She sued...AND WON!?!?

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:43 pm

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,141 ... 38,00.html

Durango - Two teenage girls decided one summer's evening to skip a dance where there might be cursing and drinking to stay home and bake cookies for their neighbors.

Big mistake.

They were sued, successfully, for an unauthorized cookie drop on one porch.

The July 31 deliveries consisted of half a dozen chocolate-chip and sugar cookies accompanied by big hearts cut out of red or pink construction paper with the message: "Have a great night."

The notes were signed, "Love, The T and L Club," code for Taylor Ostergaard, then 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, 18.

Inside one of the nine scattered rural homes south of Durango that got cookies that night, a 49-year-old woman became so terrified by the knocks on her door around 10:30 p.m. that she called the sheriff's department. Deputies determined that no crime had been committed.

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But Wanita Renea Young ended up in the hospital emergency room the next day after suffering a severe anxiety attack she thought might be a heart attack.

A Durango judge Thursday awarded Young almost $900 to recoup her medical bills. She received nothing for pain and suffering.

"The victory wasn't sweet," Young said Thursday afternoon. "I'm not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson."

Taylor's mother, Jill Ostergaard, said her daughter "cried and cried" after Judge Doug Walker handed down his decision in La Plata County Small Claims Court.

"She felt she was being punished for doing something nice," Jill Ostergaard said.

The judge said that he didn't think the girls acted maliciously but that it was pretty late at night for them to be out. He didn't award any punitive damages.

Taylor and Lindsey declined to comment Thursday, saying only that they didn't want to say anything hurtful.

Young said the girls showed "very poor judgment."

But Taylor had asked her father's permission to bake cookies for the neighbors after livestock-tending chores were done.

"I said, 'Go ahead, as long as I get some cookies,"' Richard Ostergaard said Thursday.

Just as dusk arrived a little after 9 p.m., Taylor and Lindsey began their mad spree. They didn't stop at houses that were dark. But where lights shone, the girls figured people were awake and in need of cookies. A kitchen light was on at Young's home.

Court records contain half a dozen letters from neighbors who said that they enjoyed the unexpected treats.

The cookies were good. It was a nice surprise. They weren't scared.

But Young, home with her own 18-year-old daughter and her elderly mother, said she saw shadowy figures who banged and banged at her door. When she called out, "Who's there?" no one answered. The figures ran off.

She thought perhaps they were burglars or some neighbors she had tangled with in the past, she said.

"We just wanted to surprise them," Taylor said.

Young left her home that night to stay at her sister's, but her symptoms, including shaking and an upset stomach, wouldn't subside. The next morning she went to Mercy Medical Center.

"We feel that knocking on a door and leaving cookies is a gesture of kindness and would not create an anxiety attack in the general public," Taylor's parents wrote to the court.

The girls wrote letters of apology to Young. Taylor's letter, written a few days after the episode, said in part: "I didn't realize this would cause trouble for you. ... I just wanted you to know that someone cared about you and your family."

The families had offered to pay Young's medical bills if she would agree to indemnify the families against future claims.

Young wouldn't sign the agreement. She said the families' apologies rang false and weren't delivered in person. The matter went to court.

Young said she believes that the girls should not have been running from door to door late at night.

"Something bad could have happened to them," she said.

...like getting sued for it by some old kook, apparently.

Master_Fwiffo · Post by **Master_Fwiffo** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:46 pm

....

Welcome to America. You know all those people who fled to Canada after Bush won? I think they had the right idea.

For the wrong reason, of course.

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:51 pm

Do you have an address? I'd like to go kick that bitch's door down.

*Slides on ****-kickin' steel toed boots*

IronHide · Post by **IronHide** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:55 pm

*sigh*

Well.....one more thing to hate people for.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:05 pm

Bitch.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:15 pm

Seriously.

And it would be one thing if after she learned of the situation, she was like, "Yeah, I guess I was just being a little bit paranoid. The girls didn't mean any harm."

But she's like, "Whatever, serves them right for running around giving people cookies! They shouldn't be out so late at night!"

Gekigengar · Post by **Gekigengar** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:17 pm

Master_Fwiffo wrote:....

Welcome to America. You know all those people who fled to Canada after Bush won? I think they had the right idea.

For the wrong reason, of course.

Um, this has nothing to do with Bush winning the election, it is about an ederly woman being so overly suspicious and greedy, for acts of kindness that two teenage girls wanted to do, which IMO is too far and too few inbetween. This did not involve U.S. Military presence, nor did it involve weapons inspectors.

A column of sherman tanks would be nice to show force on signing an agreement to not make any more claims against the family would be nice.

Pissin' Poonani · Post by **Pissin' Poonani** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:38 pm

Deary me.

Although, if I opened my door at 10:30pm to find nothing but a plate of cookies, I think the last thing I'd do is put one in my mouth.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:05 pm

Young left her home that night to stay at her sister's, but her symptoms, including shaking and an upset stomach, wouldn't subside. The next morning she went to Mercy Medical Center.

