Downes v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter

62 Pa. D. & C.4th 176, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 160
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedSeptember 23, 2002
Docketno. 0022985
StatusPublished

This text of 62 Pa. D. & C.4th 176 (Downes v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Downes v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 62 Pa. D. & C.4th 176, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 160 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

HERRON, J.,

Presently before the court is the petition for a temporary restraining order and to compel arbitration and to stay all proceedings, filed by defendants Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Scott Martin. The underlying proceeding at issue involves the complaint of plaintiff Marguerita Downes for violations of Pennsylvania’s UTPCPL, fraud and negligence.

The complaint alleges that plaintiff invested $200,000 with defendants and ended up after about two years with only $89.29 due to defendants’ unauthorized margin trading with her funds. Defendants seek, under Pa.R.C.P. 1531, the Pennsylvania Uniform Arbitration Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §7304(a) and (d), and the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq., to enforce a purported arbitration agreement between them and plaintiff. Plaintiff argues that she never agreed to arbitrate because the agreement to arbitrate only binds clients of Morgan Stanley who, unlike her, opted for margin trading.

[178]*178After considering the briefs, documents and arguments presented, this court denies defendants’ petition for the reasons set forth below.

FINDINGS OF FACT

I. The Parties

(1) Plaintiff Marguerita Downes is a realtor and was, at all relevant times, a client of Morgan Stanley. N.T., May 28, 2002, p. 68; May 6, 2002, p. 75.1

(2) Defendant Morgan Stanley is an investment, financial services and stock brokerage firm.

(3) Defendant Martin was, at all relevant times, a financial advisor in the employment of Morgan Stanley. N.T., May 6, p. 5.

II. The Purported Agreements Between the Parties

A. The Active Asset Account Application

(4) The active asset account application (AAA agreement) is a two-page application signed by Downes, on the first page, on March 25, 1999. MSDW exhibit 4.

(5) Section 1 of the AAA agreement shows a number of boxes to check off corresponding to the type of account chosen. The box in front of “individual” is checked off. Id.

[179]*179(6) Section 2 shows the social security number of Downes. Id.

(7) Sections 3 and 4 show a number of privileges and services which the applicant may adopt by checking off a box in front of each of the options. Id.

(8) Section 3 is checked off to indicate the acceptance of: (1) a year-end summary of account activity; (2) active assets money trust; (3) check writing privileges; and, (4) pre-printed deposit slips. Other services such as credit card and direct deposit are declined, as indicated by an unchecked box in front of those options. Id.

(9) Section 4, sub-section E provides two boxes to check off. On separate lines, the applicant may check off either: “Yes, I am requesting margin privileges,” or: “No, I do not wish margin privileges.” Id.

(10) There is a check mark in the box which requests margin privileges. Id.

(11) Immediately below those statements referring to the margin privileges is the following statement:

“The following applies only to clients who request and are approved for margin privileges:
“I authorize Morgan Stanley Dean Witter to lend to itself or to others, either separately or in common, any holding in my account that Morgan Stanley Dean Witter may be carrying for me on margin. I understand that I may borrow against my account at the rates and terms explained in the client account agreement. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ACCOUNT IS GOVERNED BY THE PRE-DISPUTE ARBITRATION CLAUSE APPEARING IN SECTION El OF THE AGREEMENT.” Id. (emphasis and capitalization in original)

[180]*180(12) Thus, according to the AAA agreement, the pre-dispute arbitration clause applies to margin accounts only. Id.

(13) Immediately below the above-cited paragraph, at the bottom of page 1 of the application, are Downes’ signature and date. Id.

(14) Downes stipulated to the authenticity of that signature. N.T., May 6, p. 6.

(15) The second page of the application shows sections 5 through 8. Only section 5 is filled out with Downes’ address and choices for checks (stubs, quantity, number showing on first check). Sections 6,7 and 8 are left blank. There is no signature line at the bottom of page 2. MSDW, exhibit 4.

B. The Client Account Agreement and the Arbitration Agreement

(16) Morgan Stanley sends a welcome package of documents to each customer soon after a new account is open. N.T., May 6, p. 12; N.T., May 28, p. 16 (testimony of Patricia Kloc, operations manager, responsible for new accounts, with Morgan Stanley at all relevant times).

(17) Morgan Stanley includes in the welcome package a cover letter and a client account agreement (CAA). Id.; MSDW, exhibit 2.

(18) The CAA that was effective when Downes opened an account with Morgan Stanley begins on the first page with an introductory paragraph, which states that section III applies “to all accounts requesting margin privileges.” MSDW, exhibit 3; N.T., May 6, p. 9.

[181]*181(19) Section III is entitled “margin privileges.” At the very beginning of section III, it is stated that the section “only applies to those clients eligible and approved for margin privileges.” MSDW, exhibit 3, section III.

(20) Section III is the only section in the CAA which discusses arbitration. MSDW, exhibit 3.

(21) Thus, according to the CAA, the agreement to arbitrate applies solely to clients who request margin privileges. MSDW, exhibit 3; see also, N.T., May 6, p. 30 (testimony of Martin).

(22) Section III begins with a paragraph warning that “[mjargin trading is not for everyone.” MSDW, exhibit 3, section III.

(23) Section III contains a sub-section entitled “arbitration,” which lists disclosures related to arbitration as required by industry regulations. Id.

(24) Section III also contains a sub-section entitled “arbitration of controversies,” which contains the arbitration clause at issue in this case and referred to in the AAA agreement. Id.; MSDW, exhibit 4.

(25) Downes testified that she never received the CAA either from Martin or directly from Morgan Stanley through the mail. N.T., May 6, p. 78; N.T., May 28, p. 58.

(26) There is no evidence in the record that Downes ever received the CAA.

C. The Margin Disclosure Statement

(27) The margin disclosure statement is a one-page document which is only included in the welcome pack[182]*182age when clients have requested margin account privileges. N.T., May 28, p. 20.

(28) The margin disclosure statement produced by defendants was a copy of a 2001 document and not what might have been supplied to a client who opened an account when Downes did in March of 1999. MSDW, exhibit 2.

(29) The margin disclosure statement briefly explains margin trading and mostly highlights the risks involved in margin trading. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
62 Pa. D. & C.4th 176, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 160, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/downes-v-morgan-stanley-dean-witter-pactcomplphilad-2002.