# Apparently, "frivolous lawsuit" is the latest Olympic sport **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 13, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581 "2006-08-13T19:49:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/21 "2006-08-14T13:46:14Z")
frivolous, schmivolous. Even if there were termites–it’s my understanding that the house inspection etc went through. Not to mention the fact that these folks go about a business in a very strange way–WTF re buying the house back at $100 grand more than paid for? To my mind, the plaintiffs are the ones coming out of left field. I don’t know if I would have settled–life is complicated and money can make most problems go away–also, final stands and grand gestures cost alot… My summation: former Olympic athlete is a prick of the highest order. I hear his wife is real nice, though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/22 "2006-08-14T13:52:14Z")
Didn’t I read somewhere that steroid use can lead to aggressive anti-social behavior long after the user stops taling ‘the juice’? Of course, how that could relate to an Olympic athlete or his bitch wife (OP’s mother’s opinion; no AKC papers in evidence) I wouldn’t know. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/23 "2006-08-14T13:54:47Z")
The plaintiffs could be demanding the extra hundred grand as compensation for their mental anguish, expenses of repair, etc., etc. Also, it appears to have been demanded as an offer of settlement. You always – if you’re smart – make your first offer well above what you’re willing to settle for. I don’t know the law where this is going on, but often, offers in settlement aren’t admissible at trial as evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/24 "2006-08-14T14:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=psychloan] But let me ask you this – are you saying that root systems had infiltrated the foundation of the house? That the wall extends underground? [/QUOTE] I have no idea. I’m not a structural engineer. My gut feeling, however, is that if one violently rips out a row of bushes that have been planted right next to a wall for more than 20 years, one runs the risk of destabilizing the wall. Again, not an engineer, but that makes a lot more sense to me than phantom termites. Add that to the unsuccessful fishing for experts to back up the phantom termite claim, the flat-out fabrication about water damage and the extremely shady demand for $100,000 buyback, and that tells me that the suit is total crap. ---
**Author:** ![psychloan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@psychloan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychloan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/25 "2006-08-14T14:22:44Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] I have no idea. I’m not a structural engineer. My gut feeling, however, is that if one violently rips out a row of bushes that have been planted right next to a wall for more than 20 years, one runs the risk of destabilizing the wall. \*\* [/quote] I’m not an engineer either, but my understanding is that in the northern parts of the USA, house walls do not extend underground. They stop at the foundation (actually at the sill). The foundation itself is underground. I’ve never heard of anyone damaging a house’s foundation and causing a wall above the foundation to collapse by removing bushes, violently or not. But hey, maybe the Olympian and his bitchy wife will amend their claim to include the landscaper as a defendant. Then the landscaper can post here about how some athlete and his bitchy wife are accusing him of damaging his house by pulling out shrubbery. ---
**Author:** ![psychloan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@psychloan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychloan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/26 "2006-08-14T14:34:02Z")
[QUOTE=psychloan] But hey, maybe the Olympian and his bitchy wife will amend their claim to include the landscaper as a defendant. Then the landscaper can post here about how some athlete and his bitchy wife are accusing him of damaging his house by pulling out shrubbery. [/QUOTE] Hey, I found this: > [@](#): > > Removing mature plants can be difficult. If you want to transplant a shrub to another spot, a lot of careful digging is required to excavate the root ball without causing damage to the plant or the house. So maybe you’re in the right on this issue. Send it to the Olympian!! ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/27 "2006-08-14T14:34:11Z")
[QUOTE=psychloan] I’m not an engineer either, but my understanding is that in the northern parts of the USA, house walls do not extend underground. They stop at the foundation (actually at the sill). The foundation itself is underground. [/QUOTE] I know of some houses in the north which do have their walls partially underground. I’ve seen it sometimes when houses were built on the side of a hill, or when they were intentionally built that way to save on energy costs. It’s not common, but I’ve seen several houses like this. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581/28 "2006-08-14T14:47:21Z")
Maybe [The Smoking Gun](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/) should get wind of this via an anonymous source? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-frivolous-lawsuit-is-the-latest-olympic-sport/368581.md?page=1)