Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02140/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02140-14/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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28 [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL

APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT

CASE NO.: 05-2140 JSW 1 

Irving L. Berg (SBN 36273)

THE BERG LAW GROUP

433 Town Center, PMB 493 

Corte Madera, California 94925

(415) 924-0742

(415) 891-8208 (Facsimile)

irvberg@comcast.net (Email)

ATTORNEY for Plaintiff 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

CLAUDIA FABIANI, on behalf of herself

and all others similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

v.

ORECK CORPORATION,

Defendant.

 /

Case No.: C 05-2140 JSW

[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL

APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT

Date: May 12, 2006

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: 450 Golden Gate Avenue 17th Floor, 

 San Francisco, CA

Judge: Honorable Jeffrey S.White

This cause came before the Court on May 12, 2006, on the Joint Motion of Plaintiff,

Claudia Fabiani, on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, and Defendant Oreck

Corporation for final approval of the Class Action Settlement Agreement. The Plaintiff was

represented by Irving L. Berg, Esq. Defendant was represented by Frederick W. Bradley of

Oreck, Bradley, Crighton, Adams & Chase along with David L. Aronoff of Thelen Reid & Priest

LLP. No class member or objector appeared at the hearing. The Court, being fully advised of

the terms and conditions of the proposed Class Settlement, finds:

A. Plaintiff and Defendant entered into a Class Action Settlement Agreement

(“Settlement Agreement”) that was preliminarily approved by the Court on January 25, 2006

(Doc #62).

B. The Settlement Agreement has been submitted to the Court for approval pursuant

Case 3:05-cv-02140-JSW Document 71 Filed 05/12/2006 Page 1 of 4
 Case 3:05-cv-02140-JSW Document 72 Filed 05/19/06 Page 1 of 4
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28 [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL

APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT

CASE NO.: 05-2140 JSW 2 

to Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

C. Notice to the class in a form approved by the Court on January 25, 2006, was

mailed by Frederick W. Bradley, as shown by the Declaration of Frederick W. Bailey (Doc.

#66). The class notice in the form approved by the Court on January 25, 2006, was mailed to

195 class members. Twelve class notices were returned from the United States Postal Service as

undeliverable. 

Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement:

1) Plaintiff, as representative of the class, shall receive $3,000 in full

settlement and satisfaction of her individual claims pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §

1692k(a)(2)(B)(i), and as compensation for her services rendered to the class, as well as

the forgiveness of her alleged debt to Oreck Corporation;

2) Oreck Corporation shall fully, finally, and completely forgive the debt of

each class member that was the subject of the allegedly offensive letter. The debts owed

by such class members total approximately $45,000;

3) Oreck shall fund all administration expenses related to the settlement,

including the costs required to provide notice of the settlement to the class;

4) Oreck shall pay $15,000 to satisfy Plaintiff’s reasonable attorney’s fees

incurred in connection with this suit, subject to approval by the Court;

5) Oreck shall pay Plaintiff’s court costs in the amount of $277.05;

6) Oreck shall change the form of its collection letter to eliminate any

implication that “Security Center Collection Services” is a third party that is not part of

Oreck Corporation, and it shall also eliminate any language to the effect that the debtor

has “waived” any rights under the FDCPA;

7) Oreck agrees that it will not report any delinquency of any class member

for the amount of the debt released herein to any credit agency.

On approval of the settlement by the court, final judgments of dismissal will be entered,

with prejudice, and Plaintiff and all Class Members who have not timely excluded themselves

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28 [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL

APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT

CASE NO.: 05-2140 JSW 3 

from this action, will be conclusively bound by the dismissal.

D. The Court has been advised that no objections to the Settlement have been

received or motion to intervene has been received, though the following individuals have elected

to be excluded from the class: 

 Donna Osuna 

 Cheri I. Mariotti

E. The parties do not object to the exclusion of the aforesaid individuals from the

Class Settlement.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. The Settlement Agreement is hereby approved. The Court finds the settlement

negotiations were conducted at arms-length and in good faith among counsel for Plaintiff and

Defendant, and that the terms of the Settlement Agreement are fair, reasonable and adequate to

Plaintiff and all members of the classes. In addition to the other factors stated herein, the Court

finds the Settlement Agreement to be particularly fair, adequate, and reasonable in light of the

risk of establishing liability and damages, and the expense of further litigation.

2. The Court finds that the distribution of the Notice as provided for in the

Preliminary Approval Order constituted the best notice practicable under the circumstances to all

Persons within the definition of the Class, and fully met the requirements of Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 23, any and all substantive and procedural due process rights guaranteed by the

United States Constitution, and any other applicable law.

3. Plaintiff Claudia Fabiani and the Class Members are forever barred and enjoined

from initiating or further prosecuting in any forum whatsoever, including but not limited to any

Federal, State, or Foreign Court against Defendant and its heirs, current and former officers,

directors, successors, predecessors, executors, administrators, assigns, shareholders, affiliated

companies, attorneys and employees, any and all claims, controversies, liabilities, actions and/or

causes of action made in this litigation. This release is conditioned upon the performance by

Defendant of its obligation toward Plaintiff and the class members as set forth in the Settlement

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28 [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL

APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT

CASE NO.: 05-2140 JSW 4 

Agreement and detailed above.

4. Within ten (10) days of the date of this Order, Oreck shall pay (a) $3,000 to

Plaintiff Claudia Fabiani.

5. Within ten (10) days of the date of this Order, Oreck shall pay $15,000 as

reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of $277.05 to Plaintiff’s counsel. Plaintiff’s counsel has

filed an application concurrently in support thereof which is acceptable to the Court.

6. The following individuals are excluded from the class:

Donna Osuna 

 Cheri I. Mariotti

7. Without affecting the finality of the Judgment, the Court shall retain jurisdiction

of this case to enforce the terms of this Order.

DATED: May 12, 2006 

 Jeffrey S.White

 U. S. District Court Judge

Case 3:05-cv-02140-JSW Document 71 Filed 05/12/2006 Page 4 of 4

for a period of 180 days. 18

Case 3:05-cv-02140-JSW Document 72 Filed 05/19/06 Page 4 of 4