Announcements

Manville: Temporary Policy Update Extension – COVID 2019

Temporary Policy Changes Regarding (a) Release Signatures and (b) Enforcement of Time Limitations

The Trustees of the Manville Trust are aware that these are difficult and unusual times. Some filers may not be able to meet the requirements for certain Trust claims due to illness, quarantine or shelter in place orders. Therefore, the Trust has extended the prior deadline from March 31, 2020 through December 30, 2021. The following temporary policies will be in place.

    • For releases generated prior to the changes on March 26, 2020, a release document may be signed by the Injured Party or Personal Representative (when the injured party is deceased) and one witness who may be related by blood or marriage.

    • The timeframe for responding to notices of offer, deficiency, deactivation, and withdrawal has been tolled.

    • The statute of limitations period for filing a claim is tolled.

These policy changes are the result of the current pandemic crisis and are designed to provide temporary measures to assure claimants that claims handling will continue during the crisis.

Permanent Policy Changes Regarding Electronic Signatures:

    • The Trust will accept any document requiring a signature that has been signed utilizing DocuSign or other electronic signature software provided the law firm has an electronic filer agreement on file with CRMC.

The Trust is added language to the end of the release on March 26, 2020 so the release need not be notarized or witnessed.

Manville: Temporary Policy Update Extension – COVID 2019

Temporary Policy Changes Regarding (a) Release Signatures and (b) Enforcement of Time Limitations

The Trustees of the Manville Trust are aware that these are difficult and unusual times. Some filers may not be able to meet the requirements for certain Trust claims due to illness, quarantine or shelter in place orders. Therefore, the Trust has extended the prior deadline from March 31, 2020 through November 30, 2021. The following temporary policies will be in place.

    • For releases generated prior to the changes on March 26, 2020, a release document may be signed by the Injured Party or Personal Representative (when the injured party is deceased) and one witness who may be related by blood or marriage.

    • The timeframe for responding to notices of offer, deficiency, deactivation, and withdrawal has been tolled.

    • The statute of limitations period for filing a claim is tolled.

These policy changes are the result of the current pandemic crisis and are designed to provide temporary measures to assure claimants that claims handling will continue during the crisis.

Permanent Policy Changes Regarding Electronic Signatures:

    • The Trust will accept any document requiring a signature that has been signed utilizing DocuSign or other electronic signature software provided the law firm has an electronic filer agreement on file with CRMC.

The Trust is added language to the end of the release on March 26, 2020 so the release need not be notarized or witnessed.

CET: Certificate of Capacity Forms

NOTICE FROM THE C.E. Asbestos Thurston TRUST SEPTEMBER 29, 2021: The C.E. Thurston Asbestos Trust (“CET”) adopts the following two forms related to the certificate of capacity requirement.  If required, a claim’s certificate of capacity requirement may be satisfied by the submission of the following two forms, available on the CET website:

    • Law Firm/Attorney’s Representations Affirming Official Representative’s Authority
    • Affidavit of Decedent’s Representative

For more information, please reference the Personal Verification Form on the CET website or contact CRMC at Inquiry@claimsres.com. 

Manville: Temporary Policy Update Extension – COVID 2019

Temporary Policy Changes Regarding (a) Release Signatures and (b) Enforcement of Time Limitations

The Trustees of the Manville Trust are aware that these are difficult and unusual times. Some filers may not be able to meet the requirements for certain Trust claims due to illness, quarantine or shelter in place orders. Therefore, the Trust has extended the prior deadline from March 31, 2020 through October 31, 2021. The following temporary policies will be in place.

    • For releases generated prior to the changes on March 26, 2020, a release document maybe signed by the Injured Party or Personal Representative (when the injured party is deceased) and one witness who may be related by blood or marriage.
    • The timeframe for responding to notices of offer, deficiency, deactivation, and withdrawal has been tolled.
    • The statute of limitations period for filing a claim is tolled.

These policy changes are the result of the current pandemic crisis and are designed to provide temporary measures to assure claimants that claims handling will continue during the crisis.

Permanent Policy Changes Regarding Electronic Signatures:

    • The Trust will accept any document requiring a signature that has been signed utilizing DocuSign or other electronic signature software provided the law firm has an electronic filer agreement on file with CRMC.

The Trust is added language to the end of the release on March 26, 2020 so the release need not be notarized or witnessed.

CET Updated COVID-19 Policy

The Trust’s temporary COVID-19 policy expires on September 30, 2021.  Please see the Trust’s Updated Policy on Signature and Release Requirements for information regarding the use of electronic authentication programs and other means of document authentication.

Statute of Limitation. At this time, the Trust will continue to enforce deadlines for the filing of claims set forth in the Trust documents. However, in recognition of the inability of many claimants to file their claim on a timely basis as a result of circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust will extend the applicable limitation period through September 30, 2021 for claims whose limitation period expires on or after March 20, 2020.

Offers. The Trust recognizes the inability of many claimants, as a result of circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to respond to offers in the time frame required. As such, where the time to respond to an offer expires on or after March 20, 2020 the Trust will extend the time through September 30, 2021.

Affidavit. In light of current guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trustee recognizes that some claimants may not have access to a notary. The Trust may accept the signature of one witness (related or unrelated) as reliable authentication of an affidavit if the affidavit was executed and submitted to the Trust during the period from March 20, 2020 through September 30, 2021. The Trust will also accept the authentication of affidavits through DocuSign or similar Trust authorized electronic signature program, provided that documentation of the electronic signature history and a certificate from the electronic signature program is submitted with the affidavit. The Trust reserves the right to request supplemental documentation at a later date.

Releases. In light of current guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trustee recognizes that some claimants may not have access to a notary or to two unrelated witnesses for the authentication of releases. The Trust may accept the signature of one witness (related or unrelated) as reliable authentication of a release if the release was executed and submitted to the Trust during the period from March 20, 2020 through September 30, 2021. The Trust will also accept releases executed using DocuSign or similar Trust authorized electronic signature program. If the claimant utilizes DocuSign or a similar Trust authorized electronic signature program, documentation of the electronic signature history and a certificate from the electronic signature program must be provided with the release. The Trust reserves the right to request supplemental documentation at a later date.

NARCO: NARCO Asbestos Trust Notice of Holders of Annual Contribution Claims Timing of Payments

The NARCO Asbestos Trust (the “Trust”) will pay holders of Annual Contribution Claims on a monthly basis starting in August 2021 as a result of the Trust’s receipt of dividends paid on the Trust’s holdings of 79% of the stock of Harbison Walker International (“HWI”) and from investments of the dividends.

When the Trust exhausts those funds, the Trust will pay holders of Annual Contribution Claims based on the schedule and process in Section 2.3 (c) of the NARCO Asbestos Trust Agreement.

Manville: Temporary Policy Update Extension – COVID 2019

Temporary Policy Changes Regarding (a) Release Signatures and (b) Enforcement of Time Limitations

The Trustees of the Manville Trust are aware that these are difficult and unusual times. Some filers may not be able to meet the requirements for certain Trust claims due to illness, quarantine or shelter in place orders. Therefore, the Trust has extended the prior deadline from March 31, 2020 through September 30, 2021. The following temporary policies will be in place.

    • For releases generated prior to the changes on March 26, 2020, a release document may be signed by the Injured Party or Personal Representative (when the injured party is deceased) and one witness who may be related by blood or marriage.

    • The timeframe for responding to notices of offer, deficiency, deactivation, and withdrawal has been tolled.

    • The statute of limitations period for filing a claim is tolled.

These policy changes are the result of the current pandemic crisis and are designed to provide temporary measures to assure claimants that claims handling will continue during the crisis.

Permanent Policy Changes Regarding Electronic Signatures:

    • The Trust will accept any document requiring a signature that has been signed utilizing DocuSign or other electronic signature software provided the law firm has an electronic filer agreement on file with CRMC.

The Trust is added language to the end of the release on March 26, 2020 so the release need not be notarized or witnessed.

