Perry v. Beneficial Finance Co. of New York, Inc.

81 F.R.D. 490, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 39, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14930
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 22, 1979
DocketNo. CIV-77-125
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 81 F.R.D. 490 (Perry v. Beneficial Finance Co. of New York, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perry v. Beneficial Finance Co. of New York, Inc., 81 F.R.D. 490, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 39, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14930 (W.D.N.Y. 1979).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM and ORDER

ELFVIN, District Judge.

The plaintiff has brought a class action on. behalf of herself and others similarly situated pursuant to the Truth in Lending Act (“the TILA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq., and its implementing Federal Reserve Board regulations (“Regulation Z”) (12 C.F.R. § 226.1 et seq.), sections 353 and 358 of New York’s Banking Law and section 9-204(4)(b) of New York’s Uniform Commercial Code. Defendant Beneficial Finance Co. of New York, Inc. has counterclaimed against plaintiff and certain unnamed class members for alleged loan defaults. Plaintiff moves to dismiss the counterclaims pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 12(b)(1), for class action certification of her TILA and pendent state claims pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 23, and for a preliminary injunction pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 65. Defendant moves for a change of venue pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a).

In March 1974 plaintiff and her husband obtained a consumer loan from defendant’s Elmira, N. Y. office in the amount of $429.06. Plaintiff’s claims arise from alleged insufficiencies in the disclosure statement which defendant provided in connection with the loan transaction. Plaintiff filed her original complaint March 9, 1976 and filed an amended complaint April 4, 1977 which added a class action allegation.

COUNTERCLAIMS — RULE 13

Plaintiff moves to dismiss the counterclaims against her and certain unnamed class members pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 12(b)(1). It is well established that a court has ancillary jurisdiction over compulsory counterclaims. Moore v. N. Y. Cotton Exchange, 270 U.S. 593, 46 S.Ct. 367, 70 L.Ed. 750 (1926). Plaintiff, however, contends that the instant counterclaims are permissive and must therefore be dismissed in the absence of $10,000 in controversy and either federal question or diversity jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332.

[493]*493Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 13(a) provides that a counterclaim is compulsory “if it arises out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party’s claim * * Although courts and commentators have formulated various tests to determine what constitutes the same “transaction or occurrence” (see, Wright on Federal Courts, § 79), decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit have looked to whether there is a logical relationship between the claim and the counterclaim.

In Harris v. Steinem, 571 F.2d 119 (2d Cir. 1978), the court noted (Id. at 123):

“This flexible approach to Rule 13 problems attempts to analyze whether the essential facts of the various claims are so logically connected that considerations of judicial economy and fairness dictate that all the issues be resolved in one lawsuit. * * * Thus, precise identity of issues and evidence between claim and counterclaim is not required. * * Conversely, at some point the essential facts and ‘the thrust of the two claims [are] so basically different that such accepted “tests of compulsoriness” as “logical relation” [are] not met . . . .’ Ball v. Connecticut Bank and Trust Co., 404 F.Supp. 1, 4 (D.Conn.1975).”

In applying the “logical relationship” test in TILA actions, some courts have held counterclaims for the underlying debt compulsory. See, e. g., Mims v. Dixie Finance Corp., 426 F.Supp. 627 (N.D.Ga.1976) (en banc), rev’g Roberts v. National School of Radio & Television Broadcasting, 374 F.Supp. 1266 (N.D.Ga.1974). Other courts, however, have concluded that, while the claim and counterclaim arise out of the same general loan transaction, the thrust of the two claims is so basically different that the test of compulsoriness as a logical relationship is not met. Ball v. Connecticut Bank and Trust Co., supra (quoting from Roberts v. National School of Radio & Television Broadcasting, supra, at 1270-71); Meadows v. Charlie Wood, Inc., 448 F.Supp. 717 (M.D.Ga.1978); Parr v. Thorpe Credit, Inc., 73 F.R.D. 127 (S.D.Ia.1977); Gammons v. Domestic Loans of Winston-Salem, Inc., 423 F.Supp. 819 (M.D.N.C.1976); Zeltzer v. Carte Blanche Corp., 414 F.Supp. 1221 (W.D.Pa.1976); Jones v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 73 F.R.D. 577 (E.D.La.1976); Agostine v. Sidcon Corporation, 69 F.R.D. 437 (E.D.Pa.1975).

In the instant action, the claim and counterclaims arise out of the same general loan transactions but involve distinct legal and factual issues.1 Moreover, if plaintiff proves that defendant’s disclosure statements violated the TILA and Regulation Z, such finding will not affect the validity of the underlying loan contracts. Thus, I find that there is no logical relationship between the claim and counterclaims and that such counterclaims are therefore permissive. Inasmuch as the counterclaims are not grounded upon any independent jurisdictional basis, plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the counterclaims asserted against the unnamed class members is hereby granted.

On the other hand, plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the counterclaim asserted against her individually must be denied in that I find a logical relationship between her pendent state claim and such counterclaim.2 Section 353 of the Banking Law requires that licensed lenders supply borrowers with statements containing “all items required to be disclosed by [the TILA] and the regulations thereunder * * Section 358 provides that any contract not accompanied by such disclosure statement “shall be void [494]*494and the lender shall have no right to collect or receive any principal, interest, or charges whatsoever.” Inasmuch as a finding that defendant violated sections 353 and 358 will render the unpaid portion of plaintiff’s debt uncollectible, the claim and counterclaim for the debt are “so logically connected that considerations of judicial economy and fairness dictate that all the issues be resolved in one lawsuit.” Harris v. Steinem, supra, at 123. Thus, I find that the counterclaim against the named plaintiff is compulsory and that this court has ancillary jurisdiction over said counterclaim.

CLASS ACTION CERTIFICATION-RULE 23

Plaintiff seeks to represent a class comprised of all persons to whom defendant made loans during the period from March 22, 1976 through April 18, 1976, alleging that defendant utilized the allegedly deficient disclosure statement provided plaintiff in all its loan transactions during such period of time. She asserts that the TILA claim may be certified under Fed.R.Civ.P. rule 23(b)(3) and that the pendent state claim may be certified under rule 23(b)(2).

I. TILA CLAIM

Initially courts were reluctant to certify TILA suits as class actions.

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Bluebook (online)
81 F.R.D. 490, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 39, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14930, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perry-v-beneficial-finance-co-of-new-york-inc-nywd-1979.