FREMONT, Calif., July 28, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- U-Haul Company of California said today that a Superior Court Judge in Santa Cruz County, California has ruled that the two classes of plaintiffs that sued U-Haul Co. of California and its parent, U-Haul International, Inc., for allegedly improper business practices in connection with their reservation system were entitled to no damages. The lawsuit has been pending for approximately four years and has been assigned, at various times, to a number of different judges. This week's decision was entered by Judge Samuel Stevens of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court after a two-week trial that concluded in April of this year.
The plaintiffs, on behalf of a statewide class of customers who rented or attempted to rent vehicles from U-Haul Co. of California, had sought recovery of the $5 service fee charged in connection with certain rental transactions. A final Judgment has not yet been entered by the Court.
In addition to denying any monetary relief, the Court indicated an intent to order U-Haul Co. of California to stop using the term "confirmed reservation" in connection with its reservation system, as currently constituted. A representative of U-Haul Co. of California indicated that the company would carefully review the Court's Decision and comply with the Court's directive or, if appropriate, modify certain current practices to address the concerns noted by the Court. The spokesperson indicated that no decision would be made regarding any appeal until a final judgment is entered and that analysis was completed.
U-Haul(r) serviced-marked vehicles are rented to the public through more than 15,000 company-owned rental centers and independent dealers located throughout the United States and Canada. More than 93,000 trucks, 80,000 trailers, and 33,000 towing devices bear the U-Haul(r) service mark. In addition, there are more than 1,000 U-Haul(r) storage facilities located throughout the United States and Canada.