UPDATE: THE
NEXT CHECK DISTRIBUTION IS TARGETED TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. THE
NEXT DISTRIBUTION WILL ONLY ISSUE CHECKS TO CLASS MEMBERS WHOSE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED
CHECKS WERE RETURNED AS UNDELIVERABLE AND WHOSE ADDRESS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED
AND CONFIRMED. PLEASE ALLOW UP TO TWO WEEKS FOR DELIVERY.
If you had a rent-to-own contract with Rent-A-Center, Inc. in the
State of New Jersey from April 23, 1999 through March 16, 2006, you could get a
payment from a class action settlement.
A settlement of a class action lawsuit affects you if you entered into a rent-to-own
contract with Rent-A-Center, Inc. ("RAC") in the State of New Jersey during the
period from April 23, 1999 through March 16, 2006.
WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM THE SETTLEMENT?
The Settlement Fund will provide approximately $109 million to fully compensate
Class Members based on interest they paid in excess of limits established by the
laws of the State of New Jersey. The payment you receive will be determined by the
amount of interest you paid under your rent-to-own contract(s) with RAC, as reflected
in RAC’s records. It is anticipated that the recovery will be sufficient to pay
Class Members at least all of the alleged overcharges, after the payment of any
attorneys’ fees and costs.
HOW DO YOU GET A PAYMENT?
A detailed
Notice and Identification Form
package contains everything you need. You can download a Notice and an
Identification Form on this website, or you may request that such documents
be mailed to you by calling toll-free 1 (866) 963-9974. If you received
the Notice in the mail that specified your estimated payment, you do not need to
download a Notice and Identification Form. You should only complete and submit an
Identification Form if you believe you are a Class Member, and you did not receive
a Notice and payment estimate in the mail.
Identification Forms are due postmarked by September 4, 2007.
If you received mailed
Notice of an estimated payment, your name and address are in
the RAC rent-to-own database and you will receive a payment if the Settlement is
finalized.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
If you do not want a payment and you do not want to be legally bound by the Settlement,
you must exclude yourself postmarked by September 4, 2007. If you stay in the Class
you may object to the Settlement postmarked by September 4, 2007. The detailed
Notice describes how to exclude yourself and how to object.
The Superior Court of New Jersey that approved the Notice
will hold a hearing in this case (Perez v. Rent-A-Center, Inc., Docket
No: CAM-L-21-03) on September 14, 2007 at 1:30 p.m., to consider whether to approve
the Settlement and attorneys’ fees and expenses. You may appear at the Hearing,
but you do not have to.
For more details,
call toll-free 1 (866) 963-9974, or write to: Seth R. Lesser, Esq., Locks Law Firm,
457 Haddonfield Road, Suite 500, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002; Mark R. Cuker, Esq., Williams
Cuker & Berezofsky, One Penn Center at Suburban Station, 1617 J.F.K. Boulevard,
Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19103; or William Riback, Esq., Law Office of William
Riback, 527 Cooper Street, 2nd Floor, Camden, NJ 08102.
Alternatively, you may submit written questions to
info@abdatalawserve.com or submit them in the space below: