$900K Prestige Feed Products Noxious Odor Nuisance Settlement, Do You Live Close Enough to Qualify? June 20 is Deadline to File a Claim

The Prestige Feed Products odor class action settlement is a $900,000 Illinois state court settlement where eligible residents who lived within half a mile of the Prestige Feed facility in Mount Prospect can receive a cash payment by filing a claim before June 20, 2026. Prestige Feed LLC and Cereal Byproducts Co., Inc. agreed to this settlement after years of complaints that their animal feed plant blanketed surrounding neighborhoods in a burnt-cheese stench. The settlement is pending final court approval at a fairness hearing on July 21, 2026.

Prestige Feed Settlement: Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$900,000
Claim Deadline	June 20, 2026 (postmarked)
Who Qualifies	Owners, occupants, or renters of any residential property within 0.5 miles of 431 N. Lakeview Court, Suite A, Mount Prospect, IL, at any time since March 2019
Payout Per Person	TBD — pro-rata based on total valid claims submitted; one payment per address
Proof Required	Yes — documentation varies for owners vs. renters (see claim form)
Settlement Status	Proposed — Fairness Hearing July 21, 2026
Class Counsel	Liddle Sheets P.C. and Marshall P. Whalley & Associates P.C.
Official Website	www.LSCCounsel.com/prestige
Last Updated	May 14, 2026

Current Status of the Prestige Feed Settlement

• Cook County Circuit Court Judge Myron Mackoff preliminarily approved the settlement and authorized the class notice.
• The opt-out and objection deadline is June 5, 2026 — earlier than the claim deadline.
• The final fairness hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois.
• Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after all valid claim forms are reviewed.

What Is the Prestige Feed Lawsuit About? Stillmaker and Merza v. Prestige Feed Products LLC and Cereal Byproducts Co., Inc., Case No. 2024 CH 01504

If you lived near the Kensington Business Center in Mount Prospect, you know exactly what this lawsuit is about. Since Prestige Feed opened in 2019, neighbors in Longford Glen and surrounding areas in Des Plaines and Mount Prospect complained of a powerful, persistent smell — described overwhelmingly as burnt cheese — that made it impossible to be outdoors, sleep with windows open, or have people over.

Lead plaintiff Mary Beth Stillmaker said it plainly: “I can no longer enjoy my backyard nor have company over because the pollution smell is overwhelming when the wind blows our way.” Fellow plaintiff Sargon Merza added that the industrial fan noise ran through the night. Residents filed more than 1,400 formal complaints. The Illinois Attorney General’s office also sued Prestige separately, citing IEPA inspections that recorded odor readings in the 60s on a scale where the normal threshold is 7 or 8. Prestige makes animal feed by dehydrating raw soy and cheese-based materials — a process that generated strong concentrations of butyric acid, an organic compound responsible for rancid odors.

The class action, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division, alleges the odors constituted a private nuisance — a legal claim that arises when one party’s use of property unreasonably interferes with a neighbor’s ability to use and enjoy their own. The lawsuit also alleged airborne emissions and air contaminants caused ongoing harm to residents. Prestige and its co-defendant Cereal Byproducts Co., Inc. deny all liability. The facility has since shut down operations following a separate municipal settlement with Mount Prospect and Des Plaines that required closure by December 31, 2025. The community class action settlement reflects years of documented suffering and gives affected residents a direct path to compensation for property damage and loss of use and enjoyment.

For a broader overview of how nuisance and environmental class actions work, see our guide on legal notice of class action settlement — including what your rights are and what happens if you do nothing.

Are You Part of the Prestige Feed Class Action Settlement?

The class is defined geographically. Here is how to know if you qualify for the Prestige Feed nuisance lawsuit settlement.

You may qualify if you:

• Owned, rented, or leased any residential property located within 0.5 miles of the Prestige Feed facility at 431 N. Lakeview Court, Suite A, Mount Prospect, Illinois
• Occupied that property at any time from March 2019 to the present
• Are a previous owner or occupant who already submitted a Data Sheet to Class Counsel before September 18, 2025 — you are included regardless of current residence
• Are a renter — both owners and tenants qualify, though required documentation differs

You do NOT qualify if you:

Only one claim per household address will be accepted. If both a property owner and a renter submit claims for the same address, Class Counsel will determine eligibility.

How Much Will You Get from the Prestige Feed Settlement?

