Gennuso v. Commercial Bank & Trust Co.

425 F. Supp. 461, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12564
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 28, 1976
DocketCiv. A. 75-495
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 425 F. Supp. 461 (Gennuso v. Commercial Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gennuso v. Commercial Bank & Trust Co., 425 F. Supp. 461, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12564 (W.D. Pa. 1976).

Opinion

OPINION

McCUNE, District Judge.

Plaintiff’s cause of action is based upon the defendant’s alleged failure to adequately comply with the disclosure provisions of the Truth-in-Lending Act (the Act), 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq., and Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. § 226.1 et seq. Jurisdiction is based on Section 130(e) of the Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1640(e).

The facts are not in dispute. On June 17, 1974, plaintiff, Richard Gennuso, entered into a consumer credit transaction 1 with the defendant, Commercial Bank and Trust Company (Commercial), in order to obtain an automobile loan for the purchase of a new 1974 Chevrolet. During the course of the transaction, plaintiff received two documents from Commercial: a “Disclosure Statement — Direct Installment Loans” and a “Note and Security Agreement.” Both documents were signed by plaintiff and his wife, and an officer of the defendant bank.

Following execution of the transaction, Commercial loaned plaintiff the sum of *465 $3900 for which a finance charge of $586.32 was imposed. The total amount financed by the plaintiff was $4,486.32, to be paid in 36 monthly installments of $124.62 per month, commencing July 20, 1974.

On April 22, 1975, plaintiff filed this suit alleging four particular violations of the Act and Regulation Z. 2 Both parties have moved for Summary Judgment. After a consideration of the respective arguments presented and for the reasons that follow, we are convinced that Commercial did not violate the applicable sections of the Act and Regulation Z, and accordingly, will grant defendant’s motion.

I

The Truth-in-Lending Act was passed by Congress in 1968 as the result of growing congressional concern over consumers’ ignorance of the nature and cost of their credit obligations. See: Mourning v. Family Publications Service, Inc., 411 U.S. 356, 363-69, 93 S.Ct. 1652, 36 L.Ed.2d 318 (1973). 3 The Act and Federal Reserve Board Regulation Z require that certain disclosures 4 be made in connection with consumer credit transactions. As stated by the Supreme Court in Mourning, supra, both the Act and Regulation Z serve a clear and definite purpose in requiring disclosures:

“[B]y requiring all creditors to disclose credit information in a uniform manner, and by requiring all additional mandatory charges imposed by the creditor as an incident to credit be included in the computation of the applicable percentage rate, the American consumer will be given the information he needs to compare the cost of credit and to make the best informed decision on the use of credit.” 411 U.S. at 365, 93 S.Ct. at 1658.

This purpose was subsequently codified in the Act itself, 15 U.S.C. § 1601. See also: Philbeck v. Timmers Chevrolet, Inc., 499 F.2d 971, 976 (5th Cir. 1974).

In line with this congressional purpose and intent, we must analyze plaintiff’s arguments and consider the manner in which Commercial set forth the necessary disclosures in the two documents which plaintiff received at the time the credit transaction was entered into. Thus, we turn to a discussion of plaintiff’s allegations.

A. Commercial’s Disclosure of a Security Interest in the Proceeds and Unearned Premiums of a Property Insurance Policy.

An analysis of plaintiff’s first contention 5 requires a review of the documents he received during the course of the credit transaction in light of the require *466 ments set forth in §§ 226.6(a) 6 and 226.-8(b)(5) 7 of Regulation Z. In addition, plaintiff, in his brief, 8 contends that § 226.-8(a) 9 also applies.

A review of the first document, the Disclosure Statement, reveals that in the center of that page, under the words, “Disclosure Statement,” Commercial advised plaintiff that certain disclosures which followed were “(Furnished pursuant to the Federal Truth In Lending Act and F.R.B. Reg. Z).” Proceeding down that page, Commercial clearly set forth the following information: The amount financed, the Finance Charge, the Annual Percentage Rate, the number and amount of payments including the due date of each payment and the total payments involved, and the method of computing the amount of any delinquency charges. Then, at paragraph 8, the Disclosure Statement included the identification of the security interest involved. Paragraph 8 appears in lower third of the Disclosure Statement in the following form:

“8. Identification of security interest_ New 1974 Chev. Monte Carlo 2 door Hardtop Ser # 1H57H4B5755BS_ (refer to the instrument evidencing the obligation for full description of property to which the security interest relates and after acquired property to which the security interest may attach).”

Approximately one inch below paragraph 8 appears the date, “June 17, 1974,” and the signature of a representative of Commercial. Directly below that appear the signatures of plaintiff and his wife, along with the same date.

Turning to the Note and Security Agreement, the applicable provision which is the subject of plaintiff’s first contention is paragraph 6, 10 which also appears in the lower third of that page. Paragraph 6, in *467 summary, requires plaintiff to fulfill five conditions: (1) to insure the collateral; (2) to cause the insurance policy to contain loss payable clauses in favor of Commercial and plaintiff as their interests may appear; (3) to deposit the policy with Commercial; (4) to assign any return of unearned premiums due upon cancellation of the policy to Commercial; and (5) to appoint Commercial plaintiff’s attorney in fact.

Plaintiff contends, and this court agrees, that the requirements contained in paragraph 6 of the Note and Security Agreement create a “Security Interest,” 11 in the proceeds and unearned premiums of the required property insurance policy.

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Bluebook (online)
425 F. Supp. 461, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12564, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gennuso-v-commercial-bank-trust-co-pawd-1976.