Dana Mihalcean v. Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC

The purpose of the Notice is to inform you that a proposed settlement has been reached in the putative class action lawsuit entitled Dana Mihalcean v. Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC, which was filed in the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County. Because your rights will be affected by this settlement, it is extremely important that you read the Notice carefully. The Notice summarizes the settlement and your rights under it.

If you received a letter describing this settlement, it is because Defendant’s records indicate that you may be a member of the Settlement Class.

In a class action, a person called a Class Representative (here, Plaintiff) sues on behalf of people who allegedly have similar claims. After a court grants certification, this group is called a class and the persons included are called class members. One court resolves the issues for all of the class members, except for those who exclude themselves from the class.

Here, Plaintiff filed a putative class action lawsuit in Hillsborough County Circuit Court asserting that her landlord and property manager (Defendant) failed to comply with the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act in connection with renting residential units and returning security deposits. Defendant has denied all liability and presented defenses to the claim prior to entering into this Class Settlement. The Court has conditionally certified a class action for settlement purposes only. The Honorable Cheryl Kendrick Thomas is in charge of this action.

The Court did not decide in favor of Plaintiff or Defendant. Instead, the parties agreed to this settlement. This way, the parties avoid the risk and cost of a trial, and the Settlement Class members will receive compensation. Plaintiff and Class Counsel think the settlement is best for all persons in the Settlement Class.

The Court has certified a class action for settlement purposes only. The Settlement Class is defined as:

All persons in Florida, from July 2021 through January 2026, who paid a security deposit at a property owned or managed by Released Parties, had any portion of their deposit retained, and may not have received a certified mail notice within 30 days of moving out of Released Parties’ intent to impose a claim on their deposit.

A "Settlement Class Member" is any person in the Settlement Class who is not validly excluded from the Settlement Class. If you are still not sure whether you are included, you can visit other sections of the Settlement Website, www.MihalceanSettlement.com, or you may write to the Settlement Administrator at Mihalcean Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23459, Jacksonville, FL 32241, for more information.

The Court has appointed the law firm of Consumer Law Advocate, PLLC as Class Counsel to represent you and the other persons in the Settlement Class. You will not be personally charged by this lawyer.

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve payment of up to 33% of the Settlement Fund, and will also seek reimbursement of reasonable expenses. Class Counsel also will ask the Court to approve payment of $3,500 to Plaintiff for her services as Class Representative. The Court may award less than these amounts.

Cash Payments. All Settlement Class Members who do not opt out of the settlement will receive a cash payment of their pro rata share of a $700,000 Settlement Fund, after deduction of attorneys' fees, reasonable litigation expenses, and class notice and administration costs.

The estimated payment is $107 (which could increase or decrease by the time checks are issued).

Unless you exclude yourself from the settlement, you will be part of the Settlement Class and will be bound by the release of claims in the settlement. This means that if the settlement is approved, you cannot rely on any Released Claim to sue, or continue to sue, Defendant or other Released Parties, on your own or as part of any other lawsuit, as explained in the Settlement Agreement. It also means that all of the Court's orders will apply to you and legally bind you. Unless you exclude yourself from the settlement, you will agree to release Defendant and all other Released Parties, as defined in the Settlement Agreement, from any and all Released Claims, including claims for damages that arise under the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.

If you have any questions about the Release or what it means, you can review the Settlement Agreement on this website on the Important Court Documents page, speak to Class Counsel, listed under FAQ 6, for free; or, at your own expense, you may talk to your own lawyer. The Release does not apply to persons in the Settlement Class who timely exclude themselves.

To obtain a payment from the settlement you do not have to do anything. If your address is going to change, please update using the Address Update section or contact the Settlement Administrator via email at [email protected] or via mail at Mihalcean Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23459, Jacksonville, FL 32241.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on August 18, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. to decide whether to approve the settlement. If the Court approves the settlement, after that, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved, and resolving them can take time, perhaps more than a year.

Settlement Class Members will be informed of the progress of the settlement through information posted on this website. Please be patient.

