Florida Power & Light debt-collection emails $500K class action settlement

Florida Power & Light Co. agreed to a $500,000 class action settlement with lead plaintiff Desiree Brown to resolve claims it violated the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, or FCCPA, with excessive emails.

The settlement benefits Floridians who received debt-collection emails from Florida Power & Light Company between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. EST Oct. 16, 2019, through Oct. 15, 2021.

Florida Power & Light is an electronic utility company that provides energy to over 12 million people across the state. The company prides itself on providing “clean, affordable, reliable electricity” to Floridians.

Although the company has won several customer satisfaction awards in recent years, consumers say the company violates customer rights through debt-collection emails.

According to Brown, Florida Power & Light allegedly sends harassing debt-collection emails to consumers outside of allowed hours. According to the plaintiff in the class action lawsuit against the company, these emails violate the FCCPA.

The FCCPA is Florida’s answer to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Under FCCPA, several collections practices are prohibited — including sending any debt-collection communications to customers between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. local time.

Despite these regulations, the company allegedly sent the plaintiff multiple emails about her delinquent account before 8 a.m. local time. These emails caused inconvenience and annoyance, the plaintiff maintains.

“Plaintiff’s phone chimes each time she receives an electronic mail communication because of her need to quickly monitor her communications for family and personal purposes,” the FCCPA class action lawsuit explains. 

“As a result of Defendant’s violative conduct, Plaintiff’s phone chimes at unusual hours of the morning and night.”

Florida Power & Light hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve the class action lawsuit against it with a $500,000 settlement.

Under the terms of the settlement, Class Members can receive a proportional share of the settlement fund. 

Payment amounts will vary depending on the number of claims filed with the settlement, though Class lawyers estimate payments will be between $1 and $5. Payments may be higher or lower depending on the number of Class Members who participate in the settlement.

Although the settlement provides cash payments, the terms of the deal do not wipe away any debt owed to Florida Power & Light. Participating in the Brown FCCPA settlement doesn’t mean Class Members are not obligated to pay their debts to the company.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is June 20, 2022. 

The settlement final approval hearing is scheduled for July 22, 2022.

In order to receive a payment from the Brown FCCPA settlement, Class Members must submit a valid claim form by June 20, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits Flordians who received debt collection emails from Florida Power & Light Company between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. EST Oct. 16, 2019, through Oct. 15, 2021.

Potential Award

Varies 

Proof of Purchase

Proof of purchase not applicable

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

06/20/2022

Case Name

Desiree Brown v Florida Power & Light Company Settlement, Case No.: 50-2021-CA-011651-XXXX-MB, in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit,
in and for Palm Beach County, Florida

Final Hearing

07/22/2022

Settlement Website

BrownFCCPASettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Brown v Florida Power & Light Company
c/o Rust Consulting, Inc. – 7587
PO Box 2635
Faribault, MN 55021-9635
833-539-2845

Class Counsel

James L Davidson Esq
Greenwald Davidson Radbil PLLC

Defense Counsel

Joseph Ianno Jr
MANAGING ATTORNEY FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY