Last week, Caddo Parish District Court Judge Michael Pitman issued a ruling granting preliminary approval of a partial settlement of $5,900,000.00 for overcharges on Shreveport water and sewer bills. The nearly six million dollar settlement comes after three years of litigation and more recent negotiations between Class Counsel and attorneys for the City of Shreveport.
The $5,900,000.00 settlement is a partial settlement that resolves the issue of “rounding” of residential customers’ Average Winter Consumption (“AWC”) on their sewer bills, which is one of a few issues present in the class action lawsuit.
The Court has previously approved Jerald R. Harper and Anne E. Wilkes of the Harper Law Firm to act as Class Counsel. Mr. Harper and Ms. Wilkes have been engaged in settlement negotiations and representation of the class members.
The hearing date to finalize the partial settlement is set for Thursday, November 12, 2020 at the First Judicial District Court in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. There, Class Members will have the opportunity to object or otherwise appear to be heard about the settlement.
Class members will be receiving in the mail a notice of the partial settlement, along with additional information about the partial settlement. A website and toll-free phone number will also be included on that notice to provide class members and the public with additional information. The Notices will be mailed out in the next 30 days. The website for additional class information is www.ShreveportDOWASPartialRoundingSettlement.com, and is scheduled to launch in early August.
The question of damages on the other parts of the residential class action—since the District Court already found in favor of the Class on liability—is set for trial in the District Court on October 20, 2020.