Jiminez v. Credit One Bank, N.A.
Jiminez v. Credit One Bank, N.A.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff Alejandro Jiminez brings this action against Credit One Bank, N.A. ("Credit One"), NCO Financial Systems, Inc. ("NCO"), and Alorica, Inc. ("Alorica," and together with Credit One and NCO, "Defendants"), for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"),
BACKGROUND
Unless otherwise indicated, the following facts are undisputed.
Credit One authorized Expert Global Solutions Financial Care ("EGS") to collect the unpaid balance.
The calls placed by EGS to the Subject Number were all made through the LiveVox 3.2 dialing system using its Quick Connect feature. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 12; Def. 56.1 St. ¶ 19.) To use the LiveVox system, an EGS manager uploads a list of telephone numbers provided by Credit One into the system each morning. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 16; Def. 56.1 St. ¶ 18.) Those phone numbers are stored in the LiveVox system throughout the workday. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 17.) When using Quick Connect, the dialing system uses a proprietary algorithm created by LiveVox to determine how many calls to place automatically in order to keep customer service representatives fully occupied at all times. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 18.) As more customer service representatives log into the dialing system and indicate their readiness to take calls, the dialing system will increase the number of calls it automatically makes. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 19.) When Quick Connect places calls, it will place more outbound calls than the number of customer service representatives actually logged in and ready to receive calls, based on the assumption that not all of the people being called will actually answer their phones. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 20.) There are no customer service representatives on the phone when a call is launched by Quick Connect. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 22.) Instead, Quick Connect will transfer only those calls that are answered by a customer to an available customer service representative. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 23.) If there are more answered *329calls than available customer service representatives, answered calls are transferred to a holding queue until a representative becomes available. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶ 24.) A customer service representative using Quick Connect does not have the ability to manually dial a phone number or to select a specific account to call, nor does the representative have any input into what number Quick Connect will call next. (Pl. 56.1 St. ¶¶ 26, 27.)
The parties dispute whether the LiveVox system used to call Plaintiff is properly classified as a "predictive dialing system" within the meaning of certain FCC rulings, whether the system requires human intervention to launch each call, and whether the system has the capacity to store or produce randomly or sequentially generated telephone numbers. Relying on testimony from EGS's Corporate Designee, Andrew Balthaser, and the expert report of Ray Horak, Credit One argues that LiveVox is not a predictive dialing system. Balthaser testified that Quick Connect does not operate as a predictive dialer because "to my knowledge, the algorithm is not changing. It's not adapting or predicting different things. It's operating within guardrails that are established at the creation of a campaign." (Docket entry no. 70-1, Balthaser Dep. 51:9-19.) When asked if he knew whether the LiveVox Quick Connect "algorithm or system has any predictive capabilities," Balthaser stated that "only LiveVox has access to their algorithms to see how it paces or controls the number of calls launched." (Docket entry no. 81-1, Balthaser Dep. 100:16-101:8.)
Relying on an interview with Balthaser, Horak proffers that "Mr. Balthaser advised me that Quick Connect, as configured by EGS, does not fit the definition of a [p]redictive [d]ialer." (Docket entry no. 72, Horak Rep. ¶ 53.) Horak also learned from Balthaser that, at the end of each call, a customer service representative "record[s] the result of the call," and then "click[s] a hot button labelled Ready or Next, thereby instructing the system to dial the next set of numbers from the campaign database." (Horak Rep. ¶ 53.) Horak asserts that "[t]his high level of human intervention is necessary to launch each and every call attempt for each and every [representative] logged in and available." (Id. ) Horak also asserts that the Subject Number "was not randomly or sequentially created, but rather, was obtained from" Credit One. (Horak Rep. ¶ 5.)
