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Originally Posted by rustyp
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Fascinating piece. The parts that caught my eye:
The lawsuit seemed unlikely to succeed, according to court records showing that a retired judge and six major law firms from Tallahassee to Miami declined to take it.
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The settlement includes confidentiality and nondisparagement clauses, which prevent the parties from discussing the case or criticizing Morse or The Villages.
The settlement also requires the defendants to pay $50,000 each to Dreidame and four other named plaintiffs and $6.7 million to the plaintiffs' brother-sister legal team, Dougald McMillan and Carol McMillan Anderson.
Donald Maciejewski, a Jacksonville lawyer who has handled mass-plaintiff air-disaster cases, called the lawsuit a "true David and Goliath" case, citing the defendants' financial strength.
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In an affidavit submitted to the judge to justify attorney fees, Maciejewski said the novelty and complexity of the case suggested that the plaintiffs' chances for success were "virtually zero." He also pointed out that McMillan and Anderson were "a last resort."
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Anderson praised Morse and his lawyers, saying the settlement proves they have the community's best interest at heart.
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The agreement also creates a resident-controlled "Amenity Authority Committee" that will have a louder voice in the use of amenity fees.
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Wonder how this "AAC" has worked out. Don't recall hearing about it, but I don't pay very good attention. . .