Helms v. Consumerinfo.com, Inc.

236 F.R.D. 561, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42159, 2005 WL 4137102
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedMarch 16, 2005
DocketNo. CV 03 HS 1439 M
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 236 F.R.D. 561 (Helms v. Consumerinfo.com, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Helms v. Consumerinfo.com, Inc., 236 F.R.D. 561, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42159, 2005 WL 4137102 (N.D. Ala. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ADDRESSING CLASS CERTIFICATION

HOPKINS, District Judge.

Factual & Procedural Background

On June 17, 2003, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1679g which allows for private causes of action, Ronald W. Helms (hereafter “Plaintiff’) filed a putative class action for damages alleging Defendant violated § 1679b(b) of the CROA (Count One). Plaintiff also brought claims for unjust enrichment (Count Two), constructive trust (Count Three), and conspiracy (Count Four). Defendant answered on July 31, 2003, denying liability and asserting affirmative defenses. Nearly a year after the original complaint was filed, Plaintiff filed his first amended complaint. Plaintiffs amended complaint added to Count One violations of § 1679b(a)(3), § 1679b(a)(4), § 1679c, § 1679d, and § 1679e(b) and (c). Counts Two, Three, and Four were re-alleged and unamended.1 Defendant an[563]*563swered, denied liability, asserted affirmative defenses, and contended that the CROA does not apply to it.

On May 28, 2004, Plaintiff moved for class certification pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3). After Plaintiffs motion for class certification was filed but before Defendant responded, Plaintiff moved for partial summary judgment on June 14, 2004. In September 2004, Defendant filed a cross motion for summary judgment and its opposition to Plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment. Shortly thereafter, Defendant filed its opposition to Plaintiffs motion for class certification on September 3, 2004. Eleven days later, Plaintiff answered with its reply to Defendant’s opposition to class certification.

After both parties had fully briefed the class certification issues, Defendant moved the Court to sequence proceedings. The Court granted Defendant’s motion and determined the pending summary judgment motions would be decided prior to class certification. On February 14, 2004, the Court granted in part and denied in part Plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment and granted in part and denied in part Defendant’s cross motion for summary judgment. The Court’s February 14 order noted that questions at issue were ones of first impression, and pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), granted either party the right to appeal.

Neither party having chosen to appeal the Court’s February 14 order within the available ten day time period, the Court now addresses whether the claims in the instant law suit are appropriate for class certification. The court now has before it Plaintiffs motion for class certification with accompanying memorandum of law and exhibits.2 Also before the Court is Defendant’s opposition to class certification with supporting evi-dentiary submissions and Plaintiffs reply thereto, also accompanied by exhibits. The Plaintiffs motion for class certification is now under submission.

The factual background of this proceeding was fully and accurately addressed in this Court’s February 14, 2005 order regarding the parties’ motions for summary judgment. Any additional facts that are pertinent to class certification will be included in the following analysis.

Class Certification3

To maintain a class action the advocate of the class must convince the court that “it satisfies all the requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(a) and at least one of the alternative requirements of Rule 23(b).” Rutstein v. Avis Rent-A-Car Systems, Inc., 211 F.3d 1228, 1233 (11th Cir.2000) (quoting Jackson v. Motel 6 Multipurpose, Inc., 130 F.3d 999, 1005 (11th Cir.1997)); accord Amchem Prods. Inc., v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 613, 117 S.Ct. 2231, 138 L.Ed.2d 689 (1997); Sikes v. Teleline, 281 F.3d 1350, 1359 (11th Cir.2002). Rule 23(a) requires a showing of numerosity, commonality, typicality and adequacy of counsel. Rule 23(a); see also Hines v. Widnall, 334 F.3d 1253, 1255-1256 (11th Cir.2003). In the instant case, Plaintiff seeks to establish his class pursuant to Rule 23(b)(3). In addition to the threshold showing under Rule 23(a), Plaintiff must show that “questions of law or fact common to the members of the class predominate over any questions affecting only individual members,” and that “a class action is a ‘superior’ method of adjudicating the controversy.” Sikes, 281 F.3d at 1359 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(3)). “The initial burden of proof to establish the propriety of class certification rests with the advocate of the class.” Rutstein, 211 F.3d at [564]*5641233. The decision to certify a class is within “the sound discretion of the district court.” Cox v. Am. Cast Iron Pipe Co., 784 F.2d 1546, 1553 (11th Cir.1986); accord Hines, 334 F.3d at 1255; Sikes, 281 F.3d at 1359.

With the foregoing principles in mind the following analysis will address each of Rule 23(a) and 23(b)(3)’s requirements respectively as they apply to Plaintiffs proposed class. The Plaintiff proposes the following class:

All persons in the United States who purchased any credit repair service from Defendant since June 1, 1998 and who (1) paid any money or other valuable consideration to Defendant in advance for such service before defendant fully performed the service, (2) did not receive disclosures required by 15 U.S.C. § 1679c, (3) did not receive the written contract required by 15 U.S.C. § 1679d, and/or (4) did not receive a cancellation form and other information required by 15 U.S.C. § 1679e.4

Because the Court concludes that continuing this action in class form is not a “superior” method of adjudication, as required by Rule 23(b)(3), the Plaintiffs motion for class certification is due to be denied.

1. Rule 23(a)

a. Numerosity

The Eleventh Circuit has recognized that “while there is no fixed numerosity rule, ‘generally less than twenty-one is inadequate, [and] more than forty adequate ... ’ ” Cox, 784 F.2d at 1553 (citations omitted). Defendant concedes that Plaintiffs class definition would include more than two million members and is sufficiently numerous to satisfy Rule 23(a). There being no dispute as to this issue, the Court finds that the numerosity requirement is satisfied.

b. Commonality

Rule 23(a)(2) provides that there must be “questions of law or fact common to the class.”

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236 F.R.D. 561, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42159, 2005 WL 4137102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/helms-v-consumerinfocom-inc-alnd-2005.