IF YOU WANT TO “OPT-OUT” OF THIS CASE, YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS OPT-OUT FORM NO LATER THAN March 20, 2026.

PLEASE READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.

Montana Fourth Judicial District Court—Missoula County 

A Court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer. 

If you paid for “three-yard” or “3 YD” garbage collection or recycling services from Republic Services of Montana in Missoula County at any time from October 19, 2014 to the present, a class action lawsuit may affect your rights. 

• Two businesses that paid for “three yard” or “3 YD” garbage collection service from Republic Services sued Republic, alleging that Republic breached the parties’ contract and made negligent misrepresentations to them by providing “3 YD” dumpsters that measured less than 2.7 cubic yards.  

• The Court has allowed the lawsuit to be a class action on behalf of Republic customers in Missoula County who paid for “three yard” or “3 YD” garbage collection or recycling service from Republic from October 19, 2014 to the present, but were provided dumpsters with an internal volume of less than 2.6 cubic yards. This lawsuit seeks money damages on behalf of the Class. 

• Republic denies the claims alleged in the lawsuit, says that absent a deviation from its policies customers received the garbage collection or recycling services they paid for, and contends Plaintiffs’ claimed damages are inaccurate and inflated. 

• The Court has not determined that Republic did anything wrong. There is no money available now, and no guarantee that there will be. However, your legal rights are affected, and you have a choice to make now. 

• Your options are explained in this notice. To be excluded, you must act before March 20, 2026.  

• Lawyers must prove the claims alleged against Republic before the Court or at a trial, before a jury. If money or other benefits are obtained from Republic, you will be notified about how to ask for a share or how the funds will be distributed. 

• More questions? Read on for the most recent updates to the case, including case documents and dates of future proceedings. 

What Else is in this Notice? 

​

Basic Information 

1. Why did I get this notice? 

If you received a notice in the mail, Republic’s records show that you currently pay for, or previously paid for, “3 YD” garbage collection or recycling services from Republic Services. This notice explains that the Court has allowed, or “certified,” a class action lawsuit that may affect you. You have legal rights and options that you may exercise before the Court holds a trial.  

The trial is to decide whether the claims being made against Republic, on behalf of the class, are correct. Judge Jason Marks of the Montana Fourth Judicial District Court in Missoula County is overseeing this class action. The lawsuit is officially titled LH Residential LLC and Otis Street LLC, both d/b/a MONTANA CRESTVIEW v. Allied Waste Services of North America, LLC, d/b/a REPUBLIC SERVICES OF MONTANA, DV 2022-1172, but is more generally known as Montana Crestview v. Republic Services. 

2. What is this lawsuit about? 

The lawsuit claims that Republic breached its contract with customers and negligently misrepresented the size of some of its dumpsters by providing “3 YD” dumpsters that measured less than 2.7 cubic yards. This lawsuit seeks to obtain money for class members. 

Republic denies the claims alleged in the lawsuit and says that absent a deviation from its policies customers received the garbage collection or recycling services they paid for. Republic also contends Plaintiffs’ claimed damages are inaccurate and inflated. 

The Court has not determined whether the Plaintiffs or Republic is right. The lawyers for the Class will have to prove their claims at trial. 

3. What is a class action and who is involved? 

In a class action lawsuit, one or more people or entities called “Class Representatives” (in this case LH Residential, LLC and Otis Street Residential, LLC) sue on behalf of other people or entities who they assert have similar claims. Together, the people or entities are a “Class” or “Class Members.” The entities who sued—and all the Class Members like them—are called the Plaintiffs. The company the Class Representatives sued (in this case Republic) is called the Defendant. One court resolves the issues for everyone in the Class—except for those people who choose to exclude themselves from the Class. 

 4. Why is this lawsuit a class action?  

At this point in the case, the Court decided that this lawsuit can be a class action and move towards a trial because it meets the requirements of Montana Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which governs class actions in Montana courts. Specifically, the Court found that: 

• There are more than 1300 customers who paid for “3 YD” dumpsters during the class period. 

• There are legal questions and facts that are common to each of them. 

