Opinion ID: 2264238
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Stickles Settlement Agreement [14]

Text: Stickles v. Ford Motor Credit Company is a class action suit filed by Connie Stickles and others in the Superior Court of California. The class action complaint asserted contract claims and violations of California's version of the Uniform Commercial Code against FMC as a result of alleged illegal penalties and/or late fee charges imposed upon motor vehicle lessees. In May 2002, the parties reached a settlement and executed a Settlement Agreement and Release. [15] The Final Judgment stated that all members of the class certified in Stickles have released and are hereby permanently enjoined and restrained from filing or prosecuting any Settled Claim [16] against any of the Released Parties. Plaintiff Class was defined by the Final Judgment as: [A]ll persons in the United States ... who, at any time from September 24, 1992 to March 1, 2002:(1) entered into a lease of a vehicle for personal and/or business use for which Ford Motor Credit Company (but not one of its dbas) either directly or by assignment from a dealer, provided retail lease financing; (2) made one or more required lease payments after the payment due date; (3) were thereafter charged late fees by Ford Motor Credit Company; (4) paid those late fees; and (5) were not subject to counter claims from Ford Motor Credit Company. On August 1, 1999, Primus Automotive Financial Services, Inc. was merged into Ford Credit. The Plaintiff Class also includes former Primus customers who paid late fees to Ford Credit after August 1, 1999. The Release provided in part: 5. As of the Effective Date of this Agreement, each Plaintiff, and each member of the Plaintiff Classes who has not opted out in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraph 10 below, acknowledges full satisfaction of, and fully, finally and forever releases, settles and discharges the Released Parties of and from all Settled Claims.       b. For purposes of this paragraph, Settled Claims means and includes: I. Any and all clams, actions, causes of action, offsets or liabilities, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, contingent or matured, related to fees or other charges for delinquency, default or late payment, including claims for excessive late fees or improper disclosure of such fees or other charges, which any named plaintiff or any Class member has had, or now has[.] Paragraph 14b of the Settlement Agreement provided that each settlement check mailed to a member of the Settlement Class contain a statement on the reverse side of the check reserved for endorsement by the payee indicating: In full satisfaction and release of all claims respecting Ford Motor Credit vehicle lease late fees and/or disclosures thereof as provided in paragraph [4.7] [17] of the judgment in [ Stickles v. Ford Motor Credit Co. ], no. 981289 in the San Francisco Superior Court. The Ford Motor Credit settlement period began on September 24, 1992, and ended on March 1, 2002. The Primus settlement period began on August 1, 1999, and ended on March 1, 2002. [18] Ms. Simpkins received a notice providing her with an opportunity to opt out of the Stickles settlement class, but she did not.