Muscatine Power and Water Data Incident Settlement: What You Can Claim

Who is covered by the settlement?

• You may be included if Muscatine identified you as affected by the Data Incident, including if it sent you a Data Breach notice.
• The class does not include the judge, the judge’s family and staff, Muscatine and its officers, directors, and related companies, or people who validly opt out.

The settlement fund is $525,000. It is not a separate $525,000 payment pool available only for claims.

• The fund pays court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, service awards, and settlement administration costs first.
• Benefits are paid from the money left in the fund after those items are paid.

What out-of-pocket expenses can be claimed?

• You can seek up to $500 for actual out-of-pocket expenses caused by the Data Incident.
• Covered examples include credit-report, credit-monitoring, and credit-freeze fees; replacement-ID costs; and postage used to contact banks.
• The expense must have occurred from January 26, 2024, through October 26, 2026. Expenses already reimbursed by someone else cannot be claimed.

What is the extraordinary-loss payment?

• You may seek up to $5,000 for money lost because of identity theft or fraud.
• You need to show that the fraud or theft was probably caused by the Data Incident, that the loss is not already covered as an out-of-pocket expense, and that you tried to prevent the loss or recover the money, such as through insurance you already had.
• The loss must have occurred from January 26, 2024, through October 26, 2026.

Can I claim time spent responding to the incident?

• You may claim up to five hours at $20 per hour, for a maximum of $100.
• The time must have been spent responding to the Data Incident. Examples include changing passwords, looking into suspicious account activity, and researching the incident.
• The notice does not state a documentary-proof requirement specifically for this time-spent benefit.

What proof is needed for expense or fraud-loss claims?

• For out-of-pocket and extraordinary-loss claims, send proof of the amount spent or lost, such as receipts.
• You may include notes or papers you prepared yourself to explain other proof, but those materials alone are not enough.
• Your proof or notes should connect the expense to the Data Incident.

What payment overlap does the notice expressly prohibit?

• The notice expressly says an extraordinary-loss payment cannot cover losses already covered by the out-of-pocket-expense benefit.
• It does not provide a broader explanation of how the benefit categories interact.

How do I file a claim, and what is the deadline?

• Submit a Claim Form online, or download a printable form and mail it to the Settlement Administrator.
• For a mailed claim, the completed and signed form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked by October 26, 2026.
• An online claim must be submitted by October 26, 2026.

What happens if I opt out, and how do I do it?

• Opting out means formally excluding yourself from the settlement.
• If you opt out, you cannot receive settlement benefits, but you keep any rights you may have to sue Muscatine yourself about the legal issues in this case.
• Mail an exclusion request containing the case name, your contact information, your signature, and “Request for Exclusion” or a clear similar statement. It must be postmarked by October 9, 2026.

How do I object to the settlement?

• You can object only if you remain in the settlement; someone who opted out cannot object.
• File a complete objection with the Clerk of Court and send a copy to the Settlement Administrator by October 9, 2026.
• The objection needs your contact information, proof that you are a Class Member, your reasons, your signature, and the other information listed in the notice.

When is the final approval hearing, and do I need to attend?

• The hearing is scheduled for December 17, 2026, at 9:00 Central Time by Zoom.
• The Court will decide whether to approve the settlement and will consider objections. The hearing date and time may change.
• You do not have to attend.

What happens if I do nothing?

• You will not receive a settlement benefit.
• Unless you opt out, you also give up the rights described in the settlement’s release.

When could settlement payments be issued?

• Payments will be distributed only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved.
• The notice does not say how long an appeal, if one is filed, could take.