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County and Homebuilder Reach Settlement Over Copy Costs
Source of Title - Reprinted with Permission
11/6/2006
Joseph Dugan, a homebuilder in Mount Laurel, Pennsylvania recently had his
attorney, Donald Doherty, file a lawsuit against two New Jersey counties -
Burlington and Camden. Dugan was appalled at the cost that people were
paying in county offices to copy public documents. In an attempt to appease
Dugan and others, the counties agreed to a settlement that is requiring them
to offer photocopying rebates totaling $1.6 million to any taxpayer who
duplicated documents in the clerks' offices since 1996, according to an
article in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"I couldn't believe how much they were charging," Dugan said. "I looked
around at the people who did title searches and abstracts and I thought it
was appalling that they had to pay so much when Staples charges 10 cents. I
wanted to do something."
In addition to the rebates, the counties are agreed to reduce copy prices to
5 cents per page in January 2007. This fee must remain in place for five
years, according to the settlement. Prior to the new rates, Burlington
County charged 50 cents per page while Camden charged $1 per page. In
Gloucester County, which was named in another lawsuit, settlement has yet to
be reached. The county continues to charge a 50 cent-per-page fee.
"It's a victory for the little guy," said Doherty, Dugan's attorney. "Maybe
if more people stepped up to the plate and stuck up for their rights and
fought for things as a group, things might happen better in the world."
Dugan's suit accused the counties of charging exorbitant fees to a captive
audience.
"They were doing it because they could," Doherty added. "Citizens had no
place else to go. If you don't like the price at Staples, you can go
elsewhere. In the clerk's offices, there was no place else to turn."
Those wishing to regain lost funds must prove that they paid for copies in
the last decade and monies will be removed from a settlement fund based upon
the taxpayer's loss. Per the terms of the settlement, Camden must pay
$900,000 with Burlington accounting for the remaining $700,000.
If you believe your county has
over-charged you for copies, you can submit your complaint for free evaluation by
attorneys specializing in this type of case.
Click here for legal help and a free evaluation of your possible case
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