Woltersdorf v. Pentagon Federal Credit Union

307 F. Supp. 2d 1207, 2004 WL 504659
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedMarch 12, 2004
DocketCV-03-H-2820-S
StatusPublished

This text of 307 F. Supp. 2d 1207 (Woltersdorf v. Pentagon Federal Credit Union) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Woltersdorf v. Pentagon Federal Credit Union, 307 F. Supp. 2d 1207, 2004 WL 504659 (N.D. Ala. 2004).

Opinion

307 F.Supp.2d 1207 (2004)

Patricia WOLTERSDORF, Plaintiff,
v.
PENTAGON FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Defendant.

No. CV-03-H-2820-S.

United States District Court, N.D. Alabama, Southern Division.

March 12, 2004.

*1208 Charles J. Lorant, Penny D. Hays, Alabama Injury Lawyers PC, Birmingham, AL, for plaintiff/counter-defendant.

Emily Sides Bonds, Kary B. Wolfe, Walston Wells Anderson & Bains LLP, Birmingham, AL, for defendant/counter-claimant.

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

Hancock, Senior District Judge.

The court has before it the October 23, 2003 motion of Pentagon Federal Credit Union ("PFCU") to dismiss Counts One, Two, and Six of the Complaint in their entirety, as well as portions of Count Three of plaintiff's amended complaint under Rule 12(b)(6), Fed.R.Civ.P. Defendant alternatively moves the court to dismiss these same Counts under Rule 12(c), Fed.R.Civ.P., to the extent the court concludes that a 12(b)(6) motion is improper due to its determination that defendant has previously answered such allegations of plaintiff's complaint. The court stated in its November 3, 2003 order that the motion would be viewed as a motion for judgment on the pleadings. Defendant submitted a brief in support of its motion on November 19, 2003. Plaintiff submitted a brief in opposition to defendant's motion on December 15, 2003. The motion was taken under submission as of that same date.

I. Background

Plaintiff originally filed this action in Jefferson County Circuit Court on October 18, 2002. (See Exh. 1 to Def.'s Notice of Removal [Doc. # 1], hereinafter "Compl.") *1209 Defendant timely answered plaintiff's initial complaint in Jefferson County on December 2, 2002. (Exh. 3 to Doc. # 1.) That original complaint contained only state law claims. (See Compl.) The suit was then transferred, on defendant's motion, to Shelby County Circuit Court on February 14, 2003. (See Exh. 8 to Def.'s Notice of Removal.) Following the transfer to Shelby County, plaintiff filed an amended complaint on September 25, 2003 that, for the first time, asserted federal law claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. (1994 & Supp. II 1996). (See Exh. 31 to Def.'s Notice of Removal, hereinafter "Amend. Compl.") On October 16, 2003, the defendant, asserting both federal question and diversity jurisdiction, removed the case to this court.

The pleadings reflect that this case arises from plaintiff's allegations that PFCU issued a credit card in plaintiff's name without plaintiff's authorization. (Compl. at ¶ 5.) The account became delinquent. (Id.) Plaintiff further alleges that PFCU had knowledge that she had disputed the account (Id. at ¶ 8.) Plaintiff then alleges, generally, that PFCU proceeded to report the delinquency of the account to consumer consumer credit reporting agencies. (Id. at ¶ 5.) These alleged acts form the basis of plaintiff's state law claims of "Placed in False Light" (Compl. Count One); "Defamation, Liable [sic] and Slander" (Compl. Count Two); "Reckless and Wanton Conduct" (Compl. & Amend. Compl. Count Three) arising out of the extension of credit, failure to adopt protective policies regarding its communications, and failure to train employees on procedures regarding communication of consumer credit information; "Reckless and Wanton Training and Supervision Related to the FCRA." (Amend. Compl. Count Six.). Additionally, the alleged acts are the basis of plaintiff's two federal law claims articulated in Count Four and Count Five of the amended complaint. Both counts allege violations of the FCRA, § 1681s-2(b). (Amend. Compl. Counts Four, Five.)

II. Judgment on the Pleadings Standard

Judgment on the pleadings is appropriate where there are no material facts in dispute, and judgment may be rendered by considering the substance of the pleadings and any judicially noticed facts. Horsley v. Rivera, 292 F.3d 695, 700 (11th Cir.2002). The court may grant either a motion to dismiss or a motion for judgment on the pleadings only where it is beyond doubt that the non-movant can prove no facts that would support his claim for relief. Pataula Elec. Membership Corp. v. Whitworth, 951 F.2d 1238, 1240 (11th Cir.) cert. denied 506 U.S. 907, 113 S.Ct. 302, 121 L.Ed.2d 225 (1992).

III. Discussion

A. Unsettled Question of Controlling Law

The salient issue before the court is whether the FCRA preempts plaintiff's state law claims that relate to PFCU's responsibilities as a furnisher of information to consumer credit reporting agencies. Two subsections of the FCRA are relevant to this question. First, § 1681t(b)(1),[1]*1210 which provides furnishers of credit with absolute immunity from state law claims when fulfilling their reporting obligations under § 1681s-2.[2] Second, § 1681(h)(e), which provides furnishers of credit information with qualified immunity from suits "proceeding in the nature of defamation, invasion of privacy, or negligence ..."[3] Section 1681t(b)(1)(F) was added to the FCRA by Congress in a 1996 amendment.[4] This newer language provides limits on state law liability that are both broader and more narrow than the older § 1681h(e) language.

Section 1681t(b)(1)(F) is broader than 1681h(e) in that it preempts all state law claims that may arise from a person's furnishing of credit information to a consumer reporting agency, whereas 1681h(e) only preempts state law claims "in the nature of defamation, invasion of privacy, or negligence" to the extent that such claims do not result from willful or malicious conduct. But 1681t(b)(1)(F) is also more narrow than 1681h(e) in that the protections of 1681t(b)(1)(F) are not triggered until after a furnisher is notified by a consumer reporting agency of a consumer's dispute, whereas the 1681h(e) protections are available at all times. See infra at n. 1-3. This cumbersome overlap of the two subsections has resulted in disagreement among courts about how best to harmonize them in application. Riley v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp., 226 F.Supp.2d 1316, 1322 (S.D.Ala.2002) (discussing the various *1211 approaches to analyzing the two provisions).

The courts that have wrestled with the issue at bar have reached differing results. Some have concluded, as defendant urges this court to conclude, that there is complete preemption of state law claims. In other words, these courts hold that the newer language (§ 1681t(b)(1)(F)) supercedes the older (§ 1681h(e)) altogether, and thus all state law causes of action relating to the duties of persons who furnish information to consumer credit reporting agencies are preempted by the newer § 1681t(b)(1)(F). See, e.g., Purcell v. Universal Bank, N.A., 2003 WL 1962376, *5 (E.D.Pa. April 28, 2003); Hasvold v. First USA Bank, N.A., 194 F.Supp.2d 1228, 1239 (D.Wyo.2002); Jaramillo v. Experian Info. Solutions, Inc., 155 F.Supp.2d 356, 361-62 (E.D.Pa.2001); Carney v. Experian Info. Solutions, Inc., 57 F.Supp.2d 496, 503 (W.D.Tenn.1999).

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Bluebook (online)
307 F. Supp. 2d 1207, 2004 WL 504659, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/woltersdorf-v-pentagon-federal-credit-union-alnd-2004.