Keyes v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC

335 F. Supp. 3d 951
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 16, 2018
DocketCase No. 17-cv-11492
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 335 F. Supp. 3d 951 (Keyes v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keyes v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, 335 F. Supp. 3d 951 (E.D. Mich. 2018).

Opinion

GERSHWIN A. DRAIN, United States District Judge *954I. Introduction

Plaintiff Darcel Keyes commenced this litigation against Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC ("Ocwen") on May 10, 2017. See Dkt. No. 1. In her second amended complaint, she raises four claims: negligent violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"), 47 U.S.C. § 227 et seq. , (Count I); willful or knowing violations of the TCPA (Count II); negligent violations of the Michigan Regulation of Collection Practices Act ("MRCPA"), MICH. COMP. LAWS § 445.251 et seq. , (Count III); and willful violations of the MRCPA (Count IV). See Dkt. No. 29, pp. 12-14 (Pg. ID 294-96).

The parties have filed cross-motions for partial summary judgment. Keyes was first to move for partial summary judgment and did so on May 30, 2018. Dkt. No. 52. She requests that the Court grant her summary judgment as to Ocwen's liability under both the TCPA and the MRCPA. See id. at p. 3 (Pg. ID 760). She also asks the Court to grant her motion as to willfulness and statutory damages of $1,500 under the TCPA. See id. Ocwen responded to Keyes's motion on June 21, 2018. See Dkt. No. 83. Keyes replied in support of her motion on July 12, 2018. See Dkt. No. 91.

On May 30, 2018, the same day that Keyes moved for summary judgment, Ocwen requested that the Court exclude the expert report of Jeffrey Hansen, which Keyes relies on in her motion for partial summary judgment. See Dkt. No. 54. Keyes responded to the motion to exclude on June 13, 2018. See Dkt. No. 74. Then, on June 20, 2018, Ocwen replied in support of its motion. See Dkt. No. 81.

Ocwen also moved for partial summary judgment on May 30, 2018. See Dkt. No. 56. It requests an entry of judgment on Keyes's TCPA claims, Counts I and II, and requests that the Court rule in its favor on damages regarding Keyes's MRCPA claims, Counts III and IV. See id. Keyes opposed Ocwen's motion in a brief filed on June 20, 2018, and Ocwen replied on July 12, 2018. See Dkt. Nos. 80, 89.

Presently before the Court are Ocwen's Motion to Exclude the Expert Report of Jeffrey Hansen [54], and the Parties' Cross-Motions for Partial Summary Judgment [52, 56]. The motions are fully briefed and the Court will decide these motions without a hearing pursuant to Eastern District of Michigan Local Rule 7.1(f)(2). For the reasons detailed below, the Court will GRANT Ocwen's Motion to Exclude the Expert Report of Jeffrey Hansen [54]. The Court will GRANT Ocwen's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment as to Keyes's TCPA claims [56], and will DENY Keyes's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment regarding her TCPA claims [52]. Because no federal claims will survive Ocwen's motion for partial summary judgment, the Court will decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Keyes's remaining state law claims.

II. Background

Keyes asserts that Ocwen called her at least 2,781 times between May 2013 and December 2016. See Dkt. No. 52, p. 5 (Pg. ID 762). She contends that Ocwen was attempting to collect on allegedly overdue *955payments, and that Ocwen continued to call her over her objections. Id. When calling Keyes, Ocwen used a device called the Aspect Unified IP (the "Aspect System"). Id. This system uses the Linux and Windows operating systems. Id. at p. 20 (Pg. ID 777).

It "calls telephone numbers from a stored list." Dkt. No. 80, p. 5 (Pg. ID 4946). That list is first stored on a database called Realservicing, and Realservicing maintains borrower's contact information, including their phone numbers. Dkt. No. 56, p. 20 (Pg. ID 1044). The parties disagree about whether the Realservicing database is loaded onto the Aspect System, or whether it is separate from the system. All agree, however, that the Aspect System can only call numbers stored in the Realservicing database. Id. If Ocwen wanted to change the Aspect System to call numbers outside of that set list, it would need to access the system's source code. Id. at pp. 9-10 (Pg. ID 1033-34). Ocwen does not have access to the system's source code, and therefore, would need external permission to modify the Aspect System. See id.

III. Legal Standard

First, on a motion to exclude, a party offering an expert's opinion bears the burden of establishing the admissibility of that opinion by a preponderance of the evidence. Nelson v. Tenn. Gas Pipeline Co. , 243 F.3d 244, 251 (6th Cir. 2001). Expert testimony is admissible only if it satisfies the requirements of Federal Rule of Evidence 702, which states that:

A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:
(a) the expert's scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;
(b) the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;
(c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and
(d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.

The Daubert court established considerations for determining whether an expert witness's testimony is reliable. Daubert v.

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Bluebook (online)
335 F. Supp. 3d 951, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keyes-v-ocwen-loan-servicing-llc-mied-2018.