More Lies from MidAtlantic F/A Law Suit Committee

[exMAfa]

This is a message that was sent to the plaintiffs...

Hello all,
Just to let you all know, we know people are wondering what is
happening with the lawsuit, but there really isn't much to report,
unfortunately, as we are still in the discovery period. Since Mr.
Haber was in court May 8th for our case to make some amendments,
(add/remove people) nothing else has happened. He has promised us a
memo soon just to communicate with our group regarding our status, but
for now we are sitting tight, and we all need to hang in there---there
is a lot of "hurry up and wait" with litigation--so this quiet period
is not unusual. A great piece of news is that we have reached our
retainer fee milestone of $25,000, and we are in good shape.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact any of your committee members. We are more than happy to
answer any questions you may have.

Thank you

Seems liek they are not saying a few things and tellling a few fibs.

1st, the attorney did not "add/remove" people on May 8th. He was ordered to court to explain why the judge is getting letters from people that were included in the law suit that did not want to be. The adding and removing of people still has not been done. He did not "make some amendments". He was ordered by the judge to make amendments which he still has not doen after 2 months.

2nd, At the beginning of this year, supposedly our committee leader had 17,000 $ of our money in her control. Now, it's July and we have only now reached 25K???? I havent doen the math but that doesn't sound like very much if there are 130 ppl sending in 45$ a month.
If every one is paying regulerly it seems that we should have a lot more money. 45$ x 130 ppl would be close to 6,000$ a month coming in, right? So either a lot of ppl arent' paying or something else is happening to our money.

3rd, as was pointed out in another thread on this forum the company and AFA have not been formaly brought into the law suit as they were not served yet with the law suit. The discovery period referrd to could not have started because that does not happen until everyone has been brought into teh law suit.

Oh and I love teh part about dont hesitate to contact commmittee memberes. Ppl do that and post on the yahoo chat room for updates and nothnig happens and get to answeres.

Can we have the truth here, please, Committee!

 

[DCAflyer]

Well, I just did the math...

130 x $45.00/month comes to $5,850/month income

$5,850 x 6 months (Jan-June) comes to $35,100.

$35,100 plus the roughly $17,000 the had at the beginning of the year comes to around $42,000.


So you are right. Either lots of people aren't paying or something is going on with those funds!

Or, could it be that we never had 130 participating plaintiffs in the first place?

Also you are absolutely correct that the discovery period does not start until after all defendants are served with the lawsuit.

 

[Dorf]

Well, I just did the math...

130 x $45.00/month comes to $5,850/month income

$5,850 x 6 months (Jan-June) comes to $35,100.

$35,100 plus the roughly $17,000 the had at the beginning of the year comes to around $42,000.
So you are right. Either lots of people aren't paying or something is going on with those funds!

Of course, at $400.00/hr. it only takes him 42.5 hrs of "work" to cost the fund $17,000.00., leaving you with a $25,000.00 balance at this point. I'm sure he hasn't worked for free up to this point. So, if he has done anything at all with writing letters, "talking" to your committee, preparing and filing the paperwork with the courts, I can see where he could have "worked" at least 42.5 hours.

Just a thought.

 

[PITbull]

Beauty,

While active on mainline through both concession #1 and #2 contract, did you have an opportunity to vote?

I see you started yet another thread on the same topic...
"the law suit". You bring up that AFA has not been served the "complaint".

What is the "complaint" and why do folks like yourself think you have been "wronged" by AFA or the company? I thought you said you served your "obligated time" on MAA and then left.

I have posted 3 posts since your last repsonse to the other thread you started on the same topic, I still don't understand the "complaint".

What are the "merits" of the case? Do you know?

What has been told to the MAA f/as regarding the "merits" of the case?

Does anyone know?

 

[Dorf]

Beauty,
I see you started yet another thread on the same topic...

Pitbull,

Did you mean to post this here? It appears that exMAfa started this thread and Beauty hasn't even posted here.

 

[PITbull]

Yes. I stand corrected. Should have posted this on the OTHER thread.

Why would the starter of the thread start another thread on the same topic?

Is it because they just don't want me to post on it? Try and confuse me?

If exMAA does not want me to post on this topic, just say so, and I won't post on the subject.

 

[PITbull]

Your Committee states that the only news is that they have met the "retainer" fee of $25,000. What discovery period could they still be in???? What do they hope to discover at this point?

