Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01138/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01138-7/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Luis Cabrales
Plaintiff
Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC
Defendant

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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

LUIS CABRALES, on behalf of himself and 

all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

CASTLE & COOKE MORTGAGE, LLC, a 

Delaware limited liability company, 

Defendant. 

 CASE NO. 1:14-cv-01138-MCE-JLT 

ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND 

PROVIDING FOR NOTICE

 

Case 1:14-cv-01138-MCE-JLT Document 46 Filed 07/13/16 Page 1 of 6
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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

Pending before the Court is the Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action 

Settlement (“Motion”) relating to the settlement (“Settlement”) between plaintiff Luis Cabrales 

(“Cabrales”) and defendant Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC (“Defendant” or “CCM”). Having 

read and considered the moving papers, including the Settlement Agreement, and finding good 

cause, the Court finds and orders as follows: 

1. Based upon the Court’s review of the Settlement, the Motion and supporting 

declaration, and the entire record, the Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement 

is GRANTED. 

2. The Court hereby conditionally certifies the following class (“Class”) for 

settlement purposes only: “All individual consumers throughout the United States who, between 

April 1, 2011 and July 31, 2013 (the “Class Period”), obtained a mortgage loan from Castle & 

Cooke Mortgage, LLC. Excluded from the Class are all attorneys and employees of plaintiff’s 

counsel, as well as the judicial officers to whom the Lawsuit is assigned and their court staff.” 

The members of the Class are referred to as the “Class Members.” 

3. The Court finds, for settlement purposes only, that the Class meets the 

requirements for certification under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a) and 23(b)(3) in that: (1) the Class is so 

numerous that joinder is impracticable; (2) there are questions of law and fact that are common to 

all Class Members, which questions predominate over individual issues; (3) Cabrales’ claims are 

typical of the claims of the Class; (4) Cabrales and Class Counsel will fairly and adequately 

protect the interests of the Class; and (5) a class action is superior to other available methods for 

the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy. The Court appoints Cabrales as the 

representative of the Class, Dostart Hannink & Coveney LLP as Class Counsel, and CPT Group, 

Inc. as the Claims Administrator. 

4. The Court preliminarily approves the Settlement, including the monetary relief, 

procedure for payment of Class Counsel’s attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses to the extent 

ultimately awarded by the Court, and procedure for payment of incentive awards to the Class 

Representative and/or certain Class Members who assisted Class Counsel with the litigation, to the 

extent ultimately awarded by the Court. The Court has reviewed the monetary relief that has been 

Case 1:14-cv-01138-MCE-JLT Document 46 Filed 07/13/16 Page 2 of 6
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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

provided as part of the Settlement and recognizes its value to the Class. It appears to the Court on 

a preliminary basis that the Settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable as to all potential Class 

Members when balanced against the cost and uncertainty associated with further litigation of 

liability and damages issues. It further appears that settlement of the Action at this time will avoid 

substantial additional costs by all Parties, as well as the delay and risks that would be presented by 

the further prosecution of the Action. It also appears that the Settlement has been reached as a 

result of intensive, serious, and non-collusive arm’s-length negotiations. 

5. The Court approves the Notice of Class Action Settlement (Exhibit C to the 

Settlement Agreement). The notice procedure described in the Settlement Agreement meets the 

requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 and due process and constitutes the best practicable notice 

under the circumstances. The Claims Administrator is directed to mail class notices no later than 

twenty-one (21) days after entry of this Order, and to take all steps necessary to establish a 

settlement website. 

6. Any objections to the Settlement or to any of its provisions must be filed with this 

Court and served upon counsel no later than forty-five (45) days following the mailing of the 

Notice of Class Action Settlement, or else such objection will be waived. 

7. As set forth in the Settlement Agreement, any class member who wishes to exclude 

himself or herself from the Class shall mail, email, or deliver to the Claims Administrator a 

written request to opt-out no later than forty-five (45) days following the mailing of the Notice of 

Class Action Settlement. Individuals in the Class who do not timely request exclusion shall be 

bound by all determinations of the Court, the Settlement Agreement, and any Judgment that may 

be entered thereon. 

8. If it has not already done so, defendant shall promptly comply with the 

requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1715. 

9. The parties shall file their motion for final approval, and Class Counsel shall file its 

motion for attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and service payments on the dates required under 

the Local Rules and under controlling law. 

Case 1:14-cv-01138-MCE-JLT Document 46 Filed 07/13/16 Page 3 of 6
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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

10. A final approval hearing shall be held in this Court on November 3, 2016 at 2:00 

p.m., at which time the Court will determine whether the Settlement should be granted final 

approval. At that time, the Court will also consider Class Counsel’s motion for attorneys’ fees, 

litigation expenses, and proposed service payments. 

