Posted on 10/13/2012 6:01:54 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
George Louie is a West Sacramento man who has sued hundreds of Northern California cities and businesses for failing to comply with the federal Americans with Disability Act.
This week, Yuba City announced it has agreed to pay Louie $15,000 to leave the city and its businesses alone for good.
Louie's lawsuits targeting local governments and small-business owners have usually ended in out-of-court settlements in his favor, because the cases are expensive to fight, said Cris Vaughan, a Loomis attorney who has defended dozens of clients against Louie's lawsuits.
Critics have called the suits "frivolous," alleging that they are motivated by financial gain.
"The going rate is $4,000 a case (to settle). These are extortion lawsuits," said Yuba City property manager Bill Meagher, who had two tenants sued by Louie.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I’ll agree not to sue for $10,000.
Wohoo, Yuba City! Go Honkers!
Can’t the targeted businesses get together and file a class-action suit against this man?
No one should be able to get rich by looking for and suing businesses that may or may not comply with the ADA. That is just vile.
The plaintiff uses the court system to harass anyone that he doesn't like, due to any slight (real or imagined).
He has become such a nuisance that a judge in California has declared him a "vexatious litigant", and banned him from filing any lawsuits in California courts.
However, that prohibition doesn't apply to federal courts, so the plaintiff is able to continue his harassment, using the ADA.
He’ll just take his scheme to the next town.
No one should be able to get rich by looking for and suing businesses that may or may not comply with the ADA....Too many lawyers might go bankrupt and need QE-3 at 1 trillion each.
It's bad enough when government bureaucrats stick their noses in their business, now we 'deputize' every idiot with a lawyer to harass everyone for some tiny thing. It is the worst, most arbitrary, unfair way to run a government and is against the idea of equal treatment under the law.
Or hire a couple of big bikers?
I suggest Skidmore, Missouri.
Yuba City should adopt Skidmore as their sister city and send a delegation.
So, he settled for being bought off?
So much for him doing this as an act of conscience for disabled people.
Extortion always brings bribery with it. Elected officials who give in to extortion with the taxpayer’s money, should be voted out of office.
Repeal ADA.
I’ve got one for you. An employee gets fired for being a worthless piece of crap. He calls OSHA and lodges a complaint that he was fired for making a safety complaint. OSHA says pay the guy $8,000. It would have cost more than that to fight so we paid. I had a multi-page document proving the allegations were baseless. OSHA never even looked at them. It’s nothing but legalized extortion.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.