oldak v credit bureau of napa county inc chase receivables fdcpa complaint.pdf

8/12/2019 Oldak v Credit Bureau of Napa County Inc Chase Receivables FDCPA Complaint.pdf

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Case 1:14-cv-02950-FB-VMS Document 1 Filed 05/08/14 Page 1 of 16 PageID #: 1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTEASERN DISRICT OF NEW YORK

BORUCH OLDAKo behalf of himself ad

al other simlarly stuated consumers

CV 14 295Plaint SCANLON, M.J

-agaist

FILEDIN ERK' FIE

CREDIT BUEAU OFNAPA COUNTY INC.D/B/ A CHASE RECEIVABLES

U. DSTRC OU E.NY

* MAY oa 2014 *

Dendant.NG i$bA OC

CLASS ACTON COMPLANT

Introduction

1 Plant Boruch Oldak seeks redress r the llegal practices of Credt Bureau Of Napa

Couty nc. d/b/a Chase Recevables in which it unlawlly engaged i the collecton of

consumer debts in violato of the Far Debt Collecton Practices Act 5 USC. 1692

et seq ("FDCP A).

Parties

2. Planti is a citze of the State of New York who resides withi this Dstrict.

3 Plaint s a consumer as that term is dened by Secton 15 US.C. 1692(a)(3) of the

FDCPA

4 The alleged debt that Defedat sought to collect om the Plainti ivolves a consume

debt

5 Upo irmation and belef Dendant's prcpal place of usness s located wth

Sonoma, Cairia

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6 Dendant is regularly engaged, r prot in the colection of debts allegedy owed by

consumers.

7. Dendant is a "debt colector as that term is dened by the FDCPA, 1 U.S.C.

692(a)(6)

Jurisdition and Venue

8. This Cour has deral question juisdiction under 15 US.C !692k(d) and 28 USC

1331.

9. Venue s proper m this district pursuant to 28 U.SC. 39l(b) as the acts and

transactions that give rise to this action occued in substantial par within this istrict.

Alegations Particular to Boruch Oldak

0. Upon inrmation and belief, on a date better known by Dendant, Dendant began to

attempt to coect an aleged consumer debt om the Plainti

11 On or about November 2 2013 Dendant sent the Plainti colection letters seeking

to colect a baance allegedly incurred r personal puposes.

12. he said leters stated: "We apologize that a possible hardship or pitll may have

prevented yo om satising your obligation It is with this in mind that we woud like

to oer you a imited time oer opportunity to satisfy your otstanding debt

13 he eters then went on to provide various imited time settlement oers with due dates

upon which those oers where required to be paid by

14. Dendant stated the above language in order to create a sense of urgency in Plainti

and make him thik that he was under a non-existent deadline.

1. Dendant's leters are miseading and deceptive in that its statements: "It is with this in

mind that we woud ike to oer you a limited time oer opporunity to satis your

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outtadig debt, amog other uch tatemet imply a time deadlie

6. Upo imatio ad belief there wee o time deadlie ather, Dedat made

thee tatemet olely to create a le ee of ugecy by the laiti

7 At all time herei Dedat witte commuicatio to laiti were le

deceptive, ad mileadig

8. Defedat violated US.C. 692d of the FDCA by haaig laiti m

coectio with the collectio of an alleged debt.

9. Dedat violated S.C. 692e ad 692e( l 0 of the FDCA by uig fale,

deceptive, or mileadig repreetatio or mea i connectio with the collectio of a

debt

20 Dedat violated U SC 692f of the FDCA by uig ui or ucocioable

mea to collect or attempt to collect a debt.

2. Sectio 692d provide that a debt collecto may ot egage i any coduct the atural

coequece of which i to hara oppre or abue any peo i coectio with the

collectio of a debt See U.S.C. 692d he proper legal tadard nder !692d

take ito coideatio the ct that [w]hether a coumer i more o le likely to be

haaed, oppeed o abued by certai debt collectio practice doe ot relate olely

to the coumer' elative ophiticatio. Cout itead ue a tandard analogou to the

leat ophiticated coumer tadard which requie "claim unde 692d hould be

viewed om the pepective of a coume whoe circmtance make him elatively

more uceptible to haramet, oppreio o abue.

