American Express v. Logothetis, N.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided November 3, 2023·No. 2702 EDA 2022·Unpublished

Opinion

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

AMERICAN EXPRESS NATIONAL : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF BANK : PENNSYLVANIA :

:

v. :

:

:

NICHOLAS LOGOTHETIS :

: No. 2702 EDA 2022

Appellant

Appeal from the Judgment Entered December 6, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County Civil Division at No(s): CV-2020-008210

BEFORE: PANELLA, P.J., DUBOW, J., and SULLIVAN, J. MEMORANDUM BY SULLIVAN, J.: FILED NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Nicholas Logothetis (“Logothetis”) appeals from the entry of judgment in favor of American Express National Bank (“AMEX”). We affirm.

Logothetis opened an account with AMEX in 2000. At that time, AMEX issued him a credit card ending in 2006. In 2015, AMEX issued Logothetis a second credit card ending in 3004. Logothetis made monthly payments on the accounts for a period of time before stopping the payments. In 2015, the account for the credit card ending in 2006 was closed with an outstanding balance exceeding $17,000. In July 2020, the account for the credit card ending in 3004 was closed with an outstanding balance of $30,098.96. In December 2020, AMEX commenced the present action to recover the unpaid credit card debt. In its complaint, AMEX asserted a single claim for breach of contract and referenced only the account for the card ending in 3004. The

complaint made no reference to the card ending in 2006. The matter proceeded to arbitration, resulting in an award in favor of Logothetis.

AMEX appealed the arbitration award to the trial court and the matter proceeded to a non-jury trial. Logothetis did not appear at trial; however, his counsel appeared on his behalf. AMEX presented one witness, Rebecca Muldoon (“Ms. Muldoon”), an assistant custodian of records who authenticated two exhibits introduced by AMEX. Exhibit A consisted of a standard Cardmember Agreement (“Agreement”). Ms. Muldoon testified that after opening an account, AMEX mails the Agreement and the credit card to the cardholder. Ms. Muldoon testified that the Agreement presented was the written contract that Logothetis agreed to when he initially used his credit card ending in 2006. The Agreement contains a “Promise to Pay” clause indicating that, by using the credit card, the account holder agrees to pay all charges incurred on the account for the card. In addition, AMEX introduced Exhibit B which consisted of monthly credit card statements showing Logothetis’s use of the card ending in 2006. Ms. Muldoon explained that generating electronic monthly statements for the cardholders is AMEX’s standard practice and part of its regular course of business.

Ms. Muldoon explained that the last four digits of an account number may change if a card is lost and replaced; however, the preceding numbers— which denote the actual account number—remain constant. Ms. Muldoon testified that, although the last four digits of Logothetis’ account changed from

2006 to 3004 in 2015, the account remained unchanged. Ms. Muldoon also testified that the final payment AMEX received on the account was for $1,000 in July 2020. She explained that at the time of the last payment, the account had an outstanding balance of $47,743.88. Specifically, Ms. Muldoon explained that the credit card ending in 2006 had an outstanding balance of $17,644.92 and the credit card ending in 3004 had an outstanding balance of $30,098.96.

Logothetis contended that there were two separate AMEX accounts rather than merely one account with a replacement credit card. Logothetis argued that AMEX failed to prove the existence of any enforceable contract for the account ending in 3004 because the Agreement introduced at trial was for the account ending in 2006. Logothetis claimed that the account ending in 2006 is an unrelated account that is not pertinent to the instant litigation, which pertains solely to the account ending in 3004.

In May 2022, the trial court entered a non-jury verdict and a judgment in favor of AMEX.1 The trial court determined that Logothetis had two separate accounts with AMEX, and that Logothetis breached his contract with AMEX for the account ending in 3004. Accordingly, the court awarded damages to AMEX

1 Although the non-jury verdict was dated May 4, 2022, neither the verdict

nor service of the verdict pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 236 were entered on the docket on May 4, 2022. Instead, the docket indicates that the May 4, 2022 non-jury verdict as well as judgment for AMEX were both entered on the docket on May 18, 2022 (although the verdict was date-stamped May 19, 2022).

in the amount of $30,098.96. However, the trial court concluded that AMEX failed to meet its burden of proof with respect to the account ending in 2006.2 Logothetis filed a motion for reconsideration and a notice of appeal.3 This Court quashed the appeal, vacated the May 18, 2022 judgment, and directed that Logothetis be permitted ten days in which to file a post-trial motion.4 Logothetis thereafter filed a post-trial motion, which the trial court denied. After the trial court denied the motion, Logothetis filed a timely notice of appeal. However, no judgment had yet been entered in the action. See Hall v. Jackson, 788 A.2d 390, 395 n.1 (Pa. Super. 2001) (explaining that an appeal properly lies from the entry of judgment, not from the denial of post- trial motions). Nevertheless, our appellate jurisdiction was perfected when judgment for AMEX was properly entered on the docket on December 6, 2022. See Pa.R.A.P. 905(a)(5) (providing that “[a] notice of appeal filed after the announcement of a determination but before the entry of an appealable order shall be treated as filed after such entry and on the day thereof”); see also

2 AMEX has not cross-appealed the trial court’s rulings regarding the account

ending in 2006. 3 The trial court later entered an order denying the motion for reconsideration.

4 This Court was without jurisdiction to decide the appeal because the trial court entered judgment simultaneously with the non-jury verdict and before the ten-day period for filing post-trial motions following entry of the verdict had expired. See Jenkins v. Robertson, 277 A.3d 1196, 1199 (Pa. Super. 2022) (holding that where judgment is filed simultaneously with the verdict, the judgment is premature and therefore void, thereby leaving this Court without jurisdiction to address the appeal).

Johnston the Florist, Inc. v. TEDCO Const. Corp., 657 A.2d 511, 513 (Pa. Super. 1995) (en banc) (holding that this Court’s appellate jurisdiction is perfected where appellant prematurely appealed from an order denying post- trial relief and judgment was later entered). Both Logothetis and the trial court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

On Appeal, Logothetis raises the following issues for our review:

1. Whether the trial court erred and abused its discretion by issuing the written decision, dated May 4, 2022[,] in favor of [AMEX] and against [Logothetis], in the amount of $30,098.96.

2. Whether [AMEX] failed to establish the three (3) elements of a breach of contract action in Pennsylvania, as against [Logothetis], including but not limited to failing to establish:

(a) the existence of a contract by and between [AMEX]

and [Logothetis], including its essential terms;

(b) a breach of a duty imposed by the contract; and (c) resultant damages allegedly sustained by [AMEX].

3. Whether the trial court erred and abused its discretion by admitting into evidence at trial [AMEX’s] Exhibit A, a generic credit card member agreement.

4. Whether [AMEX] failed to comply with federal law by providing a written contract governing the credit card purportedly issued by [AMEX] to [Logothetis] at the time of the trial and failed to post the alleged agreement conspicuously online so that it may be easily accessed, in violation of 15 U.S.C. [§§ 1601-1667f] Truth in Lending Act.

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American Express v. Logothetis, N., (Pa. Ct. App. 2023).

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