Wells Fargo COVID Forbearance Settlement Litigation

A $185 million settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit In re Wells Fargo COVID Forbearance Settlement Litigation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Court approved the Settlement, which became effective on February 15, 2025.

Plaintiffs allege that Wells Fargo (“Defendant”), placed customers into forbearance without informed consent. In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Plaintiffs allege that Wells Fargo decided to provide mortgage forbearances to certain customers who had made an inquiry or expressed hardship but had not explicitly requested a forbearance. A forbearance temporarily suspends a customer’s obligation to make payments on their mortgage. However, the lawsuit alleges that some of the customers who received payment forbearances did not want them. Wells Fargo denies any wrongdoing. Both sides agreed to a settlement and the Court has approved the Settlement.

This website explains important legal rights you may have. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or do not act. Please read this website carefully.

Your Legal Rights and Options in This Lawsuit

Do Nothing and Receive a Settlement Check	If you were identified as a Class Member and did not request exclusion from the Settlement, you will receive an Automatic Payment from the Settlement Fund. Since the Settlement was granted final approval by the Court, you will release the claims in this litigation.
Submit a Claim for Additional Compensation	You could have requested Additional Compensation if you felt that being placed into forbearance without informed consent caused your credit applications to be denied or delayed or caused other harm. You must have completed and returned the Claim Form, postmarked on or before Friday, January 10, 2025. As the Settlement has been granted final approval by the Court, you are bound by the terms of the Settlement and cannot sue Wells Fargo, individually or as part of a class action, for the Class Released Claims that this Settlement resolves.
Exclude Yourself from the Settlement	The exclusion, or Opt Out, deadline was November 12, 2024. Exclusion Requests are no longer being accepted.
Object to the Settlement	The Objection Deadline was November 12, 2024. Objections are no longer being accepted.

These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are further explained in the Notice and on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page of this website.