This official website is maintained by the Court appointed Claims Administrator under the supervision of Class Counsel.
Hoffman v. City of Los Angeles
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles
**CASE UPDATE**
Settlement payments to Authorized Claimants commenced on October 22, 2024. The mailing of all payments will be completed by October 29, 2024. Please allow at least 5-10 business days for delivery. Questions regarding your payment or the Settlement should be directed to the Claims Administrator.
If you paid Sewer Service Charges to the City of Los Angeles calculated subject to the Dry Winter Compensation Factor at any time from May 4, 2016, through June 30,
2022, inclusive, you could get a payment from a class action settlement.
The information contained on this website is only a summary. For additional details, please read the Notice of (I) Pendency of Class Action, Certification of
Settlement Class, and Proposed Settlement; (II) Settlement Hearing; and (III) Motion for an Award of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses,
(“the Notice”) available
here.
• A settlement has been reached with the City of Los Angeles (“City”) in a class action lawsuit claiming, among other things, that the City overcharged certain
customers of L.A. Sanitation for residential property sewer services.
• As part of the Settlement, the City has agreed to create a $57.5 million Settlement Fund, to change the way it determines the Dry Winter Compensation Factor, and to abide by specific timelines for returning related costs overpayments to the Sewer Construction and Maintenance Fund.
• You are a “Settlement Class Member” if you were an Account Holder that paid Sewer Service Charges to the City calculated subject to the Dry Winter Compensation Factor (i.e., Residential Property (four or fewer units, non-“Multiple Dwelling”) customers of L.A. Sanitation who lack separate indoor (tributary) and outdoor (non-tributary) water meters), at any time from May 4, 2016, through June 30, 2022, inclusive (“Settlement Class Period”).
• Your rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Read the Notice carefully.
• As part of the Settlement, the City has agreed to create a $57.5 million Settlement Fund, to change the way it determines the Dry Winter Compensation Factor, and to abide by specific timelines for returning related costs overpayments to the Sewer Construction and Maintenance Fund.
• You are a “Settlement Class Member” if you were an Account Holder that paid Sewer Service Charges to the City calculated subject to the Dry Winter Compensation Factor (i.e., Residential Property (four or fewer units, non-“Multiple Dwelling”) customers of L.A. Sanitation who lack separate indoor (tributary) and outdoor (non-tributary) water meters), at any time from May 4, 2016, through June 30, 2022, inclusive (“Settlement Class Period”).
• Your rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Read the Notice carefully.
| YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT | |
|---|---|
| IF YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE ACCOUNT FOR SEWER SERVICES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT. | If you are a Settlement Class Member who has an active account for sewer services with the City, you do not have to do anything to qualify for a payment. If you remain in the Settlement Class, you will receive a payment, but you will also be bound by the Settlement as approved by the Court and you will give up any Released Plaintiffs’ Claims that you have against Defendant’s Releasees. Paragraph 13 of the Notice explains what claims you are releasing. |
| SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM BY OCTOBER 31, 2023, IF YOU NO LONGER HAVE AN ACTIVE ACCOUNT FOR SEWER SERVICES. |
If you are a Settlement Class Member who no longer has an active account for sewer services with the City, you must submit a Claim Form to receive a cash payment from this Settlement. The deadline to submit a Claim Form has passed. The settlement administrator is no longer accepting new claim submissions. |
| EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT CLASS BY SUBMITTING A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR EXCLUSION SO THAT IT IS RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 29, 2023. |
This is the only option that allows you to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against the City related to the legal claims this
Settlement resolves. However, you will give up the right to get a cash payment from this Settlement. Go to paragraph 16 of the
Notice
for further
details and instructions on how to request exclusion from the Settlement Class. The deadline to request exclusion from the Settlement has passed. |
|
OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT
BY SUBMITTING A WRITTEN OBJECTION SO THAT IT IS RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 29, 2023. |
If you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement, you may object to the proposed Settlement, the request for attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of
Litigation Expenses, and/or the request for Service Awards to the Plaintiffs, by writing to the Court and explaining what is it that you don’t like.
Objecting does not disqualify you from receiving a payment from the Settlement. Go to paragraph 19 of the
Notice
for further details and instructions
on how to object. The deadline to request exclusion from the Settlement has passed. |
|
GO TO A HEARING
ON DECEMBER 20, 2023. |
On December 20, 2023 the Court granted Final Approval of the Settlement. The relevant Court orders can be found in the “Court Documents” section of this website. |
