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FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE
SUMMARY OF the FPE Stab-Lok PROBLEM
FPE HAZARD ARTICLES, STUDIES
FPE Stab-Lok TECHNICAL REPORT
HOW TO IDENTIFY FPE & FP
REPORTS OF FPE FAILURES
HOW TO REPORT FPE INCIDENTS
FPE REPAIR ELECTRICIANS
FPE REPLACEMENT BREAKERS
FPE REPLACEMENT PANELS
FPE REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS
CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ELECTRIC PANEL?
FEDERAL PIONEER in CANADA
FPE Stab-lok: FIRES WAITING TO HAPPEN
ADVICE TO HOME BUYERS w/ FPE PANELS
HOME INSPECTION LANGUAGE for FPE Stab-Lok
IAEI LETTER
FEDERAL PACIFIC ELECTRIC FPE Stab-Lok Class Action

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Photograph of an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel label bottomFederal Pacific Electric FPE Stab-Lok Class Action Settlement
InspectAPedia®  -    

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE AND IS NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT

ATTENTION NEW JERSEY HOMEOWNERS WITH FEDERAL PACIFIC ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Middlesex County

DOCKET NO. L-2904-97

____________________________________________________________

Serag Yacout, Satish Chaudhary and 432 Owners, Inc., on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated,

Federal Pacific Electric Company, Reliance Electric Company,

Defendants                                                                                                    

CLASS ACTION NOTICE

To:      ALL PERSONS OR ENTITIES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WHO CURRENTLY OWN, UTILIZE OR POSSESS ANY CIRCUIT BREAKER SOLD OR MANUFACTURED BY FEDERAL PACIFIC ELECTRIC CO. DURING THE PERIOD 1965 TO 1980, WHICH BEARS LABELING INDICATING THE BREAKER IS "UL LISTED" OR CONTAINS A SIMILAR CERTIFICATION THAT THE BREAKER COMPORTS WITH APPLICABLE UL STANDARDS, AND ANY PERSONS OR ENTITIES WHO HAVE REPLACED SAID BREAKERS SINCE 1991.

1.   Why should I Read This Notice?

If you own Federal Pacific circuit breakers or have replaced Federal Pacific circuit breakers, please read this notice.  It contains important information.  You may be entitled to monetary damage and/or other relief. This Notice arises out of a class action lawsuit pending in New Jersey.  The Court has directed that all claimants and prospective claimants must identify themselves in response to this notice on or before April 20, 2005.  If you do not respond, you will lose your rights.

2.   What Is This Lawsuit About?

This Notice affects many persons who have Federal Pacific circuit breakers.  The Court has already determined that Federal Pacific violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.  The violation occurred because FPE cheated during its testing of circuit breakers in order to obtain Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approval.   The Court has already certified this action as a class action, but in order for your claim to be considered you must act now.  If you qualify as outlined below, you may be entitled to monetary damage and/or other relief.  The relief may include three times the cost of replacing your circuit breakers.

3.  Am I Eligible to Pursue a Claim?

Based on the Court's rulings, you may be eligible to pursue a claim if you meet the following criteria:

·         You own a home or building in the State of New Jersey;

·         You must be the owner at the time that FPE Stab-lok circuit breakers manufactured and sold between June 29, 1971 and July 1, 1980 were installed as original equipment in your home or building; or you had renovations or additions done which included circuit breakers made and sold in that period while you were the owner;

·         The home or building contains original FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers (If you do, the circuit breaker panel box will have the name and logo of Federal Pacific Electric Company and the words Stab-Lok on the breaker panel box) or you replaced the breakers since 1991.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE ANY OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS – you will be able to determine whether you have Federal Pacific Electric Company circuit breakers by looking at the outside of the panel box and/or the inside of the door to the box.  Please note that if your panel box or the circuit breakers within the panel box refer to "Federal Pacific Equipment Inc." it is referring to a different company from Federal Pacific Electric Company.  If you have Federal Pacific Equipment Inc. circuit breakers they are not included in this claim;

·         You are not one of the defendants, any entity in which any of the defendants have a controlling interest, any of the defendants' past or present parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers and directors; or a retail or wholesale dealer who sold Federal Pacific circuit breakers and panel boxes.

4.  What Do I Need To Do To Continue To Pursue a Potential Claim?

If you believe you are eligible to recover and you wish to remain eligible, you must respond to this Notice by completing the coupon form below and mailing it to the FPE Administrator.  THE COMPLETED COUPON MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN APRIL 20, 2005 or you may go directly to www.yacoutclassaction.com to respond to this Notice; if you do so, you must do that by April 20, 2005.   If you fail to DO SO, YOUR CLAIM WILL BE BARRED. 

