Carrier Employees' Federal Credit Union v. McCullough

93 Misc. 2d 353, 400 N.Y.S.2d 713, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2654
CourtSyracuse City Court
DecidedDecember 29, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 93 Misc. 2d 353 (Carrier Employees' Federal Credit Union v. McCullough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Syracuse City Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carrier Employees' Federal Credit Union v. McCullough, 93 Misc. 2d 353, 400 N.Y.S.2d 713, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2654 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Joseph F. Falco, J.

This is an action to resolve three issues concerning truth in lending violations, time-barred counterclaims and attorneys fees. On September 15, 1976, plaintiff and defendant both moved for summary judgment. Both motions were denied and a nonjury trial of the matter was ordered on October 5, 1976. This case was then submitted to the court on an agreed set of facts. In addition to the oral argument, both plaintiff and defendants submitted memoranda, briefs and ancillary material.

The facts in this case are as follows: Beginning on December 12, 1973, Rosa McCullough, defendant, obtained a series of loans from the Carrier Employees’ Federal Credit Union. These loans were made on the following dates and in the following amounts:

December 12, 1973 $ 603.16

January 23, 1974 $ 731.90

March 18, 1974 $1,117.60

July 17, 1974 $1,254.73

At the time each of these transactions were entered into, the defendant received disclosure forms of credit information mandated by the Truth in Lending Act (US Code, tit 15, § 1601 et seq.) and Federal Reserve Board regulation Z (12 CFR Part 226). In addition, defendant was also furnished with insurance disclosure forms in connection with each of the four loan transactions on or about the time that each transaction transpired. The defendant executed a promissory note with each credit transaction.

By the terms of each of the promissory notes, the defendant had obligated herself to repay to the plaintiff certain monthly installments plus interest. However, in February of 1975, the defendant received a notice from her employer that she was being laid off. Defendant ceased to make regular payments to [355]*355the plaintiff on her indebtedness. As a result of her inability to repay the plaintiff on a monthly installment, the promissory note of July 17, 1974, the plaintiff declared the principal sum of $901.23 with interest from May 1, 1975, due and payable. The July 17, 1974 promissory note, as well as the previous notes, contained a provision requiring the defendant to pay attorneys fees in case of default. The fee charged was 25% but no less than $10 if the obligation was placed for collection or suit. The plaintiff claimed $226.56 as the balance due for attorneys fees. This is an action brought by the plaintiff to recover the principal sum of $901.23 and the balance due on the attorneys fees.

There are three issues which we are concerned with; whether under the purview of CPLR 203 (subd [c]), a debtor may assert time-barred truth in lending counterclaims, whether the Carrier Employees’ Federal Credit Union disclosure form for Federal credit unions violated the Truth in Lending Act (US Code, tit 15, § 1601) and regulation Z of the Federal Reserve Board (12 CFR Part 226) and whether the inclusion of the payment of attorneys fees in the creditors promissory note in the event of default is an ultra vires act by the plaintiff credit union.

The intent of Congress upon enacting the truth in lending statutes was to provide the consumer with legal protection when applying for credit. By protecting the consumer, the consumer is better able to "credit shop” and also has some control over his credit obligation.

Under regulation Z, creditors must fully comply with all regulation Z mandates if they: (1) are in the ordinary course of business; (2) regularly extend or arrange for the extension of "consumer credit.” Failure to comply with truth in lending and regulation Z requirements imposes a penalty upon the creditor, especially section 130 (subd [a], par 2, cl [A]) of the Truth in Lending Act which provides that a creditor who fails to comply with the Truth in Lending Act disclosure requirements is liable to the aggrieved borrower in an amount equal to double the finance charge imposed on the extension of credit, subject to $100 minimum and $1,000 maximum limitations.

There are several disclosure violations, all of which result in a penalty violation for the creditor. The most obvious requirement is Carrier’s failure to print the terms "finance charge” and "annual percentage rate” more conspicuously [356]*356than other required terminology on the disclosure forms. The printing of these words does not stand out and are not more noticeable, even though they are printed darker. The average consumer glancing at the disclosure form could no more differentiate between the "finance charge” than the total of payments. Because of this, 12 CFR 226.8 (d) (3) of regulation Z has been violated. Another error is Carrier’s failure to disclose the amount or method of computing the amount of any default or delinquency charges payable in the event of late payments. (Truth in Lending Act, § 129, subd [a], par [7]; 12 CFR 226.8 [b] [4].) In place of the default or delinquency charge for a late payment, the creditor here has written in an attorneys provision which is due upon total default and not due in the case of late payments.

Under 12 CFR 226.8 (b) (5) of regulation Z, the creditor is required to describe or identify the type of security interest which is to be retained or acquired by the creditor be disclosed. The plaintiff here should have disclosed the provision contained in each promissory note which stated that "upon default of the payment of any installment,” the holder may apply to the payment of this note all sums to the credit of the defendant.

Furthermore, subdivision (12) of section 1757 of title 12 of the United States Code gives a Federal credit union the power to impress and enforce a lien upon the shares and dividends of any member to the extent of any loan made to him and any dues or charges payable by him.

The defendant asserts that the plaintiff’s disclosure form failed to identify the method of computing the unearned portion of the finance charge in the event of prepayment of the obligation. They state that in connection with the loan transaction of July 17, 1974, a precomputed finance charge of $204.27 was listed, but no disclosure of how much of that finance charge would be refunded to plaintiff in the event of prepayment. 12 CFR 226.8 (b) (7) requires creditors who do not provide for any rebate of unearned finance charges upon prepayment in full, to disclose that fact. There is no provision in the Truth in Lending Act which requires a creditor to make such a rebate. Plaintiff’s argument that there are no unearned finance charges does not eliminate the need for disclosure of that fact.

The plaintiff, contrary to defendant’s contentions, is not required to disclose an acceleration clause. The Federal Re[357]*357serve Board Staff opinion No.

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Bluebook (online)
93 Misc. 2d 353, 400 N.Y.S.2d 713, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carrier-employees-federal-credit-union-v-mccullough-nysyrcityct-1977.