Haynes Properties, LLC, et al. v. Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association

If you grew burley tobacco in the 2015–2020 crop years in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, or Missouri, you could get money from a proposed settlement.

• The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association (“the Co-op”) is the subject of a lawsuit over duties owed to Co-op members and a claimed lack of any continuing purpose for the Co-op.
• A partial settlement has been reached that would result in dissolving the Co-op and paying between $2000 and $6000 each (estimated) to certain tobacco growers in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, or Missouri that are members of a settlement class certified by the Court.
• The settlement class is made up of those individuals or businesses that were a landowner, operator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper growing burley tobacco in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, or Missouri during at least one of the 2015–2020 crop years.
• To be confirmed as a member of the settlement class and potentially receive a payment — from a pool of Co-op assets that could be as large as $28 million — you must take certain actions detailed in the notice.
• If the settlement is approved by the Court, your legal rights will be affected whether you take action or do not take action. Read the notice carefully.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT Check settlement class membership here
Confirm Class Membership and Send in W-9 Tax Form	The only way to get money is to confirm settlement class membership and provide a W-9 form by January 29, 2021.
Determine Membership	Establish that you are a settlement class member (if you aren’t already identified as one). The deadline for your steps to determine membership is January 29, 2021.
Object	Write to the Court about why you don’t like the settlement.
Go to a Hearing	Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the settlement.
Do Nothing	Get no money and be bound by the terms of the settlement.

• These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained in the notice.
• The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to approve the settlement. Payments will be made if the Court approves the settlement, and after any appeals are resolved. Please be patient.