The total settlement fund is $900,000. Before any payments go out to class members, the court will approve deductions for:

• Attorneys’ fees — Class Counsel is requesting up to one-third of the total fund
• Litigation expenses — out-of-pocket costs incurred during the case
• Service awards — $10,000 total for named plaintiffs Mary Beth Stillmaker and Sargon Merza

After those deductions, the remaining net settlement fund will be divided equally among all approved claims — one per address. Your individual payout depends entirely on how many valid claim forms are submitted. The fewer claims filed, the larger each check. The settlement notice does not specify an estimated per-address amount because it is determined after the claim deadline passes and all forms are reviewed.

This is a straightforward pro-rata distribution — every approved claimant receives an equal share of what remains after fees and costs. If you want to maximize what you receive, file your claim accurately and completely, with all required documentation, well before June 20, 2026.

How to File Your Prestige Feed Settlement Claim

There is no online portal for this settlement — claims must be mailed. Here is exactly what to do:

Step 1 — Download the Claim Form at www.LSCCounsel.com/prestige or call 1-800-536-0045 to request one

Step 2 — Complete the form fully — include your legal name, the address of your qualifying property, your current contact information, and your signature

Step 3 — Gather your supporting documentation. Requirements differ for owners and renters — review the claim form carefully. Property owners typically provide proof of ownership; renters typically provide proof of tenancy such as a lease agreement or utility bill

Step 4 — Make a copy of your completed claim form and all supporting documents for your records

Step 5 — Mail your completed claim form and documentation to: Attn: Prestige Feed Claims, Liddle Sheets P.C., 975 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48207

Step 6 — Ensure your envelope is postmarked on or before June 20, 2026 — a late postmark is treated as no claim at all

Estimated time to complete: 10–20 minutes, plus time to gather documentation.

For questions, email [email protected] or call 1-800-536-0045. Do not contact Prestige Feed or the court clerk directly.

Prestige Feed Settlement Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Lawsuit Filed	2024
Preliminary Approval Granted	2025/2026 (Cook County Circuit Court)
Class Notice Issued	May 6, 2026
Opt-Out / Objection Deadline	June 5, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	June 20, 2026 (postmarked)
Final Fairness Hearing	July 21, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. CST
Expected Payment Date	TBD — several months after final court approval, assuming no appeals

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action settlement against Prestige Feed Products?

 Yes. Prestige Feed LLC and Cereal Byproducts Co., Inc. agreed to pay $900,000 to settle Stillmaker and Merza v. Prestige Feed Products LLC and Cereal Byproducts Co., Inc., Case No. 2024 CH 01504, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Cook County Judge Myron Mackoff preliminarily approved the settlement.

Do I need to do anything right now to be included in the Prestige Feed settlement?

 Yes — you must mail a completed claim form postmarked by June 20, 2026. Being within the class area does not automatically get you paid. If you do nothing, you receive no money and still give up your right to sue Prestige separately for odor-related claims.

How much will I get from the Prestige Feed odor settlement?

 The exact per-address payout is determined after the claim deadline when Class Counsel tallies all valid claims and divides the net fund equally. The fewer people who file, the larger each share. File as early as possible and make sure your documentation is complete to avoid rejection.

Can I still file a personal injury lawsuit against Prestige Feed?

 Yes. The settlement release does not cover medically diagnosed personal injuries — those claims are explicitly excluded. If you suffered a physical health condition you believe was caused by Prestige’s emissions, consult a consumer rights lawyer or environmental attorney about your individual options, separate from this settlement.

When will I receive my Prestige Feed settlement payment?

 Payments cannot be issued until Judge Mackoff grants final approval at the July 21, 2026 fairness hearing, and until Class Counsel reviews all submitted claims. If no appeals are filed, expect payments several months after the hearing. No specific payment date has been announced.

Is the Prestige Feed settlement legitimate?

 Yes. This is a court-supervised class action in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division. The settlement was authorized and the notice approved by Judge Myron Mackoff. Class Counsel, Liddle Sheets P.C., is a Detroit-based firm that specializes in environmental and consumer class actions. You can review all settlement documents at www.LSCCounsel.com/prestige.

What if I moved away from the area but lived there during the class period? 

You can still qualify. The class includes anyone who occupied a qualifying property within the half-mile boundary at any time since March 2019, even if you no longer live there. Make sure your claim form includes your current mailing address so your payment reaches you.

What if I already submitted a Data Sheet to Class Counsel?

 If you previously gave Class Counsel a Data Sheet before September 18, 2025, you are already confirmed as a class member. You still need to submit a claim form by June 20, 2026, to receive a payment — the data sheet alone does not entitle you to a check.

Sources & References

• Official Settlement Notice — LSCCounsel.com/prestige
• Official Claim Form — LSCCounsel.com/prestige

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against the official class notice issued by the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, and the Liddle Sheets P.C. settlement website on May 14, 2026. Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.