Settlement In Tinley Park Water Lawsuit Approved By Trustees 

TINLEY PARK, IL — Village trustees in Tinley Park this week unanimously approved a resolution to reach a settlement in a class-action lawsuit that argued the village overcharged residents on their water bills through faulty meters. The village has agreed to pay up to $425,000 directly to Tinley Park water customers and $700,000 total including legal fees.

Each member of the class-action could receive up to $20 depending on the number of water bills they received that were for more than 35,000 gallons of water usage, the village outlined in the agenda packet for a special meeting held Tuesday to discuss and vote on the settlement resolution.

Omar Jaber, a Tinley Park resident, filed the lawsuit in 2015 on claims that the village violated the state's consumer fraud and deceptive business practice act and breached an implied contract with residents by using the meters unjustly and enriched itself, according to a Daily Southtown report. The Southtown in 2015 showed that officials knew the new Severn Trent smart meters being used were prone to "spinning" and would consistently under-refund residents who were overcharged.

The village will also pay for any reasonable attorney fees as a result of the settlement, Trustee William Brady said during the special meeting. $150,000 of what the village needs to payout will come from their "risk pool" fund that was in place before the lawsuit was filed.