Here is important information about the ISTA Utility Billing class action settlement.

Settlement Checks for $25 were mailed out on September 29, 2011 from Irvine, California.  If you filled out and timely returned a Claim Form then you should receive the payment within a few days.  The deadline to submit Claim Forms, or to opt out or object, passed as of July 20, 2011. No late Claim Forms will be accepted.  The Court granted final approval to the settlement.

There was a class action settlement that paid monetary compensation to tenants of certain California Apartment Complexes. In general, this includes tenants who resided at

• an apartment complex owned by AIMCO from June 5, 2002 to March 12, 2010
• an apartment complex owned by BRE from May 25, 2001 to March 12, 2010
• any apartment complex in California that used ISTA or Viterra for utility billing from May 25, 2001 to March 12, 2010

AIMCO and BRE apartment complexes have agreed to make improved disclosures in future leases about charging tenants for utility service in the common area.

ISTA has agreed to include more information about debtor rights in their billing statements and late notices to tenants.

In addition, if you submitted a timely and valid Claim Form, it is now being processed.  Some Claim Forms were missing signatures or other information so these will be evaluated closely to see if they can be honored.