McCaskill v. Navient Solutions, Inc.

178 F. Supp. 3d 1281, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46542, 2016 WL 1367228
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedApril 6, 2016
DocketCase No. 8:15-cv-1559-T-33TBM
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 178 F. Supp. 3d 1281 (McCaskill v. Navient Solutions, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCaskill v. Navient Solutions, Inc., 178 F. Supp. 3d 1281, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46542, 2016 WL 1367228 (M.D. Fla. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

VIRGINIA M. HERNANDEZ COVINGTON, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This cause is before the Court pursuant to: (1) the Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. # 91), filed on February 12, 2016, to which Plaintiff responds in opposition (Doc. #98); and (2) Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, filed on February 12, 2016 (Doc. # 92), to which Defendants respond in opposition (Doc. #97). On March 25, 2016, Plaintiff filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority. (Doc. # 101). For the reasons that follow, the Motions are granted in part and denied in part.

I. Background

Between January 13, 2014 and February 16, 2015, Defendant Navient Solutions, Inc. (“NSI”) placed 249 calls to a cellular telephone number, ending in -6140. (Doc. # 95-3 at 159; Doc. # 95-4 at 29-37; Doc. # 92 at ¶ 3; Doe. #97 at ¶ 3), Between March 27, 2014 and May 28,' 2015, Defendant Student Assistance Corporation (“SAC”) placed 478 calls to the same number. (Doc. # 95-3 at 171; Doc. # 95-4 at 2-27; Doc. #92 at ¶ 4; Doc. # 97 at ¶ 4). Plaintiff Willie McCaskill alleges that the calls violated the Telephone Consumer Practices Act (“TCPA”), 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(l)(A)(iii), the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (“FCCPA”), Fla. Stat. §.§ 559.55 et seq., and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692, et sec[. In these Motions, the parties contest several issues, including whether Defendants had Plaintiffs prior express consent to call the -6140 number, whether Plaintiff told Defendants to stop calling, whether the calls constituted prohibited harassment under the FCCPA and FDCPA, and whether SAC is a debt collector.

[1286]*1286Defendant NSI is a student loan servi-cer. (Doc. #96-3, “Dillon Dep.” at 13). Defendant SAC provides “default prevention” services for guarantors of federal student loans. (Doc. # 96-3, “Campbell Dep.” at 11). For instance, SAC contacts borrowers to counsel them on “repayment options.” (Id. at 8, 12). Defendants’ internal policies allow NSI and SAC to call anyone up to eight times in one day. (Doc. # 98-4, “Peterson Dep.” at 36; Doc. # 94-6, “Hampton Dep.” at 26).

The parties agree that the calls to the - 6140 number were regarding a student loan issued to the Plaintiffs daughter, Maretta Newsome. (Doc. # 91 at ¶ 1; Doc. # 98 at ¶ 1; Doc. # 92 at ¶ 7; Doc. # 97 at ¶ 7). Defendants present no evidence that Plaintiff, herself, had any obligation on Newsome’s student loan, or that Plaintiff was obligated to pay on any other student loan. (PI. Dep. at 21).

The -6140 number is assigned to Plaintiffs cell phone. (Doc. # 98-2, “PI. Dep.” at 26). Before Plaintiff began using the -6140 number for her cell phone, the number was assigned to Plaintiffs residence for many years, including while her daughters were growing up. (Id. at 28-29). The -6140 number is also the only number for the Largo for Jesus Christian Center, Inc. (“LFJ”). (Id. at 43). Plaintiff is the pastor of LFJ. (Id.).

NSI obtained the -6140 number from a public records search. (Dillon Dep. at 102; Doc. # 91 at ¶ 11; Doc. # 92 at ¶ 10). In 1999, Plaintiff submitted an application to the Florida Division of Corporations to incorporate LFJ. (PI. Dep. at 43; Doc. # 95-3 at 36). Plaintiffs cover letter included the -6140 number. (Doc. # 95-3 at 36). The Articles of Incorporation listed New-some as the Secretary of LFJ. (Id. at 40). Newsome was also listed as an officer or director of LFJ in every annual update filed with the Division of Corporations. (Doc. # 95-3 at 42-57).

Although Defendants concede that the - 6140 number was initially obtained from public records, they maintain that New-some confirmed the -6140 number as her own when she requested a voluntary forbearance on her student loan from Sallie Mae, NSI’s predecessor. (Doc. #91 at ¶¶ 11-12, 15). Defendants submit a screen-shot from the Sallie Mae website entitled “Edit Your Contact Information,” which is dated February 4, 2014. (Doe. #95-3 at 95). The following language appears at the top of the page:

We would like to ensure that we have the most up to date records for your student loan account. Please take a few moments to review your contact information and update as needed. If no changes are needed, please click Submit. It is important that we have your most current address, telephone number, and email address. Use this form to update and/or verify any part of your contact information.

(Id.). Below this language is .a box for “Contact Information,” which lists the - 6140 number as Newsome’s home phone number. (Id. at 95-96). Within that box is the following statement:

By providing my telephone number, I authorize Sallie Mae, Inc. its affiliates and agents to contact me at such number using any means of communication, including, but not limited to, calls placed to my cellular telephone using an automated dialing device, calls using prerecorded messages and/or SMS text messages, regarding any current or future loans owned or serviced by Sallie Mae,
Inc., its affiliates and agents, even if I will be charged by my service provider^) for receiving such communications.

(Id. at 96).

Newsome testified that she recalled seeing a similar screen, but that she did not [1287]*1287enter the -6140 number, and it did not appear when she pulled that screen up. (Doc. #98-3, “Newsome Dep.” at 58-59, 61). Rather, the website reflected the phone number that Newsome provided, which was her own phone number ending in -8617. (Id. at 62).

Defendants submit another screenshot from the Sallie Mae website entitled “Voluntary Forbearance: Verify Information,” also dated February 4, 2014. (Dóc. # 95-3 at 108). At the top of the page is the following statement:

This is the certification page for your Voluntary Forbearance request. Please read over the information carefully before submitting. Should any of the information be incorrect, click the “Edit” button to make changes.

Immediately below the statement is a section for “Your Contact Information,” which lists the -6140 number as Newsome’s home phone number. (Id.).

Newsome again denies providing the - 6140 number. (Newsome Dep. at 69-71). Newsome further stated: “I don’t known that it was there at the time that I was doing it; But had I seen the number, I would have changed it.” (Id. at 71).

Newsome testified that Plaintiff never authorized Newsome to provide anyone with the -6140 number, and Newsome never believed that she had such authority. (Id. at 84-85). Newsome explained: ‘You don’t give out my mom’s number, which is her business. I handle my own business, she handles her own business.... She stay over there, and I stay over here.” (Id. at 85).

Of the- 727 calls placed to Plaintiffs cell phone, Plaintiff maintains that she answered only one call in August 2014 ahd spoke with “Heather.” (PI. Dep. at 20). Plaintiff testified to the specifics of that conversation as follows:

Q. Tell me everything you can remember about the conversation with Heather.
A. Okay. I wrote it down so I could remember. Our conversation was, I. received a call. Okay.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 F. Supp. 3d 1281, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46542, 2016 WL 1367228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccaskill-v-navient-solutions-inc-flmd-2016.