Ellison v. Fullett Rosenlund Anderson P.C.
Ellison v. Fullett Rosenlund Anderson P.C.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff Joy Ellison, an individual residing in Lake County, Illinois, sues Defendant Fullet Rosenlund Anderson P.C. ("FRA"), a law firm, for allegedly violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"). The case is before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. For the reasons stated herein, Plaintiff's Motion (Dkt. No. 28) is granted and Defendant's Motion (Dkt. No. 31) is denied.
I. UNDISPUTED FACTS
This case arises from a notice sent from FRA and received by Plaintiff on March 7, 2017 ("Notice") (Pl.'s Resp. to Def.'s Statement of Facts ("Def. SOF") ¶ 9, Dkt. No. 39.) During the relevant time, Plaintiff owned a property at North Old Creek Court, in Gurnee, Illinois. (Def. SOF ¶ 5.) The property is a single-family home run by the Brookside Village Neighborhood Association ("Association"), which has the ability to charge monthly assessments. (SOF ¶ 6.) On October 23, 2015, Plaintiff filed for bankruptcy, and in February 2016, the bankruptcy court entered a bankruptcy discharge. (Def. SOF ¶¶ 8-9.) Among the discharged debt was a debt held by the Association for dues. (Def.'s Resp. to Pl.'s Statement of Facts ("Pl. SOF") ¶ 5, Dkt. No. 38.) FRA was aware at the time it sent the Notice that Plaintiff's dues debt to the Association had been discharged. (Pl. SOF ¶ 8.) On March 7, 2017, FRA sent the Notice, which Plaintiff subsequently received. (Pl. SOF ¶ 9.) The Notice sought to collect a debt to the Association. (Def.'s Reply to Pl.'s Statement of Additional Facts ("Pl. SOAF") ¶ 14, Dkt. No. 46.) The parties dispute whether the debt sought was Plaintiff's dues debt. (Pl. SOAF ¶ 14.)
The following facts are derived from the Notice itself and are thus undisputed. The Notice begins with a header providing: "THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY AND ALL INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE." (Notice, Ex. A to Def. SOF, Dkt. No. 39.) The title of the Notice states, "IN REM NOTICE AND DEMAND FOR POSSESSION." (Id. ) The Notice's address block includes the following:
36205 North Old Creed Court
c/o Joy Ellison *373and All Unknown Occupants
36205 North Old Creek Court
Gurnee, IL 60031
(Id. ) The body of the Notice includes three paragraphs. The first begins by stating:
THIS IS THE PROPERTY'S NOTICE ... that the property is in default of its ongoing obligation due to Brookside Village Neighborhood Association in the sum of $4,100.00 for its proportionate share of the expenses ... lawfully agreed upon due and owing at least in part since 02/01/2011, as well as the sum of $265.02 in legal fees and costs in attempting to collect this account, for a total sum of $4,365.02.
(Id. ) The Notice thereafter warns that the Association will demand possession of the property upon expiration of the Notice. (Id. ) The second paragraph states:
This is its NOTICE that payment in full of the amount stated above is demanded of the property and that, unless its payment of the FULL AMOUNT is made on or before the expiration of thirty-four (34) days after the date of mailing of this Notice, THE ASSOCIATION MAY SEEK TO TERMINATE ANY RIGHT TO POSSESSION OF THE PREMISES.
(Id. ) That paragraph concludes that "[i]f the debt is disputed as discussed below, this office will suspend its efforts to collect the debt until the information is mailed." (Id. )
Finally, the third paragraph asserts, in all caps, the manner in which the debt may be disputed, stating:
UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THIS NOTICE THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THIS DEBT OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, THIS OFFICE WILL ASSUME THIS DEBT IS VALID. IF YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE IN WRITING ... THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THIS DEBT ... THIS OFFICE WILL OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT ... IF YOU REQUEST OF THIS OFFICE ... [IT] WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR ... IF YOU DISPUTE THE DEBT WITHIN THE 30 DAY PERIOD, THIS OFFICE WILL SUSPEND EFFORTS TO COLLECT THE DEBT UNTIL THE INFORMATION IS MAILED.