NARCO: COVID-19 Policy Update

SECOND NOTICE: 34 DAYS UNTIL EXPIRATION
  
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Expiration of Temporary COVID-19 Policy
NARCO Asbestos Trust
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Effective August 31, 2021, extension of the statute of limitations and deferral periods under the Temporary COVID-19 Policy will end. The full notice can be reviewed at: https://www.claimsres.com/wp-content/uploads/NARCO-June-Notice-re-COVID-19-Final-for-Implementation.pdf

NOTHING IN THIS COMMUNICATION IS LEGAL ADVICE OR MAY BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. EACH CLAIMANT OR CLAIMANT’S COUNSEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING WHAT IT MUST DO TO COMPLY WITH THE NARCO TRUST’S FILING REQUIREMENTS.

As the expiration of the COVID extension approaches, please note the Trust’s submission and documentation requirements to toll the running of the applicable statute of limitations for a claim based on a filing with the NARCO Asbestos Trust.  These requirements can be found in paragraph 1 of page 2 of the Supplemental Notice of NARCO Asbestos Trust Filing Deadlines – 11/7/16 document (http://www.claimsres.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Notice-re-NARCO-Filing-Deadline-Requirements.pdf).

If you are uncertain whether a given claim has provided sufficient documentation and/or Proof of Claim Form information to toll the running of the applicable statute of limitations for a claim based on the filing with the Trust, you can confirm using the Claimant Locator feature in eClaims. The search results page contains a column “SOL Tolling Dt”. If no date appears under that column heading, the claim has not yet provided all the required information.

If you have additional questions, you may contact CRMC     through the message board, by email at NARCOInquiry@claimsres.com, or by telephone at 1-800-536-2722 or 703-204-9300.

Additional information regarding claims filing procedures and statute of limitations can be found on the Trust’s website.

NARCO: COVID-19 Policy Update

NOTICE FROM THE NARCO ASBESTOS TRUST
June 16, 2021

The NARCO Asbestos Trust adopts the following Notice effective July 1, 2021 (which replaces and supersedes the Trust’s Notice dated April 21, 2021):

In the March 23, 2020 Notice, the Trust tolled the statute of limitations and deferral periods for 90 days. In the June 24, 2020 Notice, the Trust resumed the running of the statute of limitations and deferral periods, but extended those deadlines through August 17, 2020, and further by subsequent Notices through June 30, 2021. Please take notice that, effective August 31, 2021, extension of the statute of limitations and deferral periods will end. For the avoidance of doubt, claims that became untimely during the extension periods (with consideration of the 90-day tolling period, if applicable) will be barred if not filed by August 31, 2021 at 11:59pm EDT. Also, claims that exhausted the permitted three-year deferral time during the extension periods (with consideration of the 90-day tolling period, if applicable) will be deemed to have been withdrawn per Section 5.3 of the TDP on August 31, 2021.           

    NOTE: THE TRUST WILL GRANT NO FURTHER EXTENSIONS OF THE AUGUST 31, 2021 DEADLINE. IF YOU HAVE A CLAIM IMPLICATED BY THIS NOTICE, YOU MUST FILE THAT CLAIM (FOR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS PURPOSES) OR DEAL WITH THAT CLAIM (FOR DEFERRAL PURPOSES) BY NO LATER THAN AUGUST 31, 2021 AT 11:59PM EDT.

Effective July 1, 2021, the Trust will end its temporary suspension of any requirement that certain documents submitted to the Trust be notarized. The Trust notes that a statement under penalty of perjury consistent with applicable state or federal law (whether styled as a non-notarized affidavit, sworn statement, declaration, or statement under penalty of perjury) will continue to be permitted wherever a sworn affidavit is permissible or required. For more information, see the NARCO Asbestos Trust Website for Frequently Asked Questions – “Claim Filing and Review – What is required for a document, such as an affidavit, declaration, deposition, or interrogatory, to be acceptable for consideration in support of NARCO exposure?”

Effective July 1, 2021, the Trust will end the temporary suspension of any requirement that a document be witnessed by more than one person or by a person unrelated to the signatory set forth in the Trust’s various Notices. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust does not require and has not required that documents be witnessed by more than one person or by a person unrelated to the signatory.

Effective July 1, 2021, the Trust will accept documents signed via DocuSign or another commercially reasonable e-signature program provided the claimant’s law firm has entered an electronic filer agreement with CRMC.