Oppenheimer v. Guzco Guarantee de Puerto Rico

977 F. Supp. 549, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14473, 1997 WL 587022
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedSeptember 12, 1997
DocketCivil No. 94-2401 (GG)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 977 F. Supp. 549 (Oppenheimer v. Guzco Guarantee de Puerto Rico) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oppenheimer v. Guzco Guarantee de Puerto Rico, 977 F. Supp. 549, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14473, 1997 WL 587022 (prd 1997).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GIERBOLINI, Senior District Judge.

Pending before the Court are co-defendants Guzco Guarantee de Puerto Rico, Inc. (Guzco) and El Fénix de Puerto Rico, Inc. (El Fénix) dispositive motions. Plaintiffs (Shaw and Meléndez) filed a response to which defendants have replied. (Docket entries # 27, 30, 32, 38, 39, and 40). For the reasons that follow, defendants’ motions are hereby DENIED.

BACKGROUND

On or about December 1992 Plaintiffs’ checks from their joint account with Banco Popular de Puerto Rico started to be rejected at various commercial establishments. Whenever a check was rejected Mrs. Shaw was given a green slip which had Guzco’s name in it, a code number one (1), an address and a telephone number for her to use and find out why the check had been rejected. Mrs. Shaw called the number in the slip several times but did not follow the instructions given on the recorded announcement. Two more checks were rejected on February 1994 but it was not until March 1994 that, after sustaining a telephone conversation with one of Guzco’s employees, Mrs. Shaw appeared personally at defendant’s offices.

Plaintiffs claim that even though Mrs. Shaw requested an explanation as to why their checks were being rejected, Guzco’s employees failed to disclose such information. Instead, she was instructed to fill out a form and was told that she would receive an explanation in writing by mail. Later on, Mrs. Shaw received a letter from Guzco which indicated that their checks were being rejected because of a high risk factor due to their previous filing of a bankruptcy petition. Although plaintiffs informed Guzco that they had never filed a bankruptcy petition, Guzco insisted on the correctness of the information obtained from El Boletín de Puerto Rico.1

Plaintiffs Shaw and Meléndez, husband and wife and their conjugal partnership, filed suit against Guzco, alleging “willful failure to comply and or negligent noncompliance” with [551]*551the Fair Credit Reporting Act (F.C.R.A.), 15 U.S.C. See. 1681, et seq. Specifically, they claim that Guzco failed to follow reasonable procedures in order to assure maximum accuracy of the information they obtained and disclosed. Plaintiffs also argue that Guzco acted contrary to the Act in that on the day of Mrs. Shaw’s visit to Guzco’s facility, Guzco’s employees did not disclose to her the information she requested. Plaintiffs also filed suit against Guzeo’s insurance agency, El Fénix, for its insured’s acts. In addition, plaintiffs seek redress for more damages. Specifically, Mrs. Shaw claimed having been annoyed and mentally disturbed by defendants’ actions.

In response, Guzco filed the instant motion for summary judgment, which was originally based on the following three contentions: (1) lack of subject matter jurisdiction because the Fair Credit Reporting Act (F.C.R.A.) is not applicable since Guzco is not a “consumer reporting agency”; (2) plaintiffs’ failure to show and/or prove that Guzco acted with malice or willful intent to injure, an alleged requirement of the F.C.R.A.; and, (3) co-plaintiffs Meléndez and the conjugal partnership’s lack of standing to sue for not being consumers as defined by the F.C.R.A. Surprisingly, after plaintiffs opposed the motion for summary judgment, defendant Guzco dropped its argument of inapplicability of the F.C.R.A. and conceded that it is in fact a consumer reporting agency.

On the other hand, El Fénix alleges that it is not a consumer reporting agency, hence that it has no responsibility regarding plaintiffs’ claims.

STANDARD ON SUMMARY JUDGMENT

It is well settled that summary judgment is appropriate only where “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with 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.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 321, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Brennan v. Hendrigan, 888 F.2d 189, 191 (1st Cir.1989); Lipsett v. University of Puerto Rico, 864 F.2d 881, 894 (1st Cir.1988).

On the moving party’s prima facie showing that it is entitled to summary judgment, the burden of production shifts to the party opposing the motion. An adverse party may not rest upon mere allegations, but must instead reply setting forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. McCarthy v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 56 F.3d 313, 315 (1st Cir.1995); Local No. 48 v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, 920 F.2d 1047, at 1051 (1st Cir.1990). The nonmoving party need not resolve the issue of material fact conclusively in order to avoid summary judgment, but must show sufficient evidence supporting the alleged factual dispute to require a jury or a judge to resolve the parties’ differing versions of the truth at trial. Hoeppner v. Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, Inc., 31 F.3d 9, 14 (1st Cir.1994); Woods v. Friction Materials, Inc., 30 F.3d 255, 259 (1st Cir.1994); First National Bank v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 288-89, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 1592-93, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968). Throughout this analysis, the court must view the record in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, and indulge all inferences favorable to that party. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324-25, 106 S.Ct. at 2553-54; McCarthy, at 315; Santiago Hodge v. Parke Davis, 909 F.2d 628, 633-34 (1st Cir.1990).

Applying this standard, we have reached the conclusion that Guzco, as the moving party, has not made a prima facie showing that it is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law, thus precluding the proper adjudication of this matter by way of summary judgment.

DISCUSSION

We will first address the issue of Mr. Meléndez and the conjugal partnership capacity to sue. In support of the alleged lack of standing, Guzco simply states “that they were not the affected consumer or individual” as defined by the F.C.R.A. and that no diversity jurisdiction may be asserted by them since they are “citizens” of Puerto Rico like defendants.

Guzco’s contention is without merit. Guzco admits that it had erroneous information on Meléndez’s file. Meléndez is definite[552]*552ly the affected party which the Act seeks to protect. A review of 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1681o sustains our conclusion: “Any consumer reporting agency ...

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Bluebook (online)
977 F. Supp. 549, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14473, 1997 WL 587022, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oppenheimer-v-guzco-guarantee-de-puerto-rico-prd-1997.