Lawnmowers Horsepower Ratings Conspiracy

This class action was brought on behalf of all Canadians who purchased a lawnmower containing a gas combustible engine of 30 horsepower or less, that was designed, manufactured and/or sold by any of the defendant companies. It was alleged that the defendants participated in an unlawful conspiracy to raise, fix, maintain or stabilize the price of lawnmowers in Canada, unduly lessen competition, and/or to conduct business contrary to the Competition Act and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

Our lawyers led a nationally coordinated effort that sought to recover the overcharge that class members paid for lawnmowers during the period of January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2012.

Ultimately, after many years of litigation, the case was fully resolved through court-approved settlement agreements with the defendants totaling $7,535,000. A successful notice, claims and distribution process followed resulting in the distribution of the settlement recoveries to eligible class members. Payments were distributed to class members in the spring of 2020 and a residual distribution took place in the fall of 2024. The claims administration concluded with small, court-approved, cy-près payments of the residual settlement funds to two organizations in Canada who advocate for Canadian retailers and consumers.