Brice, et.al. v. Stinson, et. al.

Civil Action No. 3:19-cv-1481

Brice, et.al. v. Haynes Investments, LLC, et. al.

Civil Action No. 3:18-cv-1200

www.ThinkFinanceOwnerClassAction.com

On August 16, 2022, the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia granted final approval of the settlement including the Brice, et al. v. Stinson, et al. matter. For more information concerning this settlement, please visit www.ThinkFinanceSettlement.com.
 
The trial in the Brice, et al. v. Haynes Investments, LLC, et al. case was stayed by the Ninth Circuit on August 19, 2021. Please continue to check this website for updates on this matter.

NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

Why did I get a Notice?

The Court instructed that you be sent this Notice because you have a right to know that the Court has certified a class in two lawsuits that may affect you. You have legal rights and options that you may exercise before the Court conducts a trial. The purpose of the trial is to decide whether Defendants Michael Stinson, Linda Stinson, 7HBF No. 2, Ltd., Startup Capital Ventures, L.P., Stephen J. Shaper, Haynes Investments, and/or L. Steven Haynes (“Defendants”) are liable to you under certain claims relating to loans made to you by Great Plains Lending, LLC (“Great Plains Lending”) and/or Plain Green, LLC (“Plain Green”). The named Plaintiffs in this Action are bringing these claims on Class members’ behalf with the assistance of Class Counsel.

The Court has defined the Class as follows:

All individuals who resided in California at the time he or she: (i) obtained a loan(s) from Great Plains Lending, or (ii) obtained a loan(s) from Plain Green prior to June 1, 2016.

Certain records indicate that you resided in California at the time you obtained a loan from Great Plains Lending or Plain Green.

What is the case about?

Plaintiffs Kimetra Brice, Jill Novorot, and Earl Browne (“Plaintiffs”) have brought this lawsuit because they allege that Defendants were the founders, funders, and/or owners of Think Finance, LLC, which was a company that had several contractual relationships with Great Plains Lending and Plain Green. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants’ actions violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) and California’s usury and other laws because your Great Plains Lending and Plain Green loans carried unlawful interest rates. Defendants assert that the loans are lawful and deny that they did anything wrong or that their conduct violated RICO or California’s laws.

Is there any money available now?

No. There is no money available now because the Court has not yet conducted a trial and the two sides have not settled this case. If there is a money award or settlement, you will be notified at that time.

How do I exclude myself from the Class?

If you do not want to remain in this Class, you must request to be excluded. To be excluded, you must send an “Exclusion Request” in the form of a letter sent by first class mail, stating that you want to be excluded from “Brice v. Stinson” and “Brice v. Haynes.” You must include your name, address, and signature on the letter. Your Exclusion Request must be postmarked on or before August 9, 2021, and mailed to Brice v. Stinson, c/o Notice Administrator, PO Box 16, West Point, PA 19486. You may also get an Exclusion Request Form by clicking here.

What happens if I do nothing at all?

You do not have to do anything at this time. By doing nothing, you will remain a Class Member, to the extent you are one. If you stay in the Class and it wins at trial, you will be notified how you may be able to obtain a share of the damages collected. However, if you do not exclude yourself from the Class, you will also be legally bound by all of the Orders the Court issues and judgments the Court makes in this class action.

Do I have a lawyer in the case and should I get my own lawyer?

If you remain in the class, you do not need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel will work on your behalf and other members of the class. However, if you want your own lawyer, you will have to “exclude” yourself from the Class and retain your own lawyer.

Anna C. Haac
Mark A. Clifford
TYCKO & ZAVAREEI LLP
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
www.tzlegal.com
Kristi C. Kelly
Andrew Guzzo
KELLY GUZZO, PLC
3925 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 202
Fairfax, VA 22030
www.kellyguzzo.com
Leonard A. Bennett
Craig C. Marchiando
Amy Leigh Austin
CONSUMER LITIGATION ASSOCIATES, P.C.
763 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Ste. 1-A
Newport News, VA 23601
www.clalegal.com
 

How and when will the damages be determined?

A trial is currently scheduled to begin on August 30, 2021, at 8:30 a.m., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102. It is possible that trial could be continued, or the case resolved or settled before trial.

How do I get further assistance or information?

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the lawyers representing you and the other Class Members using the following:

By Phone: (855) 617-0130
By E-Mail: classcounsel@thinkfinanceownerclassaction.com
www.ThinkFinanceOwnerClassAction.com • 1 (855) 617-0130 • Questions@ThinkFinanceOwnerClassAction.com