Last year I got two checks for around $20, one of them was mailed on 10/8/21. Sorting through piles of paper, I just found the letter again.
So I checked the settlement website at https://www.bankruptcydischargesettlement.com/
Who is included?
The Court decided that the Class includes all consumers who have received an order of discharge of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and who, between March 15, 2002 and May 11, 2009 (or, for California residents in the case of TransUnion, between May 12, 2001 and May 11, 2009), had a credit report issued by a Defendant that contained debts, accounts, judgments or other obligations discharged in bankruptcy that were not reported as discharged in bankruptcy.
From https://www.bankruptcydischargesettlement.com/faqs
The Settlement Administrator began distributing settlement benefits to eligible Class Members in October 2020. Further updates will be available on the Home Page of this Settlement Website.
I just double-checked the date on the letter: 10/8/2021
So I got about $50. What about the attorneys?
At the Final Fairness Hearing, Class Counsel asked the Court for approval of attorneys’ fees of no more than 25% of the total value of the Settlement, including the Fund of at least $38.6 million and the non-monetary benefits. In no event will Class Counsel’s fee request exceed $12 million. Class Counsel also asked for reimbursement of their costs and expenses in connection with this settlement. They also asked for service awards for each of the Class Representative plaintiffs who spent time, effort, and resources on behalf of the Class. The Court has not yet made any decision regarding the amount of attorneys’ fees, costs, expenses, and Class Representative payments, and may award less than these amounts. The fees, expenses, and awards that the Court orders, plus the costs to administer the settlement, will come out of the Fund. In addition, Class Counsel and possibly additional counsel sought approval of an award of fees and expenses for their efforts in connection with obtaining the Injunctive Relief Settlement; in a separate, previously negotiated agreement, Defendants have agreed to pay up to $6 million for the injunctive relief fees and expenses, subject to Court approval. The amount of injunctive relief fees and expenses approved will in no way reduce the size of the Fund in this settlement.
Who are the lawyers?
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The Court appointed the Law Offices of: Michael A. Caddell, Caddell & Chapman; Michael W. Sobol, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP; James A. Francis, Francis & Mailman; Leonard A. Bennett, Consumer Litigation Associates, P.C.; F. Paul Bland and Arthur H. Bryant, Public Justice, P.C.; Charles Delbaum and Stuart T. Rossman, National Consumer Law Center; and Lee A. Sherman, Callahan, Thompson, Sherman & Caudill, LLP, as “Class Counsel” to represent you and other Class members. You may contact the Settlement Administrator by calling the toll-free number: 1-866-237-3432. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer in this case, you may hire one at your own expense.
What were the promised benefits?
All Class members may access the Consumer Credit Reporting Assistance page, which contains information regarding credit reports, credit scores, and how Class members can dispute any inaccuracies on their credit reports and use their settlement benefits to track their credit ratings and monitor improvements, by clicking on the button below:
In addition, Claimants were able to elect to receive a Monetary award or a Non-Monetary Award from the settlement:
Non-Monetary Award
Class members could have submitted a claim for a free file disclosure plus two free VantageScore Credit Scores. Class members who elected the free file disclosure and two free VantageScore Credit Scores may not also claim a Monetary Award. Class members who claimed this benefit will receive an activation code by email within 30 days of the Settlement becoming final.
Monetary Award
If you opted to receive a Monetary Award, you could have selected one of two available options.
Option 1 on the Claim Form is for a Convenience Award. The amount of this type of award will depend, in part, on the number of Class members who claim this benefit. The parties estimate that a Convenience Award under Option 1 will be $15–20, but it could be more or less.
Option 2 on the Claim Form is for Class members who are able to certify that they suffered an adverse action or harm. Class members who make this certification must specify whether they believe they suffered this harm with respect to: a denial of employment; a mortgage loan or housing rental; and/or a credit card, auto loan, other credit that they applied for, or payment of a discharged debt to obtain credit. They must also state which month and year they believe this happened and provide documentation in support of their claim. The Settlement Administrator will verify these claims. Accepted claims will be paid according to the following schedule:
Type of Claim Monetary Award A denial of employment you applied for $750.00 A mortgage loan or a housing rental you sought $500.00 A credit card, auto loan, or other credit applied for, or payment of a discharged debt to obtain credit $150.00 Payment will be made only for the highest dollar category for which you qualify even if you qualify for two or three categories.
More information about the benefits provided by the settlement is available in the Settlement Agreement.
You couldn’t make this shit up! So I got around $50 for these thugs ruining my credit.
I’m spitting nails!
For the record, the FAQ:
The main page:
What a broken justice system. The crooks are running the show!