Received a legal letter today saying I was part of a class action lawsuit against BP. Just wondered if anyone else got the same letter… The letter says there was a settlement agreed to between the plaintiff and defendant on September 5th for 147 million… Again if you received the letter what is your take on it… Thanks!
Mike, we also received the letter today. My take on it (opinion) follows.
There is one interesting sentence in Part II, second paragraph - “Defendent has also agreed to maintain these procedures and policies with respect to production on Class Wells for at least the next 7 years, …”. It seems these corporations reach these settlements to avoid having case law established if they were to lose the case in a judgement. By paying a pittance of 147 million, they can continue the “hand in the cookie jar” practices on all their many thousands of wells not in the Class Action case, and even with these Class Wells they can resume after the 7 years, as they wish. It is more profitable for them to make this payoff rather than abide by the leases they hold and the regulations and laws they have violated. I could say more about the concerted efforts of their lobbyists to prohibit all class action lawsuits, but I refrain.
I have never opted-out, and the payoffs have ranged from pennies to over a thousand dollars, but none of it is more than a fraction of what they have taken. There was a word we once used for taking something that does not belong to you! Again, just my opinion.
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Thanks for the response. All this is new to me. Am learning a lot on this site.
Received the same letter in today’s mail for some interests owned in Latimer county, OK. I haven’t read it completely yet, but after reading this thread think I’ll take a gander at it and see what’s up THIS time.
This is the same letter isn’t it…John Cecil vs BP America?
Yes it is… 147 million… 
Hmmm, page 4 1st full paragraph translated: “Plaintiff’s lawyers get enough money to buy a new airplane, and after deducting expenses from the balance, you will get enough to buy dinner at McDonalds.”
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Has anyone ever “opt” out? I’m thinking about doing so and was wondering how it would affect me down the line? Any suggestions?
Mike and all others, I just now checked on the Cecil-BP settlement site to see what the proposed settlement per owner number is likely to be. The link to the document with the numbers is http://www.cecil-bp.com/admin/services/connectedapps.cms.extensions/1.0.0.0/asset?id=b8ee4521-8f8c-4957-99ff-64eecb434145&languageId=1033&inline=true
Since it is a few hundred pages long, you can hit Control F and enter your BP owner number in the search box. Search to take you to your $ amount. Hope all of you who didn’t opt out are happy (I am!).
Interesting… My number isn’t in it… Bummer
Mike, but you did get the notice. I’ve looked at several of these Class Action Settlements and this one is very, very poorly carried out. I got the notice but my wife (separate ownership interest) did not. She just today sent a certified letter to the Settlement Administrator making formal complaint. Two of her relatives did not receive notification and one of them has 20 wells on the list and the other has about that many. Several other relatives we are not sure about because they are on extended trips.
Do me a favor and look on this link for the well name or names for which you receive royalties or in the past have been paid by BP. http://www.cecil-bp.com/admin/services/connectedapps.cms.extensions/1.0.0.0/asset?id=1226ea64-961e-4d66-bd20-81f456039128&languageId=1033&inline=true
The Class Well List begins on page 97 and is organized alphabetically by County and name of well. The list is organized by BP operated and then beginning on page 131 are the non operated wells in which BP has a working interest. There is no way to know the name of the operating companies on this group.
There must be a well name that you recognize or they really are messed up to have sent you the Notice. The deadline for written objections is Oct. 26, 2018. Tomorrow, my wife will send and objection as provided for in IV.C (on page 6) of the Notice of Proposed Settlement you received. The objection will be that she was not notified under the heading of “Initial Plan of Allocation”. I believe the letter will make it to Muskogee by Friday.
Let us know if you can locate your well name.
A whole 1,800 for my owner number. Is that before or after attorney fees though is what I’m thinking.
Wesley I did get the letter. I checked the link you sent and my well name IS on the list… Odd…
Rick, I think that is the amount for you. On the document with the owner numbers, near the bottom of page 2 there is the item 3. Allocation Methodology. This section indicates a 46%-54% split and the allocation for royalty owners is assigned to their number in Exhibit 1. Are you glad you didn’t opt out?