Leaffilter Class Action

On March 29, 2023, Judge Michael Watson of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted final approval to a $5.2 million nationwide class action settlement negotiated by Goldenberg Schneider and its co-counsel in Zilinksky v. LeafFilter North, LLC, No. 2:20-cv-06229. In the case, plaintiffs alleged that LeafFilter North, LLC (“LeafFilter”) knowingly sold its LeafFilter Gutter System with a defect that cause debris to accumulate on top of the System. Plaintiffs further alleged that the debris accumulation must be cleaned off the top of the system to allow water to enter the gutters.

 

Class members covered by the proposed settlement are those customers that appear in LeafFilter’s customer care database with a Debris-Related Final Issue Code for their service request during the time period from January 1, 2016 through June 24, 2022. Under the Settlement, class members could submit claims for reimbursement of up to $200 in previous debris cleanings, and vouchers for up to three future cleanings (valued at $95 each) to be performed by LeafFilter at no cost. Additionally, if a class member removed their LeafFilter system because of debris accumulation issues, that class member could seek reimbursement for up to $200 for the cost of removal. The deadline for class members to submit claims was October 7, 2022. Further, the Settlement provided a mechanism for LeafFilter to separately pay reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs and Plaintiff service awards such that those payments would not dilute any of the benefits available to the Class.

 

The Court conducted a Final Approval Hearing for March 14, 2023 and determined that the Settlement was fair, reasonable, and adequate. Accordingly, the Court granted final approval to the Settlement.