Newton v. American Debt Services, Inc.

75 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173741, 2014 WL 7183930
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedDecember 16, 2014
DocketNo. C-11-3228 EMC
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 75 F. Supp. 3d 1048 (Newton v. American Debt Services, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Newton v. American Debt Services, Inc., 75 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173741, 2014 WL 7183930 (N.D. Cal. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

(Docket No. 238)

EDWARD M. CHEN, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Heather Newton filed a putative class action lawsuit against Defendants American Debt Services (ADS), Quality Support Services (QSS), Global Client Solutions (Global) and Rocky Mountain Bank and Trust (RMBT, or the Bank) alleging various violations of California and Federal law relating to Defendants’ debt-settlement enterprise. See Docket No. 1 [1051]*1051(Complaint). Global and RMBT are the only remaining defendants after ADS and QSS defaulted. Docket Nos. 156, 199 (Entry of Default).

After this Court dismissed a number of Plaintiffs causes of action, and rejected certain of her legal theories, Plaintiff filed her second amended (and operative) complaint. Docket No. 206 (Second Amended Complaint). In that complaint, Plaintiff alleges that RMBT violated all three prongs of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) where it purportedly breached the terms of a 2009 Cease and Desist Order entered into between RMBT and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Id. at 17. Plaintiff also claims that RMBT and Global each aided- and-abetted ADS’s and QSS’s violation of California’s Proraters Law.1 Id. at 19. RMBT and Global now seek summary judgment that these causes of action fail as a matter of law.

For the reasons explained below, this Court grants summary judgment in favor of RMBT on all of Newton’s UCL claims predicated on violations of the FDIC Or-' der. Newton’s “unlawful” and “unfairness” prong claims fail because the FDIC Order cannot be enforced in this Court or otherwise “borrowed” to serve as a predicate law violation under the UCL. And Newton’s “fraudulent” prong claim fails because Newton did not respond to Defendants’ summary judgment motion on this ground, thereby conceding the claim as a matter of law. However, the Court denies RMBT’s and Global’s summary judgment motion regarding Newton’s aiding-and-abetting causes of action. As this Court has previously held, those claims may proceed to trial.

II. BACKGROUND2

A. Factual Background

1. Newton’s Debt Settlement

Plaintiff Heather Newton resides in Santa Clara County. Docket No. 206 at 4. Defendants ADS, QSS, Global, and RMBT collectively provided debt settlement services to Newton. ADS is a debt settlement company that advertised its services online to consumers. See Docket No. 146-4 (Ex. D to Leonard Decl.) (Newton Depo., at pg. 16). Newton found ADS’s webpage offering debt settlement assistance. Id. In August 2009, Newton signed up online for ADS’s services. See Docket No. 146-1 (Ex. A to Leonard Decl., at pg. NEW-TON_00058). Newton and ADS agreed that ADS would provide debt settlement and restructuring services, which consisted of negotiating with creditors on Newton’s behalf for reduction of debt and formulation of a payment plan. See Docket No. 146-1 (Ex. A to Leonard Decl., at pg. NEWTON_00054). .

For its part in this- debt settlement enterprise, QSS agreed to provide “customer service functions” and other services to process debt settlements for ADS clients. See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 3 to Kennedy Decl., at pg. GLOBAL-CONFIDENTIAL-00057). QSS bills itself as “one of the premier providers of account management and debt settlement services in the United States.” See id. (Ex. 9 to Kennedy Deck, at ¶ 7). Plaintiff has presented evidence that neither ADS or QSS were [1052]*1052licensed to provide these debt-settlement services to California consumers,- as required under California’s Proraters Law. See Docket No. 251-4 (Certificates of California Department of Business Oversight indicating no record of a license for either ADS or QSS); see also Cal. Fin.Code § 12200.3 Neither Global or RMBT appear to dispute that ADS and QSS operated without the necessary license.

Global’s role in the debt-settlement scheme was to create bank accounts for ADS clients to “accumulate and disburse funds in connection with the repayment of their debts.” See Docket No. 251-4. (Ex. 3 to Kennedy Deck; at pg. GLOBAL-CONFIDENTIAL-00056). Essentially, Global is a payment processor for consumers who are enrolled in debt settlement programs. See id. Global touts itself as “a leading provider of account management services to the debt settlement industry today.” See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 4. to Kennedy Deck).

RMBT, a Colorado-chartered bank, agreed to provide custodial bank accounts (sometimes referred to as “Special Purpose Accounts”) for debt settlement companies and their clients, such as ADS and Newton. See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 2 to Kennedy Deck, at pg. RMBT-CONFI-DENTIAL-00002, 1HI3.1). As part of Newton’s agreement with ADS, Global opened and administered a Special Purpose Account in Newton’s name at RMBT. See Docket No. 146-4 (Ex. D to Leonard Deck) (Newton Dep. 36:22-38:13). Global maintained access to Newton’s payment history, including how much ADS and QSS charged Newton for debt settlement services. See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 3 to Kennedy Deck, ■ ¶¶ l[b], l[d]). ’ And Global agreed to provide ADS and QSS with access to Newton’s account activity, including deposits and withdrawals. See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 3 to Kennedy Deck, ¶ l[g]). RMBT had independent access to these pieces of information. See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 6 to Kennedy Deck) (Hampton Depo., at pgs. 24-25).

Once enrolled in the debt settlement program, Newton stopped paying her credit card bills and ceased communications with creditors, per a defendant’s instruction. See Docket No. 163 (Newton Deck ¶ 7). In March 2010, Newton received a call from one of her creditors, Bank of America. See id. at ¶ 8. Bank of America stated she owed $2,200. See id. at ¶ 10. Newton learned that none of the Defendants had contacted Bank of America regarding a debt settlement. See id. at ¶ 9. Newton asked Defendants to pay Bank of America $1,100 from her Special Purpose Account at RMBT, and Defendants complied. See id. at ¶ 12.

In April 2010 another creditor, Chase, served Newton with a summons and complaint in a collection action. See id. at ¶ 14. Newton subsequently settled the debt without assistance from Defendants. See id. at ¶ 18. Newton also settled with a third creditor (Capital One) without assistance. See Docket No. 146-4 (Ex. D to Leonard Deck) (Newton Depo., at pg. 56). In June 2010, Newton terminated her account with ADS via certified letter. See id. at ¶ 19. Ultimately, Newton paid a total of $4,206.50 into the Special Purpose Account at RMBT, of which $70.04 was eventually refunded to her, $2,200 was paid to Bank of America, and the balance of which Defendants kept. See id. at 1120. Records maintained by Global confirm that Newton was charged $1,936.46 in “Cus[1053]*1053tomer Fees” and “Transaction Fees.” See Docket No. 185 (Ex. 1 to Kennedy Deck, at pgs. GLOBAL.R26.00003-GLOBAL.R26.00005). These amounts appear well in excess of those allowed under the Proraters Law. See Calif. Fin.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
75 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173741, 2014 WL 7183930, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newton-v-american-debt-services-inc-cand-2014.