Buechler v. Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe, Inc.

846 F. Supp. 2d 406, 2012 WL 691537, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27972
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedMarch 2, 2012
DocketCivil No. JKB-11-3280
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 846 F. Supp. 2d 406 (Buechler v. Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Buechler v. Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe, Inc., 846 F. Supp. 2d 406, 2012 WL 691537, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27972 (D. Md. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JAMES K. BREDAR, District Judge.

Plaintiff James Buechler sued Defendant Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe, Incorporated (“YWWS”), for a claimed violation of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act [408]*408(“EFTA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1693 et seq. (Compl., ECF No. 1.) Buechler alleged that YWWS was the operator of an automated teller machine (“ATM”) and that it improperly charged a $2.00 fee for Buechler’s withdrawal of funds from his bank account with a financial institution because YWWS failed to display on or about the ATM a notice that YWWS may charge a fee for an electronic fund transaction. (Complin 21, 24-28.) Pending before the Court is YWWS’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim or, in the alternative, motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 4.)

The only ground for dismissal for failure to state a claim is YWWS’s argument that Buechler’s complaint did not name the correct legal entity since he sued “Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe” rather than “Your Wine & Spirit Shoppe, Inc.” (Def.’s Mot. Supp. Mem. 8.) Otherwise, YWWS argues it is entitled to summary judgment because no genuine dispute of material fact exists and it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The argument regarding the correct name of the legal entity to be sued was obviated by Buechler’s filing of an amended complaint (ECF No. 6), which also contained other allegations regarding YWWS’s response to the prelitigation request by Buechler for settlement. Treating YWWS’s filing as a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), it will be denied as moot. Considering the filing as a motion for summary judgment, the motion will be granted. No hearing is necessary. Local Rule 105.6 (D. Md. 2011).

I. Standard for Summary Judgment

“The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (citing predecessor to current Rule 56(a)). The burden is on the moving party to demonstrate the absence of any genuine dispute of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). If sufficient evidence exists for a reasonable jury to render a verdict in favor of the party opposing the motion, then a genuine dispute of material fact is presented and summary judgment should be denied. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). However, the “mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the [opposing party’s] position” is insufficient to defeat a motion for summary judgment. Id. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The facts themselves, and the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts, must be viewed in the light most favorable to the opposing party, Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 378, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007); Iko v. Shreve, 535 F.3d 225, 230 (4th Cir.2008), who may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading but instead must, by affidavit or other evidentiary showing, set out specific facts showing a genuine dispute for trial, Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(1). Supporting and opposing affidavits are to be made on personal knowledge, contain such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and show affirmatively the competence of the affiant to testify to the matters stated in the affidavit. Rule 56(c)(4).

II. Undisputed Facts

Plaintiff Buechler made an electronic fund transfer on August 6, 2011, at an ATM owned by YWWS at its store in Woodstock, Maryland. (Def.’s Mot. Supp. Mem. 6; Am. Compl. ¶24, ECF No. 6.) Buechler did not hold an account with YWWS. (Am. Compl. ¶ 24.) Buechler was charged a $2.00 fee for the ATM transac[409]*409tion. (Id. ¶ 26; Def.’s Mot. Supp. Mem. 6.) Before Buechler entered into the transaction, he took pictures of the ATM. (Am. Compl. Exs. 2, 3, & 4; Pl.’s Opp. 9-10, ECF No. 7.) At the time of Buechler’s transaction, no notice was posted on or at the ATM indicating the $2.00 fee would be charged. (Def.’s Mot. Supp. Mem. 6; Am. Compl. ¶ 27.)

On August 23, 2011, his attorney, David R. Hoskins, Esquire, wrote a letter to YWWS, notifying it of the lack of required notice on or at the ATM and enclosing a draft complaint with a prayer for relief for actual damages of $1,000, statutory damages of $1,000; costs; and reasonable attorney’s fees. (Am. Compl. Ex. 5.) The letter indicated the attorney was prepared to file the complaint within the following two weeks but was extending YWWS “the courtesy of reviewing the complaint before it is filed in order to provide the parties an opportunity to settle this matter without the need for litigation.” (Id.)

In response, Douglas C. Meister, Esquire, counsel for YWWS, wrote a letter to Hoskins, dated September 2, 2011, informing him that the problem of the missing required fee notice had been remedied and enclosing a check payable to Buechler to reimburse him for the $2.00 fee charged. (Id. Ex. 6.) Meister further stated that, because YWWS had corrected the problem by posting the missing notice and by reimbursing Buechler for the amount he alleged he was damaged prior to Buechler’s instituting suit, no one was liable pursuant to a “safe harbor” provision in EFTA. (Id.) See 15 U.S.C. § 1693m(e). Finally, Meister stated that filing a suit under these circumstances would constitute an act of bad faith or harassment. (Am. Compl. Ex. 6.) See 15 U.S.C. § 1693m(f). The instant suit was filed November 16, 2011.

III. Analysis

Because the pertinent facts are undisputed, the only remaining issues in the case are whether YWWS is entitled to the “safe harbor” provision, 15 U.S.C. § 1693m(e), and whether this lawsuit was instituted in bad faith.

A. EFTA’s “safe harbor”provision

Under § 1693m(e),
A person has no liability ...

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Bluebook (online)
846 F. Supp. 2d 406, 2012 WL 691537, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27972, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buechler-v-your-wine-spirit-shoppe-inc-mdd-2012.