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The scenario: A landlord holding multiple rental properties/apartments has been found in a class action lawsuit to have been illegally overcharging renters for X amount of money per month each over a period of Y months time (Y differing based on how long a tenant was there, obviously).

What kind of monetary compensations are the range of possible awards? Possibilities I can think of:

  • A: XY for each tenant, just returning the overcharged money.
  • B: XY+interest set at some rate by the court, returning overcharged money and compensating for the time plaintiffs did not have the money
  • C: Some multiple of XY based on some form of punitive/encouragement for companies to not engage in that behavior in the future. (Other than the cost of both sets of legal fees, obviously)
Trish
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Alan
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1 Answers1

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Usually, the compensation would be B (economic damages plus prejudgment interest at the appropriate rate), together with court costs other than attorney fees.

But the lease, or depending on the exact nature of the violation, a state law, might provide for a prevailing party's attorney fees.

Intentional fraud rather than just a negligent mistake or breach of contract of widespread effect, might justify some punitive damages. Breach of contract itself does not justify punitive damages.

ohwilleke
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