If you want to keep the right to sue, or continue to sue Defendant or a Released Party, as defined in the Settlement Agreement, then you must take steps to get out of the Settlement Class. This is called excluding yourself from, or opting-out of, the Settlement Class.

A Settlement Class Member who wishes to exclude himself or herself from this settlement, and from the Release pursuant to this settlement, shall submit a written Opt-Out Request to the Settlement Administrator at the address designated in the Notice no later than the Opt­Out/Objection Deadline. Opt-Out Requests must: (i) be timely submitted by the Opt­Out/Objection Deadline; (ii) be signed by the person in the Settlement Class who is requesting to be excluded from the Settlement Class; (iii) include the name and address of the person in the Settlement Class requesting exclusion; and (iv) include a statement or words to the effect of the following: "I request to be excluded from the settlement in the Mihalcean v. Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC action, and understand that by doing so I will not be entitled to receive any of the benefits from the settlement." No person may exclude any other person from the Settlement Class.

To be valid, you must mail your exclusion request postmarked no later than August 4, 2026 to the Settlement Administrator at Mihalcean Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23459, Jacksonville, FL 32241.

No. If you do not exclude yourself, you give up any right to sue (or continue to sue) Defendant or any Released Parties for the claims that this settlement resolves.

No. If you exclude yourself, you will not receive a settlement payment and you cannot object to the settlement.

If you are in the Settlement Class, you can object to the settlement or any part of the settlement that you think the Court should reject, and the Court will consider your views. If you do not provide a written objection in the manner described below, you shall be deemed to have waived any objection and shall forever be foreclosed from making any objection to the fairness, reasonableness, or adequacy of the settlement, or the award of any attorneys' fees and expenses, and/or any proposed service award.

To object, you must make your objection in writing, stating that you object to the settlement. To be considered by the Court, you must personally sign the objection and provide the following information with it: (i) full name, current address, and current telephone number; (ii) documentation sufficient to establish membership in the Settlement Class; (iii) a statement of reasons for the objection, including the factual and legal grounds for the objector's position; and (iv) copies of any other documents the objecting Settlement Class Member wishes to submit in support of his/her/its position.

To be considered, you must file your objections with the Court and mail your objections to the addresses below postmarked no later than August 4, 2026.

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Settlement Class. Excluding yourself means that you do not want to be part of the Settlement Class. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

If you do nothing, you will receive a payment from the settlement and will give up your rights to sue Defendant or any other Released Parties related to a Released Claim. For information relating to what rights you are giving up, see FAQ 10.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing at 9:30 a.m. on August 18, 2026, via Zoom. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. If there are valid objections that comply with the requirements in Question 16 above, the Court also will consider them and will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may also decide how much to pay to Class Counsel and Plaintiff.

The Final Approval Hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so it is a good idea to check this Website for updates.

No. Class Counsel will appear on behalf of the Settlement Class. But, you are welcome to come, or have your own lawyer appear, at your own expense.

You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing, but only in connection with an objection that you have timely submitted to the Court according to the procedure set forth in Question 16 above. To speak at the Final Approval Hearing, you must also file a document with the Court stating your intention to appear. For this document to be considered, it must include your name, address, telephone number and your signature. The document must be filed with the Court no later than August 4, 2026. You cannot speak at the hearing if you exclude yourself from the settlement.

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, you can update using the Address Update section or 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:
Mihalcean Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 23459
Jacksonville, FL 32241

A copy of your marriage license, divorce decree or court order is required for a name change.

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: 
Mihalcean Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 23459
Jacksonville, FL 32241

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: 
Mihalcean Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 23459
Jacksonville, FL 32241

The notice is only a summary of the proposed settlement. You can get a copy of the settlement agreement by visiting the Important Court Documents page on this website, or you can write to the address below. You can also call Class Counsel with any questions at (815) 999-9130.

Mihalcean Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 23459, Jacksonville, FL 32241

DO NOT CALL OR WRITE TO THE COURT, THE CLERK OF THE COURT, DEFENDANT, OR DEFENDANT’S COUNSEL ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT.