Riley v. General Motors Acceptance Corp.

226 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20693, 2002 WL 31409953
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Alabama
DecidedOctober 17, 2002
DocketCIV.A.01-0869-CG-S
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 226 F. Supp. 2d 1316 (Riley v. General Motors Acceptance Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Riley v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 226 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20693, 2002 WL 31409953 (S.D. Ala. 2002).

Opinion

ORDER

GRANADE, District Judge.

This cause is before the court on the motions of defendants GMAC South Bend and GMAC Indianapolis (collectively “GMAC”) for dismissal of state law claims and responses thereto. 1 (Docs.6, 7, 16, 17, 39, 40, 56.) Upon consideration of all matters presented, the court concludes that GMAC’s motions to dismiss state law and 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(a) claims are due to be granted.

I. BACKGROUND

On December 12, 2001, the plaintiff filed eight lawsuits in this court under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b), asserting that the defendants violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., and also asserting various related state law claims such as negligence, defamation, invasion of privacy, and outrage. Each complaint numbers 43 paragraphs and, with the exception of paragraph nine, are identically worded. In each case, paragraph nine contains specific, defendant-related ac *1318 count numbers and alleges that plaintiff began to dispute allegedly erroneous credit reports with Equifax Information Services, Inc., and/or Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Trans Union, LLC, and its affiliate bureau, Gulf Coast Credit Services beginning in January 2000. (See Complaints, ¶ 9, respectively.) Otherwise, the complaints all allege that the credit reporting agencies notified the defendants of the disputed claims, that the agencies requested the defendants re-investigate the disputed claims, and that the defendants failed or refused to investigate and continued to report inaccurate information. (Complaints, ¶¶ 11-14.) The plaintiff alleges that GMAC willfully or negligently violated the mandates of 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b). (Docs. 1 and 13, ¶¶ 14-17). The plaintiff further alleges that GMAC “likewise violated the mandates of section 1681s-2(a) and such violations form the basis of a negligence per se claim and an intentional tort, per se.” (Id., at ¶ 17.) The plaintiff goes on in paragraphs 18-44 to allege what appear largely to be state law claims such as negligence, defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotion distress 2

II. STATEMENT OF THE LAW

A court should dismiss a complaint “only if it is clear that no relief could be granted under any set of facts that could be proved consistent with the allegations.” Hishon v. King & Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104 S.Ct. 2229, 2232, 81 L.Ed.2d 59 (1984); Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 101-102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957). A Rule 12(b)(6) motion questions the legal sufficiency of a complaint. In assessing the merits of Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the court must assume that all the factual allegations set forth in the complaint are true. See, e.g. United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. 315, 327, 111 S.Ct. 1267, 113 L.Ed.2d 335 (1991). Dismissal should be granted pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) if a complaint lacks an allegation regarding an element necessary to obtain relief. See Pyles v. United Air Lines, Inc., 79 F.3d 1046, 1049 (11th Cir.1996); Quiller v. Barclays American/Credit, Inc., 727 F.2d 1067, 1069 (11th Cir.1984), adhered to en banc, 764 F.2d 1400 (11th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 476 U.S. 1124, 106 S.Ct. 1992, 90 L.Ed.2d 673 (1986).

III. DISCUSSION

GMAC’s motions to dismiss are based on the doctrine of preemption: GMAC argues that Congress enacted 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b) as the exclusive remedy for private causes of action against furnishers of credit information. The court agrees.

A. Overview

This case arises under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. As the Eleventh Circuit has described the Act,

When Congress enacted the FCRA in 1970, it recognized the “vital role” that credit reporting agencies assume in our economic system. 15 U.S.C.A. § 1681(a)(3) (West 1997). The FCRA reflects Congress’s concern with the “need to insure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumer’s right to privacy.” 15 U.S.C.A. § 1681(a)(4). The *1319 FCRA seeks to promote the credit reporting industry’s responsible dissemination of accurate and relevant information. See 15 U.S.C.A. § 1681(b).... The willful or negligent failure to comply with any of the FCRA’s requirements may give rise to civil liability. See 15 U.S.C.A. §§ 1681n-1681p.

Yang v. Government Employees Ins. Co., 146 F.3d 1320, 1322 (11th Cir.1998). “In 1996, Congress amended the FCRA to impose duties upon persons who furnish information to credit reporting agencies [ ]. See 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2. Prior to these amendments, the FCRA did not impose any duties on those furnishing information to credit reporting agencies.” Ryan v. Trans Union Corp., 2000 WL 1100440, *1 (N.D.Ill.2000). As furnishers of information to credit reporting agencies, both GMAC defendants fall under the provisions of the 1996 FCRA amendments.

B. § 1681s-2(a)

Before proceeding to analysis of § 1681s-2(b), the court must first address plaintiffs allegations in paragraph 17 of the complaints against GMAC. The plaintiff alleges that “Defendant likewise violated the mandates of section 1681s-2(a) and such violations form the basis of a negligence per se claim and an intentional tort per se.” The preliminary question of standing prevents the court from reaching the question of whether violations of 1681s-2(a) may constitute “negligence per se” or “intentional tort, per se” claims under Alabama law.

There is no private cause of action under 15 U.S.C.

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226 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20693, 2002 WL 31409953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/riley-v-general-motors-acceptance-corp-alsd-2002.