But as she was leaving, she didn't notice the plate of cookies and explanatory note?

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:19 pm

Jesus christ monkey balls.
That's ****** up.

Pissin' Poonani · Post by **Pissin' Poonani** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:34 pm

Obfleur wrote:Jesus christ monkey balls.

Is that for the PS2 or Nintendo?

Shaking and an upset stomach? And it cost $900?

Good god how I'm thankful for the NHS.

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:34 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:But as she was leaving, she didn't notice the plate of cookies and explanatory note?

Gimme a B!
Gimme an I!
Gimme a T!
Gimme a C!
Gimme a Mother****ing****suck****balls****!

Still would love to see her "severe anxiety" and "about to have a heart attack" face when that door comes flying off the hinges at 10:30 p.m. from a steel-toed ninja kick.

And she thought cookies were bad!

"I'm not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson."

It doesn't pay to be nice? Good lesson.

She thought perhaps they were burglars or some neighbors she had tangled with in the past, she said.

And when she found out it was two innocent, and very nice young ladies delivering cookies instead of out getting drunk at parties?

She said the families' apologies rang false and weren't delivered in person. The matter went to court.

Cause Lord knows she wouldn't have a problem with you coming up and knocking on her door. Apparently. Bitch.

Young said the girls showed "very poor judgment."

Just as dusk arrived a little after 9 p.m., Taylor and Lindsey began their mad spree. They didn't stop at houses that were dark. But where lights shone, the girls figured people were awake and in need of cookies. A kitchen light was on at Young's home.

Must... ...find.... .......address...

Post by **Computron** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:57 pm

This will be overturned if they appeal. Course an appeal will be more expensive than the $900...

The only grounds the woman has to complain on is the late time in which the girls were running around.

She's still a bitch tho.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 7:06 pm

Señior's Covenant wrote:
Must... ...find.... .......address...

Here ya go:

Young, W
1206 Avenida Del Sol,
Durango, CO ZipCode
(970) 259-0182

Amazing what a few minutes online can find, isn't it?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:21 pm

Thats scary...

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:24 pm

Reminds me of Beth Robbins.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:31 pm

Can't help but hope the publicity ensures a regular round of fireworks...

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:33 pm

I just called that number, and this guy was like, "People have been calling me all day, there is no one here by the name of Wanita Young, what the hell is going on??"

So I had to sit there and tell him the story, and how I was just calling to give an old lady a hard time. He asked me where I got the #, and I told him it was from a message board I follow. So he told me if I could call off the dogs as much as I could.

So don't call that number, people!

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:36 pm

The real Ms. Young (at least we know why her husband left her likely) would not be in Durango. Notice the girls hit her house in one of the surrounding rural areas.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:54 pm

Here's one that lives in a surrounding rural area:

Young, W
11164 Us Highway 24,
Divide, CO 80814-9241
(719) 687-1876

Now, I'm not suggesting we call every W. Young in the phone book, but...

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:57 pm

Young's a pretty common surname, isn't it?

Seriously: anyone who's thinking of calling either of those numbers, don't.

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:03 am

Professor Smooth wrote:http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,141 ... 38,00.html

"I'm not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson."

I'm sure they learned a valuable lesson about trying to do something nice for someone else. I doubt they will ever make that mistake again! Add this to the list of things wrong in this country. We hear so little about anyone doing anything nice for someone else...and what happens when they do? They get sued....seriously, if some girls left cookies on my porch the only thing I would be concerned with whether or not I could get more! (I'm a greedy little cookie monster you see...)

Redstreak · Post by **Redstreak** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:18 am

IronHide wrote:*sigh*

Well.....one more thing to hate people for.

Think that about sums it up...

Post by **Denyer** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:19 am

Galvatron91 wrote:if some girls left cookies on my porch the only thing I would be concerned with whether or not I could get more

Cookie or girl?

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:28 am

Denyer wrote:
Galvatron91 wrote:if some girls left cookies on my porch the only thing I would be concerned with whether or not I could get more
Cookie or girl?

I decline to answer that on the grounds that I may incriminate myself!

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:27 am

Both are good to eat I guess..

the old lady sounds like she might be running some sort of illegal activity.

Paranoid
Lives out in a rural area so as not to be bothered
Tries to present herself as a goody goody..

Oh shes cookin meth all right

Bitch

IronHide · Post by **IronHide** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:17 am

Optimus Prime Rib wrote:Both are good to eat I guess..

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:10 pm

I'd want cookies.

Master_Fwiffo · Post by **Master_Fwiffo** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:30 am

Good news!
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,141 ... 47,00.html

My faith in the US is restored!

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 3:01 am

Nice.

Still going to track down that pending front door/foot encounter as soon as I get some vacation time.

TransFans.co.uk

She sued...AND WON!?!?

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