For his part, Plaintiff submits the declaration Kevin Stark, former director of Product Management for LiveVox from mid-2012 through November 2017, who states that the LiveVox automated outbound dialing system "has predictive dialing capabilities and the ability to launch phone calls without direct human intervention on each phone call." (Docket entry no. 81-2, Stark Decl. ¶ 3.) Plaintiff also proffers the expert report of Randall Snyder, who opines that the LiveVox dialing system software "provides pacing algorithms for predictive dialing," and that the Quick Connect service, which is described in the LiveVox Manager User Guide as an "[a]utomated outbound service that immediately connects live answers with an available agent," is "precisely the definition of predictive dialing." (Docket entry no. 81-3, Snyder Rep. ¶ 26.) Snyder also opines that the LiveVox dialing system has the capacity to store and dial randomly or sequentially generated numbers because the algorithms to do so are "among the most basic in computer science" and EGS, if it "so chose, can easily upload random or sequentially generated telephone numbers."
*330
DISCUSSION
Summary judgment is appropriate when "the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Material facts are those that "might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law," and there is a genuine dispute where "the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." Rojas v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester,
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act provides, in relevant part, that "[i]t shall be unlawful ... to make any call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using any automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice ... to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call, unless such call is made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States."
An "automatic telephone dialing system" ("ATDS" or "autodialer") is defined by the TCPA as "equipment which has the capacity-(A) to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator; and (B) to dial such numbers."
In 2008, the FCC issued a declaratory ruling affirming "that a predictive dialer constitutes an automatic telephone dialing system and is subject to the TCPA's restrictions on the use of autodialers." In the Matter of Rules & Regulations Implementing the Tel. Consumer Prot. Act of 1991,
In 2015, the FCC reaffirmed its previous statements that "dialing equipment generally has the capacity to store or produce, and dial random or sequential numbers (and thus meets the TCPA's definition of 'autodialer') even if it is not presently used for that purpose, including when the caller is calling a set list of consumers." In the Matter of Rules & Regulations Implementing the Tel. Consumer Prot. Act of 1991,
On March 16, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit invalidated certain aspects of the 2015 Order in ACA International v. FCC,
With respect to the second question, the court first determined that it had jurisdiction to review petitioners' challenge regarding the functions an ATDS "must be able to perform."
Turning to the substance of the FCC's "pertinent pronouncements," the court found, among other things, that the FCC was "of two minds" in its 2015 Order on the question of whether an ATDS must itself have the ability to generate random or sequential telephone numbers or whether a device can qualify as an ATDS even if it lacks that capacity and instead can only dial from an externally supplied list.
Since ACA International, district courts have been divided on the question of whether the D.C. Circuit's decision invalidating portions of the 2015 Order also invalidated related portions of prior FCC Orders discussing autodialer functions. Compare, e.g., Pinkus v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc.,
Credit One urges the Court to follow Pinkus, Thompson-Harbach, and other similar decisions, arguing that ACA International also vacated the FCC's earlier decisions to the extent that those decisions concluded that a predictive dialer is always an ATDS, regardless of whether it randomly or sequentially generates telephone numbers or dials numbers from a list. In the absence of FCC guidance, Credit One contends, the Court must look to the TCPA's statutory definition of an ATDS, which Credit One argues requires that a device have the capacity to "store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator." See
The Court has reviewed the relevant authorities and is not persuaded that ACA International invalidated the FCC's prior rulings on the definition of an ATDS. Although the D.C. Circuit determined that the 2015 Order was inconsistent in certain respects with the FCC's prior rulings addressing predictive dialers, the court did not expressly reject those prior orders. See Reyes,
Nor is it of any consequence that the D.C. Circuit found that it had jurisdiction to review the petitioners' challenge to the 2015 Order. While some courts have interpreted the D.C. Circuit's discussion of its jurisdiction to entertain the petitioners' challenge concerning the functions a device "must be able to perform" as expanding the scope of the court's ruling, these courts ignore the actual language of the D.C. Circuit's subsequent analysis of the issue, which does not ultimately implicate the validity of the FCC's prior orders. See Maes v. Charter Commc'n,
The Court next turns to the question of whether the LiveVox system at issue in this case is a predictive dialer within the meaning of the FCC's earlier rulings. Citing primarily to the declaration of Kevin Stark, former director of Product Management for LiveVox, who states that LiveVox "has predictive dialing capabilities and the ability to launch phone calls without direct human intervention," Plaintiff argues that LiveVox is a predictive dialer. (See Stark Decl. ¶ 3.) The evidence proffered by Credit One to the contrary is insufficient to create a genuine issue of *334material fact as to whether the LiveVox system is a predictive dialer. Credit One cites principally to the testimony of EGS's Corporate Designee, Andrew Balthaser, who stated that Quick Connect does not "operate as a predictive dialer" because "to my knowledge, the algorithm is not changing. It's not adapting or predicting different things. It's operating within guardrails that are established at the creation of a campaign." (Balthaser Dep. 51:9-19.) However, when asked whether he knew if the LiveVox's "algorithm or system has any predictive capabilities," Balthaser responded that "only LiveVox has access to their algorithms to see how it paces or controls the number of calls launched," thus admitting that he did not have personal knowledge of LiveVox's predictive capabilities.
