RCI Weeks Program
Green Welling, along with co-counsel, filed a class action in New Jersey
in 2006 on behalf of RCI Weeks Program members. Through its Weeks Program,
RCI offers its members the option of depositing their vacation week in
a spacebank to exchange it for a comparable week from the spacebank. Plaintiffs
allege that RCI actually rents out the most desirable and highly demanded
vacation weeks from the spacebank, thus depleting the most desirable options
available to Weeks Program members who seek exchanges.
Preliminary approval of the settlement reached in this lawsuit was
entered on December 17, 2008. If you meet the definition of a class
member, your rights may be affected.
To obtain a claim form and other information please go to: http://www.weeksprogramsettlement.com/index.htm
- What is a class action?
- How much will this cost me/What is your fee?
- Do I have to "join" the class action to
have my legal rights affected?
- Who is a Class Member?
- What does a settlement mean?
- What does the settlement include?
- When will the settlement be available to view?
- When can I submit a claim form?
- What are the deadlines?
- How do I get more information?
What is a class action?
A class action is when one or more people sue on behalf of people who
have similar claims. One court resolves all the issues for all of the
Class Members. For more information on Class Actions click the "about
Class Actions" tab to the left.
How much will this cost me/What is your fee?
Green Welling LLP usually operates on a contingency basis. If we are successful
in obtaining benefits for the class through a trial verdict or a settlement,
we apply to the court to have our fees and costs paid from the recovery.
The Court determines the amount of fees that are reasonable.
Do I have to "join" the class action to have
my legal rights affected?
No, you do not need to join and you will be affected by the settlement unless you choose to exclude yourself. If you choose to exclude yourself, please send a letter by mail saying that you want to be excluded deom In re: Resort Condominiums Internationsal, LLC. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number and your signature. You must mail your exclusion request postmarked no later than April 6, 2009 to: David C. Berman, A Professional Corporation, 71 Maple Avenue, P.O. Box 111, Morristown, NJ 07963-0111
Who is a Class Member?
A Class Member is anyone who was a Member of RCI Weeks Exchange Program
from January 1, 2000 to November 20, 2008. Both past and present members
are in the class. You are a class member even if you live outside of the
United States. If you are a Class Member, your legal rights will be affected.
If you meet the definition of a Class Member, you will have to decide
whether to submit a claim, exclude yourself from the settlement, object
to the settlement, go to a hearing or do nothing. Since the court has
preliminarily approved the settlement, some of the dates to be aware of
are:
Claim Forms, Requests for Exclusion and Objections
MUST be received by: April 6, 2009.
Please view the Notice for specific details regarding where to submit the proper documents.
What does a settlement mean?
It means that the court did not rule in favor the Plaintiffs or the Defendants, and instead both sides agreed to settle. This avoids the cost and uncertainty of a lengthy trial and permits class members to receive benefits now. The proposed settlement is not an admission by RCI that it engaged in unlawful acts.
What does the settlement include?
The settlement has three core components. (1) First, the settlement provides several changes to the way RCI runs the Weeks Exchange Program. For example, if the Court grants final approval to the settlement, RCI will give priority to Weeks members' exchange requests before renting inventory from the Spacebank. (2) Second, the settlement requires RCI to make several disclosures regarding its operation of the Weeks Exchange Program. For example, RCI will make a tool available on its website that allows members to estimate trading power of a proposed deposit and to see the available inventory for which the member is eligible to exchange at that moment. (3) Third, the settlement includes the opportunity for members to select their choice of special benefits, such as the ability to confirm an exchange before depositing their timeshare or to stay free for a night at a rental property. Former members are given the opportunity to receive a $15 payment or a discount on rejoining the program. To view the settlement agreement, please go to: http://www.weeksprogramsettlement.com/index.htm
When will the settlement be available to view?
The settlement and related documentation is available at: http://www.weeksprogramsettlement.com/index.htm You also can get a copy of the Settlement Agreement by writing to Rust Consulting, Inc., P.O. Box 1966, Faribault, MN 55021-6162, USA, or by calling 1-866-783-5876.
When can I submit a claim form?
You can submit a claim form on-line here: http://www.weeksprogramsettlement.com/claimoptions.htm Or a claim form can be obtained by clicking here. If you print out the claim form, please mail it to: Rust Consulting, Inc., P.O. Box 1966, Faribault, MN 55021-6162, USA.
What are the deadlines?
- If you wish to exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must send in a written request for exclusion to the Co-Lead Class Counsel postmarked no later than April 6, 2009.
- If you wish to object to the Settlement, you must send your objection so that it is received by April 6, 2009.
- If you wish to appear at the Final Settlement Hearing, you must file a Notice of Intention to Appear with the Clerk of the Court, and serve the Notice on Co-Lead Class Counsel and Defense Counsel so that it is received by them by April 6, 2009.
- The final settlement hearing will be held June 16, 2009 at 3:00 pm.
- If you wish to submit a claim, it must be received on or before April
6, 2009
How do I get more information?
Please go to the settlement website for more information: http://www.weeksprogramsettlement.com/index.htm
or you may send an email to rcisettlement@njlawyer.com