Just how many folks are included in this? If the attorney uses $400/hr, how long will it take him to go through this money, and much more if it drags on?

Remember, he does not have to prove anything. His fees are in hours and quarter hours...which means he charges for e-mail correspondence, letters, etc...unless they are hired on "contingency" of winning the suit.

I know that attorneys charge for everything they do, whether it be making or answering any calls from the Committee, as well as answering e-mails or US postal mail etc...

I read a brief that was submitted by the attorney. And AFA received it as well. All of you who are participants should have read this same brief from your attorney. (You know, the one that said in the complaint that the plantiffs are seeking $1 billion in damages and want trial by jury)

Yea, that one. Still, I read no merits to the case to argue or justify any damages.

 

[PITbull]

Any one out there????

 

[cheezlinewages]

PitBull,

Have you noticed that any time someone asks the lawsuit group serious questions, they attack Republic or attack you.

Let's see if any of the following questions get answers.

What was you attorney doing in court on April 27?

When does he plan to comply with the judges order?

How many people will be removed from the complaint?

Why did it take a court order to get the complaint ammended? (oh, that's right, even with a court order the complaint has not been ammended)

We do not want to debate the past. We want answers to the here and now. Today the lawsuit group told BIG FAT LIES to their membership. Why?

 

[exMAfa]

Well, I just did the math...

130 x $45.00/month comes to $5,850/month income

$5,850 x 6 months (Jan-June) comes to $35,100.

$35,100 plus the roughly $17,000 the had at the beginning of the year comes to around $42,000.
So you are right. Either lots of people aren't paying or something is going on with those funds!

Or, could it be that we never had 130 participating plaintiffs in the first place?

Also you are absolutely correct that the discovery period does not start until after all defendants are served with the lawsuit.

I think you have a typo, DCAFlyer. $35,000 plus $17000 is $52,000. Either that or you are as bad at math as me, LOL. But they've collected only about half of what they should have.

Yes. I stand corrected. Should have posted this on the OTHER thread.

Why would the starter of the thread start another thread on the same topic?

Is it because they just don't want me to post on it? Try and confuse me?

If exMAA does not want me to post on this topic, just say so, and I won't post on the subject.

pitbull,

the other thread was highjacked off topic and this deservs a thread of its own

PitBull,

Have you noticed that any time someone asks the lawsuit group serious questions, they attack Republic or attack you.

Let's see if any of the following questions get answers.

What was you attorney doing in court on April 27?

When does he plan to comply with the judges order?

How many people will be removed from the complaint?

Why did it take a court order to get the complaint ammended? (oh, that's right, even with a court order the complaint has not been ammended)

We do not want to debate the past. We want answers to the here and now. Today the lawsuit group told BIG FAT LIES to their membership. Why?

Cheeze,

If we get any answers at all I think it will be more lies. That seems to be all our committee is capeable of. Nothing is ever our leaders fault. Did you notice that. It's either people who leave the committee who are trying to sabatage the law suit or the people who started the law suit who she sais didn't turn over records and addreses of participants, but never her. I wish I was as perfect as she thinks she is.

 

[PITbull]

This committee should be able to furnish to all those who are or want to be involved in the complaint, the names and phone numbers and addresses of all the participants. You should request this information asap. There should be a historian who is taking down the minutes to any meetings conducted by this steering committee. There should be a monthly accounting of all money recieved by this committee/attorney, and an accounting of how the money is being spent on what activities, and what is being charged for what services when... this information should be furnished to all the participants on a monthly basis. If the committee is unreliable, this information should e sought from the attorney himself. Threaten to sue him and report him if he does not furnish you an accounting of the charges.

If any participant does not receive this information, bail out. Its a bogus scam by a con artist who happened to pass the bar exam.

Its unfortunate that the folks who get hurt by this are those that are the most vulnerable.

If you don't get this information asap, I would report him to the NY Bar Association along as well as the judge.

If you are being misrepresented you should be able to fire the attorney as a group just as easily as you hired him. Otherwise, this could drag out for years and years and years. $5,850 per month is a pretty nice "gig" for doing nothing but wasting time like a pyramid scam.

 

[donttouchthebeauty]

Beauty,

While active on mainline through both concession #1 and #2 contract, did you have an opportunity to vote?

