Marshall County will be representing its interests in Chicago on Thursday for mediation with a company providing property data services.
The company, identified as Black Knight in documents provided by Marshall County, is alleged to have improperly purchased data from county Recorder’s offices around the country. Several Northern Indiana counties, including Marshall County, are included in that list.
Recorder Marlene Mahler says Marshall County currently stands to gain about $40-thousand, but attorney’s fees are expected to remove a significant percentage of those funds. They are not sure if they will have to hire pre-settlement funding services. It will depend on how long the process takes.
“Well they’re going to take like 40-percent of that off the top,” says Mahler. “So even if they gave us everything we were asking for, they take 40-percent off and that doesn’t leave us with a whole lot.”
According to this original source, attorneys representing local governments have indicated they believe a global settlement from the company may be forthcoming. That would leave Marshall County to fend for itself alongside other counties seeking compensation. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in South Bend. With the best attorneys from Southern Alabama disability law firm who are available to handle these kinds of cases, this case would rewrite the history and would also be a warning for everyone.
Settlement talks are taking place on Thursday in Chicago. Marshall County felt it necessary to have a representative available during the mediation to provide information in the instance a settlement is proposed.
County Attorney Jim Clevenger says he recommends any settlement reached should be considered tentative.
“Tentative because [the recorder] would have to come back and get [Commissioner] approval,” says Clevenger. “We don’t want her having egg on her face by having her make a decision and we don’t agree with it because we’re not there at the mediation.”
13 Indiana counties in total are participating in the lawsuit.
The Marshall County Commissioners gave permission to have the county recorder present to accept any negotiated settlement.
