Mass. Navient Solutions Debt Collection Calls Class Action Settlement

Update 2: On Nov. 2, 2020, Top Class Actions viewers started receiving checks in the mail worth up to $100.13. Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got PAID! 

UPDATE: The Mass. Navient Solutions Debt Collection Calls Settlement was granted final approval on Aug. 24, 2020. Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or over on our Facebook page.

Student loan servicer Navient Solutions Inc. has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle claims that the company violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and Massachusetts Debt Collection Regulations by calling customers more than twice in one week in an attempt to collect debts.

Class Members include Massachusetts customers who are associated with Navient Solution’s records and who received more than two calls or texts within a seven-day period to a cell phone, home phone, or other phone number between March 7, 2013 and Feb. 6, 2020. 

The Navient Solutions debt collection phone calls class action lawsuit was filed in 2017 by a customer who said that he received more than two debt collection calls in one week from Navient. The customer claimed that these calls violated his privacy and Massachusetts debt collection law.

Additionally, he claimed that the company violated the law not just in calling him, but in calling many other customers in a similar manner.

Navient has agreed to settle these claims. The company does not admit any wrongdoing, but agreed to reach a settlement in order to avoid the costs and risks of continuing to litigate. The settlement was reached after extensive good faith and arm’s length negotiations, and after mediation before Judge Stephen Neal.

In the eyes of both Navient Solutions and the customers, the settlement provides substantial benefits to Class Members. They state that the settlement is fair and reasonable. 

The settlement website explains that each Class Member will be eligible to receive a pro rata, or proportional amount of the settlement. Class Representatives will receive up to $15,000. If the settlement receives final approval, Class Members who submit valid claims will be sent a check that will be valid for 120 calendar days. 

If there are any uncashed checks, the funds from these will be distributed among Class Members who submitted claims. If the second distribution of checks would yield checks each worth less than $5, then those funds will be donated to the Massachusetts Bar Student Loan Bankruptcy Assistance Project. The terms of the settlement stress that under no circumstances will any part of the settlement fund revert back to Navient.

To receive benefits from the settlement, Class Members must submit a valid claim through the settlement website by June 26, 2020. Class Members must provide a Claimant ID or a phone number matching one of the numbers called by Navient Solutions to submit a valid claim.

Class Members who do choose to accept benefits from the settlement should be aware that inso doing, they give up their rights to pursue independent litigation against the company over the Massachusetts debt collection issue.

If a Class Members does wish to retain their rights to file independent litigation, they must exclude themselves from the class. If they choose to do this, they will not be eligible for benefits. The deadline for exclusion is not listed, but the deadline to object to the settlement is June 26, 2020.

Class Members are invited to attend a fairness hearing for the Navient settlement, set for Aug. 19, 2020. Class Members are not required to attend this hearing to benefit from the settlement.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members include Massachusetts customers who are associated with Navient Solution’s records and who received more than two calls or texts within a seven-day period to a cell phone, home phone, or other phone number between March 7, 2013 and Feb. 6, 2020. 

Potential Award

The settlement website explains that each Class Members will be eligible to receive a pro rata, or proportional amount of the settlement in the form of settlement checks.

If there are any checks left uncashed after 120 days, the funds from these will be distributed among Class Members who submitted benefits claims. If the second distribution of checks would yield checks each worth less than $5, then those funds will be donated to the Massachusetts Bar Student Loan Bankruptcy Assistance Project.

Proof of Purchase

Class Members must provide a Claimant ID or a phone number matching one of the numbers called by Navient Solutions to submit a valid claim.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

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

6/26/2020

Case Name

Andrew Horton v. Navient Solutions Inc., Case No. 1773CV002, in the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the County of Bristol

Final Hearing

8/19/2020

Settlement Website

HortonClassAction.com

Claims Administrator

Horton Settlement Administrator
c/o Ruse Consulting Inc. – 6885
PO Box 44
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0044
877-294-7047

Class Counsel

Sergei Lemberg
Stephen Taylor
LEMBERG LAW LLC

Defense Counsel

Lisa M. Simonetti
GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP

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