Reasonable Reliance
Defendants contend that, even if LiveVox is an ATDS within the meaning of the TCPA, Plaintiff's TCPA claim must still be dismissed because Credit One and EGS reasonably relied on the prior express consent of the individual who previously owned the Subject Number in placing the collection calls. Citing the FCC's unchallenged interpretation in the 2015 Order of the term "called party" to include "individuals who might not be the subscriber, but who, due to their relationship to the subscriber, are the number's customary user and can provide prior express consent for the call" (2015 Order at ¶ 75), Credit One argues that the Court should apply a similar "reasonable reliance approach" in creating a "common-sense exception to liability" for calls directed to new holders of reassigned cell phone numbers.
Credit One's argument finds no basis in the text of the TCPA, which only makes a caller's intent relevant in connection with the trebling of damages. See Echevvaria v. Diversified Consultants, Inc., No. 13 Civ. 4980(LAK)(AJP),
Motion to Stay
Credit One also argues that a stay pending the FCC's forthcoming rulemaking on reassigned number liability is warranted pursuant to either the primary jurisdiction doctrine or the Court's inherent authority. On March 23, 2018, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on "ways to address the problem of unwanted calls to reassigned numbers," including "the specific information that callers need from a reassigned numbers database" and "the best way to make that information available to callers that want it." In the Matter of Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls,
The doctrine of primary jurisdiction ensures that "courts and agencies with concurrent jurisdiction over a matter do not work at cross-purposes." Fulton Cogeneration Assocs. v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.,
The Court may also stay a case pursuant to its inherent authority. In determining whether to exercise its discretion to enter a stay, a court should consider: "(1) the private interests of the plaintiffs in proceeding expeditiously with the civil ligation as balanced against the prejudice to the plaintiffs if delayed; (2) the private interests of and burden on the defendants; (3) the interests of the courts; (4) the interests of persons not parties to the civil litigation; and (5) the public interest." Reynolds v. Time Warner Cable, Inc.,
Credit One argues that a stay is warranted because reassigned number liability involves balancing the privacy rights of the individual and the commercial speech rights of the telemarketer, matters that are within the FCC's field of expertise, and that proceeding with this action would create the risk of inconsistent rulings because district courts are required to adhere to the FCC's interpretation of the TCPA. Credit One further argues that Plaintiff will not be prejudiced by a stay since discovery has concluded, and that any stay will be relatively brief, as evidenced by the fact that the FCC sought comment on the topic of reassigned number liability only six days after the mandate was issued in ACA International. For his part, Plaintiff argues that the FCC's proposed rulemaking regarding a reassigned numbers database will have no bearing on this case, particularly where multiple courts have already provided guidance on the meaning of the term "called party." See, e.g., Soppet, 679 F.3d at 641 (7th Cir. 2012) ; Osorio v. State Farm Bank, F.S.B.,
The Court agrees with Plaintiff that a stay is not warranted in this matter under either the primary jurisdiction doctrine or the Court's inherent authority. The FCC's March 23, 2018, notice of proposed rulemaking appears to pertain only to the creation of a reassigned numbers database and does not speak directly to issues of reasonable reliance or reassigned number liability under the TCPA. Although the FCC, in the wake of ACA International, sought further comment on a safe harbor for reassigned numbers and the interpretation of the term "called party" for calls to reassigned numbers, the May 14, 2018, public notice cited by Credit One does not indicate any intent by the FCC to proceed with rulemaking on those topics in the near future. Moreover, as Plaintiff points out, courts can interpret the TCPA in the absence of agency guidance and have already done so. See Pieterson v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
Thus, there is no present danger of inconsistent rulings, nor is the FCC's particular technical or policy expertise implicated by Credit One's reasonable reliance argument. Furthermore, staying this action would unnecessarily delay resolution of Plaintiff's claims, and the mere possibility of a more favorable determination by the FCC at some uncertain point in the future is insufficient to demonstrate that Credit One will be prejudiced if this action proceed. Pieterson,
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is granted as to the issue of TCPA liability, and Credit One's motions for summary judgment and a stay are denied. The final pre-trial conference in this case is currently scheduled for June 21, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. The parties are directed to contact Magistrate Judge Cott's chambers promptly to schedule a settlement conference. If no settlement is concluded by May 15, 2019 , the parties must meet and confer regarding damages and file a joint status report by May 22, 2019 , identifying all uncontested material facts relevant to the determination of damages, any contested factual issues, the parties' respective positions on those contested factual issues, and stating whether a trial is necessary. This Memorandum Opinion and Order resolves docket entry nos. 49, 53, 57, 66, 68, 74, 83, and 85.
