Ohio Ping!
(the three of us), Flutters, Whenifhow, and LasVegasDave.
Posted on 06/09/2012 11:15:39 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
While some might consider towing, impounding and disposing of a 2002 Saturn to be an act of automotive mercy, one Ohio woman believes the damages and losses incurred when it happened to her are worth a whopping $500 Billion.
You read that right, Michelle Mathis believes the Columbus Department of Public Safety's Impound Unit owes her billions of dollars as a result of the way they treated her automotive Tupperware Saturn. According to court documents obtained by TheNewspaper.com Mathis is seeking $500 billion in compensatory damages and. oh why not, another $20 million in punitive damages.
The whole incident began when the Ohio woman was hospitalized after being involved in a car accident this past January. While in recovery at Ohio State University Medical Hospital her 2002 Saturn SC2 was towed and impounded. After leaving the hospital in early February Mathis was, for reasons not entirely clear, unable to recover her car from the Impound.
Mathis contends the city sold her car without notifying her and refused to provide information about the whereabouts of her car. The city claims the woman—who was receiving mail while in the hospital—chose to disregard the notices they sent her and did no wrong.
The woman believes the city was in violation of her constitutional rights "under the Fourth Amendment for improper search and seizure; under the Fourteenth Amendment for violation ofthe Equal Protection Clause; and under the Ninth Amendment for violation of her inalienable rights."
We don't doubt that having your car impounded and sold while you're in the hospital has to be a pretty terrible experience—even if it is a Saturn. Having said that seeking 500 billion dollars in damages for something like this is completely insane.
To perhaps only Mathis' surprise in a document released this past week federal magistrate Judge Elizabeth Deavers agreed, recommending the case is dismissed. We can only wait and see whether that recommendation is enough to officially end Michelle Mathis' multi-billion dollar quest for automotive justice.
A lot of who, what, when and where in this one, but, 500 Billion?
If she had a case, it went down the tubes after that amount.
Dangling modifier—journalists write like my college students. The car was in recovery at the hospital but the dang police towed it away and sold it. If it was in recovery, it was being recovered by her?? They plucked the recovered/recovering car out of her clammy little hands, I suppose.
Or was it in re-covery, that is, being re-covered? Interior (upholstery)? Exterior—they were giving it a new paint job at the hospital when the police towed it?
even if she deserve compensation, i would reject her law suit. A law suit is meant to get back what you justly lost. The woman is not after justice
Sounds reasonable. After all, that might have been Obama’s car.
If Obama had a car it would look just like that one.
She should have sued for 100K, And bought herself a nice E-Class Benz...
Sure, the amount is not even flirting with reality, but assuming that this is a case of the powers that be not having the sense God gave a grasshopper (Am I to believe her car issue couldn’t wait till she got out of the freaking hospital??? it was THAT important to local govt?) they should be fined heavily. Extremely heavily. Heavily to the point where voters say “You just cost us several million dollars because you had to harass a hospitalized woman into coughing up a couple hundred in cash?...No reelection for you. Recall perhaps but no reelection.”
I’ve seen people comment that people on FR are getting sue-happy. But the reality is that people won’t ‘change’ until things hurt. We got Obama because people were fat, happy and not wanting to make waves. Now, many will even abandon their beliefs wholesale to vote against him...because suddenly things hurt.
The lawsuit is the only tool left in many ways to reign in out of control govt. Expensive mistakes tend to clarify the mind.
There you go. A much better version than mine and true to the original, thanks!
Ask for $500 billion and give them 30 days to respond. If the city doesn’t respond within 30 days they lose by default. The reason for the big bucks is to force them to respond so you can move the case forward.
GREEN CAR!
Parking tickets, towing and impound yard fees are all part of a criminal racket
Musta been on hell of a car?
[ She should have sued for 100K, And bought herself a nice E-Class Benz... ]
Maybe she sued for 500 Billion so she could have a nice shiny new 2012-2013 Saturn....
However the only problem there is if that news hit DC the Dems would look up that number to see if it's real and if they could spend it. (not sarc)
Unfortunately, her chance of finding a new 2012 Saturn is worse than her winning her suite.
I’m guessing that means she’s black?
500 billion? Was it a Saturn V ?
But the car wasn’t totaled. Hmm.
Five years ago I was in a crash that totaled my ‘99 Chevy Cavalier.
I was beyond pissed;the young woman was in a big-ass hurry,violated my right-of-way at a green light,and plowed into my car.
She couldn’t have waited for me to go through.
As much as I adored that car it would not have been worth 500 billion had it been salvageable.
Thanks for the giggly ping, Dave.
The Columbia Dept of Public Safety should counter sue for $501 Billion.
I have a 2002 Saturn (I also had a 1998 and an Ion). GREAT cars. The 1998 went to almost 300,000 miles with only minor maintenance, and the other two made it to more than 250,000 miles, again with minor maintenance. I have never understood why Saturn is made fun of...it was a great car, especially before it was bought out.
I now drive a Prius because I have a 160 daily round trip drive to and from work. The Prius drives like a truck. Saves on gas (big time), but is no fun to drive.
And yes, I know I got away from the main point, but I had to jump in and defend Saturn! :-D
It runs on just plain old air.
And Unicorn breath if it is V8. Quite a valuable car, you see.
The car was, what $20-30 thousand? A ‘99 Chevy Cavalier?
Man, you should have gone for it.
Your feelings alone have to be taken into consideration.
Guess she took to heart that saying: "Go big or go home?"
A Cavalier didn’t cost that much. Plus I bought it used.
Um... Okay. I never said a word about Saturn, though...
My post was to thank Las Vegas Dave for the ping, and for laughing at the idiot who lost all hope of winning her lawsuit by exaggerating her loss beyond all reason.
Sorry 0boz0 killed your favorite car. He got mine too.
Hubby and I have two 1996 Chevy Impalas (The Killer Whales). His has 300,000 miles on it, and mine has 23,000. They both run very well, and Hubby’s is still going strong. Mine still has new-car smell.
When his car inevitably passes on, we’re looking a that new Mustang. We will not buy Chevrolet until 0boz0, or our next president, returns it to the private sector.
You had far better luck than me. I had a 1996 Saturn and it was the worst new car I’ve had. The first few years it followed the advertised “different type of car company.” After that it was “nope, it’s just a plastic Chevy.” It wasn’t horrible, just a lot more repairs than either my Mazda or my current Honda.
With a little prodding, I'd bet she'd probably settle for just $100 billion.
About 4 years ago, I had emergency gall bladder surgery. The doctor told me later that it had turned black and attached itself to my liver.
He did the small incision surgery but in recovery my blood pressure was getting dangerously law, he was called back in 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning to operate again. In removing my gall bladder, he had nicked my liver. I found out later that that wasn't uncommon, it was uncommon that it didn't stop bleeding. The second surgery was a cut all the way across my abdomen.
My point in telling you this story is that I did not even consider suing the surgeon and I even had people in my church advising me to do so.
In that scenario, I wouldn’t sue either. The problem was not caused intentionally and Docs aren’t perfect. I have much personal experience with medical procedures goin
wrong and I too could have sued but didn’t / don’t.
But a city pulling this crap was totally intentional, totally avoidable and nothing but a power trip. In this case, a suit would accomplish it’s goal. Curb their abuses of power.
With $500 billion, she could re-start Saturn production...
Thats all? WTF? It is worth at least 250.
Then we would know for sure she's crazy!
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.