Moore v. Dish Network L.L.C.

57 F. Supp. 3d 639, 61 Communications Reg. (P&F) 502, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146799, 2014 WL 5305960
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. West Virginia
DecidedOctober 15, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 3:13-CV-36
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 57 F. Supp. 3d 639 (Moore v. Dish Network L.L.C.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moore v. Dish Network L.L.C., 57 F. Supp. 3d 639, 61 Communications Reg. (P&F) 502, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146799, 2014 WL 5305960 (N.D.W. Va. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND GRANTING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

GINA M. GROH, District Judge.

Currently pending before the Court are Plaintiff Chester Moore’s Renewed Motion [642]*642for Partial Summary Judgment [EOF 107] and Defendant DISH Network L.L.C.’s Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF 108]. For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS IN PART Moore’s Renewed Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and GRANTS IN PART DISH’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

I.Background

A. Facts

On December 19, 2011, Chester Moore signed an application with Cintex wireless for a cell phone subsidized by the federal Lifeline program. At the time of his application, Moore had a cell phone with another service provider through that program. The Lifeline program provides low-income consumers with subsidized cell phone service. See 47 C.F.R. § 54.401. To qualify for this program, “a consumer must not already be receiving a Lifeline service.” Id. § 54.409(c). In response to his application, Cintex provided Moore with a cell phone with a number ending in 2882.

Moore claims that, after he received the Cintex cell phone, DISH Network L.L.C. called the 2882 number multiple times between January 2012 through August 2012 from numbers ending in 8047 and/or 8290. Am. Compl. ¶ 14. Moore has never been a DISH customer.

DISH admits that it called the 2882 number thirty-one times regarding a customer’s past due account from the 8047 number. Specifically, it is undisputed that DISH made the following thirty-one phone calls to the 2882 number:

1. 1/8/12 at 2:49 p.m.
2. 1/10/12 at 11:17 a.m.
3. 1/14/12 at 3:23 p.m.
4. 1/26/12 at 1:51 p.m.
5. 1/28/12 at 10:42 a.m.
6. 1/29/12 at 3:58 p.m.
7.- 1/31/12 at 1:43 p.m.
8. 2/8/12 at 3:00 p.m.
9. 2/10/12 at 3:34 p.m.
10. 2/10/12 at 3:35 p.m.
11. 2/14/12 at 12:46 p.m.
12. 2/15/12 at 12:42 p.m.
13. 2/16/12 at 11:12 a.m.
14. 2/18/12 at 3:56 p.m.
15. 2/24/12 at 6:30 p.m.
16. 2/25/12 at 10:49 a.m.
17. 3/6/12 at 1:20 p.m.
18. 3/6/12 at 5:25 p.m.
19. 3/12/12 at 3:35 p.m.
20. 3/20/12 at 3:19 p.m.
21. 3/26/12 at 11:42 a.m.
22. 5/29/12 at 12:11 p.m.
23. 6/4/12 at 9:43 a.m.
24. 6/10/12 at 9:31 a.m.
25. 6/16/12 at 8:33 a.m.
26. 6/22/12 at 8:41 a.m.
27. 6/28/12 at 9:52 a.m.
28. 7/5/12 at 11:33 a.m.
29. 7/11/12 at 12:51 p.m.
30. 7/17/12 at 12:22 p.m.
31. 7/23/12 at 8:34 p.m.

DISH made these calls using a Cisco UCCE Outbound Option, Version 8.5.4 dialer (“Cisco Dialer”). A prerecorded message was played on all calls except for calls 1, 4 through 7, 11 through 18, 20, and 21 because those calls were not met with a positive voice (i.e., no one answered the call).

During the period in which these calls occurred, Moore called DISH several times and informed DISH that it was calling the wrong number and asked DISH to stop calling the 2882 number. On June 11, 2012, in response to one of these calls, DISH added the 2882 number to its do-not-call list. Pl.’s Notice of Filing, Oct. 29, [643]*6432013, EOF 48-7 at 8. Additionally, DISH’s notes for the account underlying the phone calls reflect that Moore called DISH on June 22, 2012, July 12, 2012, and July 19, 2012 concerning the calls to the 2882 number. Specifically, these notes read: (1) June 22-“added [the 2882 number] to the internal DNC list”; (2) July 12—“stated Chester (not a DISH customer) called and stated that he was getting calls to his phone [the 2882 number]”; and (3) July 19—“Mr Chester Moore, upset w/ calls on cell phn, says contact 4 months, phn # no longer belongs.” PL’s Notice of Filing, Oct. 29, 2013, ECF 48-5 at 47-48 (capitalization omitted).

B. Procedural History

On March 22, 2013, Moore filed a complaint raising the single claim that DISH violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) each time it called the 2882 number. On October 29, 2013, Moore moved for partial summary judgment, seeking a finding that DISH is hable for the thirty-one calls it made to the 2882 number. DISH moved for the Court to defer consideration of this motion or deny it, arguing that more time was needed for discovery. The Court denied Moore’s motion pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(d) because DISH did not have adequate time to conduct discovery to oppose the motion.

Additionally, Moore moved to amend his complaint to add The CBE Group, Inc., a third-party collection agent, as a party because he discovered it called the 2882 number concerning the past due DISH account. The Court granted this motion. Moore later voluntarily dismissed The CBE Group, Inc. from this matter.

On August 14, 2014, Moore filed a Renewed Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. Moore again argues he is entitled to summary judgment as to the thirty-one phone calls that DISH admits it made to the 2882 number. He seeks a finding that DISH is liable for these calls and an award of statutory damages. On August 15, 2014, DISH filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, arguing that it is not liable for the thirty-one calls or any additional calls made to the 2882 number.

II. Standard of Review

Summary judgment is appropriate “if 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 materi-. al fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A genuine issue exists “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 F. Supp. 3d 639, 61 Communications Reg. (P&F) 502, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146799, 2014 WL 5305960, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moore-v-dish-network-llc-wvnd-2014.