Class Actions

Southern California Agricultural Group

Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten, LLP represent a class composed of Spanish- and Mixteco-speaking persons who signed contracts with defendant Sunrise Growers, Inc. and its sister companies related to growing, harvesting and selling strawberries. 

Plaintiffs allege defendants fraudulently induced them to enter into unconscionable agreements in which plaintiffs leased land from defendants, accepted financing from defendants and agreed to sell their strawberries to defendants exclusively at the going market rates.  Plaintiffs entered into the agreements based on the oral promise that they would make profits in an amount of two to three times the amount of their costs.  Plaintiffs assert that defendants would then manipulate harvesting rates and other market conditions to artificially lower the prices paid to the growers, causing the growers to accumulate insurmountable debt and eventually experience financial ruin.

Among their causes of action, plaintiffs allege defendants misclassified them as "growers" when in fact defendants treated them as employees.  Plaintiffs seek damages and rescission of the growing agreements, which defendant drafted in English and never provided to plaintiffs for independent review or translation.
 
If you have a contract relating to growing, harvesting and selling strawberries with Sunrise Growers, Inc. or others, or have informaition to share, please contact Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten, LLP.
 
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