Salazar v. MFP, Inc.

847 F. Supp. 2d 1329, 2012 WL 762494, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31546
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 9, 2012
DocketCase No. 8:10-CV-2634-T-33TBM
StatusPublished

This text of 847 F. Supp. 2d 1329 (Salazar v. MFP, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Salazar v. MFP, Inc., 847 F. Supp. 2d 1329, 2012 WL 762494, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31546 (M.D. Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

VIRGINIA M. HERNANDEZ COVINGTON, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court pursuant to Defendant MFP, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. # 20), filed on November 11, 2011. Plaintiff Matilda Salazar filed a response in opposition to the motion for summary judgment on December 23, 2011 (Doc. # 25).

After due consideration and for the reasons stated in this Order, the Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.

I. Background

Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on December 28, 2010, alleging that Defendant violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq. (“FDCPA”). (Doc. # 4 at ¶ 13). Plaintiff alleges that she is a consumer under the [1330]*1330FDCPA and that Defendant placed collection calls and sent letters to her “seeking and demanding payment for an alleged debt for medical services.” Id. at ¶¶ 7, 11. Plaintiff alleges that on May 20, 2010, she sent Defendant, a debt collector under the Act, a written request to cease and desist communication. Id. at ¶ 12. However, on August 31, 2010, Defendant again contacted Plaintiff, allegedly in violation of the FDCPA. Id. at ¶¶ 12-13.

Defendant, however, presents evidence of a more nuanced version of the facts. According to Defendant, it was retained by Mease Healthcare on May 10, 2010, to recover an amount of $250.00 allegedly owed by Plaintiff on an outstanding medical bill. (Nasso Aff. Doc. # 20-1 at ¶ 4). Defendant opened an account for the debt which generated an initial collection notice to be sent to Plaintiff on May 11, 2010. Id. at ¶¶ 5-6. On May 17, 2010, Mease Healthcare notified Defendant to close and return the account to them. Id. at ¶ 7. Defendant complied and cancelled the account under the status code “CRQ” for “Cancelled at Client’s Request.” Id. at ¶¶ 7,18. Following the account closure, on May 24, 2010, Defendant received Plaintiffs written cease and desist letter and documented the request on the closed account. Id. at ¶ 8.

However, on August 30, 2010, Defendant was again retained by Mease Healthcare to recover an amount of $250.00 allegedly owed by Plaintiff on an outstanding medical bill. Id. at ¶ 9. Defendant opened up a new account for the debt which generated an initial collection notice to be sent to Plaintiff on August 31, 2010. Id. at ¶¶ 10-11. On October 4, 2010, Defendant received a cease and desist letter from Plaintiffs attorney and closed the new account. Id. at ¶ 13.

Plaintiff alleges that “Defendant violated § 1692c(c)of the FDCPA by contacting consumer after written notification that consumer refuses to pay debt, or that consumer wants collector to cease information (sic).” (Doc. # 4 at ¶ 13). Plaintiff seeks $1,000.00 in statutory damages as well as costs and attorney’s fees. Id. at ¶ 14. Defendant seeks a summary judgment finding that its actions did not violate the FDCPA as a matter of law, or if they did, that Defendant is protected by the “bona fide error” defense.

II. Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a).

An issue is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Mize v. Jefferson City Bd. of Educ., 93 F.3d 739, 742 (11th Cir.1996) (citing Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Publ’g Co., 9 F.3d 913, 918 (11th Cir.1993)). A fact is material if it may affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 121 F.3d 642, 646 (11th Cir.1997).

The moving party bears the initial burden of showing the court, by reference to materials on file, that there are no genuine issues of material fact that should be decided at trial. Hickson Corp. v. N. Crossarm Co., Inc., 357 F.3d 1256, 1260 (11th Cir.2004) (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). “When a moving party has discharged its burden, the non-moving party must then ‘go beyond the pleadings,’ and by its own affidavits, or by ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Jeffery v. Sarasota White Sox, Inc., 64 F.3d 590, 593-94 (11th Cir.1995) [1331]*1331(citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548).

If there is a conflict between the parties’ allegations or evidence, the non-moving party’s evidence is presumed to be true and all reasonable inferences must be drawn in the nonmoving party’s favor. Shotz v. City of Plantation, Fla., 344 F.3d 1161, 1164 (11th Cir.2003). If a reasonable fact finder evaluating the evidence could draw more than one inference from the facts, and if that inference introduces a genuine issue of material fact, the court should not grant summary judgment. Samples ex rel. Samples v. City of Atlanta, 846 F.2d 1328, 1330 (11th Cir.1988) (citing Augusta Iron & Steel Works, Inc. v. Employers Ins. of Wausau, 835 F.2d 855, 856 (11th Cir.1988)). However, if the nonmovant’s response consists of nothing “more than a repetition of his conclusional allegations,” summary judgment is not only proper, but required. Morris v. Ross, 663 F.2d 1032, 1034 (11th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1010, 102 S.Ct. 2303, 73 L.Ed.2d 1306 (1982).

The Court will not weigh the evidence or make findings of fact. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Rather, the Court’s role is limited to deciding whether there is sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable juror could find for the non-moving party. Id.

III. Analysis

A. FDCPA Compliance

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Related

Jeffery v. Sarasota White Sox, Inc.
64 F.3d 590 (Eleventh Circuit, 1995)
Mize v. Jefferson City Board of Education
93 F.3d 739 (Eleventh Circuit, 1996)
Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc.
121 F.3d 642 (Eleventh Circuit, 1997)
Shotz v. City of Plantation, FL
344 F.3d 1161 (Eleventh Circuit, 2003)
Hickson Corp. v. Northern Crossarm Co.
357 F.3d 1256 (Eleventh Circuit, 2004)
Edwards v. Niagara Credit Solutions, Inc.
584 F.3d 1350 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Marvin Morris v. Harold Ross
663 F.2d 1032 (Eleventh Circuit, 1981)
Mammen v. Bronson & Migliaccio, LLP
715 F. Supp. 2d 1210 (M.D. Florida, 2009)
Samples v. City of Atlanta
846 F.2d 1328 (Eleventh Circuit, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
847 F. Supp. 2d 1329, 2012 WL 762494, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31546, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/salazar-v-mfp-inc-flmd-2012.