I see you started yet another thread on the same topic...



Unfortunately, Pitbull. I did not start this topic to much of your dismay; Also I don't appreciate being called a male - B/C I am the most feminine thing USAir has seen in many years = Size 2 Mis Thang!!! And the fellas love it!!!

 

[cheezlinewages]

PitBull,

The committee is a sham. A certain foul tempered pilot and
tantrum pitching attorney dictate to the committee. Members of the group did not select a single committee member. Any committee member who makes suggestions or asks questions is tormented into resigning, then the poison penned pilot posts a character assassination to the yahoo site.

Yes, there were supposed to be expense reports, but if they reported how much they were receiving (or not) and spending/billing each month then they could not hide how few supporters they actually have.

Some of us have gone to the judge to be removed after the attorney listed us on the complaint without our permission and tried to extort money from us. (we signed no retainer, we gave money to the cause when the cause was to stop the Republic sale, we want nothing to do with what this has morfed in to)

 

[PITbull]

If there is anyway for you to contact even some of the participants, and maybe they can contact others, you maybe able to stop this extortionism.

If any of the participants signed a retainer contract, it will be difficult to get out of it unless they can prove that the attorney is not living up to his end of the agreement, e.g. no accounting, lack of follow through or timely follow through etc... Folks who are tied to this thing should keep a journal. If this is how many of you feel, then you well know that stripes don't change colors, get out of it and be sure to report him anyway that you can to expose this "scam".

Whoever that pilot is who posting, you need to expose him as well if you know his name.

Some of you who did or did not sign a contract can go to small claims court to retrieve your money back for breach of contract from either the committee or the attorney depending on whose name is on your check.

It's a hassle but it teaches those folks a lesson.

And the final thing is to send a complaint letter to the Bar Association. It may even make your attorney send your funds back for not fulfilling his agreement and accountability.

If you would PM Bear96 he could better give you some recommendation on how to handle these kinds of issues because of his background.

 

[DCAflyer]

PitBull,

One of the problems, as demonstrated in the message exMAfa posted from the committee, is that the committee continues to tell people that things are going well. That seems to be all that the participants are hearing, so those apparent few people who do consistently make the required payments every month continue to do so based on their trust that the committee is telling the truth. However, the term "going well" is subjective. The committee seems to hope that by sending out something, anything, that hard questions won't be asked.

However, as pointed out earlier their seems to be either (a) a huge funding discrepancy; ( b ) a huge discrepancy in the the number of people who intend to be plaintiffs as opposed to the number of people who were named as plaintiffs in the original complaint; or ( c) both. It is disturbing that the committee seems to be sequestered when these issues finally come to light.

Ignoring the issues does not make them go away.

As has been pointed out earlier, if 130 people (there were, IIRC, 133 people listed as plaintiffs on the complaint) are making regular, timely payments, as of June there should be over $50,000 raised so far? The committee just reported that they reached $25,000 which is about half of where funding should be. It was interesting to me that the committee spun the $25,000 milestone as a positive thing. They do not mention to the plaintiffs that the effort is severely underfunded.

Remember those Enron employees? They were told things were going well before the bottom fell out and they continued to invest money without asking questions. They put their trust in people who turned out not to be trustworthy based on their hope that those in control were being truthful!

One of the clear responsibilities of the committee, and the chair of the committee in particular, is to keep the plaintiffs apprised of significant case developments in an unbiased manner. When the attorney was called into court to explain the discrepancy in the number of plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit as compared to the number of signed retainer agreements received, nothing was mentioned -- not even a positive spin! Just that the case is at a standstill.

The begging questions here are:

1. Once and for all, how many signed retainers are in the hands of the committee and/or attorney?

2. If there is a significantly less number of signed retainers than there are originally listed plaintiffs, does the attorney still want to take the case, and if so, will monthly payments be going up and by how much?

3. Where is the funding discrepancy? Are some people simply behind in their payments and, if so, what is being done to get people current? or are people dropping out of the suit?

It seems to me that a small number of plaintiffs are making their payments blindly, with their trust in the committee. The committee, however, is doing a disservice to people by using the "going well" line when that might not true. I hardly think being funded at 50% is a good thing... if the active, paying participants knew this, it might cause some of them to reconsider their involvement! I suspect that is why nothing is said!