North Toledo residents lining up for payments over the Oct. 20 M.C. Tank chemical release should read every line before they sign — attorneys in one of the proposed class-action lawsuits say signing the wrong paper could mean giving up their future legal rights.

Attorney Mark Skeldon of Skeldon Law, one of four attorneys in the proposed suit, is urging neighbors to know the difference between a receipt and a release. A receipt just documents that money was paid. A release, as he told 13abc, is different: “in accepting this money, you’re giving up something in the future.” He called it “plausible” that residents “would be required to sign a release of all claims.”

His advice: ask for a receipt — not a release — when expenses are paid, keep detailed records of everything, and seek reimbursement for hotels, meals, and lost wages. Residents worried about long-term effects of the chemical exposure should be especially careful. “I think there can’t be accountability without transparency,” Skeldon said. “There are some important details that Toledoans don’t have right now.”

The warning comes as Kenan Advantage Group, the parent company of M.C. Tank Transport, opened a claim hotline for residents (we published a full how-to on filing claims here).

Note: the class-action allegations are not proven and no class has been certified.

Photo: Joe Gratz / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) — file photo