Law360, New York (January 30, 2015, 6:46 PM ET) – The settlement fund in a consolidated class action brought by property owners alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy to rig auctions of municipal tax liens in New Jersey climbed over $8 million Thursday, after a federal judge gave preliminary approval to settlement deals with three investors and a Florida tax company.

U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp granted the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary settlement with American Tax Funding LLC, along with individual investors Lambros Xethalis, Robert W.