According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, a judge has ruled in favor of a class action lawsuit against GE Capital IT Solutions (d/b/a IKON Financial Services) and approved a final settlement of $4.9 million between the parties.

Members of the class alleged that after March 2004 they executed standard lease agreements under which they agreed to pay a minimum payment without tax, where the cost per image was not enumerated and where the minimum payment was increased. The members claimed that the increase in payments was in violation of the written terms of the agreements.

The settlement class was described as being so numerous that joinder of all members was impracticable. The attorney for the plaintiffs noted that the contracts were multi-year contracts at a fixed rate. “The defendants thought they had the right to raise the cost per copier”, he said.

The Honorable Cecilia M. Altonaga approved the final settlement, which created a monetary fund from which class members can draw compensation.