Some Oakland landlords to receive recycling fee refunds following settlement
OAKLAND – A large group of multi-family rental property owners in Oakland are eligible for a refund of recycling charges from California Waste Solutions due to a legal settlement with the city.
As part of the agreement, CWS will refund a total of about $6 million in charges from the 2010s and will also reduce the current collection rate from $187.57 to $34.22 a month, according to the City Attorney's Office.
The settlement and reduced rates are for owners of 1,340 multi-family rental properties who paid for the "premium backyard service" of bringing recycling carts to the curbside for collection.
"Securing these refunds and the rate reduction is a win for small business owners and landlords of multi-family housing units in Oakland," said Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. "Many of these property owners operate on a tight margin; this settlement will enable them to reduce costs and, more importantly, recoup unfair charges they were previously required to pay."
The impacted property owners will receive a notice by mail with a code unique to them that they will then use to fill out a claims form at www.CWSSettlement.com or they can mail in a claims form.
People can also call (833) 493-1547 for more information or to request a claim form if they think they should be included in the settlement but haven't received a notice.