The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently affirmed the entry of judgment on the pleadings against the plaintiff in a putative class action alleging that a text message sent by a third party on behalf of a hospital reminding the plaintiff about a flu shot violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), holding that the plaintiff provided his prior express consent to receive such messages in a hospital admission form. A copy of the opinion in Latner v. Mt. Sinai Health System, Inc. is available at: Link to Opinion. The plaintiff went to a medical clinic owned by a…
Adding to the growing split of authority among California’s various state appellate courts, and among various federal courts in California, the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Third Appellate District, recently held that a loan servicer may owe a duty of care to a borrower through application of the “Biakanja” factors, even though its involvement in the loan does not exceed its conventional role. In so ruling, the Third District “assumed without deciding” that California Civil Code § 2923.6(g) offers an affirmative defense to a negligence claim in loan modification cases where the borrower submits multiple loan modification…
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently concluded that distributing all of a company’s cash to its owners after a class action settlement was reached but before the court’s order to pay became final, thus leaving the company without the ability to pay class counsel’s fees or administration costs as required under the settlement agreement, did not constitute contempt. The trial court had originally determined that the distribution of the money constituted contempt because the defendant had knowingly violated the court’s order to pay class counsel’s fees. The Sixth Circuit, however, concluded that a finding of contempt is limited to…
9th Cir. Holds Temporary Stay of Foreclosure Not Enough to Satisfy Diversity ‘Amount in Controversy’
9th Cir. Holds Temporary Stay of Foreclosure Not Enough to Satisfy Diversity ‘Amount in Controversy’
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently held that the trial court did not have subject matter jurisdiction based upon diversity over claims which sought a temporary stay of a foreclosure sale pending the review of a loan modification application because the amount of controversy did not exceed $75,000. In so ruling, the Court held that, for claims which merely seek a temporary stay of a foreclosure sale, the amount in controversy is not the value of the underlying loan. A copy of the opinion in Corral v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. is available at: Link to Opinion.…
In a case involving a claim on a fire insurance policy relating to damaged real estate, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that the insurance policy’s two-year limitations provision did not apply to a claim brought under section 500.2006(4) of Michigan Complied Laws because it was not a claim “under the policy,” and instead Michigan’s “catch-all” six-year period of limitations applied. In addition, and contrary to two previous unpublished rulings, the Sixth Circuit determined that a private cause of action exists under section 500.2006(4) Accordingly, the Sixth Circuit determined that the insured’s claim was timely,…
A recent decision from a trial court sitting in Illinois calls into question whether debt collectors can rely on a widely used disclosure when collecting debt that may be subject to an expired limitations period. A copy of the opinion in Richardson v. LVNV Funding, LLC is available at: Link to Opinion. In 2012 the Federal Trade Commission and Asset Acceptance, LLC entered into a consent decree to resolve an enforcement action that included allegations that Asset’s debt collection activities violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The consent decree provided that when collecting “time-barred” debt not subject to credit reporting,…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held that, following the confirmation of a foreclosure sale in Illinois, the only remedy available to a borrower under 15 U.S.C. § 1635 was damages, and therefore the one-year limitation period under 15 U.S.C. § 1640(e) applied and his claims were barred despite the fact that he provided rescission notices within three years of the loan closing, and despite the fact that the parties engaged in back-and-forth communications after the demands were first sent. Accordingly, the Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the borrower’s claims by the trial court. A…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held, over extensive objections by intervenors, that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in approving a class action settlement, despite alleged problems with the class notice and the fact that the attorneys’ fees award exceeded the total award to the class. In so ruling, the Court rejected the intervenors’ argument that the proponents of a class settlement must file briefs in support of settlement before the deadline to object. A copy of the opinion in J.G. Goodman, et al v. American Express Travel Related Services Co. is available…
Following rulings from other appellate courts in other appellate districts, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal recently reversed a trial court’s order involuntarily dismissing a mortgagee’s foreclosure against a borrower holding that the mortgagee’s witness from its current mortgage servicer laid a sufficient foundation at trial to admit business records from a prior mortgage servicer necessary to prove a default under Florida’s business records exception to hearsay. A copy of the opinion in Deutsche Bank v. de Brito is available at: Link to Opinion. In 2006, a mortgagee provided the borrower with an adjustable rate note and mortgage that contained a…
11th Cir. Rejects Challenge to Debtors’ Ability to Recover Attorney’s Fees in Stay Violation Actions
11th Cir. Rejects Challenge to Debtors’ Ability to Recover Attorney’s Fees in Stay Violation Actions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently held, in a case of first impression, that “the Bankruptcy Code authorizes payment of attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by debtors in successfully pursuing an action for damages resulting from the violation of the automatic stay and in defending the damages award on appeal.” A copy of the opinion in Mary Beth Mantiply v. Patricia Nelson Horne is available at: Link to Opinion. Husband and wife filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2011 and received a discharge five months later. The husband passed away and his daughter was substituted as personal…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently held that the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act preempted state judgment execution law insofar as it permitted debt collectors to execute on FDCPA claims. In so ruling, the Court held that debt collectors cannot evade the restrictions of federal law by obtaining a collection judgment against the debtor, and then forcing the debtor’s FDCPA claims to be auctioned, acquiring the claims, and dismissing them. A copy of this opinion Arellano v. Clark Cty. Collection Serv. is available at: Link to Opinion. The debtor incurred a medical debt, and then failed…
The Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District recently reversed a final foreclosure judgment in favor of a mortgagee, holding that the mortgagee did not establish that the original foreclosure plaintiff acquired the note by virtue of a merger, and did not establish the relationship between the original foreclosure plaintiff and the originating lender. Accordingly, the Court held, the mortgagee did not properly establishing standing as to the original foreclosure plaintiff, as required. A copy of the opinion in Green v. Green Tree Servicing is available at: Link to Opinion. In 2004, a bank (“originating bank”) extended a mortgage loan…