What is the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center (CPRC)?
What is the COX vs. Shell Oil et al. Settlement?
How was the public notified about this program?
Could you explain the Cox Settlement?
What needs to be provided to CPRC to provide adequate verification of the Installation Date of the PB Plumbing System?
What will I recover under the Settlement if I am eligible?
What is a Polybutylene Plumbing System as defined by the Class?
How do I know if I have Polybutylene inside my house?
What is a leak and how do I know if I have one inside my house?
How is a leak verified?
I have had a leak in my home. How do I receive recovery?
How long does it take to receive the Claim Eligibility Form in the mail?
The leak(s) at my property is minor. Should the leak(s) be reported to the CPRC?
What do I do if I have a current leak in my yard line?
We currently have a leak(s) at our property. Will CPRC send a plumbing company to perform the repairs to the leak(s)?
I have already replumbed my home at my own expense. Can I still file a claim?
I have polybutylene plumbing, but I have not had any leaks, am I entitled to anything?
I have not had any leaks. Do I need to register my name and address with the CPRC in case I do have a leak in the future?
Do I have to currently own the property to make claim for repairs that were made during my ownership?
I'm in the process of purchasing a house with PB, and the current owner had a leak last year. Can I file a claim on the previous owners leak once I own the home?
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What is the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center (CPRC)?
The Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center (CPRC) is a third party administrator. It is a claim handling facility established as a not-for-profit corporation approved by the court to administer the terms of COX vs. Shell, et al. national class action Settlement.
CPRC is required to disburse benefits in strict accordance with the Settlement Agreement reached among the parties. The primary function of the Company is to maintain and properly administer the approximately $1 billion fund created by the Settlement. The CPRC handles claims and manages the Settlement Fund for and under the continuing supervision of the Court.
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What is the COX vs. Shell Oil et al. Settlement?
The Settlement is a national class action settlement involving certain polybutylene plumbing systems and polybutylene yard service lines installed between January 1, 1978 through July 31, 1995. The Settlement provides for the disbursement of a billion dollar fund to claimants who qualify under the terms of the Settlement Agreement.
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How was the public notified about this program?
Several Legal Notices in the media announced the class action to the American public. It is important to understand that "notice", as it applies to class action litigation, does not mean notice to each and every individual Class Member, but rather, to the community. Since this is a national class action, the community is the entire United States. As with many legal notices, Cox depended on national and local media to reach members of the Class. This involved advertising in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and even the Internet. Additionally, there has been extensive free publicity in the form of news articles in and public service announcements by the media. Notices have appeared in trade journals and other periodicals such as newsletters published by homeowner associations. In addition to the above, there have been many media articles on polybutylene and Cox vs. Shell Oil. This has included such TV programs as Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. Articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and others. Reporters from many newspapers, TV stations, and magazines, some large, some from small cities, have interviewed CPRC personnel. The Court concluded the Cox notice program was "…one of the most comprehensive class action campaigns ever undertaken."
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Could you explain the Cox Settlement?
Claimants may be eligible for a replumb (replacement of the plumbing system) or yard service line replacement at no charge and/or certain Leak Expense reimbursement if they:
- Presently own or have previously owned a home plumbed with a polybutylene plumbing system or a polybutylene yard service line which was installed between January 1, 1978 through July 31, 1995, and
- The homeowner has experienced a Qualifying Leak.
- The leak deadline for mobile home and yard service claims expired 7/31/2005.
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What needs to be provided to CPRC to provide adequate verification of the Installation Date of the PB Plumbing System?
If actual original installation documentation cannot be provided, CPRC requires a form of verification to be provided. The original Certificate of Occupancies, Building or Plumbing Permits, First Settlement Statement or Deed, and information from the original water authority showing the original activation date would be forms of documentation that can be provided to CPRC. Please note that the above documentation will be required for each individual building in a multi building property.
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What will I recover under the Settlement if I am eligible?
The Settlement offers to eligible claimants the ACV (actual cash value) for damages to tangible property from leaks, reimbursement of out of pocket expenses from leaks, and in some cases replacement of the PB Plumbing System or Yard Service line.
The Settlement does not cover water bills, lost time from work, tenant related expenses, bodily injury or pain and suffering.
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What is a Polybutylene Plumbing System as defined by the Class?
That portion of any potable water distribution system with an Installation Date between January 1, 1978 and July 31, 1995, which is within a structure and is composed of Polybutylene Pipe with acetal or metal insert fittings (or any combination thereof). PB Plumbing System does not include PB Yard Service Line.
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How do I know if I have Polybutylene inside my house?
Examine the plumbing system anywhere there is accessible plumbing in the home such as under kitchen and bathroom sinks, at the water heater, in a crawlspace or attic. Please refer to the photos section of our website for photos of polybutylene plumbing systems.
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What is a leak and how do I know if I have one inside my house?
A leak is a verifiable failure in a component of a PB Plumbing System that leads to unwanted discharge of water. A leak inside a home could manifest itself by visible water damage in walls, floors or ceilings. An increase in water usage may also indicate an unseen leak.
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How is a leak verified?
Adequate verification of a claimed leak will need to be provided. Plumbing repair receipts, work orders, photographs of the leak and/or repair and the actual failed part of the PB Plumbing System are adequate forms of verification of a leak in the PB Plumbing system.
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I have had a leak in my home. How do I receive recovery?
Complete a Claim Eligibility Form online or manually complete a printed copy and mail it to CPRC
Or request a Claim Eligibility Form from the CPRC by calling 1-800-392-7591 or by writing to CPRC at PO Box 869006, Plano, TX 75086-9006. When received by the CPRC, the form will be reviewed to determine if the home is eligible for recovery under the Cox Settlement.
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How long does it take to receive the Claim Eligibility Form in the mail?
The claim forms are mailed every day using first class postage. Allow approximately 7-10 days to receive the form.
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The leak(s) at my property is minor. Should the leak(s) be reported to the CPRC?
Any plumbing leak(s) in a PB plumbing system, regardless of severity, should be reported to the CPRC for evaluation.
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What do I do if I have a current leak in my yard line?
The lead deadline for mobile home and yard service claims expired 7/31/2005. Click here to see the leak eligibility periods and filing deadlines.
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We currently have a leak(s) at our property. Will CPRC send a plumbing company to perform the repairs to the leak(s)?
CPRC will not send a plumbing company to perform repair work. You will need to repair the leaks and retain all pertinent verification that such a leak was experienced in the PB Plumbing System.
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I have already replumbed my home at my own expense. Can I still file a claim?
Yes, you may be entitled to a full or partial reimbursement on your out of pocket expense.
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I have polybutylene plumbing, but I have not had any leaks, am I entitled to anything?
No, per the terms of the Settlement, the home must incur a leak to be eligible for recovery.
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I have not had any leaks. Do I need to register my name and address with the CPRC in case I do have a leak in the future?
No, it is not necessary to contact the CPRC unless the structure has a polybutylene leak inside the structure.
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Do I have to currently own the property to make claim for repairs that were made during my ownership?
As long as you are an eligible Class Member, you do not currently have to own and/or occupy the property to claim for expenses incurred during the ownership period.
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I'm in the process of purchasing a house with PB, and the current owner had a leak last year. Can I file a claim on the previous owners leak once I own the home?
No, For a Class Member to receive relief as an Eligible Claimant, the Qualifying Leak(s) or Qualifying Yard Service Leak(s) must occur in the Unit during the Claimant's ownership of that Unit.
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