Lee v. McCarthy

297 F. Supp. 3d 1343
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedDecember 19, 2017
DocketCase No.: 0:17–cv–60471–UU
StatusPublished

This text of 297 F. Supp. 3d 1343 (Lee v. McCarthy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lee v. McCarthy, 297 F. Supp. 3d 1343 (S.D. Fla. 2017).

Opinion

URSULA UNGARO, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, D.E. 51.

THE COURT has considered the Motion, the pertinent portions of the record and is otherwise fully advised of the premises. For reasons set forth below, Plaintiff's Motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

I. Factual Background

The following facts are undisputed, unless otherwise indicated.

Defendant is a law firm with its principal place of business in Illinois. D.E. 1-4, 1-5, 51-1. Plaintiff is an individual and citizen of Florida, residing in Broward County. See D.E. 1 ¶ 8; D.E. 37 ¶ 8.

This case arises from Defendant's attempt to collect a $448.50 debt from Plaintiff by means of a single letter mailed to Plaintiff on February 1, 2017, which Plaintiff alleges violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), as the letter attempted to collect a debt that Defendant lacked the legal authority to collect.

In particular, on February 1, 2017, Defendant mailed Plaintiff a letter, on behalf of Defendant's client, Forest Recovery Services, LLC ("Forest"), to collect an allegedly outstanding debt amounting to $448.50 (the "Letter"). D.E. 37 ¶ 17; D.E. 60 ¶ 5(i)-(ii). The Letter provided, in relevant part:

The firm represents the above referenced creditor in the matter of your unpaid account. This debt is overdue and we will use all legally appropriate means for collection. If there is some dispute as to the amount of this claim, we will consider any information you wish to give us. We are also prepared to work out a reasonable payment plan.
...
This communication is from a debt collector. The purpose of this letter is to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
No determination has been made at this time whether this claim will result in the filing of a lawsuit. It is our hope that this matter will be resolved without court action. If a decision to sue is made, the claim will be forwarded to an attorney in the appropriate venue.

D.E. 1-6 (emphasis added). In addition, the bottom right hand corner of the letter directed Plaintiff to visit www.mccarthylf.com to "click on Make a Payment to review [his] account and other payment options." Id. Defendant's website included Terms of Use, which provided, in relevant part: "This communication is from a Debt Collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose." D.E. 51-1.

*1346There is no dispute that: (1) Plaintiff is a "consumer" within the meaning of the FDCPA; and (2) Plaintiff's $448.50 debt constituted a "consumer debt" governed by the FDCPA and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, Fla. Stat. § 559.553 (the "FCCPA"). D.E. 37 ¶¶ 13, 14; D.E. 60 ¶ 5(iii). In addition, there is no dispute that Defendant was not registered as a consumer collection agency, as provided by Fla. Stat. § 559.553(1), prior to attempting to collect the debt from Plaintiff. D.E. 60 ¶ 5(iv). As set forth more fully below, Plaintiff contends that Defendant's failure to obtain a license to collect consumer debts in Florida, combined with Defendant's attempt to collect Plaintiff's allegedly outstanding debt, violates the FDCPA. D.E. 1 ¶ 29; D.E. 37 ¶ 29.

II. Procedural Background

On March 4, 2017, Plaintiff filed the instant action, alleging one claim for violation of the FDCPA, on grounds that that Defendant sought to collect a debt without being properly licensed in Florida, as required by Fla. Stat. § 559.553(1), thereby violating 15 U.S.C. § 1692e, 15 U.S.C. § 1692e(2)(A), 15 U.S.C. § 1692e(5) and 15 U.S.C. § 1692e(10). D.E. 1 ¶¶ 38-40.

On May 10, 2017, Defendant filed its Answer to Plaintiff's Complaint. D.E. 26. On May 24, 2017, the Court issued its Scheduling Order for Pretrial Conference and Trial which, among other things, set a June 23, 2017 deadline to amend pleadings, September 22, 2017 discovery cut-off, and October 13, 2017 dispositive motion deadline. D.E. 32.

On June 23, 2017, Defendant filed its First Amended Answer and Affirmative Defenses to Complaint and Counterclaim, alleging one counterclaim for malicious prosecution (Count I). D.E. 37.

On July 5, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings or, in the Alternative, Motion for Summary Judgment and Motion to Dismiss Defendant's Counterclaim. D.E. 41. On September 18, 2017, the Court granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff's Motion, thereby dismissing Defendant's counterclaim for malicious prosecution.

On October 2, 2017, Plaintiff filed the instant Motion for Summary Judgment. D.E. 51. Defendant opposes Plaintiff's Motion.

III. Discussion

A. Legal Standard

Summary judgment is authorized only when the moving party meets its burden of demonstrating that "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 ; Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co. , 398 U.S. 144, 175, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). When determining whether the moving party has met this burden, the Court must view the evidence and all factual inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Adickes , 398 U.S. at 157,

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Bluebook (online)
297 F. Supp. 3d 1343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lee-v-mccarthy-flsd-2017.