"So I get a piece of paper telling me something I already knew, and the attorneys who claim to represent my interests expect nearly $32 million? WTF? Please, your honor, don't approve this settlement."
That's what Alabama VW owner Ted Major wrote on his blog (hat tip to Overlawyered) about a tentative settlement of the claim that the cars' sunroofs leak if their drains aren't kept clean.
Major explained that under the proposed settlement, Volkswagen of America will send owners of affected cars a page to add to their owner's manuals that advises them to check their sunroof drains every 40,000 miles.
"That's it, no reimbursement, no inspection, no free drain cleaning, nothing," he complains.
He continues:
Other class members will be eligible to be reimbursed for repairs, but the total amount of the repair fund is $8 million. The plaintiff's attorneys have, however, valued the "total monetary and non-monetary benefit" to class members at $125 million (the collective value of a reminder to check your sunroof drains is $117 million?) and are asking for a fee of $30 million plus $1.5 million in expenses.
You can read the blog entry here, and review the settlement terms here (PDF).