Frequently Asked Questions

No, you are not being sued.

On December 27, 2021, Plaintiff filed the original class action Complaint under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (“Consumer Fraud Act” or “CFA”) (815 ILCS § 505/2) and the Illinois Condominium Property Act (“Condo Act”) (765 ILCS 605/1 et seq.). In sum, Plaintiff alleges that when selling their condominium units, Plaintiff and similarly situated condo sellers had no viable alternative to paying unfair, unreasonable and excessive fees to Defendant Advantage Management, Inc. to obtain condominium association documents that a prospective purchaser must receive pursuant to section 22.1 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act (“Section 22.1”).

Defendant denies all allegations of wrongdoing and disclaims all liability of any kind whatsoever that Plaintiff or Settlement Class Members have asserted in the Action.

You are a member of the Settlement Class if you paid a fee to Defendant Advantage Management Inc. to obtain condominium association documents required for the sale of a condo during the period from December 27, 2018, through December 29, 2025. You will be considered a member of the Settlement Class unless you timely file an exclusion request.

To resolve this matter without the expense, delay, and uncertainties of litigation, the Parties have reached a Settlement, which resolves all claims against Defendant. The Settlement requires Defendant to pay money to the Settlement Class, as well as pay settlement administration expenses, attorneys’ fees and costs to Class Counsel, and an incentive award to the Class Representative, if such payments are approved by the Court.

The Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Defendant and does not imply that there has been, or would be, any finding that Defendant violated the law.

The Court has already preliminarily approved the Settlement. Nevertheless, because the settlement of a class action determines the rights of all members of the class, the Court overseeing this lawsuit must give final approval to the Settlement before it can be effective. The Court has certified the Settlement Class for settlement purposes only, so that members of the Settlement Class can be given notice and the opportunity to exclude themselves from the Settlement Class, or to voice their support or opposition to final approval of the Settlement. If the Court does not give final approval to the Settlement, or if it is terminated by the Parties, the Settlement will be void, and the lawsuit will proceed as if there had been no settlement and no certification of the Settlement Class.

The class action settlement provides for a total payment of $375,000.00 that Defendant has agreed to pay to settle the claims of Settlement Class Members. Subject to Court approval, the gross settlement fund shall be reduced by the following: (1) an award of up to $150,000.00 for Settlement Class Counsel’s attorney fees and costs not to exceed $6,000.00; (2) an Incentive Award of $5,000.00 to the Settlement Class Representative; and (3) the Settlement Administrator’s costs of approximately $17,500.00. Settlement Class Members who do not exclude themselves are eligible to receive a settlement payment from the net settlement fund of approximately $75.00.

The Settlement Administrator will issue a check to each Class Member following the final approval of the Settlement. All checks issued to Settlement Class Members will expire and become void 150 days after they are issued.

If you want to receive a settlement payment, you must complete and submit online, or postmark and mail, a Claim Form by March 12, 2026.  You may return your Claim Form via U.S. mail to the address in the “Contact Us” section, or electronically via this website. If you are a Class Member and you timely return a completed and valid claim form, and if the Court grants final approval of the settlement, you will be mailed a check at the address on your claim form.  If required by law, you may also be sent a 1099 tax reporting form.

If for any reason your mailing address changes, please inform the Settlement Administrator by email or mail.

The Court has approved the following attorneys to represent the Settlement Class. They are called “Class Counsel.” You will not be charged for these lawyers. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer instead, you may hire one at your own expense.

Thomas M. Ryan
Law Office of Thomas M. Ryan, P.C.
35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60601
312.726.3400
tom@tomryanlaw.com

James X. Bormes
Catherine P. Sons
8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 2600
Chicago, IL 60603
312.201.0575

You may exclude yourself from the Settlement. If you do so, you will not receive any payment. You will not be part of the class and will not release any claims you may have against Defendant and the Released Parties (as that term is defined in the Settlement Agreement) and you will be free to pursue whatever legal rights you may have at your own risk and expense. To exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must mail or email your written request for exclusion to the Settlement Administrator with your name, address, and telephone number; the name and number of this case; a statement that you wish to be excluded from the Settlement Class; and your signature, postmarked by March 12, 2026.  If your request for exclusion is not postmarked by this date, or does not contain any of this required information, your request for exclusion will be denied.

You may object to the settlement and, as discussed below, any such objection must be made and filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, no later than March 12, 2026. If you want to object to the settlement, you must also mail or email a written objection to the Class Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel (contact information below). Any objection to the proposed Settlement must include: (i) your full name and current address; (ii) a statement that you believe you are a member of the Settlement Class; (iii) the specific grounds for the objection, including any supporting documents or writings that you desire the Court to consider; (iv) the name and contact information of any and all attorneys representing, advising, or in any way assisting you in connection with the preparation or submission of the objection or who may profit from the pursuit of the objection; (v) a statement indicating whether you intend to appear at the Final Approval Hearing (either personally or through counsel); and (vi) your signature.

If you hire an attorney in connection with making an objection, you must provide the name, address, and telephone number of your attorney, and that attorney must also file with the Court a notice of appearance or seek pro hac vice admission by the objection deadline of March 12, 2026. If you do hire your own attorney, you will be solely responsible for payment of any fees and expenses the attorney incurs on your behalf. If you exclude yourself from the Settlement, you cannot file an objection. Class Members who do not timely make their objections in this manner will be deemed to have waived all objections and will not be heard or have the right to appeal approval of the Settlement.

The Court has already given preliminary approval to the Settlement. A final hearing on the Settlement, called a Final Approval Hearing, will be held to, among other things, determine the fairness of the Settlement. At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will also consider whether to make final the certification of the Class for settlement purposes, hear any proper objections and arguments to the Settlement, as well as any requests for an award of attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and Class Representative’s incentive award that may be sought by Class Counsel.

The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on April 8, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.  The Final Approval Hearing will be held via Zoom videoconference (Meeting ID: 946 7646 3310; Meeting Password: 145041) and in Courtroom 2502 of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois at 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, Illinois 60602. The Final Hearing may be continued to a future date without further notice. Any updates to the date, time, or location of the Final Approval Hearing will be posted on this website.

If the Settlement is given final approval, the Court will not make any determination as to the merits of the claims against Defendant or its defenses to those claims. Instead, the Settlement’s terms will take effect and the lawsuit will be dismissed on the merits with prejudice. This means that Class Members who do not exclude themselves will be barred from bringing their own lawsuits or joining or participating as a class member in any other lawsuit for recovery against Defendant based on, related to, or derivative of the allegations made in this case. Both sides have agreed to the Settlement to achieve an early and certain resolution to the lawsuit, in a manner that provides specific and valuable benefits to the members of the Settlement Class.

If the Court does not approve the Settlement, if it approves the Settlement and the approval is reversed on appeal, or if the Settlement does not become final for some other reason, you will not be paid and Class Members will receive no benefits from the Settlement. Plaintiff, Defendant, and all of the Class Members will be in the same position as they were prior to the execution of the Settlement, and the Settlement will have no legal effect, no class will remain certified (conditionally or otherwise), and the Plaintiff and Defendant will continue to litigate the lawsuit. If the Settlement is not approved, there can be no assurance that the Settlement Class will recover more than is provided in the Settlement, or indeed, anything at all.

You may email the Settlement Administrator at AdvManagement@noticeadministrator.com, or call at 855-927-6997.