Citifinancial Retail Services v. Hooks

922 So. 2d 775, 2006 WL 408506
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 23, 2006
Docket2004-IA-02512-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 922 So. 2d 775 (Citifinancial Retail Services v. Hooks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citifinancial Retail Services v. Hooks, 922 So. 2d 775, 2006 WL 408506 (Mich. 2006).

Opinion

922 So.2d 775 (2006)

CITIFINANCIAL RETAIL SERVICES
v.
Sammie HOOKS and Winnie Hooks.

No. 2004-IA-02512-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

February 23, 2006.

*776 Heath Alan Fite, Reid Stephens Manley, Elizabeth B. Shirley, attorneys for appellant.

David Shoemake, Audry Regnal Blackledge, Collins, attorneys for appellees.

EN BANC.

EASLEY, Justice, for the Court.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 1. Winnie Hooks (Winnie) and Sammie Hooks (Sammie), collectively known as "the Hookses," filed suit against Citifinancial Retail Services (CRS) in the Circuit Court of Covington County, Mississippi, on December 4, 2002, alleging breach of contract, tortious breach of contract, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, fraudulent inducement, negligence, gross negligence, and intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress regarding the purchase of a rug on a ninety days same as cash basis. The complaint was later amended to include a claim of defamation. CRS answered both complaints, and discovery ensued including the Hookses' depositions.

¶ 2. CRS filed a motion for summary judgment. In response, the Hookses filed affidavits that differed from the testimony given in their depositions. CRS filed its motion to strike the Hookses' affidavits because they differed substantially from and contradicted their deposition testimony, which the trial court denied. After conducting a hearing, the trial court denied the motion for summary judgment without explanation.[1] By the same order, the trial court denied CRS's ore tenus motion to certify the order for interlocutory appeal. This Court granted CRS's petition for interlocutory appeal and stayed all proceedings pending the interlocutory appeal. On appeal, CRS contends *777 the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary judgment.

FACTS

¶ 3. CRS, a division of Citicorp Trust Bank, FSB, is a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Mississippi. Winnie is a high school graduate who is able to read and write and owns her own business, Hooks Fitness Center. Sammie is also a high school graduate who can read and write and owns his own contracting business. The Hookses are resident citizens of Covington County, Mississippi.

¶ 4. In the Hookses' complaint and amended complaint, they erroneously listed the purchase date of the rug as August 29, 1999. Winnie testified in her deposition that she did not remember the date she purchased the rug. The sales receipt clearly disputes the August 29 date in the complaint, showing instead that the purchase occurred on August 18, 1999. When questioned, Winnie could not dispute the date she purchased the rug after examining the receipt. Since this case involves the expiration of the ninety days same as cash promotion and the imposition of interest and deferred interest, this is a critical fact surrounding CRS's motion for summary judgment.

¶ 5. The Hookses purchased a rug and entered into a contract to pay on a ninety days same as cash basis. A sales receipt in Sammie's name from Anderson's Rug Market in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, stated the purchase transpired on August 18, 1999. The sales receipt contained an itemization of the purchases: $625.00 for the rug, $109.00 for a rug stay, and $51.38 in taxes, totaling $785.38.[2] Payment was indicated as being made by Traveler's Bank, and the receipt listed an account number. The "payment" receipt signed by Winnie stated the rug was purchased for $785.35 on August 18, 1999, from Anderson's Rug Market. The "payment" receipt stated the Traveler's Bank account number and "3 months no pay."

¶ 6. Furthermore, Tiffany Rainey, the Hookses' granddaughter, testified in her deposition that she was with Winnie when Winnie purchased the rug from Anderson's Rug Market on August 18, 1999. On examination by CRS's attorney, Rainey testified she was positive the purchase occurred on August 18, 1999. Again on examination by the Hookses' attorney, Rainey maintained she was 100% positive the rug was purchased on August 18, 1999.

¶ 7. In her deposition, Winnie testified, "ninety days same as cash. That's not hard to understand." Mathematically, ninety days calculated from August 18, 1999, was November 16, 1999.

¶ 8. CRS presented copies of the September and October 1999 monthly billing statements addressed to the Hookses. No allegation was made that the statements listed an incorrect mailing address. The September 1999 billing statement contained language that the transaction occurred on August 18, 1999, the payment due date was September 29, 1999[3], to avoid finance charges of $9.29 the balance of $785.35 must be paid no later than *778 November 16, 1999, and to allow seven days mailing time to ensure timely crediting of their account. The statement provided that the annual percentage interest rate was 24%, at the daily periodic rate.06575%, on the unpaid balance.

¶ 9. The October 1999 billing statement stated the transaction occurred on August 18, 1999, the payment due date of October 29, 1999, to avoid finance charges of $24.78 the balance of $785.35 must be paid no later than November 16, 1999, and to allow seven days mailing time to ensure timely crediting of their account.

¶ 10. In their depositions the Hookses testified they did not know whether they received the September and October 1999 billing statements. However, in their affidavits subsequently prepared in response to CRS's motion for summary judgment, the Hookses stated they did not receive the statements.[4]

¶ 11. The Hookses acknowledged they received the November 1999 billing statement from CRS. However, a complete copy of the November statement is not in the record. The record contains a copy of a portion of the November billing statement and a check from Winnie in the amount of $785.35. The portion of the November statement contained in the record stated that payment is due November 29, 1999.[5]

¶ 12. The Hookses maintain that the November billing statement provided a payment due date of November 29, 1999. Winnie's check made payable to Citifinancial Retail Services in the amount of $785.35 was dated November 15, 1999. CRS's records provide that the check was processed on November 22, 1999.[6]

¶ 13. CRS presented an affidavit from Donna Koss, Director of Operations for Citifinancial Retail Services Division of Citicorp Trust Bank, FSB. In her affidavit, Koss stated that the November 1999 billing statement from which the Hookses made their payment contained the same information and language as the September and October 1999 billing statements.

¶ 14. Koss stated the November statement, like the other billing statements in September and October, would have disclosed that the date of purchase was August 18, 1999, that the expiration date for the ninety day "no pay/same as cash" promotion expired November 16, 1999, and a payment due date. Koss's affidavit further provided that each statement stated that if the total remaining principal was not received by the promotion expiration date, the accruing finance charges would assess and bill as part of the total balance due on the account. Koss stated that the date on which the promotion expired was not related to the payment due date on the billing statement.

¶ 15. The Hookses state that in the year 2000, they began receiving notices that interest and charges were accruing on their account because of the late payment. CRS billed the Hookses for the deferred interest for the ninety day period, current interest on the unpaid balance, and a monthly late charge.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
922 So. 2d 775, 2006 WL 408506, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citifinancial-retail-services-v-hooks-miss-2006.