Legal Lethargy

Yesterday I received the envelope "Important Legal Documents Enclosed". I have a file three inches thick of these things - Securities Litigation notices. I used to diligently read them, find my old trade confirmations and statements, fill out the form completely, copy all the items, package them up and send them in. Now - based on the amount of the check I receive (sometimes 3-5 years later), I have typically just "given up".

This one takes the cake - it is Household Securities Litigation for stock purchased March 23, 2001 thru October 11, 2002. GIVE ME A BREAK - 10 years ago! Luckily, I have some old Schwab software that I still use - e.Schwab. I have never converted for the very reason of being able to search all my activity since March 25, 1987. For this litigation I don't apply as my trades were in 1996-1999.

The last litigation check I received was for Learnout & Hauspie on November 23, 2010 for $30.21. I'm not sure the $30.21 even covered my copying and postage costs. My activity on this one was from 1997 -2000 with losses in the thousands. I still have some actual certificates based on the litigation settlement and buy out of Kurzweil Applied Intelligence that I initially bought 3/8/1994. I still even own Nuance which today owns the original intellectual capital and Dragon Systems. Talk about being married to a high tech idea and never giving it up - ugh!

Those legal notices just keep coming and coming - later and later. Stay tuned - I just got a postcard for a NIVIDIA settlement for PC's purchased in 2006. This one may be worth the trouble.