The Monterey Herald has uncovered evidence showing that the Christian Brothers appear to have transferred assets between corporations in an effort to shield them away from survivors of child sexual abuse. You can read the full article here, including Seattle sexual abuse attorney Mike Pfau’s perspective on the timing and what it means for creditors in the Christian Brothers bankruptcy.
A King County judge denied class action status for property owners who sued the Port of Seattle over its use of SeaTac’s controversial Third Runway. The judge’s ruling means that thousands of homeowners affected by the Third Runway’s increased air traffic must each file individual lawsuits if they hope to recover for property damage caused by the roar of jet engines.
Plaintiffs Miriam Bearse, John McKinney and Darlene Moore sought permission from the court to represent all home owners who have lost property value due to the Third Runway in a single class action lawsuit. But in a 15-page written opinion issued on April 9, 2012, the Court denied the plaintiffs’ request and ruled that diminished property value, like that suffered by the plaintiffs, was too specific to each individual home and each homeowner for the lawsuit to be grouped together in a class action.
Tacoma attorney Darrell Cochran, who represents the plaintiffs, said that the court’s ruling will require all homeowners who have claims related to the Third Runway’s operations to come forward and file suit on their own. “We already have 333 people who were waiting to see how the court would rule,” Cochran said. “Now that class certification has been denied, we expect the number of people ready to file suit to protect their property rights to grow dramatically.”
If you are a homeowner who has lost property value or suffered other damages because of Seattle Tacoma International Airport’s Third Runway operations, please call us at 1-855-3RUNWAY (1-855-378-6929) to find out more or click here to contact us and learn more about your options regarding the Third Runway.
A New York bankruptcy court has issued firm deadlines for people to file claims against the Christian Brothers. Sexual abuse survivors must file a claim by August 1, 2012. All other claims, including claims for physical abuse, must be filed by May 11, 2012. People who fail to file a claim by the appropriate deadline may be forever barred from suing the Christian Brothers.
You can read more about our nearly decade-long fight against the Christian Brothers, including some of the damaging evidence we have gathered over time. We have also created a separate website about the bankruptcy process, including the deadlines for filing a claim against the Christian Brothers.
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