Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Washington
False Charges
Can anything be done about false claims being reported about a business / owner? For example false claims being reported to the state liquor board, the gaming commision, the health department and finally CPS.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: False Charges
It depends. First, you would have to be able to prove (which is a lot different than "knowing") who is making these false report. Second, you would need to be able to prove the falsity of the reports, which is a lot different than say a CPS finding of not enough evidence or that the allegations are inconclusive (using CPS as an example).
Let's assume you can PROVE those two things. That would open things up for your from being able to seek an anti-harassment order (a type of restraining order) to suing for defamation.
What you need or want to do depends upon whether this is costing you money and if so how much, and whether the person costing you can pay to compensate you.
That said, if repeated calls are being made to the agencies you cite above, and if each time they come up with no evidence or the allegations are not credible, they start to learn to ignore such claims. Trust me, you are not the first person who has enemies who try to file claims with regulatory agencies in an effort to cause trouble, justifiably or unjustifiably so.
If this is a serious problem, I suggest you consult an attorney right away. At least with a proper consultation you will know your rights in detail as applied to this situation and armed with that information you may act accordingly.