回复：回复：Did the Judge made a mistake?

Thank you very much for your answering my question. Actually, I sued the tenant because he owed me one and half month of rental payment. He moved out because he didn't enough money to pay me. But I checked his monthly income, he should have enough to pay the rent. I am living in North Carolina. In the court, I said the tenant owed me one and half a month of rental payment. The tenant said that I (the landlord) still held the deposit, and I then told what stuff have been damaged and I needed to keep some deposit. The judge said the case will be in favor of me and allowed me to keep $775 for deposit and needed to distribute the rest of the deposit to the tenant within 30 days. Then the judge let us go. I have no experience in the court, and thought definitely the judge will want the tenant to pay me the rent since he owed me. But after I left the court door, I realized that I didn't hear the judgement for the rent money and return to the court and confirmed with the judge for the $2100 rental money. The judge seemed to forget that part also. he said :'You felt that way, you can find a lawyer'. I totally stunted, since I went to court for the rental money but now the judge made his judgment in the deposit. I can hold tenant the all deposit because he broke the contract, damaged my property, and owed me rental money, but I ended up with losing more. I didn't have good sleep in the night before the case and no court experience, I felt I was kind of stupid also in the response in the court since I didn't focus on the rental money. In the court, the thing went so fast, I didn't present to the judge what I wanted. So any suggestions? Cann't I pay the tenant rest of desposit. thank you very much.