Top court allows lawsuits on U.N. property taxes
Legal News Center
[##_1L|1331624806.jpg|width="120" height="91" alt=""|_##]The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that foreign governments can be sued in an effort to collect unpaid local property taxes on residences for their diplomats at the United Nations. The high court, by a 7-2 vote, sided with New York City and ruled the foreign governments are not shielded from such lawsuits on sovereign immunity grounds.
The case involved the city's efforts to collect $16.4 million in unpaid property taxes and interest from India and $2.1 million from Mongolia for their missions at the United Nations.
Under New York law, foreign governments have tax exemptions for the diplomatic mission section of their properties used exclusively for diplomatic offices and for the quarters of certain diplomats.
But the city says the government must pay taxes for the space that houses lower-level employees. The two governments refused to pay the taxes and the city sued. The foreign governments sought to dismiss the lawsuits.
Justice Clarence Thomas concluded in the court's majority opinion that the two foreign governments are not immune from the lawsuits under a 1976 federal law, a decision that allows the cases to go forward.
Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer dissented. "If Congress had intended the statute to waive sovereign immunity in tax litigation, I think it would have said so," Stevens wrote.
Related listings
-
House Dems Target Court's Pay Ruling
Legal News Center 06/13/2007[##_1L|1345683955.jpg|width="130" height="93" alt=""|_##]The time limit for suing a company for pay discrimination should restart each time an employee gets a reduced paycheck, House Democrats said Tuesday, taking issue with a recent Supreme Court de...
-
Top court rules against Philip Morris
Legal News Center 06/11/2007[##_1L|1054958485.jpg|width="131" height="91" alt=""|_##]The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a class-action lawsuit against Philip Morris USA, a unit of Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile , Research), should not be decided in federal cou...
-
US quarantine laws need updating: CDC director
Legal News Center 06/08/2007[##_1L|1038012628.jpg|width="130" height="93" alt=""|_##]Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), testified before ...
New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.