Rutherford v. Central Bank of Kansas City

District Court, W.D. Washington·Decided June 24, 2025·No. 3:24-cv-05299·Unknown

Opinion

WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON SAMUEL C. RUTHERFORD, III, Case No. 3:24-cv-05299-TLF Plaintiff, v. ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND CENTRAL BANK OF KANSAS CITY, DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR Defendant.

Plaintiff Samuel C. Rutherford III brought this class action suit against Central Bank of Kansas City (“CBKC”) to recover damages for prepaid debit card fees charged to persons released from Pierce County Jail. Plaintiff alleges CBKC violated the Electronic Transfer Fund Act (“EFTA”) when it issued unsolicited debit cards and charged fees that plaintiff did not agree to. Plaintiff further alleges violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (“WCPA”) and contends defendant is liable for conversion and unjust enrichment under Washington state law. Dkt. 1, Complaint. Defendant CBKC moves for summary judgment. Dkt. 62. The Court held oral argument on May 20, 2025. Dkt. 70. As explained below, the Court DENIS CBKC’s summary judgment motion on plaintiff’s claim under 15 U.S.C. 1693i and his Washington state law claims. The Court GRANTS CBKC’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim under 15 U.S.C. 1693l-1. The following is undisputed unless otherwise noted. Pierce County Jail confiscates cash from inmates and holds their funds in an inmate trust account. Dkt. 16, Declaration of Brad D. Golden, at ¶4-5. Upon being

released from custody, the balance of a releasee’s funds is returned to the individual upon their release from custody. Id. A. Numi and CBKC

Stored Value Cards, Inc., d/b/a Numi Financial (“Numi”) contracts with a variety of companies, including commissary, telecom, and software companies, or directly with detention facilities to provide prepaid debit cards to detention facilities. Id. at ¶3. The prepaid card programs are used by detention facilities to return inmate trust funds to inmates upon their release from jail. Id. Numi provides the Prestige Prepaid MasterCard (the “prepaid card”) to incarcerated individuals at the Pierce County Jail upon their release. Id. at ¶¶ 2-3. Numi partnered with CBKC to execute and manage the prepaid debit card program used by the Pierce County Jail. Id. at ¶¶ 2-3, 5. Numi requires the facilities it partners with to require inmates to sign a receipt requesting the card. Dkt. Id. at ¶5-6; Exhibit 3. Facilities are also required to provide a Cardholder Agreement and prepaid debit card to released inmates. Id. The Cardholder Agreement begins with a Fee Schedule. Dkt. 17, Declaration of Lawrence Taft, Exhibit 1. Users are notified that the Card Grace Period is thirty (30) days and a monthly fee of $5.95 is assessed 40 days after the card is issued. Id.

After the Fee Schedule, the first sentence of the Cardholder Agreement states bolded and in all caps: “NOTICE: THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES ALL DISPUTES BE RESOLVED BY WAY OF BINDING ARBITRATION UNLESS YOU OPT OUT AS DETAILED IN THE ARBITRATION SECTION BELOW.” Id. Directly below this, the

Cardholder Agreement states: YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN ACCESS TO YOUR FUNDS FOLLOWING” (A) TRANSFERRING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF YOUR FUNDS TO AN EXISTING BANK ACCOUNT BY VISITING WWW.PRESTIGELOGIN.COM; OR (B) PERFORMING A BANK OVER THE COUNTER WITHDRAWAL FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF YOUR FUNDS. Id. Under “About the Card,” the Cardholder Agreement provides, in part: The Card has been provided pursuant to the Prestige Inmate Release Card Program. The Card is a prepaid card. The Card is not a credit card. The Card is not a gift card, nor is it intended to be used for gifting purposes. The Card is not a checking or savings account. You will not receive any interest on your funds in your Card Account. There is no credit line associated with your Card. Your Card cannot be redeemed for cash. Id. With respect to adding funds to the prepaid card, the Cardholder Agreement states: Adding Funds (“Loading”) to Your Card Account. Adding funds is referred to as “Loading.” The card is reloadable. Funds can be added to the Card by the correctional facility providing you with your Card at any time. Subject to Federal regulations, You may add funds to the Card at participating Mastercard rePower retailers. Cash reload functionality is limited to a single load. This single load may be up to a maximum of $750, reload network may have additional limits. Visit the “Reload” section at www.prestigelogin.com to learn more about this feature.

Id.

B. Plaintiff’s Receipt of a Release Card Plaintiff Samuel C. Rutherford III was incarcerated in the Pierce County Jail and was released on April 22, 2023. Dkt. 23, Declaration of Samuel C. Rutherford, at 1 (“Rutherford Decl.”). At the time of booking, he had approximately $300 cash, which

was confiscated and deposited into an account with CBKC; additional money sent to him by others while he was incarcerated was also deposited into this account. Id. Upon release, plaintiff’s money was returned to him on a CBKC prepaid debit card, the Numi Prestige Prepaid Mastercard. Id. at 2. Plaintiff alleges he requested the return of his money in cash but was told that the prepaid debit card was the only way for his funds to be returned to him. Id. at 2. The Transaction Receipt stated as follows: I hereby authorize and request the return of my funds on the Numi Prestige Prepaid Mastercard and confirm receipt of the Cardholder Agreement and Fee Schedule. I understand the Card is active and there may be fees associated with the use of the Card. These fees are listed in the Cardholder Agreement and Fee Schedule. I further understand that I may choose not to use the Card and can request a check be mailed to me in accordance with the terms set forth in the Cardholder Agreement and Fee Schedule. Dkt. 16, Golden Decl., Ex. 3 at 14. After he signed a form authorizing return of his funds on the prepaid card, plaintiff was handed a validated prepaid debit card, and a folded Cardholder Agreement. Dkt. 23, Rutherford Decl., at 2. His name had already been written on the signature block on the back of the prepaid MasterCard, by someone other than himself. Dkt. 23, Rutherford Decl., at 2 and Ex. A at 6. Under the signature block the card stated, “By accepting, signing or using this Card, you agree to the terms of the Cardholder Agreement.” Dkt. 23, Ex. A at 6; see also Dkt. 16, Golden Decl., Ex. 1 at 6. After his release, plaintiff withdrew $494.00, using a cash machine, from the prepaid debit MasterCard that had $500.49 loaded on to it. Dkt. 16, Golden Decl., Ex. 4, at 16. Summary judgment is proper when the pleadings, discovery, and affidavits “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.” Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P.) 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322 (1986). Material facts are those which may affect the outcome. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). A dispute as to a material fact is “genuine” if there is sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id. When applying these standards, the Court must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. United States v. Johnson Controls, Inc., 457 F.3d 1009, 1013 (9th Cir. 2006). The moving party can carry its initial burden by producing affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the nonmovant’s case, or by

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