The parties in the class-action lawsuit against MLS Property Information Network have jointly submitted a second and final extension request for their fourth amended settlement agreement.
During the preliminary hearing April 1, U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris decided to delay preliminary approval, citing concerns over class expansion. She called for a revised agreement by April 22 and planned a tentative date for the next hearing, in August or September.
MLS PIN plaintiffs and defendants have since made an agreement addressing concerns made at the hearing, but have requested a nine-day extension, from May 20, through and including May 29. Their first extension was from April 22 to May 20.
Previously, it was not disagreements between the parties or objections from the judge that had held up the agreement, as the Department of Justice (DOJ) upended a settlement that appeared on track for approval back in early 2024.
Both plaintiffs and defendants claimed lawyers for the DOJ would not say what changes needed to be made to the agreement, even when presented with policy shifts made by the National Association of REALTORS® in its separate deal.
But that changed after the April 1 hearing, when parties described discussions with the DOJ in very different terms, characterizing discussions as “helpful and substantive.”
In the latest filing, the MLS PIN and plaintiffs simply note that “(t)he parties also conferred with the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice, which discussions concluded on Friday, May 16, 2025.”
According to the court documents filed Tuesday, the extension is for obtaining formal client signatures, ensuring the notice properly incorporates the updated terms and finalizing related documents, given that the Memorial Day holiday weekend may have an impact on availability.
Saris had not yet ruled on the request at press time. During the April 1 hearing, she noted that this case has been going on for far too long.
“This case has been pending for five years, and I’m not inclined to keep it going any longer,” she said.
