Someone filed a class-action lawsuit against an apartment complex in which I lived for a year (the Lakeside Apartments, now called Avalon at Media Center, in Burbank, California). Surprisingly, they managed to track me down over three years after I'd moved out to send me a claim form. Now, about nine months later, I got a settlement check. It doesn't come close to covering the difference between the rent amount they were charging and the rent amount they should have been charging, but it's always nice to get a little extra cash.

Original comments...

Jeremy: Thanks for reminding me... I need to send in my claim form!

Anonymous: What were the grounds for the suit? Was it supposed to be rent-controlled in some way?

Jim: No, there's no rent control in the city of Burbank. The suit was filed on the premise that they were charging way too much for rent, based on excessive noise affecting tenants' rights to quiet enjoyment, not to mention termites and other things. Jeremy can vouch for the fact that I definitely had excessive noise affecting my quiet enjoyment, much of it coming through the thin walls from my next-door neighbor's mouth and from the radio he kept in the bathroom.