22. Sectio l 692e and 692e 0) prohibit the ue of any le epeetatio o deceptive

mean to collect or attempt to collect ay debt or to obtai irmatio coceig a

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conume. Th geneal pohibion i inended o cove he decepive collecon ac and

pacice ha do no he pecic pohibiion given in he ubecion of hi ecion

a would be impoible Conge o eee and i evey ype of decepve

colecion mbehavio

23 In he conex of elemen lee, many cou have held ha elemen lee can be a

poiive boh deb colleco and conume. Nevehele in keeping wh he

auoy equiemen colecion agencie may no be decei in he peenaon of

he elemen oe. In Goswami, he Fih Cicu wa peened wih a ee om he

defendan ha aed ha i could oe he paini a 30% dicoun a long a i

eponded whin he nex 30 day even hough he dendan had auhoiy o oe he

dicoun onge han he 30 day d. n eveing he diic cou gan of

ummayudgmen n vo of he dendan he Fifh Cicui held ha:

Whle we agee i i impoan o pemi collecion agencieo oe elemen ha poicy conideaion doe no emovecollecion agencie obigaon unde he FDC A o dea in a

non- decel mae. A collecion agency may oe aelemen; howeve may no be eceil in he peenaionof ha elemen oe a dendan wa in h cae [Thedendan decepion i acionable unde he FDCA and ino excued becaue i pa of a deb colleco elemenoe.

d. a 499. Reing o he acual ee a iue in Gowam, he cour deemned

ha he lowng eaon he defendan lee wa a violaion of he FDC A

The aemen in he collecion lee i unue and mae iappea ha [he oiginal cedio] oe of a 30% dicoun waa oneme ae-i-o-leave-i oe ha would expe in hiyday. The obviou purpoe of he aemen wa o puh [he

1 Cmpzno-Buos Midn Crei Meme Inc, 550 3d 2 2 (3d C 2008 ctng Gowmi Am Coecon Ener, 377 3 88 6 (h Ci200

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plainif o mae a apid paymen o ae advanage of hepurpoed lmed ime oe

24. Dendan's use of llusoy and abiay deadlnes wee mean o deceive he lan o

mae a promp paymen

5 Dendan caimed ha s selemen oes n he sad lees wee scly coningen

upon paymen beng eceved in he amouns saed in he especive lees by he due

daes saed, bu upon nrmaion and beief, Dendans ime deadlines ae arcial

The Dendan inended o give he lse impession ha if he consume does no pay

he seemen oe by he deadine, hen he consume wll have no rhe chance o

sele hei deb ess han he ll amoun.

26. Upon inmaon and beef, he oignal cedio did no pu any limiaions on he ime

wihin which lani coud accep an oe

See. D G og v. Fn. R cov S rvs., 202 .S. Dis. LEXIS 40966 9-20 (E.D. a.Sep 7 20) Sang "whie he sa habo language may ensue ha he consume

will no peceive hese lees as oneime oes plain alleges ha he 35-day

deadines in he lees did no exis a all. Theee whehe he leas sophisicaed

consume would peceive he [colecion] ees as oneime akei-o-eavei oes

o as poenally enewable oes, each lee sil conained lse and misleading

nmaion because, as aleged by plain, no deadline exised a all.)

27 The nclusion of a deadine in a selemen oe iself does no violae he FDCA.

Howeve in ode o ac consisenly wih 169e, he deb colleco may no be

decel in he pesenaion of he selemen oe"2

8. Whee a deb colecion lee conains an oe o sele by a specied dae and makes i

2 Camuzao 55 3 at 299 quotg Gowam v. Am oeco Ee, 377 3d 88, 496 (h i 2))

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appar thrin that such or is a ontim ta-itorlavit or whn in ct th

dbt holdr is prpard to ma othr ors ar th xpiration dat, th lttr contains a

ls statmnt in violation of th FDCP A.3 A lttr that lavs a consumr with such a

fals imprssion violats 169 bcaus an unsophisticatd consumr may thi that if

thy don't pay by th dadlin, thy will hav no urhr chanc to sttl thir dbt r

lss than th ll amount.