The FPE Administrator will then mail you an FPE Stab-lok Circuit Breaker Information Form or you can obtain the Information Form on the website.  The completed Information Form and any documentation requested therein must be mailed to the third party administrator AND must be postmarked BY A DATE SPECIFIED THEREIN.  IF YOU FAIL TO submit a complete Information Form BY THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE MATERIALS TO BE FURNISHED, you will be barred from further participating in this litigation. 

Your claim may be subject to verification and investigation, including an inspection of the circuit breaker panel board and giving testimony with respect to your claim. 

5.  Where Do I Get Additional Information?

This Notice provides only a summary of matters regarding the litigation and is not deemed an admission by any party.  You may seek the advice and guidance of your own private attorney, at your own expense, if you wish.  For more detailed information, you may review the pleadings, records, and other papers on file in this litigation, which may be inspected during regular business hours at the Clerk's Office, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, located at One JFK Square, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

If you have any questions regarding this Notice, you can contact class counsel:

Chase Kurshan Herzfeld & Rubin, LLC

5N Regent Street, Suite 508

Livingston, New Jersey  07039-1617

Attn: Lisa Santana

Tel: (973) 535-8840

Email: lsantana@chaselaw.nj.com

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

The Honorable Bryan D. Garruto.

(CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE – PLEASE  PRINT)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FORM

I would like to have an FPE Stab-lok Circuit Breaker Information Form mailed to:

Name:______________________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________

City: ____________________________State ______ Zip Code________

Property Address(es) where FPE Stab-lok circuit breakers are installed (if different from above address)

Address:____________________________________________________

City: ____________________________State ______ Zip Code________

CERTIFICATION: I HEREBY CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY THAT (1) I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A HOME OR PROPERTY WHERE FPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ARE INSTALLED, (2) I CONTINUE TO OWN THE PROPERTY AND (3) THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS TRUE AND CORRECT.

Signature:_____________________________________ Date:___________

MAIL THIS REQUEST TO:

                  Yacout Information Administrator                                                                               P.O. Box 600727                                                                                                               Jacksonville, FL 32260

Or respond via email at http://www.yacoutclassaction.com

This REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FORM must be completed and sent to the FPE Administrator in order to continue to remain a member of the class.  THIS FORM OR YOUR EMAIL RESPONSE MUST BE POSTMARKED OR RECEIVED NO LATER THAN APRIL 20, 2005 in order to maintain any rights you may have.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR
FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE
SUMMARY OF the FPE Stab-Lok PROBLEM
FPE HAZARD ARTICLES, STUDIES
FPE Stab-Lok TECHNICAL REPORT
HOW TO IDENTIFY FPE & FP
REPORTS OF FPE FAILURES
HOW TO REPORT FPE INCIDENTS
FPE REPAIR ELECTRICIANS
FPE REPLACEMENT BREAKERS
FPE REPLACEMENT PANELS
FPE REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS
CANADIAN VERSIONS of FPE Stab-Lok
FPE Stab-lok: FIRES WAITING TO HAPPEN
ADVICE TO HOME BUYERS w/ FPE PANELS
HOME INSPECTION LANGUAGE for FPE Stab-Lok
IAEI LETTER

  • Note: as we didn't add this reviewers list until 2007, this list of technical reviewers is incomplete; we have received comments and suggestions regarding this topic, edits and remarks included, from engineers and management from the US CPSC, electricians (many listed at our page on field reports of FPE failures), home inspectors, licensed electricians, and electrical engineers, and even a few attorneys and real estate agents, since 1986. Technical review, critique, content suggestions, questions, or clarifications are invited and where a contributor wishes, credit and links will be provided to that source. Contact us to provide feedback.
  • Dr. Jess Aronstein, electrical engineer, Poughkeepsie, NY, forensic engineering services, independent laboratory testing for various agencies
  • Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Carson is a home inspection professional, educator, researcher, writer, and a principal of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection and education firm. Mr. Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors
  • Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
  • Carl Grasso, Esq., Herzfeld & Rubin, New York, NY. Mr. Grasso is an attorney who managed a plaintiff's class action litigation against Federal Pacific Electric in New Jersey.
  • William King, US CPSC Director of Electrical Engineering (Ret).
  • Licensed Electricians: FPE Fire and Failure Reports includes electricians who have provided cases and photographs of field failures of FPE equipment at this website.
  • Homeowners, Home Inspectors, Electricians: Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panel Fires and other Failures includes anecdotal field reports provided by a range of contributors including electricians (and some home owners or home inspectors) who have provided cases and photographs of field failures of FPE equipment at this website.

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  • ...
ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR
FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE

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