CURTIS DIXON et al. v. BENJAMIN E. GATZKE et al.

Case No. 24-cv-11834 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, EASTERN DIVISION

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If You Obtained a Loan from Bright Lending, You Could Get Debt Cancellation and/or a Cash Payment from a Class Action Settlement
A federal court ordered this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer. 

  • Read the Notice carefully. It explains your legal rights and options in a proposed nationwide class action settlement (the “Settlement”) involving loans made by Aaniiih Nakoda Finance, LLC, dba Bright Lending (“Bright Lending”).
  • This lawsuit alleges that, through the online lender Bright Lending, Taylor McCabe, William Bell, Lyolene Dillon, Jarrett Azure, Ticia Cliff, Doug Stuart, and Frank Doney, BWDS, LLC, and Benjamin Gatzke (collectively, “Defendants”) issued to borrowers unlawful loans that violate various state and federal laws. Defendants deny all wrongdoing and liability but have agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid the costs and risks of continued litigation.
  • You have been identified as a member of one of the Classes of borrowers who will be affected if the Settlement is approved by the Court (a “Settlement Class Member”).
  • If the Settlement is approved, each Class member will receive (1) debt cancellation and/or (2) a cash payment. In exchange, Class members will give up certain rights to sue Defendants and other “Released Parties”—a defined term covering Defendants and a number of related entities and individuals, including their officers, employees, and certain contractors and business partners—over the claims at issue in this lawsuit. This Notice summarizes the Settlement’s key terms. The complete terms—including the full list of Released Parties—are set out in the Settlement Agreement, available on the Important Court Documents page.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THE SETTLEMENT
DO NOTHING You will remain a Settlement Class Member. If you are issued a cash payment, you will give up all rights to sue Defendants and the other Released Parties over claims raised, or that could have been raised, in this lawsuit. If you receive debt cancellation but not a cash payment, you will give up the right to bring a class action, collective action, representative action, coordinated mass action, mass arbitration, collective arbitration, or other aggregated proceeding against Defendants and the other Released Parties over the claims raised, or that could have been raised, in this lawsuit, but you will keep the right to bring an individual lawsuit or individual arbitration.
CHANGE YOUR PAYMENT OPTION If you are a Monetary Relief Class Member you may (1) provide an updated mailing address for sending a check or (2) elect to receive an electronic payment (ACH, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle) instead of by a paper check. The deadline to change your payment option is December 21, 2026.
EXCLUDE YOURSELF By opting out of the Settlement, you will give up your right to receive any Settlement benefits, including debt cancellation and/or a cash payment. In exchange, you will keep the right to file your own lawsuit against Defendants. There is no guarantee that any such lawsuit would succeed or result in a larger recovery than this Settlement.
OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT If you remain a Class member (i.e., you do not exclude yourself), you may write to the Court about why you do not like the Settlement and/or believe the Court should not approve the Settlement.