Boldon v. Messerli & Kramer, P.A.

92 F. Supp. 3d 924, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32552, 2015 WL 1235658
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedMarch 17, 2015
DocketCivil No. 14-2035 (DWF/HB)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 92 F. Supp. 3d 924 (Boldon v. Messerli & Kramer, P.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boldon v. Messerli & Kramer, P.A., 92 F. Supp. 3d 924, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32552, 2015 WL 1235658 (mnd 2015).

Opinion

ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

DONOVAN W. FRANK, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court upon Defendant Messerli & Kramer P.A.’s (“Defendant”) objections (Doc. No. 35) to Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer’s November 14, 2014 Report and Recommendation (“R & R”) (Doc. No. 21) insofar as it recommends that Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss be granted, but that Plaintiff Shelly Bol-don (“Plaintiff’) be given thirty days from the date of the District Court’s order on the Motion to Dismiss to file an amended complaint. Plaintiff filed a response to Defendant’s objections on February 6, 2015. (Doc. No. 37.)

The Court has conducted a de novo review of the record, including a review of the arguments and submissions of counsel, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1) and Local Rule 72.2(b). The factual background for the above-entitled matter is clearly and precisely set forth in the R & R and is incorporated by reference for purposes of Defendant’s objections.

In the R & R, Magistrate Judge Bow-beer first recommended that the breach-of-contract claim be dismissed, but also recommended that Plaintiff be given thirty days to conduct a reasonable inquiry and to file an amended complaint correcting certain deficiencies, if warranted. (Doc. No. 21 at 929-31.) For example, Magistrate Judge Bowbeer identified certain factual issues, such as the unclear relationship between Defendant and Central Prairie Finance, LLC (“Central Prairie”), which, if properly added to an amended complaint, could support Plaintiffs claims. (Id.) Second, Magistrate Judge Bowbeer concluded that claim preclusion does not bar Plaintiffs claims. (Id. at 931-32.) Third, Magistrate Judge Bowbeer found that if appropriately alleged, Plaintiff could potentially state a claim under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) and therefore recommended that the claim also be dismissed, but with leave to amend. (Id. at 932-34.) Finally, Magistrate Judge Bowbeer concluded that Plaintiff had failed to state a claim for [927]*927respondeat superior liability, but again gave Plaintiff leave to attempt to plead allegations supporting that theory. (Id. at 934.)

Defendant objects to the R & R to the extent it grants Plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint. (See generally Doc. No. 35.) Defendant further objects to those findings in the R & R upon which Magistrate Judge Bowbeer necessarily relied in arriving at the recommendation that Plaintiff could amend her complaint. (Id.) Specifically, Defendant argues that Plaintiffs claims are barred by the “unambiguous terms” of the Settlement Agreement, which Defendant asserts is not susceptible to more than one meaning. (Id.) Thus, according to Defendant, in light of a proper understanding of the Settlement Agreement, no amendment to the complaint could allow Plaintiff to adequately state a claim. (Id.) Defendant further asserts that the additional factual allegations that Magistrate Judge Bowbeer found might support Plaintiffs claims would actually compel a finding of res judicata. (Id. at 5-6.) Put another way, Defendant argues that the R & R fails to “consider the cumulative effect of the defenses asserted in [Defendant’s] motion to dismiss.” (Id. at 6.)

The Court disagrees. As Magistrate Judge Bowbeer found, there are a number of facts that, if alleged, could allow Plaintiff to adequately state claims. For example, the record supports Magistrate Judge Bowbeer’s conclusion that there is a “lingering question concerning the relationship between Messerli and Central Prairie.” (Doc. No. -21.) For instance, documents show that Messerli was Central Prairie’s attorney in certain actions. (Id.) In sum, the Court concludes that Magistrate Judge Bowbeer’s recommendation that Plaintiff be given leave to amend the complaint, if warranted, is sound in light of the record before the Court, including Plaintiffs pro se status at the time of the present motion to dismiss.

■ Thus, based upon the de novo review of the record and all of the arguments and submissions of the parties and the Court being otherwise duly advised in the premises, the Court hereby enters the following:

ORDER

1. Defendant Messerli & Kramer P.A.’s objections (Doc. No. [35]) to Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer’s November 14,' 2014 Report and Recommendation are OVERRULED.

2. Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer’s November 14, 2014 Report and Recommendation (Doc. No. [21]) is ADOPTED.

3. Defendant Messerli & Kramer, P.A.’s Motion to Dismiss (Doc. No. [7]) is GRANTED, but Plaintiff Shelly Boldon is given thirty days from the date of this Order to file an amended complaint.

4. If Plaintiff Shelly Boldon does not file an amended complaint within the thirty-day period, all claims shall be dismissed with prejudice and judgment will be entered accordingly.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

HILDY BOWBEER, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendant Messerli & Kramer, P.A.’s Motion to Dismiss [Doc. No. 7]. The motion was referred to the undersigned by the Honorable Donovan W. Frank, United States District Judge, in an Order of Reference dated September 8, 2014 [Doc. No. 14]. For the reasons set forth below, the Court recommends that the motion be granted, but that Plaintiff Shelly Boldon be given thirty days from the date of the District Court’s order on the Motion to Dismiss to [928]*928file an amended complaint. If Boldon does not file an amended complaint within the thirty-day period, the Court recommends that all claims be dismissed with prejudice and judgment entered accordingly.

I. Background

Shelly Boldon initiated this action on June 20, 2014, by filing a Complaint [Doc. No. 1], Essentially, she alleges that Defendant Messerli & Kramer, P.A;, breached a settlement agreement and violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) in several respects. Boldon is representing herself in this matter.

A. Allegations in the Complaint

The relevant facts 'alleged in the Complaint are as follows.1 Messerli is a debt collector. (Compl. ¶ 9.) On August 23, 2010, Messerli served two state court complaints on Boldon “regard[ing] accounts allegedly owed by Plaintiff to the entity Central Prairie Financial, LLC.” (Id. ¶ 13.)2 The two debts were related to accounts with the terminal digits 2324 and 6913. (Id. ¶ 14.) Boldon answered both complaints on September 10, 2010. (Id. ¶ 15.) The Complaint does not allege whether the state court complaints were ever filed.

On November 3, 2011, Boldon filed suit against Messerli in the District of Minnesota, alleging several violations of the FDCPA. (Id. ¶ 10.) The case was docketed as No. 11-cv-3246 (SRN/SER). (Id.) Boldon alleged in that action that Messerli withdrew money from her bank account without her authorization, disclosed her private financial information to third parties, and breached the terms of a payment agreement for a debt. (Id.)

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Bluebook (online)
92 F. Supp. 3d 924, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32552, 2015 WL 1235658, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boldon-v-messerli-kramer-pa-mnd-2015.