Williams v. Navient Solutions, LLC (In re Williams)

564 B.R. 770
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.
DecidedMarch 3, 2017
DocketCase No. 15-22082-EPK; Adv. Proc. No. 16-01244-EPK
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 564 B.R. 770 (Williams v. Navient Solutions, LLC (In re Williams)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Navient Solutions, LLC (In re Williams), 564 B.R. 770 (Fla. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION

Erik P. Kimball, Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court

This matter came before the Court for hearing on December 14, 2016 upon the Motion to Determine Designation of Claims [ECF No. 54] (the “Motion to Designate Claims”) filed by Defendant Navient Solutions, LLC f/k/a Navient Solutions, Inc. (“NSI”), Defendant Navient Solutions, Ine.’s Motion to Compel Arbitration of All Claims and Dismiss or Stay Pending Arbitration and Incorporated Memorandum of Laio [ECF No. 63] (as supplemented by ECF No. 73, referenced below, the “Motion to Compel Arbitration”), Plaintiff’s Response to Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration of All Claims and Dismiss or Stay Pending Arbitration and Incorporated Memorandum of Law (De 63) [ECF No. 72] (the “Response”) filed by Verhonda K. Williams (the “Plaintiff’), and Defendant Navient Solutions, Inc.’s Reply in Support of Motion to Compel Arbitration of All Claims and Dismiss or Stay Pending Arbitration [ECF No. 73].

In the Motion to Compel Arbitration, NSI requests the Court to compel individual arbitration of Counts I, II and III of the Plaintiffs Second Amended Class Action Complaint for Damages and Demand for Jury Trial [ECF No. 28] (the “Second Amended Complaint”). NSI also requests this Court to dismiss the above-captioned adversary proceeding with prejudice or, in the alternative, stay this proceeding pending resolution of the arbitration. In her Response, the Plaintiff first argues that the promissory notes between the Plaintiff [772]*772and NSI, and the arbitration and class action waiver provision contained therein, were discharged in her chapter 7 bankruptcy case. Even if such provisions were not discharged in her chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the Plaintiff next argues that the Court should deny arbitration of the claims presented in Counts I, II and III because arbitration of such matters, which involve determining whether certain claims were discharged in her chapter 7 case and enforcing this Court’s order of discharge, would present an inherent conflict with the Bankruptcy Code.

At the conclusion of the December 14, 2016 hearing, the Court determined the issues raised in the Motion to Compel Arbitration were fully briefed and took the Motion to Compel Arbitration and the related Motion to Designate Claims under advisement. The Court did not request further briefing.

Upon consideration of the Motion to Compel Arbitration and relevant law, the Court rules that the arbitration and class action waiver provisions contained in the notes given by the Plaintiff in favor of NSI were not discharged in the Plaintiffs chapter 7 bankruptcy case. Even if the Plaintiffs personal obligations under the notes were discharged in her chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the arbitration and class action waiver provisions are severable from those personal obligations and, therefore, remain valid and enforceable. The Court also rules that no inherent conflict exists between the enforcement of the arbitration and class action waiver provisions and the purposes of the Bankruptcy Code provisions relied upon in Counts I, II and III of Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint. The Court will enforce the arbitration and class action waiver provisions and compel arbitration of the claims presented in Counts I, II and III of the Second Amended Complaint. Finally, in light of the Court’s Order Granting in Part Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration and Stay Proceedings, or, Alternatively, to Dismiss Nonr-Barikruptcy Claims and Granting in Part Motion to Compel Arbitration of All Claims and Dismiss or Stay Pending Arbitration [ECF No. 67] (the “Order Dismissing Non-Bankruptcy Claims”), which dismissed with prejudice Counts IV, V and VI of the Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint, the Motion to Designate Claims will be denied as moot. This adversary proceeding will be dismissed and closed, and the main chapter 7 case will be re-closed.

APPLICABLE LAW

Pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), a written arbitration provision in a “contract evidencing a transaction involving commerce” is “valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, save upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract.” 9 U.S.C. § 2. The FAA further provides that “upon any issue referable to arbitration under an agreement in writing for such arbitration,” and “upon being satisfied that the issue involved in such suit or proceeding is referable to arbitration under such an agreement,” the court “shall on application of one of the parties stay the trial of the action until such arbitration has been had in accordance with the terms of the agreement.” Id. at § 3 (emphasis added).

The FAA evinces a “liberal federal policy favoring arbitration agreements.” Hill v. Rent-A-Center, Inc., 398 F.3d 1286, 1288 (11th Cir. 2005) (quotations omitted). “[A]ny doubts concerning the scope of arbitrable issues should be resolved in favor of arbitration.” Moses H. Cone Mem’l Hosp. v. Mercury Constr. Corp., 460 U.S. 1, 24-25, 103 S.Ct. 927, 74 L.Ed.2d 765 (1983). Accordingly, “courts must ‘rigorously enforce’ arbitration agree[773]*773ments according to their terms ... including terms that ‘specify with whom [the parties] choose to arbitrate their disputes[.]” Am. Express Co. v. Italian Colors Rest., — U.S. —, 133 S.Ct. 2304, 2309, 186 L.Ed.2d 417, 424 (2013) (emphasis in original) (quoting Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. v. Byrd, 470 U.S. 213, 221, 105 S.Ct. 1238, 84 L.Ed.2d 158 (1985); Stolt-Nielsen S. A. v. AnimalFeeds Int’l Corp., 559 U.S. 662, 683, 130 S.Ct. 1758, 176 L.Ed.2d 605 (2010)).

However, the FAA’s requirement that arbitration agreements be enforced according to their terms may be overridden by a “contrary congressional command.” Shearson/American Express Inc. v. McMahon, 482 U.S. 220, 226, 107 S.Ct. 2332, 96 L.Ed.2d 185 (1987). In McMahon, the United States Supreme Court promulgated a three factor test used to determine Congress’ intent: “(1) the text of the statute; (2) its legislative history; and (3) whether ‘an inherent conflict between arbitration and the underlying purposes [of the statute]’ exists.” Davis v. Southern Energy Homes, Inc., 305 F.3d 1268, 1273 (11th Cir. 2002) (quoting McMahon, 482 U.S. at 227, 107 S.Ct. 2332). The party opposing arbitration has the burden “to show that Congress intended to preclude a waiver of judicial remedies for [the particular claim] at issue.” McMahon, 482 U.S. at 227, 107 S.Ct. 2332; see Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane Corp., 500 U.S. 20, 26, 111 S.Ct. 1647, 114 L.Ed.2d 26 (1991).

The Eleventh Circuit has previously applied the McMahon factors in the bankruptcy context in Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. v. Elec. Mach. Enter.’s Inc.,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
564 B.R. 770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-navient-solutions-llc-in-re-williams-flsb-2017.