Saltzman v. Pella Corp.

257 F.R.D. 471, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49527, 2009 WL 1637692
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedJune 4, 2009
DocketNo. 06 C 4481
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 257 F.R.D. 471 (Saltzman v. Pella Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Saltzman v. Pella Corp., 257 F.R.D. 471, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49527, 2009 WL 1637692 (N.D. Ill. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JAMES B. ZAGEL, District Judge.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff window owners filed suit individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated against Defendant Pella alleging fraudulent concealment of an inherent product defect. Plaintiffs are owners of structures with Pella ProLine windows, which they allege have an inherent design defect [474]*474“that has or will result in rot of the wood components which reduces the windows’ useful life to as little as three years.” Plaintiffs allege that Defendant manufacturer Pella Corporation and Defendant reseller Pella Windows and Doors, failed to disclose the defect to Plaintiffs prior to their purchase of the windows. According to Plaintiffs, the wood rot resulting from the defect was so widespread that in 2006, Pella created the ProLine Customer Service Enhancement Program (“PSEP”) to compensate customers affected by the defect, however, Pella never informed current customers of the defect or of the PSEP. Plaintiffs further allege that Pella has also failed to inform prospective customers of the defect.

In their first amended complaint, Plaintiffs alleged several counts: (1) violation of consumer fraud statutes, (2) violation of deceptive trade practice acts, (3) fraud by omission, (4) breach of implied warranty of merchantability, (5) unjust enrichment, and (6) declaratory relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201. Plaintiffs’ fourth count was dismissed based on the statute of limitations. Plaintiffs now move to certify the following classes: (1) Rule 23(b)(3) Statutory Consumer Fraud Class (including seven state-specific subclasses)1, (2) Rule 23(b)(3) Unjust Enrichment Class2, (3) Rule 23(b)(2) Declaratory Judgment Class3; they seek to reserve their fraud by omission claim for class certification pending further discovery. [475]*475Plaintiffs also seek individual damages associated with repair and replacement, attorneys’ fees and costs, and injunctive relief compelling Defendants (1) to establish a program to inspect, replace and install defective Pella windows; and (2) to re-audit denied warranty claims based on the defect. In considering Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, I may not conduct a preliminary inquiry into the merits of the underlying claims. Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 177-178, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974). However, I may look beyond the pleadings to determine whether the requirements of Rule 23 are met. Sza-bo v. Bridgeport Mach., Inc., 249 F.3d 672, 677 (7th Cir.2001). In order to proceed as a class action, the Plaintiffs must prove their action meets the four requirements of Rule 23(a) and the requirements of at least one subsection of Rule 23(b). Eisen, 417 U.S. at 163, 94 S.Ct. 2140; see also Calkins v. Fidelity Bond & Mortgage Co., No. 94 C 5971, 1998 WL 719569, at *1, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16144, at *2 (N.D.Ill. Oct. 8, 1998). In order to satisfy the four requirements of Rule 23(a), the representative parties must demonstrate that “(1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.”

In addition to the four express requirements of Rule 23(a), there are two implied requirements: (1) that an identifiable class exists (“definiteness”), and (2) that the named representatives are members of the class. LeClercq v. Lockformer Co., No. 00 C 7164, 2001 WL 199840, at *2, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2115, at *5 (N.D.Ill. Feb. 28, 2001). A class can be properly identified so long as it is defined by objective criteria. Id. at *2, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2115, at *5-6. This criteria must make it administratively feasible for the court to determine whether a particular individual is a class member. Curtis v. Voss, 73 F.R.D. 580, 582 (N.D.I11.1976); see also 7 Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, § 1760, at 120-121 (1972).

Plaintiffs have proposed several alternative class structures. For the following reasons, I grant, in part, Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification, certifying the following classes: (1) a Rule 23(b)(2) declaratory judgment class for all class members whose windows have not manifested the alleged defect and whose windows have some wood rot but have not yet been replaced; and (2) a Rule 23(b)(3) statutory consumer fraud class, consisting of the following six state subclasses: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, for all members whose windows have exhibited wood rot and who have replaced the affected windows. I am denying Plaintiffs’ motion to certify an unjust enrichment class.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Rule 23(a) Requirements

1. Implied Requirements

“While the class does not have to be so ascertainable that every potential member can be specifically identified at the commencement of the action, the description of the class must be sufficiently definite so that it is administratively feasible for the court to ascertain whether a particular individual is a [476]*476member.” Joseph v. General Motors Corp., 109 F.R.D. 635, 639 (D.Colo.1986); see also Foumigault v. Independence One Mortgage Corp., 234 F.R.D. 641, 644 (N.D.I11.2006). Defendants claim that Plaintiffs have not adequately set forth identifiable classes, arguing that (1) the majority of Pella’s sales are to builders and contractors, and even if an independently-owned distributor has records of the end-user’s address, Pella cannot access these records; and (2) Pella is unable to identify end purchasers from its sales to retail stores. Defendants maintain that because Pella records do not identify most class members, individual inquiry would be required to verify that particular class members have the windows in question.

There is some evidence that Pella and its distributors keep some records of purchasers and warranty claims data. Where Pella’s records may be insufficient, provision of notice can supplement class identification efforts. Notice by publication has been used in cases where potential class member names were confidential or impracticable to ascertain. See In re Warfarin Sodium Antitrust Litig., 391 F.3d 516, 536-537 (3d Cir.2004) (Where class members were consumers of a prescription drug, and names and addresses of these consumers were confidential and not available to parties, notice by publication combined with call center and website was sufficient notice to identify class members.); Macarz v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 201 F.R.D. 54, 59 (D.Conn.2001) (notice by publication used where circumstances “make it impracticable to gain the names and addresses of class members and notify them individually of the action’s pendency”); Mirfasihi v. Fleet Mortg. Corp., 356 F.3d 781, 786 (7th Cir.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
257 F.R.D. 471, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49527, 2009 WL 1637692, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saltzman-v-pella-corp-ilnd-2009.