The words “bat” and “rat” rhyme and some folks have been known to refer to bats as “flying rodents,” but that doesn’t make it so. If only someone would tell this to the folks at Allstate, who have told a California homeowner that it won’t pay to rid her home of bats — something it had previously covered — because the insurance company now believes bats are rodents. [More]
california
Angry Homeowners Dump Trash From Abandoned Home In Lobby Of Wrong Bank
By 7.28.11
A group of homeowners in San Jose, CA, are so fed-up with the messy conditions at a bank-owned, abandoned home that they picked up the garbage themselves — and took it straight to Wells Fargo in protest. Unfortunately, it looks like they dumped their troubles in the wrong lobby. [More]
Dog Dies After Visit To Petco Groomer, Owner Wants Hair Dryer Cages Banned
By 7.28.11
Sadie, a beloved 6-year-old Lhasa Apso in good health, died in 2008 after a regular grooming session at a California Petco. She became ill while inside a cage dryer, a kennel with an air blower attached (sometimes heated, sometimes not) and was immediately taken for emergency medical care. The veterinarian treating her concluded that the dog died of “severe heatstroke.” But was the heatstroke caused by the actions of Petco’s employees, as her owner’s lawsuit alleges? [More]
Amazon Wants To Bring Sales Tax Battle To California Voters
By 7.12.11
Amazon wants California voters to reverse a new law that requires online retailers to collect sales tax on purchases made in that state. Amazon previously dropped its California affiliates in response to the law. [More]
Homeowners Find Out Their House Is Stolen, Continue Making Mortgage Payments
By 6.15.11
A family in California thought they’d purchased their dream home last summer, only to later find out that the property had been stolen and illegally sold to them. Now they’re stuck making mortgage payments on a house they could be evicted from at any moment. [More]
Anthem Blue Cross Holds Off On Plan To Charge $15 To Pay Bill By Credit Card
By 6.14.11
Last week, we told you how Anthem Blue Cross of California had decided it no longer wants to take credit card payments and will soon start charging $15 “convenience” fees for those still wishing to pay by plastic. But now that the California Attorney General is looking into the matter, Anthem has put that plan on hold. [More]
Agents For Dept. Of Education Kick In Door, Handcuff Woman's Husband For Six Hours
By 6.8.11
UPDATE: A Department of Education reps tells Animal New York that the search warrant, in spite of what was reported by local TV outlets (see video below) was for a criminal investigation and not in regards to a defaulted student loan. [More]
Blue Shield Of California To Give $167 Million Back To Individual Policyholders
By 6.7.11
Amid criticism for increased rates and cushy executive salaries, the CEO of Blue Shield of California has announced that the company will cap its net income at 2%, returning any extra funds — $180 million this year alone — back to certain policyholders and doctors. [More]
California School Wants To Know If Your Child Was Born Vaginally
By 6.6.11
There are many questions a school should ask parents of new students during the enrollment process — age, previous schools, proof of identity and residency, vaginal delivery or C-section — wait… what was that last one again? [More]
California Takes Step Toward Taxing Online Purchases
By 6.2.11
With hopes of collecting possibly $1 billion a year in sales taxes, the California State Assembly approved a bill that would require buyers to pay taxes on Amazon and other online purchases. [More]
San Francisco On Track To Ban Yellow Pages
By 5.17.11
San Francisco, the city that likes to ban everything that makes this country great, like plastic bags and Happy Meals, is just one more round of voting to do away with another American staple. No longer will its citizens be able to depend on their annual free doorstop upgrade in the form of a Yellow Pages phone book plopped in front of their abode. If the bill, read it here (PDF) passes, the company will have to confirm that the residents actually want one first. That should only cut down their market share in the city by roughly… most people. [More]
California To End Carpool Lane Benefit For Hybrid Owners
By 5.17.11
From 2005 through 2007, the state of California made a pretty tempting offer to get drivers behind the wheels of hybrid cars: Buy one and you’ll get a sticker that allows you to cruise in the carpool lane without having to have that annoying other passenger (or mannequin) next to you. It was like a VIP pass on the highway. But those halcyon days are about to end. [More]
Drivers Line Up For Cheap Gas After Glitch Lowers Price To $1.10/Gallon
By 5.16.11
When people in the L.A. neighborhood of Wilmington began to get word that a Valero gas station was selling gas for the low, low price of $1.10 a gallon, there were soon cars lined up around the corner. But this wasn’t some crazy promotional discount; it was a computer glitch that lost the station’s owners thousands of dollars. [More]
TV's "Tax Lady" Roni Deutch Closes Firm, Surrenders Law License
By 5.16.11
If you’ve ever watched daytime — or really late night — TV, you’re probably quite familiar with Roni “Tax Lady” Deutch, the tax attorney being sued for $34 million by the California attorney general over allegations she defrauded thousands of customers. Well, our TV speakers have gotten a brief reprieve as Deutch announced last week that she has closed her firm and surrendered her law license to the California State Bar. [More]
Walmart Tests Out Its Own Version Of Fresh Direct
By 4.28.11
Walmart is testing out “Walmart to Go,” an online grocery delivery service similar to Fresh Direct. As the nation’s hugest grocer, Walmart brings some big guns to the table, the most important of which is the price gun. [More]
California AG Asks Judge To Throw Tax Lady Roni Deutch In Jail
By 4.26.11
Last summer, the California Attorney General filed a $34 million lawsuit against daytime TV mainstay “Tax Lady” Roni Deutch, alleging that her firm defrauded customers out of millions each year. Now, the AG’s office has asked that Deutch be thrown in jail for allegedly destroying important documents and for not refunding money to customers. [More]
McDonald's: Happy Meal Lawsuit Should Be Dismissed Because Parents Can Always Tell Kids "No"
By 4.19.11
Last December, a California woman — along with the Center for Science in the Public Interest — filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s, alleging the fast food giant violates state laws by using toys to advertise Happy Meals directly to children. Yesterday, lawyers for the Golden Arches filed a motion to have the case dismissed because the company shouldn’t be held responsible for parents who can’t say no to their kids. [More]
Costco Sues California Man Picketing Over Gas Prices
By 4.6.11
For the past few months, a man in San Luis Obispo, CA, has been protesting his local Costco, claiming that the store’s gas prices are misleading. Now the store has sued the peeved protester, alleging that he’s trespassed on store property and made threatening statements. [More]
