Manning v. Pioneer Savings Bank

56 Misc. 3d 790, 55 N.Y.S.3d 587
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 7, 2016
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 56 Misc. 3d 790 (Manning v. Pioneer Savings Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Manning v. Pioneer Savings Bank, 56 Misc. 3d 790, 55 N.Y.S.3d 587 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Raymond J. Elliott, III, J.

Defendant, Pioneer Savings Bank, moves to dismiss the verified complaint, with prejudice, based upon a defense of documentary evidence pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (1), or for failure to state a cause of action pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7), or in the alternative, to strike scandalous and irrelevant allegations from this or future corrective pleadings pursuant to CPLR 3024 (b). Plaintiffs have opposed the motion to dismiss.

On January 26, 2015, a Pioneer Bank employee carried a Pioneer owned laptop from his office to his vehicle. A thief broke into his vehicle and stole the laptop which contained certain customers’ names, Social Security numbers, street addresses, and some account and debit card numbers. On February 23, 2015, defendant began mailing notice letters to affected individuals and each named plaintiff received a notice letter. The letter recommended that affected individuals take specific proactive steps to protect themselves from identity theft and/or fraud.

Plaintiffs commenced this action on October 9, 2015. The two named plaintiffs seek to represent a putative class comprised of all citizens of the State of New York who were customers of Pioneer Savings Bank on January 26, 2015. The verified complaint alleges causes of action in: negligence, breach of implied contract and/or unjust enrichment, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and violation of General Business Law § 349 (a).

Defendant argues that plaintiffs do not allege individual standing to pursue their claims against defendant because they do not allege any actual harm. Defendant states that plaintiffs can only bring a class action if they have individual standing to bring the claim. Defendant asserts that to establish standing, plaintiffs must allege an injury-in-fact that falls within their zone of interest. Defendant states that plaintiffs [792]*792have not claimed that they have suffered any identity theft nor have they alleged that there has been any attempted identity theft. All they have alleged is potential exposure of personal information that has increased their risk of identity theft. Defendant argues that plaintiffs lack standing because the threat of future identity theft constitutes nothing more than hypothetical speculation concerning the possibility of future injury that does not constitute injury-in-fact. Defendant asserts that plaintiffs’ conclusory allegations that they have suffered and/or are reasonably likely to suffer alleged injuries are insufficient and the complaint should be dismissed.

Defendant asserts that plaintiffs’ cause of action for negligence should be dismissed as a matter of law as it fails to set forth a prima facie case of negligence. Defendant states that it owed plaintiffs no cognizable common-law duty, that plaintiffs fail to allege actual harm, that the economic loss doctrine defeats plaintiffs’ negligence claim as a matter of law and that the negligence claim is impermissibly duplicative of plaintiffs’ cause of action for breach of contract.

Defendant argues that plaintiffs’ cause of action for breach of implied contract and/or unjust enrichment also fails as a matter of law. Defendant states that the complaint fails to allege a meeting of the minds as to the terms of an implied contract or allege any actual damages. Defendant refers to the language found in defendant’s published privacy disclosure which indicates how defendant protects a client’s personal information by using security measures that comply with federal law. Defendant argues that plaintiffs’ allegation that defendant promised to safeguard in any other fashion is a fabrication and does not give rise to an implied contract. Defendant further asserts that the plaintiffs fail to allege actual damages stemming from a purported breach of implied contract and the complaint fails to allege a plausible theory of unjust enrichment.

Defendant asserts that plaintiffs’ third cause of action for breach of contract fails as a matter of law as it fails to plead two elements of the claim: breach of an enforceable contract and actual damages arising from the breach. Defendant states that plaintiffs fail to state any federal law governing defendant’s security obligation or any violation of a law, so no breach is stated. Defendant states that plaintiffs further fail to state any actual nonspeculative damages arising from the breach.

Defendant states that plaintiffs’ cause of action for bailment fails as a matter of law. Defendant recognizes that New York [793]*793courts have not yet considered whether bailment is a viable cause of action in the wake of a data breach but cites other jurisdictions which have held it is not. Defendant asserts that: plaintiffs did not deliver personal property to defendant as the customers’ personally identifiable information is not property; plaintiffs did not have an understanding that defendant would return their personally identifiable information at a later time; and at no time did defendant maintain exclusive possession, control and dominion over the plaintiffs’ personally identifiable information.

Defendant argues that plaintiffs’ cause of action for breach of fiduciary duty warrants dismissal as a matter of law as it fails to allege a fiduciary relationship between the parties. Defendant asserts that the complaint does not allege that defendant breached a fiduciary duty to plaintiffs with sufficient particularity under CPLR 3016 (b); that plaintiffs failed to plead actual damages sufficient to support the cause of action; and that it is duplicative to the breach of contract claim.

Defendant further asserts that plaintiffs’ cause of action alleging a violation of General Business Law § 349 (a) fails because the complaint fails to set forth any allegation demonstrating an impact on consumers at large, it did not mislead plaintiffs in a material way, or constitute a deceptive business practice resulting in actual harm.

In the alternative, defendant states that if the court does not dismiss the complaint, it should strike all scandalous, irrelevant material from the complaint pursuant to CPLR 3024 (b). Defendant specifically requests that the court strike paragraphs 14, 22-25 and 61 of the complaint. Defendant asserts that the allegations contained in those paragraphs are utterly irrelevant to plaintiffs’ claims and prejudicial and unnecessary.

Plaintiffs first assert that the motion to dismiss for lack of standing should be denied as it is procedurally improper as defendant did not bring the motion pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (3). Plaintiffs argue that they do have standing to bring this suit. Plaintiffs assert that the complaint states that they have suffered and will continue to suffer and sets forth the injuries and losses incurred by plaintiffs. Plaintiffs further allege that their private personal and financial information has been stolen and/or exposed and this constitutes injury-in-fact. Plaintiffs state that the class also has sufficiently alleged an increased risk of harm as a direct result of defendant’s negligence, and this contention satisfies the standing inquiry. [794]*794Plaintiffs argue that the stress and fear of future injury which is related to the incident and likely to cause future harm satisfies standing.

Plaintiffs consent to dismissal of the claims for breach of fiduciary duty and violation of General Business Law § 349 without prejudice. (See plaintiffs’ mem in opposition at n 2.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 Misc. 3d 790, 55 N.Y.S.3d 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manning-v-pioneer-savings-bank-nysupct-2016.