Attorneys Provide Update on BWL “Franchise Fee” Payments

Some East Lansing residents have already received their share of the “Franchise Fee” settlement paid by the city after instructing the Lansing Board of Water and Light to install a 5% fee on electric bills, money that was then rerouted to the city.

Class attorneys are still working with some class members to make sure they receive their share of the $7.8 million settlement, Edward Kickham Jr. of Kickham Hanley PLLC told ELi over email.

“Once the court granted final approval, Kickham Hanley wired funds to [claims administrator] Simpluris, and Simpluris sent the money to the class members in the form of checks and electronic transfers like Venmo and PayPal, depending on what each class member requested,” Kickham wrote to ELi today. “Kickham Hanley is continuing to talk to class members individually, identify valid claims, and make sure they are paid.  This is not uncommon in any class action involving thousands of potential claimants.”

Kickham encouraged residents who have questions about their payment to reach out to him at ekickhamjr@kickhamhanley.com.

The third party claims administrator, Simpluris, has identified 7,068 valid claims and the median reimbursement payment was $278.87, Kickham said.

Earlier this year, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled against the city in the years-long litigation over the franchise fee. East Lansing then deposited $7.8 million into a settlement fund, and in July notices went out alerting East Lansing residents who paid a BWL electric bill between April 2, 2019 and April 30, 2025 that they are eligible for payments. Class members had until Sept. 2 to file a claim.