The rich get richer off the backs of the poor................
Judge sues pants off small drycleaners
By AP
WASHINGTON -- A missing pair of pants has led to one big suit.
A customer got so steamed when a dry cleaner lost his trousers that he sued for US$65 million.
The case has demoralized the South Korean immigrant owners of the small business and brought demands that the customer -- a judge in Washington -- be disbarred for pursuing a frivolous and abusive claim.
Jin Nam Chung, Ki Chung and their son, Soo Chung, are considering moving back to Seoul, said their lawyer, Chris Manning.
The problem began in May 2005 when Roy Pearson Jr. became a judge and brought several suits for alterations to Custom Cleaners. A pair of pants from one suit was missing when he requested it two days later. Pearson asked the cleaners for the full price of the suit: more than $1,000.
But a week later, the Chungs said the pants had been found and refused to pay. Pearson said those were not his pants, and decided to sue the Chungs
Manning said the cleaners have made three settlement offers to Pearson: $3,000, then $4,600, then $12,000.
But because Pearson no longer wanted to use his neighbourhood dry cleaner, he asked in his lawsuit for $15,000 -- the cost of renting a car every weekend for 10 years to go to another business.
The bulk of the $65-million demand comes from Pearson's strict interpretation of Washington consumer protection law, which imposes fines of $1,500 per violation, per day.
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