LawCash Links

Recommended

Municipalities can generally collect taxes only on things the state allows. 12 separate class actions have been filed against Troy, Midland, Warren, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, St. Clair Shores, Canton, Royal Oak, Muskegon, Livonia, Plymouth, and Westland, Michigan, on behalf of citizens who allege that the cities have been collecting cable TV “franchise fees” in violation of state law.

The Alaskan Longevity Bonus Program was intended to pay senior citizens a monthly stipend to help them afford to stay in the state. A class action has been filed against the state of Alaska and its governor, Frank Murkowski, on behalf of Alaskan senior citizens who allege that the state made a legal obligation to Alaskan seniors when it created the Longevity Bonus program in 1972, and when it agreed to phase out the program in 1993—an obligation that can’t be crossed out with a line-item veto pen.

Generally, you cannot be held liable for debts incurred by a third party unless you voluntarily undertake to pay the debt. A $181,000 settlement has been reached between the parties in an action filed against the city of Myrtle Beach, SC, on behalf of more than 1,000 city residents who alleged that the city's water bill policy violated the state and federal constitutions by forcing current owners and renters to pay former owners' and tenants' water bills since February 5, 1994. Claims must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2003, to be considered valid.

A class action lawsuit has been filed in the Southern District Court of Ohio against the Ohio Education Association (OEA) for violations of the Labor Management Relations Act for breaching a collective bargaining agreement. Class members seek to enjoin OEA from breaching the collective bargaining agreement, to obtain an order restoring benefits coverage, to be made whole for losses, attorney's fees and costs.

Attorneys want to expand a proposed class-action lawsuit against Saginaw County on claims that jail guards abused inmates who were serving sentences. Initially, attorneys sued the county over activities that took place before inmates went to trial. Yet, on Wednesday, November 9, 2005, plaintiffs' lawyers argued before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson that they want to widen the scope of the suit. "It should apply regardless of reason in jail," said Royal Oak attorney Stephen F. Wasinger, who represents the plaintiffs on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The complete U.S. Internal Revenue Code contains more than 2.8 million words--printed 60 lines to the page, it fills almost 6000 letter-size pages. The classes in two related actions have been certified against the United States of America on behalf of retired Michigan public education employees who had Social Security taxes withheld from early retirement incentive plan payments in violation of federal tax regulations.

IT'S FREE