11. Any Participating Class Member may appear at the Final Approval Hearing and 

object to the Settlement (“Objectors”). Objectors may present evidence and file briefs or other 

papers that may be proper and relevant to the issues to be heard and determined by the Court. No 

Class Member or any other person shall be heard or entitled to object, and no papers or briefs 

submitted by any such person shall be received or considered by the Court, unless on or before the 

date that is forty-five (45) days after the original date of mailing of the Class Notice, that person 

has filed the objections, papers and briefs with the Clerk of this court and has served by hand or by 

first-class mail copies of such objections, papers and briefs upon Class Counsel (Dostart Hannink 

& Coveney LLP, Attention Zach P. Dostart, 4180 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 530, La Jolla, CA 

92037) and Defendant’s counsel (Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP, Attention Theona 

Zhordania, 333 South Hope Street, Forty-Third Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071). Any 

Participating Class Member who does not object in the manner provided for in this order shall be 

deemed to have waived such objection and shall forever be foreclosed from objecting to the 

Settlement. 

12. If the Settlement does not become effective in accordance with the terms of and as 

defined in the Settlement, or if the Settlement is not finally approved by the Court, or is 

terminated, canceled or fails to become effective for any reason: (i) the Settlement and this order 

shall be null and void and shall have no further force and effect with respect to any Party in this 

Action, and shall not be used in this Action or in any other proceeding for any purpose; (ii) the 

Parties shall revert to their respective positions as of before entering into the Settlement; and (ii) 

all negotiations, proceedings, documents prepared, and statements made in connection therewith 

shall be without prejudice to any person or Party hereto, shall not be deemed or construed to be an 

admission by any Party of any act, matter, or proposition, and shall not be used in any manner or 

for any purpose in any subsequent proceeding in this Action or in any other proceeding, provided, 

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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

however, that the termination of the Settlement shall not shield from subsequent discovery any 

factual information provided in connection with the negotiation of the Settlement that would 

ordinarily be discoverable but for the attempted settlement. 

13. The Court reserves the right to adjourn or continue the date of the Final Approval 

Hearing and all dates provided for in the Settlement without further notice to Class Members, and 

retains jurisdiction to consider all further matters arising out of or connected with the proposed 

Settlement. 

14. In accordance with the terms of the Settlement, the Court hereby adopts the 

following dates for performance of the specified activities:

July 18, 2016 

(7 days after preliminary 

approval) 

Castle will provide to Class Counsel and the Claims 

Administrator in Excel format an electronic database 

(“Database”) containing the following information for 

each Class Member: Loan Number, Primary Borrower 

Name, Loan Type (e.g., FHA, USDA/RHS), Program 

Type (e.g., Fixed or Floating), Interest Rate, Rate Sheet 

Price Over Par, Origination / Discount Fee, Combined 

Rate Sheet + Origination / Discount, Benchmark, 

Overage (in basis points), Overage (in dollars), Loan 

Amount, Application Date, Fund Date, Subject Street 

Number, Subject Street, Subject City, Subject State, 

Subject ZIP, Mailing Name, Mailing Address, Mailing 

City, Mailing State, Mailing Zip, Borrower Home Area 

Code, Borrower Home Phone, Borrower Work Area 

Code, Borrower Work Number, Co-Borrower Home 

Area Code, Co-Borrower Home Number, Co-Borrower 

Work Area Code, Co-Borrower Work Phone, Borrower 

email, and Co-Borrower email. 

July 25, 2016 

(14 days after preliminary 

approval)

Deadline for CCM to wire transfer fifty thousand dollars 

($50,000) to the Claims Administrator. 

August 1, 2016 

(21 days after preliminary 

approval) 

Deadline for Claims Administrator to mail the Class 

Notice to all Class Members. This is the “Notice Date.” 

August 1, 2016 

(21 days after preliminary 

approval) 

Deadline for Claims Administrator to establish a website 

on which it will make available the Class Notice, the 

First Amended Complaint, this Order Granting 

Preliminary Approval, and any other materials agreed to 

by the Parties. 

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ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR NOTICE 

14-CV-01138-MCE-JLT

September 15, 2016 

(45 days after Notice Date) 

Claim/Exclusion/Objection Deadline; Last day for Class 

Members to file and serve any written objections to the 

Settlement and any notice of intent to appear at Final 

Approval Hearing 

October 6, 2016 

(15 court days after 

Claim/Exclusion/Objection 

Deadline)

Claims Administrator to email Class Counsel and 

Castle’s counsel a written report listing the name and 

contact information of each Participating Class Member, 

Excluded Class Member, and any person who has 

objected to the Settlement. 

November 3, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Final Approval Hearing 

15. The parties are ordered to carry out the Settlement in the manner provided in the 

Settlement Agreement. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: July 13, 2016 

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