Result: $20.35 million settlement
Year: 2014

Lieff Cabraser represented borrowers in class action lawsuits charging that ING Direct breached its promise to allow them to refinance their mortgages for a flat fee. From October 2005 through April 2009, ING promoted a $500 or $750 flat-rate refinancing fee called “Rate Renew” as a benefit of choosing ING for mortgages over competitors.

Beginning in May 2009, however, ING began charging a higher fee of a full monthly mortgage payment for refinancing using “Rate Renew,” despite ING’s earlier and lower advertised price. As a result, the complaint alleged that many borrowers paid more to refinance their loans using “Rate Renew” than they should have, or were denied the opportunity to refinance their loan even though the borrowers met the terms and conditions of ING’s original “Rate Renew” offer.

In August 2012, the Court certified a class of consumers in ten states who purchased or retained an ING mortgage from October 2005 through April 2009. A second case on behalf of California consumers was filed in December 2012.

In October 2014, the Court approved a $20.35 million nationwide settlement of the litigation. The settlement provided an average payment of $175 to the nearly 100,000 class members, transmitted to their accounts automatically and without any need to file a claim form.