Crafton v. Law Firm of Levine

957 F. Supp. 2d 992, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95327, 2013 WL 3441243
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJuly 9, 2013
DocketCase No. 12-CV-602
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 957 F. Supp. 2d 992 (Crafton v. Law Firm of Levine) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crafton v. Law Firm of Levine, 957 F. Supp. 2d 992, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95327, 2013 WL 3441243 (E.D. Wis. 2013).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER ON PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

NANCY JOSEPH, United States Magistrate Judge.

In this action, plaintiffs William Crafton and Meredith Benson (“the plaintiffs”) filed a complaint against the Law Firm of Jonathan B. Levine (“the law firm” or “the defendant”) alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”). On May 1, 2013, the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment (Docket # 22); the plaintiffs also filed a motion for partial summary judgment (Docket # 27) on the same day. The motions have been fully briefed and are ready for disposition. For the reasons that follow, the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is granted; the defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted in part and denied in part.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

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); see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). “Material facts” are those under the applicable substantive law that “might affect the outcome of the suit.” See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The mere existence of some factual dispute does not defeat a summary judgment motion. A dispute over a “material fact” is “genuine” if “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Id.

In evaluating a motion for summary judgment, the court must draw all inferences in a light most favorable to the nonmovant. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). However, when the nonmovant is the party with the ultimate burden of proof at trial, that party retains its burden of producing evidence which would support a reasonable jury verdict. Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Evidence relied upon must be of a type that would be admissible at trial. See Gunville v. Walker, 583 F.3d 979, 985 (7th Cir.2009). To survive summary judgment, a party cannot rely on his pleadings and “must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. “In short, ‘summary judgment is appropriate if, on the record as a whole, a rational [995]*995trier of fact could not find for the non-moving party.’ ” Durkin v. Equifax Check Services, Inc., 406 F.3d 410, 414 (7th Cir. 2005) (citing Turner v. J.V.D.B. & Assoc., Inc., 330 F.3d 991, 994 (7th Cir.2003)).

FACTS

Plaintiffs Meredith Benson and William Crafton are natural persons residing in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. (Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Facts (“PPFOF”), Docket # 28 at ¶¶ 1, 2.) Benson and Crafton were married in August of 2004. (Plaintiffs’ Statement of Additional Facts, Docket # 32 at ¶ 1.) Meredith Benson is a consumer as defined by 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(3). (PPFOF at ¶3.) The defendant, the Law Firm of Jonathan B. Levine, is a debt collector as defined by 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). (PPFOF at ¶4.) The defendant sent a collection letter to Meredith Benson dated March 8, 2012 (PPFOF at ¶ 5) in an effort to collect a debt, as that term is defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5) (PPFOF at ¶ 6).

In relevant part, the letter from the defendant reads as follows:

As a result of your unpaid condominium assessments, your ownership interest in your unit will be foreclosed upon shortly. That means that a foreclosure action will be begun in Wisconsin Circuit Court. This action, at its conclusion, may terminate your interest in the property.
Because of the seriousness of this matter, you or your legal representative should contact me immediately if you are able to pay this debt.
The balance through March 8, 2012 including attorney’s fees, is $2,889.53. (An updated ledger is enclosed.)
Legal fees are accrued at $250.00 for file start-up and then on an hourly basis, currently at $235.00 an hour. These are subject to change. In addition, you will owe the filing and service fees when litigation is begun.
As you know, the assessment, and thus possibly interest and collection costs, increase each month.
If you do not pay the balance due, the Association will be entitled to file a lawsuit against you for foreclosure.
Federal law gives you 30 days after you receive this letter to dispute the validity of the debt or any part of it. If you do not dispute it within that period, I will assume it is valid. If you dispute it by notifying me to that effect, I will, as required by law, obtain and mail to you proof of the debt. And if within the same period you request the name and address of your original creditor, if the original creditor is different from the current creditor, I will furnish that information too.

(PPFOF at ¶7; see also Exh. A to the Complaint, Docket # 1-1.) Included with the letter was an account ledger. (PPFOF at ¶ 8; see also Exh. B to the Complaint, Docket # 1-2.) The defendant automatically includes a ledger in its collection communications with debtors (PPFOF at ¶ 12), which it reviews for usury and to ensure that the ledger pertains to the particular debtor’s account (PPFOF at ¶ 13). The defendant does not undertake to warranty the accuracy of the ledgers it provides to debtors. (PPFOF at ¶ 14.)

The letter sent to Meredith Benson, including a ledger, indicated that the amount due was $2,899.53. (PPFOF at ¶ 8; see also Exh. B to the Complaint, Docket # 1-2.) The letter failed to include language that indicated that consumers must invoke their rights under §§ 1692g(a)(4) and 1692g(a)(5) in writing. (PPFOF at ¶ 21.) The letter invited the consumer to dispute the debt. (Def. Response to PPFOF, Docket # 30 at p. 7, ¶ 21.) The account ledger included with the letter asserted [996]*996that no payments (for homeowners’ association fees) had been made between July 1, 2011 and March 1, 2012, and also showed a late fee for each of these months. (PPFOF at ¶ 9.) The ledger was not correct (PPFOF at ¶ 11), and payments had been made between April 2011 and February 2012 (PPFOF at ¶ 10).

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Bluebook (online)
957 F. Supp. 2d 992, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95327, 2013 WL 3441243, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crafton-v-law-firm-of-levine-wied-2013.