Ocala Residents May Sue as Class Over Fire Service Fee

Ocala, Fla., residents challenging the city’s fire service user fees may sue as a class, a state appeals court ruled Jan. 5.

“Because the potential class members’ claims are based on the same common course of conduct by the city against appellants, a class action would be a more manageable and more efficient use of judicial resources than individual claims,” Judge Richard B. Orfinger wrote for the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal.

Class status will allow the 22,000 residents affected by the city’s policy to resolve their claims together. “Their individual claims, which are as small as $14.30 per ...