Owners of multi-family dwelling properties still have time to claim refunds for premium backyard services on residential recycling bills; 60% of refunds, many over $10,000, have still not been claimed
Contact: mediainquiries@oaklandcityattorney.org
Oakland, Calif. – The deadline has been extended to April 11 for owners of many multi-family properties in Oakland to claim refunds for overpayments of premium backyard services made to California Waste Solutions. The refunds are the result of the lawsuit the Oakland City Attorney filed on behalf of the City of Oakland against California Waste Solutions (CWS) over recycling service charges during the 2010s through 2021. Charges for the affected properties were more than five times higher than the correct amount per the 2015 Residential Recycling Collection Service Contract.
More than 100 people may be eligible for at least $10,000 and two property owners may be eligible for more than $100,000. In most cases, submitting a claim is as simple as providing an address for the check and confirming the refund amount.
“We urge property owners who might be eligible for a refund to submit a claim. The City would like to make sure affect Oaklanders receive the money they are due,” said Oakland City Attorney Ryan Richardson. “Many property owners overpaid and now have an opportunity to reclaim these funds.”
Deadline Extended
Property owners now have until Thursday, April 11, 2025 to submit their claim to the claims administrator to receive a refund.
How To File a Claim
Claiming a refund is very easy. The City and CWS already calculated the amount due to each affected property owner. Refunds will be disbursed after the filing deadline. All a claimant needs to do is respond to the notice confirming the pre-calculated amount and the address to which the check should be mailed.
Affected Property Owners Should Have Received Notices in Early 2024
Affected property owners should have received notices in the mail showing the amount of their expected refund and a unique code in early 2024, and subsequent reminder mail notices, emails, and phone calls. They can use that code to fill out a claims form on a dedicated refund website, www.CWSSettlement.com, or they can mail in their claims form. Property owners can call 1-833-493-1547 for more information or to request a claims form if they did not receive one in the mail or can no longer locate their form.
Property owners may also make their case for a higher refund by submitting their bills to dispute the amount as part of the claims process. Affected property owners had an opportunity to opt out of the settlement and file their own lawsuit against CWS before December 31, 2024. If a property owner had not filed their own lawsuit and does not claim their refund by April 11, they will no longer have an opportunity to recover the funds CWS owes them.
Background
The City of Oakland and CWS agreed to a settlement in December 2021 and worked together to develop a process for distributing the refunds. In addition to providing refunds to property owners who overpaid for services, the lawsuit’s settlement agreement also reduced these premium backyard services from $187.57 to $34.22.
One-thousand three-hundred and forty (1,340) properties are known to be affected. If you did not receive a notice but believe you are entitled to a refund, please call 1-833-493-1547 or email CWSSettlement@cptgroup.com.
For more information, see the January 22, 2024 press release announcing the settlement and refund claims process.
