L.A. Fitness Membership Cancellation Class Action Settlement Gets Final OK

L.A. Fitness Membership Cancellation Class Action Settlement Gets Final OK

By Dominic Rivera

Senior U.S. District Judge William Walls  has given his final approval to a $3.8 million class action settlement for L.A. Fitness gym class members in New Jersey who claimed that they were overcharged when they cancelled memberships.

The L.A. Fitness class action lawsuit was filed by Sophia Martina in March 2012 in New Jersey, alleging that she was charged an extra month after informing the gym that she would like to end her membership. The plaintiff said in her complaint that she initially paid $288 to cover her first and last month’s membership dues in February 2008. The class action lawsuit alleges that L.A. Fitness violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act and other laws on behalf of those who were overcharged when they cancelled their memberships.

Despite postmarking her notice of membership cancellation 30 days in advance and in compliance of the membership agreement, she claimed that the club charged her credit card about $40 for a wait time because the gym did not get her letter until about a month later.

L.A. Fitness agreed to pay cash credits, refunds and free membership passes to up to 46,000 class members. They will also pay for attorney’s fees and more than $11,000 to resolve Martina’s credit card charges.

The class action settlement called for members of the Membership Agreement Class to receive 45-day access coupons and possible reimbursement for one-third of a month’s dues. The Fitness Service Class also received either two free 25-minute personal training sessions or a $100 credit toward a new monthly membership. The judge also awarded Martina $3,000 incentive award.

The judge, however, expressed his disappointment that only a handful have claimed cash and coupons worth $68,000. With counsel getting $200,000 in fees and costs, the judge noted that this presents a negative scenario where the fee awarded to counsel far exceeds the value of the relief.

“But that blame must ultimately lie with the duly notified class members. Counsel’s labors have been fruitful and their request is modest, so it is granted,” the judge said.

The deadline to request benefits from the Martina v. L.A. Fitness class action lawsuit settlement was September 17, 2013. [See our claim filing instructions here.]

We have also reported a similar L.A. Fitness membership contract class action settlement from Florida in May 2013.

The case is Martina v. LA Fitness International LLC, Case No, 12-cv-02063, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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