HANK BLAND, ET AL. v. CAROLINA LEASE MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC, ET AL. Settlement

No. If you received a Notice it's because you are a member of a class action and your rights may be affected. You may also be entitled to certain benefits. Please read the notice for more information.

Hank Bland, Kendall Jackson, and Luetta Inniss filed a lawsuit in 2022 claiming that Carolina Lease Management Group, LLC, and CTH Rentals, LLC, violated North Carolina laws regarding how much they could charge on rent-to-own agreements.

Carolina Lease Management Group and CTH Rentals deny that they did anything wrong.

Those who entered a rent-to-own agreement for a storage building with Carolina Lease Management Group and they tried to collect from the borrower on or after March 10, 2018.

Carolina Lease Management Group and CTH Rentals have agreed to pay $6,998,328.87 into a settlement fund. This money will be divided among the class members and will also be used to pay for costs and lawyer fees approved by the Court, and for the cost of administering this settlement. Members of the settlement class will “release” their claims as part of the settlement, which means they cannot sue Carolina Lease Management Group or CTH Rentals for the same issues and legal violations raised in this lawsuit. 

The settlement also requires Carolina Lease Management Group to stop all debt collection and lawsuits on class member accounts related to this case and to cancel any judgments on these accounts.

The settlement also provides that the Court will be asked to approve payments of $10,000 to the consumers who brought this lawsuit, Hank Bland, Kendall Jackson, and Luetta Inniss, to compensate them for their work on the case. These are called "service payments."

If there is money left over after all payments are made, it will be donated to North Carolina Justice Center, if the Court approves.

If you take part in the settlement and do not object to it, you do NOT have to appear at the hearing.

If you wish to receive a check mailed to the address where you received the postcard letting you know about this settlement, you do not need to do anything. If you wish to receive a payment by some other method, with your Notice ID and PIN, you can make that request on the Online Payment Method Selection page of this website by October 28, 2025.

Please notify the Settlement Administrator of any changes in your mailing address so that future correspondence will be sent to the correct address.

To update your mailing address, with your Notice ID and PIN, you can use the Update Address page on this website. Alternatively, contact the Settlement Administrator via email at [email protected]. Please put ‘Change of Address’ in the subject line and provide your full name, previous address, current address, and the Notice ID from your notice in the body of the email. Alternatively, you can mail that information to: Bland v CLMG Class Action, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23680, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3680.

A copy of your marriage license, divorce decree or court order is required for a name change. Please also include a copy of your Drivers License or State ID. 

You can submit the documentation via email at [email protected]. In your email, put ‘Name Change’ in the subject line. In the body of the email, provide the NoticeID, original name, and address of the Class Member on the Notice you received. Also provide the new name, address and phone number that you would like on future correspondence.

Alternatively, you can submit the required documents by mail to: Bland v CLMG Class Action, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23680, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3680.

Payment may be issued to the beneficiary of a deceased Class Member by requesting a name change for the payee.

Two documents are required for a name change for a deceased Class Member. They are: 1) A Copy of the death certificate, and 2) Documentation providing evidence to show the new payee as legal beneficiary – this could be a will, estate documentation, etc. The documentation will be reviewed when received. We may reach out to you with additional questions, if necessary.

You can submit these documents via email at [email protected], put ‘Name Change’ in the subject line. In the body of the email, provide the Notice ID, original name and address of the Class Member on the Notice you received. Also provide the new name, address and phone number that you would like on future correspondence.

Alternatively, you can submit the required documents by mail to: Bland v CLMG Class Action, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23680, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3680.

To opt out of the settlement, you must complete the Opt-Out Form available on this website and mail it by October 13, 2025, to Bland v CLMG Class Action, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23680, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3680.

If you disagree with any part of the settlement (including Attorney's Fees) but don’t want to opt out, you may object. NOTE: the motion for attorney fees will be filed by September 23, 2025, and will be posted on this website. If you object to the settlement, you must give reasons why you think the Court should not approve the settlement and say whether your objection applies to just you, a part of the class, or the entire class. The Court will consider your views. The Court can only approve or deny the settlement — it cannot change the terms of the settlement. You may, but don’t have to, hire your own lawyer to help you.

To object, you must send a letter to the Court that:

(1)   is postmarked by October 7, 2025;

(2)   includes the case name and number: Bland v. Carolina Lease Management Group, LLC, 4:22-cv-33-BO (E.D.N.C.)d

(3)   includes your full name, address and telephone number, and email address (if you have one);

(4)   states the reasons for your objection;

(5)   says whether either you or your lawyer intend to appear at the final approval hearing and your lawyer's name;

(6)   is signed by you.

Mail the letter to: United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina, c/o Clerk of Court, Post Office Box 25670, Raleigh, NC 27661

The Settlement Agreement, which is an Exhibit to the Motion for Preliminary Approval, and the Class Notice on this website are pretty informative about the settlement. Please read them as they likely have the answers you are seeking.

However, if you need something specific and cannot find the answer, you can contact the resources listed below.