Free money. What person doesn’t like the sounds of those words? Class action. What lawyer doesn’t like the sounds of those words? Well, some tenacious lawyers and a pissed-off Austin taxpayer recently took the city for a ride on the big money lawsuit train, and Austin apartment renters are going to benefit from it. According to News 8 Austin, the lawyers threatened a class action lawsuit four years ago against the city for overcharging renters for storm drains. Though the city thought it could win the lawsuit, it couldn’t risk the $80 or $90 million it might have cost if it had lost. It agreed to settle the case for $9 million, $3 million of which will go to the lawyers (those greedy bastards).

“Certain class members will get $7. Certain class members will get $25. The business consumers will probably get more than that. Their claims, depending on the class, could range in the hundreds of dollars,” Ray Donley, attorney for the City of Austin, said.

The city will be mailing inserts in its next bill and will also send a notice through the mail. Those most likely to benefit will be those who either lived in a multifamily development or apartment and paid utility bills from 1992 to now or those who turned 65 during the same period. To determine if you qualify, mail a claim form (available here) to the city postmarked by Oct. 7, 2005. And if you do, you may be receiving some cash by the end of the year.