Class action against Cahokia grocery store set for preliminary approval Aug. 14

St. Clair County Circuit Judge Vincent Lopinot will hold a hearing Aug. 14 for preliminary approval of a class action settlement in a case against a Cahokia grocery store.

In April, Lopinot indicated in an order that the parties in the lawsuit had reached a preliminary settlement.

Plaintiff Willie Hadley claims he cashed a check for $1,875 at defendant Maplewood Markets, formerly known as Cahokia Mor for Less, in August 2011. In turn for cashing the check, Cahokia Mor for Less charged Hadley a $38 check cashing fee, according to the complaint filed last October in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit claims Illinois law does not allow for check cashing fees of more than 50 cents or 1 percent of the face value of the check.

Cahokia Mor for Less charged him more than was statutorily allowed, and Cahokia Mor for Less did the same thing to numerous other Illinois residents, the complaint alleges.

Hadley had requested class certification of the case, seeking more than $50,000 in damages. The suit has not been certified, according to the case file.

The plaintiff was represented by Peter J. Maag of Maag Law Firm in Wood River, but Thomas Maag substituted his appearance for Peter Maag on Aug. 5.

Maag filed a similar suit against Schwegel’s Market in Alton in August, claiming a woman was unfairly charged 75 cents when she wrote a check for $68.80.

Ryan Mahoney of Cates Mahoney in Swansea represents the defense.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-534.