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Abitibi/ABTco Class Action - FAQ's
1. How long does the claims process usually take? It varies. depending upon claim volume, it can take 3-5 months from start to finish. Timing will also depend upon how complete the claim for is upon submission.
2. Do I have to go through a 3rd Party company or a Claim Filing Service in order to file a claim? No. Use of a claim service or 3rd Party Organization is optional for the homeowner. It is not necessary to go through a 3rd Party company in order to complete this claims process. This claims process is designed for all homeowners to complete on their own. Our Customer Support Office is available, if necessary, to answer any questions you may have at 1-800-549-4465, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday
3. How long do I have to file my claim? Class members have 25 years to file a claim after the siding was installed. For example, you have until 2025 when the settlement ends to file a claim for siding installed in 2000.
4. How can my claim qualify for "priority" status? A claim can qualify for "priority" status if one of the following applies:
5. How soon will my claim be processed under "priority" status? Claims that are given "priority" status are processed as soon as possible.
6. I have replaced/repaired/covered up my siding with other siding; can I still file a claim? It depends. In order to file a claim under the Abitibi/ABTco Class Action, the siding must be on the structure and it must be available for inspection when the inspector arrives. You cannot submit a claim for siding you have replaced. You can submit a claim for siding you have not replaced.
7. I just submitted additional information requested by the Customer Support Office, how long does this additional information take to process? All new information that is received for your claim is processed in the order in which it is received. Per the terms of the Settlement Agreement, up to 45 days are allowed to process all incoming claims and additional information that you may have sent in.
8. If I elect to send in the $50 for Proof of Product, does this expedite my claim? No. Claimants have the option to send in $50 as "Proof of Product" (see claim form, Section D). This $50 pays for the independent inspector to identify the product on your home. Claims are processed in the order they are received. (If you have the ABTco siding, your $50 will be refunded).
9. Who performs the inspections? All inspections are performed by a Court approved independent inspection company, called Louisiana Pacific Corp. All Louisiana Pacific Corp inspectors carry credentials identifying themselves as being from Louisiana Pacific Corp.
10. Will I be notified when my claim is being sent to inspection? No, our Customer Service Support Office is strictly an in-bound Call Center and we are unable to contact each homeowner to inform when their claim is being sent to the independent inspector. Please contact us at 1-800-549-4465 to check the status of your claim.
11. Will I be notified when my home is to be inspected? Yes, if you checked the box on the claim form requesting to be present, you will be contacted by the independent inspector. If you are unable to be reached, it may delay the inspection.
12. My home was just inspected - when will I receive the results? Results will be mailed approximately 45-75 days after the inspection has taken place.
13. What is the first thing I should do if I am dissatisfied with my initial inspection results? You have the option to reject the results of your initial inspection and request a second inspection no later than 30 days following your receipt of the first inspection results. To obtain a second inspection, you must: (a) submit it to the Customer Support Office in writing, clearly rejecting the first settlement results, and request a second inspection. All persons included on the claim must sign the request; and (b) you must return the Damage Payment check to the Customer Support Office. If the Damage Payment does not exceed $150, a personal check made out to Abitbi/ABTco Class Action, must be included to make up the difference. After the second inspection, the Damage Payment will be calculated based on whichever of the two inspections results in the greater award. For example, if the Damage Payment of the first inspection was $1000 and the Damage Payment after the second inspection was $500, you would receive the Damage Payment based on the results of the first inspection, i.e. $1000. Note: If you do request a 2nd inspection, you will receive the greater amount between the 1st and 2nd inspections - no matter what. However, if the 2nd inspection isn't 25% greater than the 1st inspection, you will pay $150 for that inspection. That fee is waived if the 2nd inspection result is 25% greater than the 1st inspection result.
14. What if I disagree with my age and paint deductions? The age and paint deductions are required by the Settlement Agreement. The age deduction is calculated by the installation date of the siding. If you disagree with the age or paint deductions applied to your payment, you must notify the Claim Support Office and submit evidence that supports other or additional dates. Please provide one of the following to show as valid proof to support any new paint dates you've given:
15. When am I eligible to file additional claims? Claimants are eligible to file an additional claim 12 months from the date your first claim form was complete. Please contact our Customer Support office at 1-800-549-4465 to find out when you are eligible. You are eligible to file a total of six claims over the 25-Year settlement period.
16. What does "legal/physical address match" mean? We are attempting to make a connection between the street address (i.e.: 123 Main Street) and the legal address (i.e.: Block 1, Lot 34, SW Corner 43 degrees, etc.). Property deeds include the legal address, but typically do not list out the physical address as well. We are looking for additional documentation that shows your actual street, or "physical" address as well as your property's legal location. See below for a list of documents that will provide such proof:
17. What do I do if I am confused by the claim process, or have a problem or question? You should first contact the Customer Support Office at (800) 549-4465. If they cannot help, contact the attorneys for the homeowners as follows: Charles R. Watkins in Chicago, Illinois at (312) 878-8391 (email address: cwatkins@gseattorneys.com) or M. Stephen Dampier in Fairhope, Alabama at 251-929-0900 (email address: stevedampier@dampierlaw.com).
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Updated 4/01/2011 |
