Announcing a Class Action Settlement Involving All Persons who Received a Text Message from CITGO Petroleum Corporation

FORT PIERCE, Fla., Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- An $8 million settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit claiming that CITGO Petroleum Corporation ("CITGO") sent text messages to wireless telephone numbers without consent of the recipients in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227.  CITGO denies the allegations in the lawsuit and the Court has not decided who is right.

The Settlement includes all persons in the United States who received one or more text messages sent by or on behalf of CITGO in August, October and November 2016.

CITGO has agreed to pay $8 million to create a fund that will be used to pay individuals who submit valid Claims, attorneys' fees, a Service Award to the Class Representative, and costs and expenses of the litigation. CITGO has also agreed to pay up to $300,000 of Settlement Administration and Notice Administration costs. The cash payments from the Settlement Fund will be distributed on a pro rata basis to Settlement Class members who submit a valid Claim. Only one Claim is allowed per Settlement Class Member.

Class Members can get a payment by filing a Claim Form online at www.citgoTCPAsettlement.com or downloading a Claim Form from the Settlement website, completing it, and submitting it via email to [email protected] or by U.S. mail to the Claims Administrator at CITGO TCPA Settlement Administrator, PO Box 3967, Portland, OR 97208-3967. You may also call the Claims Administrator at 888-457-6608 to request a Claim Form. The deadline to file a Claim online or via email is 11:59 p.m. CST on December 14, 2017. If you send in a Claim Form by regular mail, it must be postmarked on or before December 14, 2017.

Class Members who do not want to be legally bound by the Settlement, must exclude themselves by October 30, 2017. Class Members who do not exclude themselves, will release any claims they may have, as more fully described in the Settlement Agreement, available at the Settlement website. Class Members may object to the Settlement by October 30, 2017, by timely and strictly complying with the objection procedures detailed in the Preliminary Approval Order. The Long Form Notice available at www.citgoTCPAsettlement.com explains how to exclude or object. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on November 29, 2017 to consider whether to approve the Settlement and a request for attorneys' fees of up to 33.33% of the Settlement Fund and for a Service Award of $5,000 to the Class Representative. Class Members may appear at the hearing, either by themselves or through an attorney, but don't have to. For more information, call 1-888-457-6608 or visit www.citgoTCPAsettlement.com.

Source:  United States District Court, Southern District of Florida

URL:  www.citgoTCPAsettlement.com

SOURCE United States District Court, Southern District of Florida