|
Search
Search through the thousands of lawsuits, complaints and recalls on our site.
 |
Case ID: 2679 | Government | 10/10/2003
On September 5, 2003, the court granted final approval to the parties' settlement of a class action filed against the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the United States Department of Agriculture on behalf of more than 400,000 New York residents who allege that the agencies violated federal laws and due process rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution in the way that the agencies seized income tax refunds to pay debts allegedly owed for food stamp overpayments. The press release describing this settlement does not state the deadline for filing claims.
From 1996 until 2000, the agencies were allegedly utilizing the Treasury Offset Program to reclaim alleged overpayments of food stamps. The Treasury Offset Program is a federal program that allows the government to take tax refunds to pay back debts. The action alleged that the agencies violated the law that created the program by failing to give adequate notices and by using the program to collect debts not covered by the program. Allegedly, the government took income tax refunds from many people who had just started back to work after years on public assistance and food stamps. Over 400,000 notices have been mailed out to persons who had their tax refunds seized by the government. People who received this notice are advised that they do not need to respond to this notice unless they think the agreement to settle the case is not fair. Under the proposed settlement, people across New York state will either automatically receive a refund or will receive a second notice telling them that they can dispute, at a fair hearing, whether or not they did in fact receive a food stamp overpayment. People who will receive funds automatically include: (1) people whose income tax refunds were taken nine years or more after the alleged food stamp overpayment; (2) people who were receiving food stamps at the time when the refund was taken; and (3) people whose alleged period of overpayment extended back more than 12 months before the debt was discovered. At Lawcash.com, it is our goal to keep you informed about important legal cases, class actions and settlements. Our lawyers offer free legal evaluations in tort cases, class actions, personal injury, and other lawsuits because we are dedicated to helping you resolve your legal complaints. Other Government Cases of Interest A class action has been filed against the State of Kansas alleging unlawful discrimination in domestic relations matters concerning child custody and child support from non-custodial parents. The complaint alleges that these parents do not enjoy the same degree of physical, possessory and legal rights regarding aspects of the care, custody and management of their children as do custodial parents. Class members seek immediate restoration of equal custodial rights along with other remedies. Dickson Campers alleges that the city of Mobile violated state law by collecting more taxes inside its 3-mile-wide police jurisdiction, which extends west and south of the city, than the services it provides there. The city also has not -- on an annual basis as it should have -- justified the amount it collects.. Four Lake City residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Lake City that would force the city to put Sondra Fleming-Crosby and Lovith Anderson Jr. on council. A Kentucky attorney filed a lawsuit against the way the Boone County Property Valuation Administrator's (PVA) office assesses property for taxation.
Every child has a legal right to the financial support of both parents, even if the parents are divorced, separated or never married. A proposed $3.9 million judgment has been entered in an action filed against the Hawai'i Child Support Enforcement Agency on behalf of certain persons who allege that they received less in child-support payments than they expected between 1996 and the end of 2002. Claims must be filed by November 23, 2003, to be considered valid.
Low-income citizens, backed by antipoverty groups, filed a class action that challenges a federal law requiring proof of citizenship in exchange for benefits under the government's Medicaid health insurance program for the poor. Critics say the law, set to go into effect July 1, will hurt the vulnerable who may be unable to provide original documents like birth certificates. Those most in jeopardy are those in nursing homes, with mental and physical disabilities, and the victims of natural disasters. |
IT'S FREE
|
© 2000 - 2008 Copyright. All rights reserved nola3, llc.
