A class action lawsuit against Pella Corp. alleges that its Pro-Line aluminum-clad windows are defective and lead to premature damage, resulting in inconvenient and costly repairs for customers. Allegedly, the windows can cause premature wood rot and other forms of damage because the design of the windows allows water to become trapped behind the aluminum classing. Pella sold more than 6 million windows between 1992 and 2010.
Law360 reports that U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel approved a $90 million settlement to resolve the litigation last April. However, the settlement was dismantled by the Seventh Circuit in June. The court also decided to replace the current class counsel. Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm with decades of experience in product liability litigation, has been suggested for the role.
Pella has been receiving negative attention over its allegedly faulty windows and poor customer service. A number of customers report being blamed for the window’s defects when they contacted the company for assistance, The Star Tribune reported earlier this year. This was the case with Mary Kaden. Four years ago, she noticed some damage that she attributed to regular wear-and-tear. She realized how serious the problem was when she opened one of the windows and a chunk of rotted sash fell out. Kaden told Star Tribune that when she contacted Pella she “got a lot of push back,” when she asked for a free replacement of the worse window. Pella would not honor the 10-year warranty for her 13-year old windows. Kaden says she was made to feel at fault when speaking with a customer service representative. “I felt like the worse homeowner. Like I did something wrong,” she told Star Tribune.
