Singer v. EIntelligence, Inc.

55 F. Supp. 3d 1043, 2014 WL 3056547, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91548
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedJuly 7, 2014
Docket12 C 9138
StatusPublished

This text of 55 F. Supp. 3d 1043 (Singer v. EIntelligence, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Singer v. EIntelligence, Inc., 55 F. Supp. 3d 1043, 2014 WL 3056547, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91548 (N.D. Ill. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

CHARLES P. KOCORAS, District Judge:

This matter comes before the Court on the motions for judgment on the pleadings of Defendants EIntelligence, Inc. (“EIntel-ligence”) and MetaBank (collectively “Defendants”) pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) (“Rule 12(c)”) and the motions for summary judgment of Defendants under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 (“Rule 56”). For the following reasons, the Court denies Defendants’ motions for judgment on the pleadings and grants summary judgment in favor of Defendants. The pending motion to certify the class is denied as moot.

BACKGROUND

I. Facts

The following facts are taken from the parties’ respective statements and exhibits filed pursuant to Northern District of Illinois Local Rule 56.1. The Court reviews each Local Rule 56.1 statement and disregards any argument, conclusion, or assertion unsupported by the evidence in the record. The parties do not dispute the facts below unless otherwise noted.

This case arises out of an alleged violation of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (“EFTA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1693 et seq. and its implementing regulations, 12 C.F.R. § 205.1 et seq. EIntelligence is an Independent Sales Organization (“ISO”) with its headquarters in Illinois. MetaBank is a chartered savings bank with its principal place of business at 121 East Fifth Street in Storm Lake, Iowa.

In early 2012, EIntelligence began discussions with 7700 Kedzie Gas Corporation (“Kedzie Gas”) to sell Kedzie Gas an automated teller machine (“ATM”). On February 8, 2012, EIntelligence and Kedzie Gas entered into a Merchant Processing Services Agreement (“Processing Agreement”) that included a provision stating that EIntelligence has “the exclusive right to manage the [ATM] ... subject to [Ked-zie Gas’s] responsibilities for [the ATM]

In accordance with the terms of the Processing Agreement, EIntelligence became the ISO and also contracted to service the ATM. As the servicer, EIntelli-gence would respond to calls or requests by Kedzie Gas and provide the necessary maintenance to the ATM machine through the hiring of independent contractors. It was Kedzie Gas’s responsibility to call EIntelligence with any maintenance issues, such as the ATM in need of money, paper or service. The parties dispute whether EIntelligence was responsible for the fee notice stickers.

Kedzie Gas was the sole entity responsible for determining the amount of the surcharge fee that was charged to users of the ATM. The surcharge fees for the ATM were routed through the processor [1046]*1046and credited to an EIntelligence bank account number. Once a month, EIntelli-gence would pay Kedzie Gas the total surcharges for that particular month, after deducting its maintenance fee and any applicable fees charged by the various industry service providers and processors. Kedzie Gas paid EIntelligence a maintenance fee of either $0.25 per transaction made at the ATM in question or $100.00 per month, whichever was the lower charge for the servicing of the ATM. EIntelligence also paid MetaBank a monthly fee for its services as sponsoring bank.

In 2008, EIntelligence entered into a Retail Services and EFT Processing Agreement with First Data Retail Services, L.P. (“FDRS”), a processor. However, a processor must have a sponsoring bank to process the ATM transactions through various networks (Visa, MasterCard, etc.). Networks require sponsoring banks to ensure proper registration of each ISO. On February 8, 2012, Meta-Bank, a member of the networks, entered into a Merchant Participation Agreement with Kedzie Gas to be the sponsor bank for the ATM that Kedzie Gas would soon purchase from EIntelligence.

Pursuant to the contract between Defendants, MetaBank had the ability to conduct an audit or review of EIntelligence’s operations, book, and records to determine compliance with its contract, policies, procedures, and rules of the networks. However, under the contract, MetaBank required notice of any new law related to the ATM. EIntelligence was the entity responsible for complying with all applicable laws.

On February 20, 2012, EIntelligence sold an ATM to Kedzie Gas and enrolled it into EIntelligence’s ATM program, which then connected the ATM with the designated processor, FDRS. FDRS then connected the ATM to networks, which provided the connection between the ATM and a customer’s bank account. On March 3, 2012, the ATM was installed at Kedzie Gas with a posted fee notice sticker affixed to the front. The fee notice sticker stated: “This terminal is Operated by MetaBank and is Serviced by elntelligence ATM in compliance with all regulatory and network rules. MetaBank may charge a $2.50 fee to cardholders for each case withdrawal.”

On October 15, 2012, Singer used the ATM located at Kedzie Gas to withdraw money from her bank account. There was a screen notice that a fee would be charged for a withdrawal from the ATM, but Singer alleges that there was no fee notice sticker posted at a prominent location on or near the ATM. Singer’s receipt from the transaction stated that the surcharge was paid to EIntelligence ATM. Defendants provide time-stamped photographs from March 3, 2012, June 18, 2012 and September 24, 2012, all of which show a fee notice sticker on the ATM at Kedzie Gas. Singer argues that these photographs are inadmissible as evidence.

With respect to EFTA compliance, EIn-telligence had a two-page policy (“EFTA policy”) which discusses “Signage Compliance.” According to the EFTA policy, EIntelligence had a system in place to monitor and replace defaced or removed ATM fee disclosure notices. An EIntelli-gence representative, key custodian or servicing agent would take: (i) a timestamped photograph of each ATM when a fee sticker had been affixed; (ii) a timestamped photograph of the exterior of the location where the ATM was located; and (iii) a time-stamped photograph if a fee sticker had been reapplied or replaced. Also, whenever an ATM was visited by an EIntelligence representative, the ATM would be visually inspected to ensure the [1047]*1047required fee sticker remained displayed, and a photograph was sometimes required to be taken. If an ATM sticker was removed, Elntelligence may require the representative to take a time-stamped photograph of where the sticky residue remained or any other incriminating evidence that the fee sticker had been tampered with.

Between September 26, 2012 and October 24, 2012, Singer made two ATM withdrawals from Kedzie Gas and another gas station in Markham, Illinois operated by Illinois State Petroleum Corporation. She subsequently filed the instant lawsuit against Kedzie Gas and a nearly identical lawsuit in this district against Illinois State Petroleum Corporation. On October 16, 2013, Singer voluntarily dismissed her case against Illinois State Petroleum Corporation.

II. Procedural History

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Bluebook (online)
55 F. Supp. 3d 1043, 2014 WL 3056547, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/singer-v-eintelligence-inc-ilnd-2014.