Vadis Currie, Gregory Dollison and Brenda Seay, Individually and on Behalf of a Class v. Diamond Mortgage Corporation of Illinois

859 F.2d 1538, 1988 U.S. App. LEXIS 14477, 1988 WL 112484
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedOctober 19, 1988
Docket88-1182
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 859 F.2d 1538 (Vadis Currie, Gregory Dollison and Brenda Seay, Individually and on Behalf of a Class v. Diamond Mortgage Corporation of Illinois) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vadis Currie, Gregory Dollison and Brenda Seay, Individually and on Behalf of a Class v. Diamond Mortgage Corporation of Illinois, 859 F.2d 1538, 1988 U.S. App. LEXIS 14477, 1988 WL 112484 (7th Cir. 1988).

Opinion

CUMMINGS, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs commenced this action in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging that defendant Diamond Mortgage Corporation of Illinois (“Diamond”) had violated Section 4.1a of the Illinois General Interest Statute (“GIS”), Ill.Rev.Stat. (1985), ch. 17, ¶ 6406, which prohibits lenders from imposing specified charges in excess of 3% of the loan principal on residential mortgages bearing an interest rate in excess of 8% per annum. On Diamond’s motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, the bankruptcy court dismissed the action, relying on two independent grounds: (1) Section 4.1a of the GIS had been preempted by Section 501 of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (“DIDM-CA”), 12 U.S.C. § 1735Í-7 note, and (2) Section 4.1a of the GIS had been implicitly repealed by the 1981 amendments to Section 4 of the GIS, Ill.Rev.Stat. (1985), ch. 17, 116404(1)(1). The district court affirmed the dismissal by the bankruptcy court on the basis of federal preemption, declining to reach the second issue of implicit repeal. 83 B.R. 536. We affirm.

*1540 I

JURISDICTION

Although the named plaintiffs have sought to bring this suit as a class action, the bankruptcy and district courts did not rule on the certification of the class. Prior to oral argument, plaintiffs filed a motion asking this Court to determine whether it has jurisdiction to hear this appeal on the merits from the district court without a ruling below on class certification. We conclude that the district court’s dismissal of plaintiffs action without reaching the certification issue is final as required under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and may properly be reviewed by this Court. Gomez v. Illinois State Board of Education, 811 F.2d 1030, 1034 n. 1 (7th Cir.1987); Clift v. United Auto Workers, 818 F.2d 623, 626 (7th Cir.1987).

This case is distinguishable from the facts in Glidden v. Chromalloy American Corp., 808 F.2d 621 (7th Cir.1986), and Bieneman v. City of Chicago, 838 F.2d 962 (7th Cir.1988), wherein each of the district courts had reserved the question of class certification for resolution after an appeal on the merits. “The district court in Glid-den granted judgment for defendants while reserving decision on the request to certify a class. The judge indicated that he would turn to this subject after completion of the appeal on the merits. This reservation, we concluded, meant that the case was not over in the district court, making appeal impossible.” Bieneman, 838 F.2d at 963. In Glidden and Bieneman the judgments of the district courts were not final since the courts had identified the issue of class certification to be addressed after an appeal on the merits.

Here, however, the district court has completed its review of the case and dismissed the action, enabling review by this Court. “[Wjhen the court overlooks the class allegation, a judgment dealing with the representative’s claim alone is final because the district court has done everything it plans to do.” Bieneman, 838 F.2d at 963.

II

FACTS

Diamond is presently a Chapter 11 debt- or in proceedings pending in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Diamond previously engaged in the business of extending loans on residential real estate secured by mortgages on the borrowers’ residences. In 1986, plaintiffs acquired a loan from Diamond in the amount of $46,500 bearing an interest rate of 15.5% per annum which was secured by a mortgage on their residence. In order to acquire the loan, they were required to pay to Diamond a “net loan origination fee” in the amount of $7,415, equivalent to approximately 16% of the principal amount of the loan. The net loan origination fee was deducted from the cash disbursed to them by Diamond.

III

ANALYSIS

A.

Plaintiffs allege that the assessment of a net loan origination fee amounting to approximately 16% of the loan principal violates Section 4.1a of the GIS which provides in part:

Where there is a charge in addition to the stated rate of interest payable directly or indirectly by the borrower and imposed directly or indirectly by the lender as a consideration for the loan, or for or in connection with the loan of money, whether paid or payable by the borrower, the seller, or any other person on behalf of the borrower to the lender or to a third party, or for or in connection with the loan of money, other than as herein-above in this Section provided, whether denominated “points,” “service charge,” “discount,” “commission,” or otherwise, and without regard to declining balances of principal which would result from any required or optional amortization of the principal of the loan, the rate of interest shall be calculated in the following manner:
*1541 The percentage of the principal amount of the loan represented by all of such charges shall first be computed, which in the case of a loan with an interest rate in excess of 8% per annum secured by residential real estate, other than loans described in paragraphs (e) and (f) of Section 4, 1 shall not exceed 3% of such principal amount. Said percentage shall then be divided by the number of years and fractions thereof of the period of the loan according to its stated maturity. The percentage thus obtained shall then be added to the percentage of the stated annual rate of interest. (Ill. Rev.Stat. (1985), ch. 17 II 6406.)

The district court found that Section 4.1a of the GIS was preempted by Section 501 of DIDMCA (12 U.S.C. § 1735Í-7 note) which provides in part:

(a)(1) The provisions of the constitution or the laws of any State expressly limiting the rate or amount of interest, discount points, finance charges, or other charges which may be charged, taken, received, or reserved shall not apply to any loan, mortgage, credit sale, or advance which is—
(A) secured by a first lien on residential real property, ...;
(B) made after March 31, 1980; and
(C) described in ... 12 U.S.C.

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859 F.2d 1538, 1988 U.S. App. LEXIS 14477, 1988 WL 112484, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vadis-currie-gregory-dollison-and-brenda-seay-individually-and-on-behalf-ca7-1988.