• LH Residential’s and Otis Street’s claims are typical of the claims of the rest of the Class. 

• Attorneys at Parsons Behle & Latimer are the lawyers representing the Class, and along with LH Residential and Otis Street, they will fairly and adequately represent the interests of the Class. 

• The common legal questions and facts are more important than questions that affect only individuals. 

• This class action will be more efficient than having many individual lawsuits. 

The claims in the Lawsuit 

5. What does the lawsuit allege? 

In the lawsuit, the Plaintiffs say that Republic breached its contracts with its customers and negligently misrepresented the size of its “3 YD” dumpsters, because some of Republic’s “3 YD” dumpsters have an internal volume of approximately 2.52 cubic yards, while others have an internal volume of approximately 3 cubic yards. 

You can read the Plaintiffs’ complete Class Action Complaint.  

6. How did Republic respond? 

Republic Services denies the claims alleged in the lawsuit and says that absent a deviation from its policies customers received the garbage collection or recycling services they paid for. Republic also contends Plaintiffs’ claimed damages are inaccurate and inflated. 

7. Has the Court decided who is right? 

No. The Court hasn’t decided whether Republic or the Plaintiffs are correct. By establishing the Class and issuing this Notice, the Court is not suggesting that the Plaintiffs will win or lose this case. The Plaintiffs must prove their claims at a trial, which is not set as of the date of this notice. (See “The Trial” below on page 8.) When a trial is set, information will be provided at this website.  

8. What are the Plaintiffs asking for? 

The Plaintiffs are asking for money damages for class members who paid for “3 YD” garbage collection or recycling service and were provided dumpsters with an internal volume of less than 2.6 cubic yards. They are seeking the difference in what customers paid versus what they allege customers should have paid. They are also asking the Court to consider allowing a jury to consider punitive or exemplary damages, which are designed to deter certain types of behavior. 

9. Am I entitled to money right now? 

No money or benefits are available now because the Court has not yet decided whether Republic did anything wrong, and the two sides have not settled the case. There is no guarantee that money or benefits will ever be obtained. If they are, you will be notified about how to ask for a share or how the funds will be distributed, unless you affirmatively “opt out” of the class action. 

Who is in the Class? 

10. How are the classes defined? 

There are actually two classes—a breach-of-contract class and a negligent misrepresentation class. Here is how the Court defines those two classes: 

Breach-of-Contract Class: All Republic Services customers in Missoula County who paid for “three-yard” dumpster service but were provided one or more dumpsters measuring 2.6 cubic yards or less, at any time from October 19, 2014 until the date the class is provided notice, or until judgment is entered.  

Negligent Misrepresentation Class: All Republic Services customers in Missoula County who paid for “three-yard” dumpster service but were provided one or more dumpsters measuring 2.6 cubic yards or less, at any time from October 19, 2019 until the date the class is provided notice, or until judgment is entered.  

11. What is the difference between the two classes? 

The two classes are asserting different claims, which require Plaintiffs to prove different legal elements. Aside from the different legal elements, a key difference in the claims is the timeframe in which the claims may be asserted. The breach-of-contract class goes back 8 years before the lawsuit started. The negligent misrepresentation class goes back 3 years before the lawsuit started. The difference in timeframe is due to Montana’s laws about the time allowed to bring different types of claims in a lawsuit.  

12. Why do the class definitions refer to dumpsters less than 2.6 cubic yards? 

Republic has several different models of dumpsters it provided to customers who paid for “3 YD” dumpsters. Some of them have an internal volume of approximately three cubic yards. Others have an internal volume of approximately 2.52 cubic yards. Only those customers who were provided the dumpsters with an internal volume of less than 2.6 cubic yards during the relevant time periods are members of the classes. If you were not provided a dumpster less than 2.6 cubic yards, you are not a member of the class.  

13. What if I don’t know what size dumpster I had or currently have? 

That’s OK. The parties are still working through the best method to determine who is in the class. But if you have any pictures of the dumpsters you had at a specific time, please save them. If not, Republic may know whether any dumpster you currently have or have had over the last couple of years is one of the kinds that would make you a member of the class as defined by the Court’s current class certification order. 

