Biber v. Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc.

229 F. Supp. 3d 457, 344 Educ. L. Rep. 969, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4890
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedJanuary 11, 2017
DocketCase No. 1:16-cv-804
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 229 F. Supp. 3d 457 (Biber v. Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Biber v. Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc., 229 F. Supp. 3d 457, 344 Educ. L. Rep. 969, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4890 (E.D. Va. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

T. S. Ellis, III, United States District Judge

This putative class action arises from defendant’s issuance of a letter that allegedly violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692 et seq. Plaintiff, Attila Biber, a Virginia resident who has defaulted on federal student loans, contends that defendant, Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. (“Pioneer”), a debt-collection corporation, violated the FDCPA by sending letters that mislead recipients into believing that their wages are about to be garnished if the recipients do not pay their debts. Pioneer has moved to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), raising a facial challenge to Biber’s Article III standing to bring an FDCPA claim1 and contending that the SAC fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), Fed. R. Civ. P.

For the reasons that follow, the motions to dismiss are granted in part and denied in part.

I.2

The SAC alleges that on April 1, 2016, Pioneer sent a letter (“the Letter”) to Biber and others, which was captioned in bold, capitalized letters, “Administrative Wage Garnishment Proceedings Notice.” SAC ¶ 13 & Ex. A. Because the Letter, which was attached to the SAC as an exhibit, is the centerpiece and focus of Biber’s SAC, it is appropriate to recite the following principal statements contained in the Letter:

• “This may be your last opportunity to make satisfactory payment arrangements on your student loan(s)”;
• “If these arrangements are not made, we will begin or continue the process of verifying your employment for Administrative Wage Garnishment”;
• “The United States Congress has enacted a law ... that allows guarantors ... to offset the wages of student loan defaulters without filing a lawsuit”;
• “[A] guaranty agency ... may garnish the disposable pay of an individ[463]*463ual to collect the amount owed by the individual, if he or she is not currently making required repayment ... [T]he amount deducted for any pay period may not exceed 15 percent of disposable pay”;
• “This [statutory] provision overrides all applicable state law, and allows for the garnishment of student loan defaulter’s wages”;
• “Before an administrative order is issued, defaulters are given notice and an opportunity for a hearing as part of this federal wage offset program”;
• “After the completion of this administrative offset process, your employer may be ordered to deduct 15% of your disposable income before you are paid. If your employer does not comply with this order, a lawsuit may be filed against your employer”;
• “Because the use of this federal wage offset law could reduce your take-home pay substantially, we are providing you with the chance to establish a satisfactory payment arrangement so you can voluntarily satisfy your obligation on more reasonable terms. We are hoping we can reach a satisfactory agreement before we proceed with further action”; and
• “This is an attempt, by a debt collector, to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.”
• The letter further lists that the remaining principal owed totals § 41,-893.53, the interest is $2,212.80, and the collect charge amounts to $9,706.95.

Id. Ex. A.

Biber, in the SAC, alleges that Pioneer violated the FDCPA’s prohibition on a debt collector’s “use of any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt.” 15 U.S.C. § 1692e.3 Specifically, the SAC alleges that Pioneer used false, deceptive, or misleading representations or means in the following ways:

• Pioneer “falsely represented] that it was going to perform an Administrative Wage Garnishment, without first providing the notices required by 20 U.S.C. § 1095a and 34 C.F.R. §§ 34.1-30”;
• Pioneer “falsely implied that [the Letter] was the Notice of Proposed Garnishment required under” federal law;
• Pioneer “falsely represented [that] it had the authority to garnish wages at the time of the letter, if payment arrangements were not made at that time”;
• Pioneer “falsely represented the character, amount or legal status of [plaintiffs] debts”;
• Pioneer “falsely represented and implied that the [Letter] was legal process”;
• Pioneer “deprived [Biber] of statutory verification rights which [Biber] would otherwise have under 20 U.S.C. § 1095a and 34 C.F.R. §§ 34.1-30 [such that] Plaintiff suffered an informational injury as a result of being deprived of information to which he was legally entitled”; and
[464]*464• Pioneer “used unfair and unconscionable means to collect and attempt to collect from Plaintiff and the class members.”

SAC ¶¶ 23, 36.

Pioneer challenges the adequacy of the SAC on two grounds. First, Pioneer contends that dismissal is required pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1), Fed. R. Civ. P., on the ground that Biber lacks standing to raise any of his FDCPA claims. Second, Pioneer asserts that the SAC must be dismissed pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), Fed. R. Civ. P., on the ground that the SAC lacks adequate factual allegations to support Biber’s claims for relief. These motions have been fully briefed and argued, and are therefore ripe for disposition. Each motion is separately addressed.

II.

Analysis necessarily begins with the question of subject matter jurisdiction, for absent such jurisdiction there is no power to adjudicate any issues. In support pf its Rule 12(b)(1) motion, Pioneer contends that the allegations in the SAC do not plausibly allege an “injury in fact,” and thus Biber lacks Article III standing to bring any of his FDCPA claims. For the reasons that follow, Pioneer’s standing challenge succeeds in part and fails in part.

The legal standard for a facial challenge to subject matter jurisdiction is “patterned on Rule 12(b)(6),” such that “the truthfulness of the facts alleged” in the complaint must be assumed. Kerns v. United States, 585 F.3d 187, 192 (4th Cir. 2009). To establish standing, a plaintiff must “clearly... allege facts demonstrating” three elements: “(1) an injury in fact, (2) fairly traceable to the challenged conduct of the defendant, and (3) likely to be redressed by a favorable judicial decision.” Spokeo, Inc. v.

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229 F. Supp. 3d 457, 344 Educ. L. Rep. 969, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4890, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/biber-v-pioneer-credit-recovery-inc-vaed-2017.