SO ORDERED.
Facts characterized as undisputed are identified as such in the parties' statements pursuant to S.D.N.Y. Local Civil Rule 56.1 or drawn from evidence as to which there has been no contrary, non-conclusory factual proffer. Citations to the parties' respective Local Civil Rule 56.1 Statements ("Def. 56.1 St." or "Pl. 56.1 St.") incorporate by reference the parties' citations to underlying evidentiary submissions.
Defendant NCO became EGS in 2015, and EGS was acquired by Defendant Alorica on June 30, 2016. (Def. 56.1 St. ¶ 8, n.2.)
The parties dispute the number of calls that were received by Plaintiff and the number of calls that successfully connected to a live party. Credit One argues that, because 43 calls were identified as "Invalid Phone Number" on EGS's call log, and only one call was identified as "AGENT - CUST 28," 43 of the calls were not received by Plaintiff and only one call successfully connected to a live party. Plaintiff disputes the assertion that only one outbound call attempt successfully connected to a live party, testifying that, on multiple occasions he answered the Subject Number but did not hear anyone else on the line. (Docket entry no. 51-1, Jiminez Dep. 52:19-53:19; 65:3-66:3; 77:6-23; 84:23-86:19.) The parties agree that EGS stopped calling the Subject Number on March 27, 2017. (Def. 56.1 St. ¶ 14.)
Horak disagrees with Snyder's conclusion that LiveVox can store and dial randomly or sequentially generated numbers, opining that "EGS did not write such a program" and that it would be "inaccurate to assert that one could or would write such a program and integrate it into the LiveVox platform without the consent of LiveVox." (Horak Rep. ¶¶ 66-67.) Neither Horak nor Snyder claims in his report to have inspected the LiveVox system at issue in this case.
The 2003 Order defined a predictive dialer as "an automated dialing system that uses a complex set of algorithms to automatically dial consumers' telephone numbers in a manner that 'predicts' the time when a consumer will answer the phone and a telemarketer will be available to take the call."
The parties do not dispute that this Court is bound by ACA International. Under the Hobbs Act, the courts of appeals have exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend, or determine the validity of all final FCC orders that are reviewable under
The expert report of Ray Horak is similarly insufficient to create a triable factual issue because Horak relies solely on information from Balthaser, opining that "Mr. Balthaser advised me that Quick Connect, as configured by EGS, does not fit the definition of a [p]redictive [d]ialer." (Horak Rep. ¶ 53.) Moreover, Horak does not claim to have inspected the LiveVox system at issue in this case.
Indeed, courts that have interpreted the text of the TCPA have rejected an interpretation of the phrase "called party" that refers to the intended recipient of a call, as opposed to the current subscriber of the number called. See, e.g., Soppet v. Enhanced Recovery Co.,
The Court respectfully disagrees with the conclusions reached in Danehy v. Time Warner Cable Enters.,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alejandro JIMINEZ v. CREDIT ONE BANK, N.A., NCO Financial Systems, Inc., and Alorica, Inc.
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published