Walmart picks tax fights with local communities

“Wal-Mart has now filed a lawsuit against the town of Potsdam over their property assessment of $13.71 million. They think it should be half that much.

We are not the only local community to be blessed by such suits. As reported in the Oct. 10, 2007, edition of the New York Times, a recent study revealed that Wal-Mart contested taxes on 35 percent of its stores and 40 percent of its distribution centers. Well, we all hate property taxes, and every red-blooded American has a right to challenge them, so what? The “what” is that this is obviously a ham-fisted corporate policy to cut their bottom line.

Who gets stuck with the bill? Well, yes, dear Wal-Mart shoppers, you do, in the hundreds of billable hours towns have to waste fighting in a David versus Goliath battle against this corporate behemoth.”

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Suit against Walmart for sales tax refund failure

“Lead class plaintiff John Whitwell says Wal-Mart fails to refund customers all of the sales tax they pay on a product if they return the product to a Wal-Mart where the sales tax is less than where they originally purchased the product.

Whitwell was shortchanged $2.48 in sales tax when he returned a Blue Ray disc player on April 16, according to the complaint filed May 21 in Madison County Circuit Court.”

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Walmart sued for letting loose rodent in store

“Wal-Mart has been sued a lot over the years. Now a Louisiana woman is seeking damages because she claims a Wal-Mart store let a large rodent run loose.

The animal was a nutria, a beaver-like creature. Rebecca White says employees at a Wal-Mart in Abbeville not only knew it was in their store but gave it a pet name, Norman, and failed to warn shoppers.”

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Recall on cheap Walmart high-heels

Walmart is recalling 200,000 high heeled shows manufactured in Taiwan by Joyfair Footwear because the heels on the shoes easily detach causing a consumer to topple over.

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Walmart lawsuit update: pygmy rattlesnake

The complaint filed against Walmart didn’t specify the kind of snake but in a South Florida Sun-Sentinel article, the plaintiff, Jay Richitelli claims it was a pygmy rattlesnake and gives lots more detail about the incident than what is contained in his complaint.  Mr. Richitelli story is that he was looking for plants to purchase for his father’s thrift store in the Walmart garden section when the snake grabbed on to his right hand.  He started swinging the rattler around, trying to shake off and it smacked a Walmart employee.  When he finally got it off his hand, he stomped it to death, sat down, called 911 and was hallucinating by the time the paramedics came.  He spent five days in the hospital and continues to have respiratory problems and his hand is scarred.  His attorneys say his medical bills could top $100,000.   

However, he has been back to that Walmart several times since the incident sayings, “They’ve got certain stuff where you can’t beat their deals,”

Mr Richitelli lawyers should have kept him far away from the media.

This is the third time in three years that Florida Walmart customers have been attacked by a pgymy rattler in the store’s garden section. 

Man claims he was bit by snake in Walmart

Man alleges that he was in the plant and garden section of a Pembroke Florida Walmart, when he was bit on his right hand by a “poisonous snake.”  He is suing the company for permanent injury, mental anguish as well as other harms.

Complaint courtesy Courthousenews

Wal-mart lawsuit: $2 million for back pain

During those crazy Wal-mart holiday sales the trampling deaths and subsequent lawsuits flowing from them got significant media play.  Lost in the shuffle, both in terms of the crowd and the media, were a father and son waiting patiently for the 5am opening of the Long Island Wal-mart, who filed suit because of the neck and back pain caused by surging crowds.  And yes they are claiming these injuries amount to two million dollars.  In America, at Wal-mart, dream big.

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Wal-mart.com can tax shipping

Despite the fact that the state isn’t collecting the sales tax.  I’m not sure what the implications of this are but I hope the state of Illinois where this suit was filed, will start collecting sales tax from Walmart and other online retailers.

Complaint courtesy Courthousenews

Walmart reaps tax windfall

Seems that Pennsylvania, among other states is losing millions of sales tax because Walmart and others have crafted  policies known as “vendor discount” and “dealer collection allowance,” that allow them to legally avoid paying their share.  Nationwide, this totals more than a billion dollars a year and for PA only its $72 million.  Maybe its time for state legislatures to ban these practices.

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Walmart Sued for Favoring Males

A woman is suing Walmart in Texas Southern Distric Federal Court  for firing her because she classified as sex offender having a relationship with her high school student when she was his teacher BUT not letting go the 25 men who were also listed as sex offenders.  

Complaint courtesy Courthousenews.