station. This is where we've got problems, because it doesn't match Lamb's copy. Stipulation 9 of the contract the Roseville Legal Center sent over involves instructions how to use the air conditioning system; but Lamb's contract copy, stipulation nine is about prohibited items. There's nothing anywhere about the air conditioner. Something else is strange. The Roseville Opera House's contract skips from item 10 to 12, but not Lamb's contract. Could it be the Roseville Opera House changed the contract before sending it to us?

When Kurtis went to the Roseville Legal Center looking for answers, he was asked to leave.

"Could you please take the camera out"?

The woman at the counter kicked us out and refused to take a message. We suggested Lamb's best option was small claims court.  Two Days before the case was to be heard in Placer County Court, Lamb says Judy Judy producers called and asked to hear the case.   She agreed.

Right away the firecracker of a judge zeroed in on that contract. While Rebecca McGill sat silent, Judge Judy looked at the two versions of the contract and pressed the Roseville Opera House's Lori Harris.

"I want you to take a look at this. Tell me why these two contracts are different," Judy asked.

"Yes they are different," Harris answered.

"Why would you fax the reporter a copy of the contract different than the one she was complaining about?"

"We gave him written instructions; we felt it was the easiest way to communicate with written instruction on how it operates."

"Absolutely, but it wasn't in her contract."

"No but he was asking for instructions."

"It wasn't in her contract," Judge Judy shouted. "So let me understand what you did. Ms Lamb complained to an investigative reporter for a local TV station. In response to that inquiry you said you sent him a copy of the contract in which you inserted instructions how to use the air conditioning. So far is that correct?"

"That is correct," Harris responded.

"Well, that's outrageous," Judge Judy said. "Did you tell her the air conditioner was on a six hour timer?"

"Yes"

"I don't believe you. Anyone who doctored a contract I don't believe".

Harris presented pictures claiming there are clear directions above the air conditioner, but Judge Judy didn't believe that either.

"Because this isn't what you sent to the investigative reporter you sent a doctored contract. Did you send the reporter this?"

"No we felt at this point the reporter was harassing us," Harris responded as the court room audience broke out in laughter.

"Ms. Harris, you did the wrong thing. And you did the wrong thing when you tried to perpetrate a fraud when you submitted a contract that you knew was not the contract she signed. Wrong thing. You would've been much better paying the $1400 than dealing with me. Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $1400. That's all.

Outside the court room, Harris said she felt Lamb was a bridezilla. Lamb disputes that, and says although her wedding didn't go as planned, she won't let it ruin her memories of her big day.

"I had an awesome wedding. I may not be able to take it rewind it and play it back, but it was still the best day of my life."

It was never established who at the Roseville Opera House changed the contract. The owner, Richard Ryan who never called us back is a former judge in Placer County himself. In our investigation, we learned he was removed from the bench in the 1980s, after the Supreme Court of California ruled he abused his power. We have no evidence he instructed anyone to change the contract.

If you would like to see the Judge Judy episode in its entirety, it airs Monday at 5:30pm on KMAX-TV CW31.

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