DeGeorge v Fin Recoveryrvs, 01 U Dist LEXI 10966, 9 (ED Papt. 7 01) Th court statd In Evory ... [Th vnth Circuit hld that if a

collction ltr containd th languag, W ar not obligatd to rnw this or, an

unsophisticatd consumr would not b misld bcaus vn th unsophisticatd

consumr will raliz that thr is a rnwal possibility but that it is not assurd ... h

sa harbor languag in oy did not authori dbt collctors to prsnt dadlins in

collction ltrs that wr in ct non-xistnt Thrr, I conclud that plaintis

allgations that th collction lttrs includd ls dadlins vn i thos dadlins

wr prsntd as rnwabl ors is sucint to stat a claim undr 169 Th

court notd Morovr, I conclud that misrprsntations concing dadlins in a

collction lttr constitut matrial misrprsntations. Thrr plainti has statd a

claimundr l 69 vn if non-matrial, ls rprsntations do not violat th

FDCPA

9. ction 169f o th FDCPA provids that a dbt collctor may not us "unir or

unconscionabl mans to collct or ampt to collct any dbt. 15 .C l 69f.

ction 169 thn gos on to numrat ight particular practics which ar unir or

3 Dupuy v Weitman. Wenberg& Res Co 44 F.Supp.d 8 88 .D.Cal 006); [19] ee also Goswam 3773 a 96

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unnsinb Hvr, 1692f is nt limitd by this list ight prtis nd

prhibits l unir unnsinbl ndut n th prt f dbt lltr Rd v

Pinnl Cdit Sevies C 29 W 246182 (D P Aug 1 29) (h itf 1692f viltin und in th ubstins nnxhutiv) (ntl ittin

nd quttin mittd)

3 A lim und FDCPA prvisin prhibiting dbt lltr m using unir r

unnsinbl mn t llt r mpt t t ny dbt huld b vid

thugh lns f th "st-phititd numr.

31 h lr intntin f th id r is t prsur th Plinti t m up ith mny

brth illusry mislding ddlin run ut

32 Dndnt s m f ptt nd pti mils ltr, r u th miling f

tt t dbts using ngug substntily imilr mtrilly idntil t tht

utiid by Dfndnt in miing th bv-itd trs t th Pinti

33. h ltr th Dfndnt mis, us t b mild r prdud by Dndnts

nrd fr nd intgrtd hd thlgi inuding mputr prgrm,

miling hu, nd troni dtbs

34. h id rs r tndrdizd rm lt

3. Dndnt' Nvmbr 2 213 tr r in viltin f 1 USC 1692d 1692

692( ) nd l 692f r ngging in dptiv, misding nd unir prtis.

36 h sid ltrs ls ttd in ptinnt part lls: Py vi Crdit Crd ($1495

Chs Rivb pring hr pplib) nd ni Ch Pymnts

n b dn vr th phn ($99 Chs Rivbs prssing hr

pplib)


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7 Th iai ad lli f h said pssig s is ulaful.

g Shami . National Enter. Svs., 21 WL 824151 (E.D.N.Y. p.2 21)(Th u ludd ha h mplai sufil pladd a aus f ai

vilai f 1692f() ad 1692(2). Th mplai ivlvd a lli l

iludig h laguag u a w pa b aumad ph ssm h

i Tasai s will b hargd if s h aumad ph ssm h

i mak pam his au. Yu ar quid us h aumad

ph ssm h i mak pam his au.), McCutcheon v

Finkestein Kern Steinberg & Cunningham 212 WL 26689 (MD T Ja212) (Th plaii sad a viabl FDCPA laim b allgig ha h dda

lld ampd ll a 4.24 pam pssig pssl

auhizd b h agm aig h db) Quinteros v MB! Assocs, 214 UDis LEXI 2775 (EDNY Fb 27 214) (FDCPA vilad b Clls F

pss pams b di ad, hks v ph)

8. Ddas prssig dmad is i vilai f 15 U.C. 1692(2) ad

1692f() gagig i dpiv pais b makig a ls psai ha i was

ild iv mpsai pam b di ad b llig a amu

ha was auhid b a pmid b law

AS AND FOR A FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

Volations of the Fair Debt Colection Practices Act brought by Plaint on beha of himse and the

members of a class, as against the Defendant.

