Welcome to the Schraner v. Northeast Revenue Service, LLC. et al. Settlement Website.

Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Read this website and the Notice carefully.

A $2.5 million settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit commenced in September 2018 by Plaintiffs against Northeast Revenue Service, LLC (“NERS”) as the Refuse Fee debt collector for the City of Scranton, Pennsylvania (“Scranton”) and Scranton in the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County (the “Court”). The lawsuit alleged NERS imposed and collected Penalties, Interest and Costs over the Face Amount of the Refuse Fee that violated the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Law, 53 P.S. § 7101, et seq. NERS denied, and still denies, any wrongdoing.

If you are a class member of the Damages Class, you may be entitled to a pro rata payment from the Settlement Fund for a percentage of the Refuse Fee Penalties, Interest and Costs you paid that was more than the Face Amount of the Refuse Fee you owed. The gross Settlement Fund represents over 70% of the overpayments allegedly made by the Damages Class.

If you are a class member of the Declaratory Relief Class, your unpaid delinquent Refuse Fee Penalties, Interest and/or Costs will be forgiven and forever discharged pursuant to the Scranton Lien Forgiveness Program. It is estimated that the Scranton Lien Forgiveness Program will not seek to collect over $7.5 million in unpaid Penalties, Interest and Costs in over the Face Amount of the Refuse Fees owed by the Declaratory Relief Class alleged to be unlawful. The Declaratory Relief Class did not pay the delinquent Refuse Fee Penalties, Interest and/or Costs alleged to be unlawful, so no payment from the Settlement Fund is made to the Declaratory Relief Class.


Your Legal Rights and Options in This Settlement
Do Nothing

You do not have to file a claim to receive payment as a member of the Damages Class or to participate in the Scranton Lien Forgiveness Program as a member of the Declaratory Relief Class. If you do not exclude yourself as a Class Member by opting out and the Court approves the Settlement, you will release and forever discharge Released Parties, including Defendants, for Released Claims, which include any and all claims relating to the Refuse Fees you paid, in exchange for the payment to you.
Object

To object, you must send a written objection to the Court and mail a copy of the objection to the Settlement Administrator and Counsel by July 5, 2023. If you object, you can comment on the terms of the Settlement and remain a Class Member so that you can receive the Settlement’s benefits in exchange for providing the release of the Released Claims to Defendants if and when the Court approves the Settlement.
Exclude Yourself

To exclude yourself, you must mail a request to opt-out from the Settlement by July 5, 2023. If you do not timely opt out, you will not be permitted to opt out at a later date. If you timely opt out, you will not receive money from the Settlement and any unpaid municipal lien will remain owed to Scranton, but you will be able to bring a lawsuit against NERS and Scranton (subject to any defenses the Defendants may assert) and you will not be required to provide a release of any claims to Defendants.

Your rights regarding this Settlement, and the actions you can take, are explained on this website and in the Notice.

Important Dates
  • September 12, 2016 - December 31, 2020
    Class Period (Damage Class Members)
  • September 12, 2012 - December 31, 2020
    Class Period (Declaratory Relief Class Members)
  • July 5, 2023
    Deadline to Exclude Yourself from the Settlement
  • July 5, 2023
    Deadline to Object to the Settlement
  • August 24, 2023, 10:00 a.m. EST
    Final Approval Hearing