Henry v. Radius Global Solutions, LLC

357 F. Supp. 3d 446
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 18, 2019
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 18-4945
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 357 F. Supp. 3d 446 (Henry v. Radius Global Solutions, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Henry v. Radius Global Solutions, LLC, 357 F. Supp. 3d 446 (E.D. Pa. 2019).

Opinion

KEARNEY, District Judge

Federal law requires a debt collector provide adequate notice of a debtor's rights to dispute a debt in an effective manner from the perspective of the least sophisticated debtor. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act defines the minimum level of disclosure in the notice. Our Court of Appeals interprets federal law as requiring the debtor's dispute to be in writing. As our colleagues Judges Brody and Beetlestone just reviewed, we today address a challenge to a similar notice which notifies the debtor of her right to dispute but does not tell her the debt collector will respond only if her dispute is in writing. Consistent with Judges Brody and Beetlestone, we analyzed the varied interpretations of federal law and find a debtor states a claim when the debt collector's notice tells the least sophisticated debtor she may dispute the claim but does not tell her the debt collector will not act unless the dispute is in writing. We also find this federal law is not unconstitutionally vague because of differing interpretations by district judges. Congress has set the standard and our Court of Appeals has clarified the need for disputes in writing. We deny the debt collector's motion to dismiss in the accompanying Order.

I. Allegations.1

Nadia Henry challenges the clarity of language in a debt collection letter Northland *450Group (now known as Radius Global Solutions, LLC) sent to her attempting to collect a $ 160.25 debt allegedly owed to TD Bank, N.A. She claims Radius ambiguously described how she could dispute this debt under Sections 1692g and 1692e of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Unless you notify this office within 30 days after receiving this notice that you dispute the validity of this debt, or any portion thereof, this office will assume this debt is valid. If you notify this office in writing within 30 days after receiving this notice that you dispute the validity of this debt, or any portion thereof, this office will obtain verification of the debt or obtain a copy of a judgment and mail you a copy of such judgment or verification. If you request of this office in writing within 30 days after receiving this notice this office will provide you with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor.2

Radius' first sentence describes the necessity of notifying it of a dispute but does not describe how. The second and third sentences describe Radius' obligations if she sends it a written dispute. But what happens if she orally disputes? Does the debt collector need to do anything?

Ms. Henry alleges Radius sent a similar initial notice letter to a class of persons residing in Pennsylvania.3 Ms. Henry individually and on behalf of the alleged class now sues Radius under Sections 1692g and 1692e alleging (1) Radius violates Section 1692g by failing to adequately inform her she must dispute the debt "in writing" and (2) Radius's initial notice letter is false, deceptive, or misleading in violation of Section 1692e. Radius moves to dismiss Ms. Henry's complaint arguing Ms. Henry fails to state a claim. Radius alternatively asks we grant it summary judgment finding Section 1692g void as unconstitutionally vague.

II. Analysis.

To state a claim under the Act, Ms. Henry must allege "(1) she is a consumer, (2) [Radius] is a debt collector, (3) [Radius]'s challenged practice involves an attempt to collect a 'debt' as the Act defines it, and (4) [Radius] has violated a provision of the FDCPA in attempting to collect the debt."4 The parties only dispute whether Radius violated a provision of the Act.

*451A. Ms. Henry states a claim under Section 1692g of the Act.

Ms. Henry argues Radius violates Section 1692g of the Act because the validation notice in the November 16, 2017 letter "leav[es] out the requirement that a consumer must dispute in writing."5 Ms. Henry further argues the use of the word "if" in the letter falsely implies a debtor could dispute the debt either orally or in writing.6 Radius argues it effectively conveyed Ms. Henry's rights under Section 1692g, the notice tracks the statutory language, and our Court of Appeals does not require a debt collector to include the "in writing" requirement to comply with Section 1692g. We agree with Ms. Henry.

Under Section 1692g(a), a debt collection letter to a debtor must include, either in its initial communication or within five days of the initial communication:

(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer's written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor.7

Under Section 1692g(b), "[i]f the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period described in subsection (a) that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed ... the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt[.]"8 Congress triggers the debt collector's obligations after the debtor writes to the debt collector.

Congress included the "validation notice" provisions- Sections 1692g(a)(3) - (a)(5) -to "guarantee that consumers would receive adequate notice of their rights under the law."9 Our Court of Appeals explained "in order to comply with the requirements of section 1692g, more is required than the mere inclusion of the statutory debt validation notice in the debt collection letter-the required notice must also be conveyed effectively to the debtor."10 "[T]he notice must not be overshadowed or contradicted by accompanying messages from the debt collector."11 A notice letter "is deceptive when it can be reasonably read to have two or more different meanings, one of which is inaccurate."12

*452Under Section 1692g, we must interpret the validation notice from the perspective of the "least sophisticated debtor."13 "The basic purpose of the least-sophisticated [debtor] standard is to ensure that the FDCPA protects all consumers, the gullible as well as the shrewd."14 This standard is lower than the reasonable debtor standard.15

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Bluebook (online)
357 F. Supp. 3d 446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henry-v-radius-global-solutions-llc-paed-2019.