What is this lawsuit about?

When persons are arrested and detained, detention facilities confiscate their personal property, including cash. Their money is held in trust while they are in custody and returned when they are released. Many detention facilities returned this money through prepaid debit cards (“release cards”) issued by defendant CBKC, in partnership with Numi Financial Services. . The facilities are not charged for this service. Defendant CBKC and Numi profit by taking fees from the money to be returned to detainees, including “maintenance” charges assessed for simply possessing the unrequested cards.

 

​When Plaintiff was released from custody money he had with him when he was arrested was held until his release. Instead of receiving his money back in either cash or with a check, he had to accept a Numi Prestige release card for the return of his funds. His release card was incurring fees as it was handed to him.

​

Neither the Plaintiff nor other recipients of these release cards requested or agreed their money could be transferred to an account controlled by CBKC that could only be accessed through release cards. But they had no choice; they either accepted a release card or left the jail without their money. And as they left the facilities with their cards, fees had already begun accumulating on their money. Those fees were supposedly authorized under the non-negotiable terms of a cardholder “agreement” provided with the unrequested cards.

​

Plaintiff brought this lawsuit because it was illegal under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (“EFTA”) to require him to accept a release card he did not request to return his own money and charge fees that were illegal. A copy of the complaint that fully describes the claims can be viewed here. 

​

The Court certified this lawsuit as a class action.  If you received a release card issued by CBKC at one of the facilities listed here, you are a member of the class and may be eligible to participate in this settlement. To learn more about the class and your options, click on the button below.