Chenlen v. Philips Electronics North America

20 Mass. L. Rptr. 652
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedMarch 1, 2006
DocketNo. 050525
StatusPublished

This text of 20 Mass. L. Rptr. 652 (Chenlen v. Philips Electronics North America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chenlen v. Philips Electronics North America, 20 Mass. L. Rptr. 652 (Mass. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Fishman, Kenneth J., J.

INTRODUCTION

The plaintiff, Christopher Chenlen, initially brought this class action against the defendants, Philips Electronics North America, Philips Lighting Company, and Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. (collectively “Philips”), alleging common-law fraud and breach of warranty. The plaintiff amended his complaint to include allegations of fraud/deceit, negligent misrepresentation, breach of express and implied warranty, and violations of G.L.c. 93A, §9, and G.L.c. 266, §91. The defendants now move to dismiss the Amended Complaint pursuant to Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure 8(a)(1), 9(b), and 12(b)(5), (6), and (8). After hearing, and for the reasons discussed below, the defendants’ motion is ALLOWED in part, and DENIED in part. In addition, the plaintiff moves to appoint a special process server to serve Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. in The Netherlands. For the reasons discussed below, the plaintiffs motion is DENIED.

BACKGROUND

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (“KPE”) is a Dutch corporation with a principal place of business in The Netherlands. KPE is the parent company of the overall Philips group, including the other two named defendants, and has operations, divisions, subsidiaries, agents, or affiliates in the United States. Philips Electronics North America (“PENAC”) is a Delaware company with a principal place of business in New York. PENAC is a subsidiary of KPE and acts as KPE’s United States selling arm. Philips Lighting Company (“PLC”) is a division of PENAC and/or KPE with a principal place of business in Somerset, New Jersey. PLC acts as KPE’s and/or PENAC’s United States selling arm for KPE’s lighting products within the broader KPE organization.

Chenlen filed his original class action Complaint against Philips on February 14, 2005, claiming common-law fraud and breach of warranty. On July 14, 2005, Philips moved to dismiss the Complaint based on its failure to set forth any factual allegations that satisfied the minimum pleading standard of Mass.R.Civ.P. 8 or the heightened pleading requirements of Mass.R.Civ.P. 9(b). Thereafter, on August 24, 2005, the plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint claiming fraud/deceit, negligent misrepresentation, breach of express and implied warranty, and violations of G.L.c. 93A, §9, and G.L.c. 266, §91. Chenlen brought these claims on behalf of himself, and on behalf of all others similarly situated “who purchased lighting products (for nonbusiness purposes) that were manufactured, marketed, distributed, or sold by defendants . . . during the period from February 14, 2001 through the present. . .”

Chenlen’s Amended Complaint identifies the various names, models, or collections of the lighting products that Philips manufactures, distributes, and/or sells, and states that he “purchased various [Philips] Lighting Products from the Home Depot.” Further, the Amended Complaint recites the representations made by Philips regarding useful life of three types of lighting products that he purchased.1

Specifically, Chenlen alleges that Philips’ representations “(i) through the Internet, (ii) on packaging of the lighting products, (iii) in print television, radio, and point-of-sale advertising, and/or (iv) through its sales presentations and communications to individuals and the retail building industry” about the useful life of the lighting products are false or misleading. Chenlen alleges that Philips’ website states, “(i) rated life refers to the average life of the bulb, (ii) some bulbs will fail before their rated life, and (iii) 50% [of bulbs] will last shorter than rated life.” He further alleges that this information is not disclosed at the point of sale or on the package of the lighting products. Chenlen does not allege that the lighting products he purchased from Philips did not conform to the representations that Philips made about them on their packaging, or that they were not fit for their ordinary purpose.

Chenlen filed an affidavit of service signed by Aaron Michael with regard to service of his original Complaint. The affidavit states that Michael served a copy of the summons and original complaint upon PENAC as agent for KPE by registered certified mail return receipt requested.

After Chenlen filed his Amended Complaint, he attempted to serve it on KPE by International Registered Mail to two business addresses in The Netherlands. Chenlen made a formal request of the USPS to supply delivery information as to these mailings. On October 12, 2005, the USPS informed him that they were unable to locate any delivery information in their records regarding the two mailings. Chenlen contends that the USPS lost these mailings. To date, Chenlen has not filed an affidavit of service of the Amended Complaint on KPE as required by Mass.R.Civ.P. 4(f). On January 9, 2006, Chenlen filed an ex parte motion to appoint a special process server to serve KPE in The Netherlands.

DISCUSSION

A. Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Standing

The threshold issue raised by this motion is whether Chenlen has standing to bring the claims he asserts in his Amended Complaint. To establish his right to sue, Chenlen must show that he is “entitled to have the courts decide the merits of the dispute . . .” Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 498 (1975). “[I]t has been established in this Commonwealth that only [654]*654persons who have themselves suffered, or who are in danger of suffering, legal harm can compel the courts to assume the difficult and delicate duty [of adjudicating disputes or particular issues].” Barbara F. v. Bristol Div. of the Juvenile Court Dep’t., 432 Mass. 1024, 1024-025 (2000) (emphasis supplied), citing Doe v. The Governor, 381 Mass. 702, 704 (1980), quoting Kaplan v. Bowker, 333 Mass. 455, 459 (1956). “To have standing in any capacity, a litigant must show that the challenged action has caused the litigant injury.” Slama v. Attorney Gen., 384 Mass. 620, 624 (1981) (emphasis added). In a class action setting, “[i]f an individual ‘may not maintain the action on [his or her] own behalf, he or she may not seek relief on behalf of the class.’ ” Barbara F., 432 Mass. at 1025, quoting Doe, 381 Mass. at 704-05.

Here, Chenlen contends that Philips’ representations about the useful life of its lighting products are false and misleading. Philips argues that Chenlen lacks standing on all of his claims because he did not identify the actual lighting products he bought or allege that any of the lighting products which he purchased failed to perform to the full extent of the time referred to in the packaging or that they otherwise malfunctioned in any way. Chenlen’s Amended Complaint sets out the “various names, models, or collections” of the lighting products that Philips “manufactures, distributes, and/or sells,” and alleges that he “purchased various [Philips] Lighting Products from the Home Depot.” Further, he identifies the representations made by Philips regarding useful life of three types of lighting products that he purchased. Thus, Chenlen’s Amended Complaint did in fact specify the lighting products that he purchased. To determine the existence of standing we must look at each of Chenlen’s claims separately.

1.Fraud (Count I) and Negligent Misrepresentation (Count II)

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Bluebook (online)
20 Mass. L. Rptr. 652, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chenlen-v-philips-electronics-north-america-masssuperct-2006.