I was sent this via email today. I thought it would be of interest to CreditNetters: PROPOSED SETTLEMENT A class action lawsuit was filed in federal court in New Orleans, Louisiana on behalf of consumers who purchased credit repair services from Palisdades Holding, LLC d/b/a ClearCredit or ClearCredit.com, ("ClearCredit"). A settlement of the lawsuit could affect you if you purchased credit repair services from ClearCredit before the date of August 19, 2004. If you qualify, you may send in a claim form to receive free credit repair services and assistance in obtaining free credit reports, or you may exclude yourself from the settlement, or you may object to the settlement. The Court where the lawsuit was filed authorized the notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement. WHO IS AFFECTED? All purchasers of credit repair services from ClearCredit before the date of August 19, 2004. WHAT IS THIS LAWSUIT ABOUT? Plaintiffs contend that Defendants, ClearCredit, through certain third parties, National Credit Center, Inc,. and Info 1 Holding Company, have impermissibly obtained consumer reports of members of ClearCredit, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. sect. 1681, et seq. ("FCRA"). The defendants have agreed to settle any FCRA claims and related claims that have been brought, or could have been brought. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated and the defendants deny all charges of wrongdoing. WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM THE SETTLEMENT? If you purchased credit repair services from ClearCredit before the date of August 19, 2004, you may be entitled to receive free credit repair services and additional assistance in obtaining free credit reports. If you make a claim in this matter and purchased credit repair services during the time period Info1/Credit Decisions provided consumer credit reports to Iqualifynow.com, you may be a member of the Info1 subclass and be entitled to additional free credit repair services. HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE SETTLEMENT? If you are a class member, you must complete and submit a claim form, either online via the internet at http://www.classactionamerica.com/classactionsettlements/clearcredit/index.asp not later than 180 days after the entry of the Final Approval Order, which shall occur on or after January 19, 2005, or by first class mail, postmarked no later than 180 days after the entry of the Final Approval Order, to: CLEARCREDIT LITIGATION C/O CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR ONE GALLERIA BLVD. SUITE 1726 METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70001 WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? To participate in the Settlement, you must submit a Proof of Claim not later than 180 days after the entry of the Final Approval Order, which shall occur on or after January 19, 2005. If you are a Class Member and do not exclude yourself from the Class, you will be bound by the Order and Final Judgment of the Court including the release of claims described therein. To exclude yourself from the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion which is received by no later than December 17, 2004. If you are a Class Member and do not submit a proper Proof of Claim, you will not be eligible to participate in the Settlement but you nevertheless will be bound by the Order and Final Judgment of the Court. Information regarding the Proof of Claim and how to exclude yourself from the Class may be viewed at: http://www.classactionamerica.com/classactionsettlements/clearcredit/index.asp The Court will hold a hearing in this lawsuit, know as Barbara Thomas, et al. v. ClearCredit, et al., USDC, Eastern District of Louisiana, Docket No. 03-2580. A hearing will be held before the Honorable Eldon J. Fallon in the Hale Boggs Federal Building & Courthouse, 500 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130, at 9:00 a.m., on January 19, 2005 to determine whether the proposed settlement should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable, and adequate, and to consider the application of Plaintiffs' Counsel attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses. You may appear at the hearing, but are not required to attend. For more details, or if you have not yet received the full printed Notice of Pendency of Class Action, Hearing on Proposed Settlement and Proof of Claim form, you may obtain copies of these documents by visiting the website http://www.classactionamerica.com/classactionsettlements/clearcredit/index.asp. Please Do Not Write or Call the Court or the Clerk's Office for Information.