(Id. )
Upon receiving the Notice, Plaintiff consulted her attorneys. (Pl. SOAF ¶ 13.) Plaintiff also sent a letter to FRA and the Association to inform them that the debt had been discharged in bankruptcy. (Pl. SOAF ¶ 17.) The extent to which Plaintiff was confused or misled by the Notice is disputed. (Pl. SOF ¶¶ 19, 21.) The parties also dispute whether the Notice was an attempt to collect a debt from Plaintiff, individually, or from the property. (Pl. SOF ¶ 9.) On March 23, 2017, Plaintiff commenced this lawsuit (Def. SOF ¶ 16), alleging that the Notice was misleading in violation of § 1692e and § 1692g of the FDCPA. (Compl. ¶ 31.) Finally, in August 2017, FRA filed a lawsuit in state court against the 36205 North Old Creek Court property which named Ellison as defendant. (Pl. SOAF ¶ 12.)
II. ANALYSIS
A. Standard of Review
Summary judgment is appropriate when there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) ; see also Liu v. T & H Mach., Inc. ,
B. FDCPA
The FDCPA generally prohibits "debt collectors" from engaging in abusive, deceptive, or unfair debt-collection practices.
As an initial matter, the Court notes that Plaintiff brings two claims against Defendant: one under § 1692g for allegedly "misstating the amount ... for which [P]laintiff is personally liable" (Compl. ¶ 31), and another under § 1692e for allegedly "not identifying what amounts she is personally liable for" (Compl. ¶ 31.) However, the Court finds that § 1692g is inapplicable to Plaintiff's allegations. Section 1692g imposes a procedural requirement for debt collectors the purpose of which is to ensure debtors are provided with the necessary information to dispute a debt, not to hold debt collectors accountable for misstated debt amounts. 15 U.S.C. § 1692g ; see also Jenkins v. Union Corp ,
For the FDCPA to apply, certain threshold requirements must be met: (1) the defendant must qualify as a "debt collector"; and (2) the debt collector must have made a communication to a consumer "in connection with the collection of any debt." Heyer v. Pierce & Assoc., P.C. , No. 14-c-854,
any person who uses an instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in *375any business the principle purpose of which is the collection of any debts, or who regularly collects or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another.
15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Here, the undisputed facts show that FRA is a debt collector. The Notice explicitly states, "THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT." The forthcoming analysis will thus focus on the second prong-whether FRA made a communication in connection to debt collection-and, more specifically, whether the communication was misleading in violation of § 1692e of the FDCPA. Because the parties' arguments tend to repeat and overlap, to the extent that FRA disputes being a "debt collector," the Court will address that argument alongside the other arguments below.
Plaintiff maintains that she is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because FRA sent Plaintiff a confusing and misleading notice that was made in connection with the collection of a debt in violation of § 1692e.
FRA has also advanced a number of arguments for why judgment as a matter of law should be entered in its favor. Those arguments include: (1) Plaintiff is not a "consumer" for purposes of the FDCPA; (2) the Notice was not made in connection with the collection of a debt; (3) the Notice was not misleading, but accurately explained what needed to be done to avoid losing possession; and (4) the Notice complied with Illinois state law governing evictions and interpreting the Notice to violate the FDCPA would thus raise constitutional concerns.
1. Plaintiff as a "Consumer"
FRA argues that Plaintiff cannot as a matter of law establish an FDCPA violation because she is not a "consumer" pursuant to the statute. A consumer is "any natural person obligated or allegedly obligated to pay any debt." 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(3). As such, FRA contends that Plaintiff is not "obligated to pay any debt" because of her February 2016 bankruptcy discharge. The Court disagrees.
The FDCPA "provides relief for debtors as well as non-debtors, provided no limitation in scope is stated within the specific provision on which the plaintiff's allegations are based." Swearingen v. Portfolio Recovery Assocs., LLC ,
Therefore, Court finds that, as a matter of law, FRA is not entitled to summary judgment on this ground.
2. The Notice in Connection with the Collection of Any Debt
FRA next contends that the Notice was not made in connection with the collection of any debt pursuant to § 1692e. Plaintiff argues otherwise.
