Updates
12/22/25: Final Order entered, closing the case
In response to motions from the named parties, and after a hearing, the Court entered an Order on December 22, 2025, making findings about the completion of steps in the case, releasing persons appointed to implement Court orders from any further responsibility, and closing the case. This marks the end of the proceedings in the Fayette Circuit Court; it is not anticipated that anything further will happen in the case.
December 2025: Final reports filed by Class Counsel and the Co-op
On December 10, 2025, the Co-op’s Dissolution Committee filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State a required Final Report about its dissolution and the winding up process under the supervision of the Fayette Circuit Court.
On December 11, 2025, the appointed Class Counsel filed their Final Report, giving a list of Reports they had filed, steps taken to wrap up case administration, and time spent in Class Counsel work.
July–November 2025: Disposition of remaining Co-op dissolution proceeds
Through informational filings, hearings, and Court orders during July–September 2025:
- payments for administrative and professional fee expenses to finish the Co-op’s dissolution and for Class Counsel work were authorized;
- a residual amount of $141,749.31 was determined; and
- distribution of the residual to nonprofit organizations related to agricultural education and legal services was ordered.
In November 2025, pursuant to the Court’s 9/25/25 Order, one-quarter of the residual amount ($37,231) was distributed to each of the following:
- Murray State University’s Hutson School of Agriculture
- Western Kentucky University’s Department of Agriculture and Food Science
- Morehead State University’s Department of Agricultural Sciences
- the Kentucky IOLTA Fund, which supports law-related programs for the public’s benefit.
1/29/25: Dissolution distributions finished; no reissues of uncashed checks
There were three distributions to 2603 eligible Class members, totaling $10,146.00 each:
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1st
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2021-22
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$ 5,670.00
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2nd
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Nov 2022
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$ 3,930.00
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3rd
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Apr 2024
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$ 546.00
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If you received a check for less than a share amount listed above, then TAGS fees owed to the Co-op were deducted from your share; once all those fees were deducted, you were sent a check or checks for the remaining amounts.
All uncashed checks from any of the three distributions were voided at the end of September 2024. In an Order entered 1/29/25, the Court ruled that there would be no further Class-wide distributions and that no checks would be reissued to Class members.
12/13/24: Appeal taken by objectors dismissed
An appeal was taken in mid-2023 by objectors from orders denying payment for fees to those objectors’ attorneys, H.W. Graddy & Associates, out of a special grant fund. On December 13, 2024, the Kentucky Court of Appeals issued an Opinion and Order Dismissing the appeal; the objector-appellants did not seek further review of the attorney-fee denial. No fees will be awarded to the objectors’ attorneys.
11/20/24: Settlement Administration completed
After the Court approved the settlement involving the dissolution of the Co-op, the Settlement Administrator maintained a qualified settlement fund account, issued distribution checks, and performed other tasks related to the Class and the settlement. The Settlement Administrator completed these functions, and complied with an Order entered 9/27/24 to close out its administration. See Class Counsel’s 11/20/24 report. In an Order entered 1/29/25, the Court accepted the Settlement Administrator’s accounting for funds it received, confirmed the compensation to it, and discharged it from its Settlement Administrator duties and obligations to the Class, the parties, and the Court.
4/5/24: Special Fund distribution
In the fourth week of October 2023, distribution checks of $453.89 each went out to qualifying Class members who presented on-time, valid elections for this payment from a special Fund (see list by Notice ID). Checks that were still outstanding from this distribution were voided, and the special Fund distribution is over.
9/30/23: Co-op ceases business and ownership
By the end of September 2023, all business of the Co-op had ceased and it no longer held any funds or other assets. The net proceeds from its dissolution — beyond the first two distributions to Class members — were out of the Co-op’s hands and held by others in escrow, subject to the Court’s orders or review about their payment or disposition. Money was set aside for any further expense in completing the Co-op’s dissolution or for representing it in this case. |
