An Illinois woman has filed a putative class action lawsuit against an Alton grocery store that she claims charged too much when it cashed her check.
Julie Wheeler claims she cashed a check for $68.80 at defendant Schwegel's Food Markets on April 23. In turn for cashing the check, Schwegel's charged Wheeler a 75-cent check cashing fee, according to the complaint filed Aug. 20 in Madison County Circuit Court.
However, Wheeler claims Illinois state law does not allow for check cashing fees of more than 50 cents or 1 percent of the face value of the check. Schwegel's charged her more than was statutorily allowed, the suit states.
Schwegel's did the same thing to numerous other Illinois residents, the complaint says.
Wheeler claims Schwegel's actions violated the Illinois Check Cashing Act.
In her complaint, Wheeler is asking the court to certify her complaint as a class action lawsuit and is seeking more than $100,000, attorneys' fees and other relief the court deems just.
She will be represented by Peter J. Maag of Maag Law Firm in Wood River.
Madison County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-1316.