Your Rights and Options 

14. What happens if I do nothing? 

You don’t have to do anything now if you want to keep the possibility of getting money or benefits from this lawsuit. By doing nothing you keep your eligibility to be in the Class. If you stay in and the Plaintiffs obtain money or benefits, either because of the trial or a settlement, you will be notified about how to apply for a share. Keep in mind that if you do nothing now, regardless of whether the Plaintiffs win or lose the trial, you will not be able to sue, or continue to sue, Republic about the same legal claims that are the subject of this lawsuit. You will also be legally bound by all the orders the Court issues and judgments the Court makes in this case. 

15. Why would I want to be excluded? 

If you already have your own lawsuit against Republic and want to continue with it; if you are considering your own lawsuit; or if you simply do not want to be a part of this lawsuit, you need to ask to be excluded from the Class. If you exclude yourself from the Class—which also means to remove yourself from the Class, and is also called “opting-out” of the Class—you won’t get any money or benefits from this lawsuit even if the Plaintiffs obtain them as a result of the trial or from any settlement (that may or may not be reached) between Republic and the Plaintiffs. 

If you exclude yourself, you will not be legally bound by the Court’s judgments in this class action. 

If you start your own lawsuit against Republic after you exclude yourself, you’ll have to hire your own lawyer for that lawsuit, and prove your claims. If you do exclude yourself so you can start or continue your own lawsuit against Republic, you should talk to your own lawyer soon, because your claims may be subject to a statute of limitations or other defenses. 

16. How do I ask to be excluded? 

There are two ways to be excluded. The first is to fill out the Exclusion Request Form available here. By completing the Exclusion Request Form and submitting it online, you will exclude yourself from the Class. 

The second is to send a letter to Parsons Behle & Latimer, ATTN: Republic Class Action, P.O. Box 7369, Missoula, MT 59802. Include your name, the name of the entity that appeared on Republic Services’ invoice, and your contact information. If you represent an entity, state that you are entitled to represent that entity in this decision.  

Exclusion requests must be completed online or postmarked by March 20, 2026. 

The Lawyers Representing You 

17. Do I have a lawyer in this case? 

The Court decided that certain lawyers at the law firm of Parsons Behle & Latimer are qualified to represent you and all Class Members. The law firm is referred to as “Class Counsel.” They are experienced in handling similar cases, including class actions. More information about this law firm, their practices, and their lawyers’ experience is available at www.parsonsbehle.com. 

18. Should I get my own lawyer? 

If you intend to stay in the Class, you do not need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel is working on your behalf. But, if you want your own lawyer, you will have to hire that lawyer. For example, you can ask him or her to appear in Court for you if you want someone other than Class Counsel to speak for you.  

19. How will the lawyers be paid? 

If Class Counsel get money or other benefits for the Class, they may ask the Court for an award of attorneys’ fees of  up to 33% of such award or settlement and for reimbursement of all litigation expenses. You won’t have to pay these fees and expenses. If the Court grants Class Counsels’ request, the fees and expenses would be either deducted from any money obtained for the Class or paid separately by Republic. 

The Trial 

The Court has not yet scheduled a trial to decide who is right in this case, but will do so in the coming months. 

20. How and when will the Court decide who is right? 

As long as the case isn’t resolved by a settlement or otherwise, Class Counsel will have to prove the Plaintiffs’ claims at a trial. The trial date is not yet set, but it will be held at the Missoula County Courthouse. During the trial, a jury will hear the evidence to help them reach a decision about whether the Plaintiffs or Defendant are right about the claims in the lawsuit. There is no guarantee that the Plaintiffs will win, or that they will get any money for the Class. 

21. Do I have to come to the trial? 

You do not need to attend the trial. Class Counsel will present the case for the Plaintiffs, and Republic will present the defenses. You or your own lawyer are welcome to attend at your own expense. 

22. Will I get money after the trial? 

If the Plaintiffs obtain money or benefits as a result of the trial or a settlement, you will be notified about how to participate. We do not know how long this will take. 

Exclusion Request Form