Peter LohmannAll Things Residential Property Management | CEO of RL Property Management | Co-Founder of Crane

He Took ChatGPT to Court… And Lost

13 Sept 2026 · 1 min

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In a first‑person recount, the speaker describes a small‑claims hearing over a $1,500 security‑deposit claim against a tenant who owed $3,000. The tenant, empowered by ChatGPT, submitted a self‑written, AI‑generated script as his courtroom statement. When the judge asked the landlord’s side to respond, the speaker cited lease terms and the law. The judge dismissed the tenant’s AI‑driven argument, ruled in favor of the landlord, and criticized the tenant for wasting court time and presenting unfounded facts. The anecdote highlights the practical limits of using AI‑generated text as a substitute for factual and legal grounding in court proceedings.

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We went to court the other day. The tenant who had a security deposit dispute, we made like a $1,500 claim against his security deposit that was like $3,000. He was pissed, filed a claim. ChatGPT empowered him. He filed the suit. We show up. He goes, can I just read this, Your Honor? And he read a ChatGPT script. The judge turns to us and like, anything you want to add besides what you had already submitted to the court? And we just said, yep, you know, the law says this, the lease says this. And in 3 sentences, she stopped and she goes, Sorry, Mr. Tenant, I have to rule with these guys. You've completely wasted the court's time. I don't know where you're getting these facts. And just, she was very nice, but also really embarrassed this guy. And I'm like, what a waste of the court's time.