Settlement Overview
After more than five years in the courtroom, Anywhere has reportedly come to a tentative settlement concerning the Bumpus lawsuit, which centers on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
A recent notice indicates that the involved parties have agreed to a “class-wide settlement in principle” and are now working on finalizing the details of a more comprehensive agreement.
Details of the Lawsuit
The saga began in 2019 when the class-action lawsuit was filed in a Northern California U.S. District Court.
Plaintiffs alleged that they received unwanted autodialed calls from agents associated with Coldwell Banker and NRT, despite being registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.
They argued that Anywhere and similar companies ignored the Registry, thereby violating consumer privacy through unsolicited communications.
Legal Proceedings
In February 2022, both sides submitted motions for summary judgment, but Judge James Donato rejected these motions in May.
He pointed out that there were several crucial factual disputes that needed to be resolved in court.
During the proceedings, three distinct classes emerged, encompassing more than 445,000 individual cellphone numbers.
Had the case gone to trial, Anywhere could have faced potential liabilities of over $220 million.
A spokesperson for Anywhere expressed contentment with the tentative agreement but did not provide additional details at this time.
It’s worth noting that Anywhere isn’t the only one facing TCPA-related allegations; Keller Williams also dealt with similar legal challenges earlier this year.
As both parties move forward with this settlement, the implications for the industry and consumers remain significant.
The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges related to consumer privacy in an era of increasing digital communication.
Source: Housingwire