Andrade v. American First Finance, Inc.

District Court, N.D. California·Decided June 28, 2023·No. 3:18-cv-06743·Unknown

Opinion

MARIA ANDRADE, Case No. 18-cv-06743-SK

Plaintiff, ORDER ON EQUITABLE RELIEF v.

AMERICAN FIRST FINANCE, INC., et al., Defendants.

Now that the jury has returned the verdict, Plaintiff Maria Andrade’s claim under California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq. for equitable relief is ripe for the Court to address. The Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. This Order also incorporates the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law from the Order dated April 20, 2023. (Dkt. No. 449.) Findings of Fact Elegant Furniture is the fictitious business name of Murad Fayez Al Rawashdeh. (Trial Exhibit 120.) Murad Fayez Al Rawashdeh was doing business as Elegant Furniture in 2015. (Id.) For purposes of this Order, all references will be to “Elegant Furniture.” Defendant American First Finance, Inc. (“Defendant”) is a subsidiary of a large corporation that is traded on the public markets. (Trial Exhibit 30; Trial Transcript (“TT”) Vol. 4 at 492:24-493:5). Defendant entered into a contract titled “Retail Installment Sales Contract Program Agreement (the “Merchant Agreement”) with Elegant Furniture, dated January 30, 2015. (Trial Exhibit 53.) The Merchant Agreement specifically listed Murad Al Rawashdeh as a “propership” [sic] and listed him as an “owner” of Elegant Furniture. (Id.) Defendant also created a “dealer portal” through which Elegant Furniture was able to directly access Defendant’s computer system prior to either party offering to purchase or sell any Defendant drafted all terms of the Security Agreement, including the blank spaces that were filled in either prior to or at the time of the transaction; Elegant Furniture did not fill out or draft any provisions in Defendant’s form agreement. (TT Vol. 4 at 487; Trial Exhibit 140 (Transcript of Annette Walter Deposition (“Walter Tr.”) at 80:08-103:08.)1 Defendant inserted the provision for the interest rate of 120% into the Security Agreement, and Defendant calculated the amount and schedule of monthly payments. (TT Vol. 4 at 460; Trial Exhibit 137 (Transcript of John Reginald Britt Deposition (“Britt Tr.”)) at 110:10-113:11; TT Vol. 4 at 487; Trial Exhibit 140 (Walter Tr.) at 91:10-97:15.) Defendant placed its own name in the Security Agreement in the sections regarding privacy, arbitration and notice, rather than the name of the purported retail merchant, Elegant Furniture. (TT Vol. 4 at 487; Trial Exhibit 140 (Walter Tr.) at 101:17-102:24.) Defendant’s form Security Agreement indicated that it had already been assigned at the time it was drafted by Defendant and before it was signed by either Elegant Furniture or Plaintiff. (Trial Exhibit 37; TT Vol. 4 at 460; Trial Exhibit 137 (Britt Tr.) at 20:14-23:03.) Defendant created and fully controlled a system in which Elegant Furniture was advertised on Defendant’s website, and Defendant’s financing could be accessed through a banner that could be placed on Elegant Furniture’s website that would connect consumers directly to Defendant without ever going to the merchant. (TT Vol. 4 at 460; Trial Exhibit 137 (Britt Tr.) at 118:11- 121:05.) Defendant also created a “Text to Apply” system allowing consumers to reach Defendant directly without going through a merchant first. (TT Vol. 4 at 460; Trial Exhibit 137 (Britt Tr.) at 118:11-121:05.) Because the Security Agreements were prepopulated by Defendant with its own contact and notice information, Elegant Furniture could only “sell” these Agreements to Defendant and no other person or entity. Plaintiff is Maria Andrade, formerly known as Maria Rivera (“Plaintiff”). (TT, Vol. 1 at

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Andrade v. American First Finance, Inc., (N.D. Cal. 2023).

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