In Re Sanchez

173 F. Supp. 2d 1029, 2001 WL 1456942
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedNovember 9, 2001
DocketC-01-0899 PJH
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 173 F. Supp. 2d 1029 (In Re Sanchez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Sanchez, 173 F. Supp. 2d 1029, 2001 WL 1456942 (N.D. Cal. 2001).

Opinion

173 F.Supp.2d 1029 (2001)

In re Emmanuel and Charae SANCHEZ, Debtors.
Charae Sanchez, Appellant,
v.
Robert E. Weiss, Inc., Robert E. Weiss, and Chris A. Klingerman Appellees.

No. C-01-0899 PJH.

United States District Court, N.D. California.

November 9, 2001.

*1030 Irving L. Berg, The Berg Law Group, Corte Madera, CA, for appellant.

Edward A. Treder, Robert E. Weiss Inc., Covina, CA, for appellees.

ORDER REVERSING BANKRUPTCY COURT'S DISMISSAL OF COMPLAINT FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM

HAMILTON, District Judge.

Before the court is an appeal from a judgment entered in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California dismissing appellant's adversary complaint for failure to state a claim. Having read the parties' papers and carefully considered their arguments and the relevant legal authority, the court hereby REVERSES the bankruptcy court for the following reasons

INTRODUCTION

Appellant Charae Sanchez ("Sanchez"), debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding pending before Chief Bankruptcy Judge Edward J. Jellen of this district, filed an adversary complaint in the United States Bankruptcy Court where her Chapter 13 bankruptcy case was pending. Sanchez alleged that the attorneys who represented her mortgage lender had violated certain provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692, et seq. ("FDCPA") in the course of foreclosing on her residence. Her claims arose from a debt validation notice sent by appellees as required by 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. She alleged that the debt validation notice falsely informed her that she could dispute the validity of the debt only by sending notice in writing, and that the FDCPA does not require a consumer to communicate such a dispute in writing. She filed the adversary complaint as a class action on behalf of debtors subject to the collection notice in dispute.

Appellees filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. On October 30, 2000, Judge Jellen granted the motion and issued oral findings and conclusions on the record. Sanchez appeals the order dismissing the adversary complaint, raising the following issue for review: Whether appellees' validation notice violated 15 U.S.C. § 1692g(a)(3) by requiring that the debt be disputed in writing.

BACKGROUND

Sanchez owns a single family residence located in San Pablo, California. She financed the purchase of the home with a mortgage loan from Community Lending, Inc. The mortgage loan was thereafter assigned to Norwest Mortgage, Inc., which is now known as Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc.

Appellee Robert E. Weiss, Inc. is a professional law corporation with its principle *1031 place of business in Covina, California. Appellees Robert E. Weiss and Chris A. Klingerman are licensed California attorneys employed by Robert E. Weiss, Inc. The law firm and the attorneys are debt collectors as defined by the FDCPA.

In September, 1999, Norwest Mortgage, Inc. substituted appellee Robert E. Weiss, Inc. as trustee under the first priority deed of trust. A notice of default was recorded on September 27, 1999 based on Sanchez's failure to pay monthly principle and interest installments. On or about September 23, 1999, appellee sent a "Debt Validation Notice" to Sanchez to advise her of her rights under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. The notice contained the following language:

You may dispute the validity of this debt, or any portion thereof, by sending our office written notice within thirty (30) days after receiving this notice. In that event, we will obtain and mail to you written verification of the debt. Otherwise, we will assume that the debt is valid. (emphasis added).

Sanchez argues that consumers are not required to dispute a debt in writing under § 1692g(a)(3). Therefore, the notice sent by the appellees is in violation of the FDCPA because the notice explicitly requires that the dispute be written.

Appellees argue that consumers are required to dispute debts in writing under § 1692g(a)(3), and that the notice is not in violation of the FDCPA.

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

On appeal, the factual findings of a bankruptcy court are reviewed under a clearly erroneous standard, and its legal conclusions are reviewed de novo. See In re Pizza of Haw., Inc., 761 F.2d 1374, 1377 (9th Cir.1985); a dismissal for failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 12(b)(6) is a ruling on a question of law and as such is reviewed de novo. Fort Vancouver Plywood Co. v. United States, 747 F.2d 547, 552 (9th Cir. 1984).

The bankruptcy court's oral findings and conclusions were not designated as part of the record on appeal. Furthermore, the order dismissing the appellant's complaint did not disclose the court's findings and conclusions. Therefore, this court, in its de novo review of the bankruptcy court's dismissal of the complaint, has not had the benefit of the bankruptcy court's analysis of the issue presented.

B. Legal Standard for Rule 12(b)(6) Motions

A motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 12(b)(6) to dismiss for failure to state a claim can be granted only if it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his or her claim. See Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); De La Cruz v. Tormey, 582 F.2d 45, 48 (9th Cir.1978) ("The issue is not whether a plaintiff's success on the merits is likely but rather whether the claimant is entitled to proceed beyond the threshold in attempting to establish his claims"). Additionally, in analyzing a motion to dismiss, the allegations of the complaint should be construed favorably to the pleader. See Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974).

C. Debt Validation Provisions of the FDCPA

Title 15 section 1692g provides in pertinent part:

(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid *1032 the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing —
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;

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173 F. Supp. 2d 1029, 2001 WL 1456942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-sanchez-cand-2001.