Hardboard Siding Settlement

LEGAL NOTICE:

If you own or owned a home or structure with Weyerhaeuser hardboard siding, a proposed class action settlement may affect your rights.

A proposed nationwide settlement of class action lawsuits related to Weyerhaeuser brand exterior hardboard siding has been reached in Williams, et al., v. Weyerhaeuser Company. Civil Action No. 995787, and preliminarily approved by the Superior Court of California in and for the County of San Francisco (the "Court"). This Notice is a summary. You may call toll free or visit the website to obtain a Mailed Notice with more information.

The proposed Settlement will pay current and former owners of homes or other structures for damages associated with their Weyerhaeuser hardboard siding.

WEYERHAEUSER HAS AGREED TO PAY ALL TIMELY CLAIMS FOR SIDING DAMAGE THAT QUALIFIES FOR COMPENSATION UNDER THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.

You are a member of the Class if you own or owned a structure in the United States on which Weyerhaeuser brand hardboard siding has been installed from January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1999. The Mailed Notice identifies certain exclusions from the Class including personal injury claims.

How to identify Weyerhaeuser hardboard siding.

You may ask the builder of your property, or remove a piece of the siding to see whether "AHA 10" or "AHA 20" is stamped on the back, or take it to your local building supply store, which may be able to assist you. Weyerhaeuser hardboard siding was made from wood fiber, wax and resin, distributed in both lap (board) and panel (sheet) applications, and was available in various external textures designed to look like conventional wood siding.

How to file a claim.

The Settlement establishes a claims process to pay monetary damages for valid claims for certain damage to siding, including thickness swell, edge checking, physical degradation, buckling, surface welting, swelling, delamination, sponginess, wax bleed, and raised or popped fibers. Siding damage attributable to improper design or installation will be excluded. The Settlement also provides a compensation formula, which will be used to determine how much money, if any, you are entitled to receive.

THERE IS NO CAP ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CLAIMS OR MONETARY DAMAGES TO BE PAID.

The settlement Agreement provides a staggered claims program. Under these guidelines, the later your siding was installed the more time you have to file a claim. The Mailed Notice describes how to prove that your property has Weyerhaeuser hardboard siding. You may call or visit the website to receive the Mailed Notice or request a Claim Form.

The Court will hold a hearing on December 21, 2000, to consider whether to grant final approval to the proposed Settlement and Class Counsel's request for attorneys' fees and costs. The fees will be tied to the total claims paid, but will not reduce any class member's recovery under the Settlement. You have the right to appear at the hearing, although you do not have to.

You may comment on, or object to, the terms of the proposed Settlement by November 13, 2000. The Mailed Notice describes how to submit comments or objections.

If you do not wish to participate in or be bound by the proposed Settlement, you must exclude yourself as described in the Mailed Notice, by November 13, 2000, or you will be barred from prosecuting any legal action against Weyerhaeuser relating to the sealed claims. If you exclude yourself, you may NOT file a claim and you may not receive compensation under the Settlement.

For a Mailed Notice or to request a Claim Form call toll free 1-800-365-0697 or see the website at www.weyerclaims.com. You may also write to Weyerhaeuser Claims, PO. Box 9443, Garden City, NY 1153-9443. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT.