Equity Residential $22.7M California Tenant Late Fee Settlement
California tenants charged a 5% late fee (minimum $50) at Equity Residential properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022; or tenants with non-Equity leases at Woodland Park in East Palo Alto charged $50 late fees from December 1, 2011 to February 2016.
Members who paid late fees receive 87% of the difference between fees paid and actual collection costs; those charged but unpaid receive account credits (fee minus $22.51 for fees before May 1, 2022, or $31.98 thereafter). Total settlement: $43 million.
Official site: www.equitymunguia-brownlatefeesettlement.com
Pending final court approval: you can file a claim now, but payments begin only after the court grants final approval (and any appeals conclude). Final approval is not guaranteed.
Who may qualify
California tenants charged a 5% late fee (minimum $50) at Equity Residential properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022; or tenants with non-Equity leases at Woodland Park in East Palo Alto charged $50 late fees from December 1, 2011 to February 2016.
This summary is based on available official settlement sources. The settlement administrator determines eligibility and payment approval.
New to the terms? Plain-English: claim deadline, proof of purchase, administrator, pro rata.
Important dates
- Exclusion deadline
- April 16, 2026 (passed)
Proof requirements
Proof requirement is currently marked as No.
Review the official claim form before submitting any information.
How to file this claim
- Confirm you are a class member: you were charged a late fee at an Equity Residential California property between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022 (Standard Class), or you had a non-Equity Residential lease at the Woodland Park property in East Palo Alto and were charged a late fee between December 1, 2011 and February 2016 (Woodland Park Class).
- If your mailing address has changed since living at the property, update it with the settlement administrator at the settlement website login page so your check reaches you.
- Wait for the court to grant final approval at the fairness hearing, after which the administrator will mail refund checks or apply credits approximately 73 days later.
- If you wish to opt out (only available if you paid the late fees), mail a signed opt-out request to CPT Group Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623, postmarked by the opt-out deadline.
- If you wish to object to the settlement terms, you may do so while remaining in the class — consult the settlement website for the objection procedure.
Watch out for
- Tenants who received a late fee charge but did NOT pay it cannot opt out of the settlement — only those who paid are eligible to opt out.
- Co-tenants on the same lease share the award equally; you will not receive the full amount if others are listed on your lease.
- Tenants who previously opted out of the class in earlier phases of this litigation are excluded and will not receive any payment.
- If you paid late fees after April 30, 2024 but before moving out, your check will be mailed to your last known address — make sure it is current.
- Uncashed refund checks will eventually be sent to the California unclaimed property program, so cash any check you receive promptly.
We prepare — you file on the official site yourself. This is not legal advice and is not an eligibility decision; the administrator and court decide.
How do I file a claim for this settlement?
No claim form is needed — CPT Group, Inc. issues this refund automatically; confirm your eligibility and contact details on the official source.
- Check the official source to confirm you are within the eligible group — the settlement administrator determines eligibility.
- Make sure CPT Group, Inc. has your current mailing address or payment details if the official source provides a way to update them.
- No claim form is required for an automatic refund; you do not need to pay anyone or submit documents to receive it.
- Watch the payment status on this record and on the official source — payments begin only after the court or program process concludes.
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How we verified this record
- Payout details the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Eligibility the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Proof requirement the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Administrator the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Court case the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Payment status the official settlement website · Jun 19, 2026
- Claim deadline queued for re-check
- Official claim link queued for re-check
Every published record clears our source-verification bar; remaining fields are checked one by one on our weekly re-verification pass.
Checked fields are matched against a named official source and re-checked on a schedule. We show the authority and the date, never our internal evidence link.
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Eligibility summary
California tenants charged a 5% late fee (minimum $50) at Equity Residential properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022; or tenants with non-Equity leases at Woodland Park in East Palo Alto charged $50 late fees from December 1, 2011 to February 2016.
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
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Proof requirement
No
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
No claim form is required. The settlement administrator automatically distributes payments via check or account credit to those who qualify.
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Payment status
Final approval pending
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Final Approval Hearing: July 24, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (rescheduled from June 26, 2026).
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Estimated payout
Members who paid late fees receive 87% of the difference between fees paid and actual collection costs; those charged but unpaid receive account credits (fee minus $22.51 for fees before May 1, 2022, or $31.98 thereafter). Total settlement: $43 million.
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
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Administrator
CPT Group, Inc.
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Administrator: CPT Group, Inc.
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Court
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Show all 7 more verified fields
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Opt-out deadline
April 16, 2026
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Opt-Out Deadline: April 16, 2026 (postmarked). Mail signed opt-out request to: Munguia-Brown, et al. v. Equity Residential, et al., c/o CPT Group Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623.
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Automatic refund
Yes — automatic, no claim needed
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Default Action: Receive refunds via check and/or credits applied to tenant accounts or credit files.
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Class period start
September 3, 2010
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Standard Late Fee Class: Those charged 5% monthly rent fees (minimum $50) at Equity Residential California properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022.
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Class period end
October 28, 2022
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Standard Late Fee Class: Those charged 5% monthly rent fees (minimum $50) at Equity Residential California properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022.
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Court case number
4:16-cv-01225-JSW-TSH
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
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No-claim explanation
Settlement administrator uses defendant's records to identify class members and automatically distributes checks or account credits — no claim form needed.
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
No claim form is required. The settlement administrator automatically distributes payments via check or account credit to those who qualify.
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Case name
Munguia-Brown, et al. v. Equity Residential, et al.
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · against the official settlement website
Munguia-Brown, et al. v. Equity Residential, et al., c/o CPT Group Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623.
Common questions
Is the Equity Residential $22.7M California Tenant Late Fee settlement legitimate?
Yes — the Equity Residential $22.7M California Tenant Late Fee settlement is a real claims process that SettleSignal tracks from its official source. It is administered by CPT Group, Inc. under case 4:16-cv-01225-JSW-TSH in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. File only through the official settlement website (www.equitymunguia-brownlatefeesettlement.com); a genuine settlement administrator never charges a fee to file. SettleSignal last checked this record against the official source on June 19, 2026. Always confirm the current details on the official site before filing.
Who may qualify for this settlement?
California tenants charged a 5% late fee (minimum $50) at Equity Residential properties between September 3, 2010 and October 28, 2022; or tenants with non-Equity leases at Woodland Park in East Palo Alto charged $50 late fees from December 1, 2011 to February 2016.
Do I need proof to claim?
Proof requirement: No. The settlement administrator determines what documentation, if any, is required.
What is the current payment status?
Current payment status: Final approval pending. Payments are issued by the administrator after the court process concludes.
When will Equity Residential $22.7M California Tenant Late Fee Settlement pay out?
Current payment status: Final approval pending. Class-action payouts typically begin only after final approval and any appeals. See our payout timeline guide.
Where is the official Equity Residential $22.7M California Tenant Late Fee Settlement claim form?
No claim form is needed — Settlement administrator uses defendant's records to identify class members and automatically distributes checks or account credits — no claim form needed. Never pay a fee to claim a settlement payment.
Where to act
When you are ready, you open the official claim form yourself. SettleSignal does not file claims or determine eligibility.
Settlement administrator uses defendant's records to identify class members and automatically distributes checks or account credits — no claim form needed.
Listed on the official settlement website (CPT Group).
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Disclaimer
This service summarizes publicly available settlement information and links to official settlement sources. We are not a law firm, do not provide legal advice, do not submit claims on your behalf, and do not determine eligibility or payout approval. Only file a claim if the information you provide is accurate.
Change log
- June 19, 2026 — Settlement published after verification.
- June 19, 2026 — Verified field details updated from an official source.