Tenants who signed leases for deregulated apartments at 90 Washington Street in Manhattan before June 30, 2018, and lived there on or after June 14, 2015, may qualify to claim a rent overcharge refund plus 9% interest from the $1,739,811 JDM Washington Street LLC class action settlement. Claim forms must be mailed with a postmark on or before November 2, 2026.
Current Status
Claims are open. Paper claim forms must be postmarked on or before November 2, 2026; the official sources give no timezone and no online filing option. The New York County Supreme Court granted preliminary approval, and the final settlement hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2026. No final approval order or payment date had been announced as of September 26, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The parties signed a stipulation of settlement dated April 17, 2026, and the court’s preliminary approval opened the claim process, run by settlement administrator Epiq. The case, Vignola v. JDM Washington Street LLC (Index No. 152025/2020), was filed on February 25, 2020, by a tenant of the building on behalf of current and former renters.Plaintiffs allege that the building received New York City 421-g tax benefits, which they say barred the landlord from removing apartments from rent stabilization under the state’s “luxury deregulation” rule, and that tenants were not given the required 421-g lease rider. They claim tenants were therefore charged more than the legal regulated rent. The defendant denies that its conduct violated the rent laws and agreed to settle to avoid the cost and uncertainty of further litigation. The court has made no finding on the merits.
Who Qualifies?
The certified class covers people who signed leases for units at 90 Washington Street that were treated as deregulated, who lived in the building before June 30, 2018 — the date the building’s 421-g benefits ended — and who resided there on or after June 14, 2015, the limitations cutoff. To be paid, a class member must file a timely claim form and must not opt out.A claim can be filed by the tenant, or by the tenant’s executor, administrator or trustee. Refund rights cannot be sold or transferred to anyone else.
How Much Can You Get?
There is no flat payment. Each eligible claimant’s refund is calculated from their own rent history:- The “legal regulated rent” is set at the amount charged four years before the complaint was filed.
- For rent paid from February 25, 2016, through the preliminary approval date, the claimant is owed the difference between what they actually paid and that legal rent.
- Simple interest at 9% a year is added from each month the overcharge occurred.
- Any rent still owed to the landlord is subtracted, and that amount is paid to the landlord.
Class members who still live in the building also get a fixed “settled rent” that takes effect the first month after final approval. The notice lists those amounts unit by unit; current tenants should check the official notice for their unit.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
No receipts and no administrator-issued Notice ID or claim number are required. The claim form asks each claimant for current contact details, the address and apartment number rented at the building, lease start and end dates, and the names of any co-tenants, all sworn under penalty of perjury and signed. The administrator decides whether each form was timely and properly filed.What Is the Deadline?
The signed claim form must be mailed with a postmark on or before November 2, 2026. The same date is the deadline to opt out and to file and serve a notice of intent to appear and object. Missing the claim deadline forfeits any refund, while the release still applies unless you opt out.How Do You Take Action?
Download the claim form from the official 90 Washington Street settlement website, or use the claim form PDF directly. Choose an individual or joint claim, list each apartment and lease term, sign it, and mail it to the administrator at the address printed on the form. There is no online submission.Opt-out requests and objections follow different, stricter procedures — an opt-out goes to lead counsel, and an objection requires a notarized statement filed with the court. Follow the exact instructions in the court-approved notice.
What Happens Next?
Justice Lisa S. Headley is scheduled to hold the final settlement hearing on November 16, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in New York County Supreme Court. If the settlement is approved and any appeal period passes, refunds will be distributed; no payment date has been announced. If it is not approved, the case resumes and the settlement is void.Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website and FAQ
- Notice of proposed settlement
- Stipulation and agreement of settlement
- Preliminary approval order
- First amended class action complaint
- Claim form
Questions
Can I file the 90 Washington Street claim online?
No online portal is offered. The official website provides a printable claim form, which must be signed and mailed to the claims administrator with a postmark on or before November 2, 2026. The mailing address is printed on the form itself.
What if I shared the apartment with a roommate or partner?
When two or more people signed the same lease, any refund for that lease term is split equally among them, and only co-tenants who submit a claim form are paid. The form has a joint-claim option. If any one co-tenant opts out, every co-tenant on that lease is treated as having opted out.
Will unpaid rent reduce my payment?
Yes. Any amount a tenant still owes the landlord is deducted from the refund and paid to the landlord, and an existing rent payment plan is accelerated and treated the same way. Rent forgiven under public-health emergency legislation is not deducted. A tenant who disputes a claimed deduction has 45 days from notice to object.
What do I give up if I do nothing?
If the court approves the settlement, class members who neither file a claim nor opt out receive no refund for past rent but still release their claims about rents and the rent-regulated status of units at the building, including claims for treble damages.
What happens if I opt out?
An opt-out receives no settlement payment but keeps the right to pursue past-rent claims in a separate case. The written exclusion request goes by first-class mail to lead counsel, postmarked by November 2, 2026, and must include the specific wording and details listed in the court notice.
