April 27

Roy Pearson, a Washington D.C. lawyer, brought his pants to the dry cleaners in May 2005 and asked them to perform $10.50 worth of alterations. The pants disappeared, and the ensuing dispute has resulted in a $65.5 million lawsuit that alleges fraud and negligence. Pearson says he deserves millions for the damages he suffered by not getting his pants back, for his litigation costs, for "mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort," for the value of the time he has spent on the lawsuit, for leasing a car every weekend for 10 years and for a replacement suit. Wait -- what? Leasing a car? That's right. Pearson says that as a result of poor service, he must find another cleaner. And because Pearson does not own a car, he says he will have to rent one to get his clothes taken care of. The cleaners did offer to settle the case for $12,000.