9. Plaii -sas -allgs, ad ipas hi b f paagaphs (1)

hugh hi igh (8) as if s h ll i his aus f ai

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0. This cus f ctin is brught n bhlf f Plinti nd th mmbrs f css nd

subclss

1. Th css cnsists f prsns whm Dndnts rcrds rct rsidd in th tt f

Nw Yr nd wh wr snt cllctin lr in substntilly th sm rm rs s

th rs snt t th Plinti n r but Nvmbr 2 2013; nd ) th cllctin

lttrs wr snt t cnsumr sing pymnt prsn dbt purprtdly wd t

Mntgmry rds nd Amrimrk nd b) th cctin lttrs wr nt rturnd by

th pstl srvic s undlivrd; c) nd th Plinti ssrs tht th ltrs cntind

viltins f 15 U.C. 162d 162 162 l 0) nd 162f r ngging in

dcptiv misding nd unir prctics.

2 Th subclss cnsists f l prsns whm Dndnts rcrds rct rsidd in th

tt f Nw Yr nd wh wr snt clctin lr bing th Dndnts

lrhd in substntily th sm rm s th r snt t th Plinti n r but

Nvmbr 2 2013 snt within n yr prir t th dt f th within cmplint )

th clctin ltr ws snt t cnsumr sking pymnt f cnsumr dbt

puprdly wd t Mntgmry rds nd Amrimrk; nd b) th clctin lttr

ws nt rtud by th pst srvic s undlivrd; c) nd th Plinti ssrs tht

th lr cntind viltins f 15 U..C. 1622) nd 162fl ) r mking ls

rprsnttin tht it ws ntitd t rciv cmpnstin r pymnt by crdit crd.

43. Pusunt t drl Rul f Civil Prcdur 23 css ctin is pprprit nd

prrb in this cs bcus:

) Bsd n th ct tht rm cllctin ttrs r t th hr f this litigtin th

clss is s numrus ht jindr f ll mmbrs is imprcticbl


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() Thee ae questions of law and ct common to the cass and these questions

pedominate ove an question(s) aecting onl individual class memes. he

pincipa qestion pesented this claim is whethe the Dendant violated the

FDCPA.

( c) The onl individual issue involves the identication of the consmes who

eceived such colection letes (i.e the class memes). This is puel a mate

capale of ministeial detemination om the ecods of the Dendant

(d) The claims of the Plainti ae tpical of those o the class memes. All of the

espective class claims ae ased on sustantial simia cts and egal theoies.

(e) The Plainti wll il ad adeqatel epesent the class memes inteests.

The Plainti has etained cosel expeienced in inging class actions and

collection ause claims The Plaintis inteests ae consistent with those of the

memes of the class.

. A class action is supeio the fai and ecient adjdication of the class memes

claims. Congess specical envisions class actions as a pincipal means of encing

the FDCPA. 15 UC 69(k) The memes of the class ae geneal

usophisticated individuals whose ights wil not e vindicated in the asence of a class

action Posection of sepaate actions individua memes of the classes would

ceate the is of inconsistent o vaing adjudications eslting in the estalishment of

inconsistent o vaing standads the paties and would not e in the inteest o

judicial economy.

. If the cts ae discoveed to e appopiate the Plainti wil seek to cetif a cass

pusuant to Rule 3()(3) of the Fedea Rules o Civil Pocedue

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46 Colecton atemps sch as those made by the Dendan are to be evaaed by he

objecive sandard o he hypoheical "leas sophisicaed consmer

Voations of the Fair Debt Colection Practices Act

he Dendants actions as se rh above n the wihn compant violates he Far Deb

Collecion racces Act

8. Becase the Deendan violated the Fair Debt Collection ractices Act, the lainti and

he members o the cass are enttled o damages in accordance with he Fair Debt

Colecton ractices Act

WHFO laini, respectlly reqess preliminary and permanent innctve rele, and that

ths Cor enter jdgmen in his vor and agains he Dendant and award damages as llows:

(a tatory and acal damages provided nder he FDCA, 15 UC. 169(k;

d

(b Atoey es litigaion epenses and costs incrred n brnging ths acton and

(c y other relef tha hs Cor deems appropriae and st nder the

circmstances

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Daed Cedarhurs ew YrMay 6 1

J sben PC (A-958Aey A aw

A 83 Cesnu ree

Cedarhurs ew Yr 11516elepne (6) 91

acsmle (6) 91-1

Plan reqess ra by jury n all ssues s rable

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oldak v credit bureau of napa county inc chase receivables fdcpa complaint.pdf

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