Lumber Liquidators headquarters is in Toano.
The plaintiffs in one of the three lawsuits facing Toano-based Lumber Liquidators have withdrawn the suit.
The suit was filed Nov. 26 and sought compensation for damages three customers said they sustained after the company sold them wood with what they claim contained elevated levels of formaldehyde. They also claimed the company violated the law by importing wood from the habitat of the endangered Siberian Tiger, a violation of U.S. law.
They were seeking a jury trial to determine financial damages including installation and removal costs, remediation costs, restocking fees, loss of use, diminished values and other losses. No reason was offered for the dismissal of the suit.
It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of a Florida resident who purchased Mayflower Birch wood, a Texas resident who purchased Morningstar Bamboo and a Massachusetts resident who purchased Dream Home St. James 12 mm Blacksburg Barn Board wood.
The suit sought to create a class featuring “all persons and entities in the U.S. — including its territories and the District of Columbia — who purchased and installed wood flooring from Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., either directly or through an agent, that was sourced, processed or manufactured in China,” according to court documents.
Two lawsuits remain active against Lumber Liquidators. One is from shareholders seeking compensation for what they say is the diminished value of their stocks. The other is from customers of the company who are seeking compensation for the same two issues raised by the dismissed customer suit, though their suit covers only residents of Virginia, New York and Alabama.
Prior to the lawsuits, the corporate headquarters of Lumber Liquidators in Toano and a storefront in Henrico County were searched by federal agents. When the raids occurred, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations declined to comment on the reason for the raids. A man later found the search orders given to federal agents in the parking lot of a Henrico County Target where the agents had staged prior to executing the search. That document said the agents were to search for emails and other documents showing evidence the company and personnel in China were aware of illegal harvesting activities.
To read more about how illegal lumber harvesting affects the Russian Far East, check out this article about the endangered Siberian Tiger.
Following the raids, Lumber Liquidators issued a statement saying the action by the federal agents relates to “the importation of certain of the Company’s wood flooring products” and “the company takes its sourcing and compliance very seriously, and is cooperating with authorities to provide them with requested information.”
A spokesperson for the company said it does not comment on in-progress litigation.
Trial dates have not yet been set in the remaining lawsuits.
Related Coverage:
- Lumber Liquidators Served with Third Class-Action Lawsuit
- Toano’s Lumber Liquidators Announces Expansion Plans
- Customers File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Lumber Liquidators
- Class Action Lawsuit Against Lumber Liquidators Seeks Damages for Shareholders
- Expert: Illegal Loggers Target Siberian Tiger Habitat for Proximity to Manufacturers
- Federal Agents Search Lumber Liquidators Headquarters in Toano