Pella Defective ProLine Window Class Action

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided it will not stop the certification of a class action lawsuit against Pella Corporation and Pella Windows and Doors, Inc. involving allegedly defective ProLine windows.

The Pella class action lawsuit alleges that the companies’ ProLine aluminum clad windows have a design defect that allows water to enter the window sash, causing the wood frame beneath the aluminum cladding to rot and forcing homeowners to incur costly window replacement costs. The rotted wood is usually concealed by the aluminum cladding of the ProLine window, which means homeowners may not discover the problems with Pella ProLine windows until the wood is so rotted that it requires a replacement of the entire window and frame.

The Pella ProLine window class action further charges the companies with committing fraud by not admitting these problems.

On May 20, 2010, a Chicago appellate court granted class certification of the Pella ProLine lawsuit. Pella tried to appeal the certification but the U.S. Supreme Court decided on January 18, 2011 that it would not stop the class action lawsuit against Pella.

The Pella ProLine defective window class action lawsuit covers the entire ProLine series of windows, in addition to the “250 Series” and “450 Series” windows sold through major retailers such as Lowe’s. The law firm responsible for bringing the Pella window class action lawsuit is continuing its investigation of Pella’s Architect and Designer Series windows, which were part of the original lawsuit but were not included in the class certification.

The two classes certified in the Pella ProLine class action are a National Class, which includes those whose windows have not manifested the alleged defect and rot, and those whose windows have some wood rot but have not yet been replaced. The second Pella consumer fraud class includes those who have replaced their rotted ProLine windows in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and New York.

A copy of the order affirming the class certification of the Pella Defective ProLine Window Class Action Lawsuit can be found here.

UPDATE: On June 2, 2014, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the Pella window defect class action settlement after finding that its terms were “scandalous” and unfair to Class Members. 

UPDATE 2: On Feb. 8, 2018, after years in court, Pella Corporation agreed to pay close to $26 million to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged a line of its windows leaked and caused wood rot.

UPDATE 3: On March 23, 2018, the revised Pella ProLine windows defect class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.