City residents brought putative class action against city alleging that city charged unlawful rates and fees for water and wastewater services.
The Court of Common Pleas denied residents’ motion to certify class. Residents appealed. The Ninth District Court of Appeals reversed and remanded. The city appealed, and the Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court held that trial court conducted requisite rigorous analysis of requirements for class certification.
Trial court conducted requisite rigorous analysis of requirements for class certification, in city residents’ putative class action alleging that city charged unlawful rates for water and wastewater services, although trial court’s decision would have been clearer if it had stated that it was considering each requirement for class certification by assuming arguendo that other requirements were satisfied; court thoroughly considered each of seven requirements for class certification, court was not required to include that it was assuming arguendo that other requirements were met, omitting that statement did not negate otherwise rigorous analysis, and trial court’s decision made clear that it had considered requirements as if initial requirement for identifiable, unambiguously defined class was met.