*376As mentioned, § 1692e provides that "[a] debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt. " 15 U.S.C. § 1692e (emphasis added). The Seventh Circuit has noted that "[n]either this circuit nor any other has established a bright-line rule for determining whether a communication from a debt collector was made in connection with the collection of any debt." Gburek v. Litton Loan Servicing ,
The undisputed facts show that the Notice demanded payment. As provided, the Notice states, "payment in full of the amount stated above is demanded of the property." (Notice, Ex. A to Def. SOF.) Nevertheless, FRA argues that the Notice did not demand payment from Ellison, personally. To support its position, FRA points out that the Notice was titled "In Rem Notice and Demand for Possession"; began by stating "THIS IS THE PROPERTY'S NOTICE"; and specified that "payment in full of the amount stated above is demanded of the property[.]" These facts, however, do not negate a demand for payment. In fact, they demonstrate the opposite. The Notice explicitly demands payment and specifies an amount-$4,365.02. This is sufficient to show that payment was demanded. FRA's argument that the Notice demanded payment not from Plaintiff but rather from the property is pertinent only to discuss whether the Notice was misleading. As such, the Court will return to this argument in the subsequent section. For now, FRA's argument fails to show that payment was not demanded.
Next, the undisputed facts also show that the Notice was sent to induce a debtor to settle a debt. As already discussed, the Notice demanded payment. The Notice specified a default in the sum of $4,100.00 and threatened that "unless ... payment of the FULL AMOUNT is made," the "ASSOCIATION MAY SEEK TO TERMINATE ANY RIGHT TO POSSESSION OF THE PREMISES." (Notice, Ex. A to Def. SOF.) Moreover, the Notice provided that "UPON EXPIRATION OF THIS NOTICE, THE ASSOCIATION HEREBY DEMANDS POSSESSION OF THE" property. (Notice, Ex. A to Def. SOF.) The Notice also contains language asserting that if Plaintiff disputed the debt, the FRA would "suspend its efforts" to collect it. (Notice, Ex. A to Def. SOF; see Alibrandi v. Fin. Outsourcing Servs. ,
Finally, the Court turns to the relationship between the parties. FRA contends that Plaintiff's relationship with the Association indicates that the letter was not sent in connection with debt collection. Plaintiff's relationship with the Association, however, is not the correct point of inquiry. The Court must look to the relationship between the parties : in this case, Plaintiff Ellison and FRA. Gburek ,
Notwithstanding the above, FRA contends that the Notice was sent merely to retake a security, not to collect a debt. FRA relies on Hahn v. Anselmo Lindberg Oliver LLC , No. 16-cv-6908,
Taking a closer look, the Court also finds that Hahn is not on point. In Hahn , the plaintiffs do not claim that they received any notices or letters that were misleading in connection with the collection of a debt, but rather that a foreclosure complaint was improper because it sought "to collect a legally uncollectable debt[.]" Hahn ,
For the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that, as a matter of law, the Notice was made in connection with the collection of debt.
3. Whether the Notice is Misleading
FRA raises several arguments for why the Notice is not misleading and does not violate the FDCPA. These arguments include: (1) the Notice accurately explained what needed to be done to avoid losing possession; (2) the Notice was clearly directed to "the property" and not to Plaintiff; and (3) Plaintiff was aware that she did not owe any debt given her bankruptcy discharge. Each will be discussed in turn, but first, the Court must consider the appropriate standard.
The Seventh Circuit uses the "unsophisticated consumer" standard when determining whether a notice is facially misleading. Lox v. CDA, Ltd. ,
*378The Seventh Circuit has defined three categories of § 1692e cases which employ the unsophisticated consumer standard: (1) cases where "the allegedly offensive language is plainly and clearly not misleading"; (2) cases that include debt collection language that is not confusing or misleading on its face, "but has potential to be misleading to the unsophisticated consumer"; and (3) cases "involving letters that are plainly deceptive or misleading." Lox ,
FRA first argues that the Notice accurately explained to Plaintiff what needed to be done to avoid losing possession of the property. FRA relies on Everett v. Financial Recovery Services , No. 16-cv-1806,
FRA next points to several provisions in the Notice that it alleges negate any confusion and demonstrate that the Notice was not misleading to Plaintiff. First, the letter was addressed to "36205 North Old Creek Court" and provides "c/o Joy Ellison and All Unknown Occupants" directly underneath. FRA argues that this disposition clearly informs the unsophisticated consumer that the Notice was sent to the property "care of" the specified individuals. Second, the Notice repeatedly and explicitly states that payment and obligations are demanded of the property , not of any particular individual. Finally, the Notice is titled "In Rem Notice and Demand for Possession" and begins by stating "THIS IS THE PROPERTY'S NOTICE."
