Using Mt Lion, I find that my trash removal doesn't work on any of my iMacs. (two iMac and one Mac Air)

Using Mt Lion, 10.8.3, I find that my trash removal doesn't work on eithe unlocked or locked files. I have tries manuelly unlocking files and even that doesn't work. The trash disposal goes through the motions of counting the files and, then, doing the file subtaction from the count and at the end, it starts to go into negative numbers and never stops. However, nothing has happened to the trash. What's going on and how do I correct it. I have tries clean installs of the operating system and still nothing changes.