1.    What is this lawsuit about?

On June 10, 2005 Hundreds of employees of Family Auto Dealerships where descended on by police and MetaBank officials led by J. Tyler Haahr. Mr. Haahr instructed the police to seize all exit points and search everyone attempting to leave. MetaBank refused to pay Family Auto Employees for 3 weeks of pay, kept the money generated by these 3 weeks of work, and then refused to give any W-2s to all Family Auto employees.

These actions by MetaBank began as a way to stop Family Dealerships from reorganizing itself in bankruptcy and allowed MetaBank to take control of Family Auto Assets. MetaBank had ample funds to make the final payroll as Dan had just given MetaBank the following:

a.    $1,400,000 in an insurance settlement

b.    $48,000 from his 401k

c.    $308,000 emptying his retirement

d.    Signed a third mortgage on his house for $300,000 with an agreement specifically that all funds go to Family Auto Employees.

Despite having over $2,500,000 in the Family Auto bank accounts, MetaBank to date has not made even an attempt to pay any Family Auto Employee or assist in producing W-2 forms.

2.    What is a class action?

A class action is a suit brought by individuals on behalf of a large group of people with the same basic claims. A judge has to decide if the case meets the legal requirements for a class action. If the requirements are met, class members are automatically covered by the suit, unless they ask to be excluded. The case either goes to trial or the claims are resolved before trial in a settlement for the entire class.

3.    Who are the plaintiffs in this case?

The Current plaintiffs are: Dan, Brian and all employees as Dan and his attorney can contact.

4.    Who are the attorneys bringing this case? They will be disclosed at a later time.

5.    Am I a member of the class represented in this case?

If you worked for a Family Auto Dealership on or around July 2005 you may be eligible.

6.    What do I have to do to be in the class?

Provide us with a current address and basic information so we can assess your claims. If your address or situation changes, please update your information by clicking on the update your address link on the left side of the home page.

7.    How can I find out more?

You can keep track of this case by periodically checking this website. We will post major developments, pleadings, and press releases.

8.    What will Family Auto Employees get if MetaBank loses or settles?

Plaintiffs are seeking an order to MetaBank, and to recover lost wages and benefits for the employees who have been victims of its predatory practices. They also seek punitive damages. No amount has been set yet.

9.    Will it cost me anything to be included in this case?

No. There is no cost to you to be part of this case.

10.    What if MetaBank retaliates against me?

It is unlawful for MetaBank and it officers to retaliate against you for involvement in this case. If you believe it is doing so, please contact us at once either through this website, or by calling 1-605-336-1730.

11.    Can I be fired by MetaBank companies for signing up or talking to you?

That would be in violation of the law. Please contact us at once if that has happened to you.

12.    Will MetaBank find out you have asked me questions?

Your communications with us are protected by the attorney-client privilege and will not be disclosed to MetaBank. Your responses to our sign-up form are secure and encrypted, just as if you were doing a bank or credit card transaction on the web. If we think you have information that can assist the case, we will talk to you about whether you might be a witness in this case. If you agree to be a potential witness in this case, your name may be disclosed to MetaBank. In no event should MetaBank’s, managers or attorneys or Tyler Haahr or any of MetaBank’s Officers talk to you about your claims in this case. If there is any attempt to do so, please contact us at once.

13.    How long will the case take?

As with any large case, this case will likely take several years to get to trial.

14.    When do I have to act?

If you think you might have a claim, it is important that you sign-up with us as soon as possible so that we can assess your claims.

15.    What if I have other issues against MetaBank? -- does this settlement cover those issues?

This settlement only involves specific payroll conversion and other payroll issues and this settlement does not cover these other claims and the attorneys in this case are not handling these claims.

16.    What evidence has been discovered in this case?

MetaBank is denying any evidence in existence. In 2009, Dan has discovered about a 1000 boxes of archives that has strong information that will be used in this case.

In 2005, Metabank purposely wiped out 240 hard drives and sold or destroyed those computers.