Nonetheless, as both parties noted in their briefs, the Notice must be evaluated as a whole, not in "bits and pieces." Macelus v. Capital Collection Serv. , No. 17-cv-2025,
FRA nevertheless contends that, regardless of the Notice, Plaintiff was aware that she did not owe any debt given her bankruptcy discharge. FRA relies on Turner v. J.V.D.B. & Assocs. ,
The Court finds Turner distinguishable and not determinative. Here, the Notice implies that a debt was still payable. In fact, the Notice explicitly states that payment is due and expected within 34 days. Regardless of the bankruptcy discharge, an unsophisticated consumer, without further investigation, might still believe the debt remained payable. Although the plaintiff in Turner was not confused about the debt, that is not to say that the unsophisticated consumer would not be confused if in a similar position. The ultimate question is whether the communication would deceive or mislead an unsophisticated but reasonable consumer. Turner v. J.V.D.B. & Assocs. ,
Moreover, in contrast to Turner , other courts have found that letters attempting to collect a discharged debt can still violate the FDCPA. For example, in Ross v. RJM Acquisitions Funding LLC ,
For the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that, as a matter of law, the Notice was misleading to the unsophisticated consumer.
*3804. Constitutional Concerns
Finally, FRA argues that the Notice complied with Illinois' Forcible Entry and Detainer Act ("FEDA"), so finding the Notice violated the FDCPA would raise constitutional concerns. The Court is unsure of the parameters of these alleged constitutional concerns, as FRA fails to specify them in its briefing. Generally, FRA seems to allege that they are hamstrung and that there is no way to comply with both FEDA, which requires sending certain notices related to foreclosure proceedings, and the FDCPA. 735 ILCS 5/9. FRA contends that it should be able to enforce lien interests pursuant to FEDA without violating the FDCPA, and supports this proposition with the Ninth Circuit's decision in Vien-Phuong Thi Ho v. ReconTrust Co., NA ,
In Ho , the defendant initiated a non-judicial foreclosure due to plaintiff's failure to make payments for a loan secured by a deed of trust.
Holding trustees liable under the FDCPA would subject them to obligations that would frustrate their ability to comply with the California statutes governing non-judicial foreclosure ... For example, the FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from communicating with third parties about the debt absent consent from the debtor. 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(b). But California law requires the trustee to announce all trustee's sales in a newspaper and mail the notice of default to various third parties. See Cal. Civ. Code §§ 2924b(c)(1)-(2), 2924f(b). The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from directly communicating with debtors if the debt collector knows that the debtor is represented by counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(2). California law requires the trustee to mail the notices of default and sale directly to the borrower, and makes no exception for borrowers who are represented by counsel. Cal. Civ. Code. §§ 2924b(b)(1), 2924f(c)(3). In both of these cases, a trustee could not comply with California law without violating the FDCPA.
In applying Ho to this case, FRA argues that under FEDA the only way courts can acquire subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate possession in foreclosure proceedings is by FRA-and other entities similarly situated-sending the notice and demand. 735 ILCS 5/9-104.1(a). Such notice and demand must also comport with FEDA requirements. 735 ILCS 5/9-104.1(a). FRA thus argues that it cannot heed FEDA requirements when pursuing foreclosure if such notice requirements are found unlawful under the FDCPA. As such, the Court cannot find a violation under FDCPA. See Ho ,
This case is distinguishable from Ho v. Recontrust Company in several respects. First, Ho is about California trust law. Second, FRA fails to identify any conflict, let alone one that rises to the magnitude of conflict present in Ho , between FEDA and the FDCPA. Nor can the Court find any such conflicts. While fulfilling FEDA requirements, a notice or letter can still be drafted in a way that violates the FDCPA. This happens to be the case for the Notice here. Regardless of whether the Notice complies with FEDA requirements, the Court finds that the Notice was misleading and could have been crafted in a way to avoid ambiguity and confusion, particularly by informing Plaintiff either that she was not liable for the debt or by specifying the amount, if any, she was still liable for post-bankruptcy discharge.
Given the facts of this particular case, the Court sees no conflict in finding an FDCPA violation for the Notice even if the Notice complied with FEDA. FEDA maintains a statutory scheme separate from and not contradictory to the FDCPA. See Vincent v. Chuhak & Tecson , No. 13-c-7458,
III. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgement (Dkt. No. 28) is granted, and Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. No. 31) is denied.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Joy ELLISON, on Behalf of a Class v. FULLETT ROSENLUND ANDERSON P.C.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published