Wynns v. Barclays Bank Delaware CA1/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 16, 2015
DocketA142846
StatusUnpublished

This text of Wynns v. Barclays Bank Delaware CA1/5 (Wynns v. Barclays Bank Delaware CA1/5) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wynns v. Barclays Bank Delaware CA1/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 12/16/15 Wynns v. Barclays Bank Delaware CA1/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

GEORGE S. WYNNS, Plaintiff and Appellant, A142846 v. BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE, (San Francisco City and County Super. Ct. No. CGC-12-524644) Defendant and Respondent.

This case arises from a $900 credit card debt incurred by pro se appellant George S. Wynns with respondent Barclays Bank Delaware (Barclays). Wynns contends that an accord and satisfaction of the debt was reached when Barclays negotiated his check with a “payment in full” restrictive endorsement for a lesser amount. Barclays took a different view and continued to bill Wynns for what it considered to be the delinquent account balance. Wynns sued Barclays for breach of contract, declaratory relief, and violation of Civil Code section 1785.25. The trial court granted summary judgment for Barclays. We affirm. I. BACKGROUND Our review of this matter is complicated by the fact that Wynns cites almost exclusively to his own first amended complaint (FAC) in reciting the “facts.”1 We are

1 We have reviewed the pleadings and reject Wynns’s assertion that Barclays implicitly admitted critical allegations of his pleadings by failure to adequately deny every contention. For example, in paragraph 6 of the FAC, Wynns alleged that he “wrote to the correspondence department of [Barclays] to complain of the high interest rate,

1 not reviewing a demurrer to the pleadings, but a grant of summary judgment. In determining the propriety of summary judgment, we look to the evidence submitted in support of and in opposition to summary judgment and that was cited in the separate statement of undisputed facts and the response and reply thereto. (See Parkview Villas Assn. v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. (2005) 133 Cal.App.4th 1197, 1213 [citing “ ‘golden rule’ ” of summary judgment that “ ‘ “if it is not set forth in the separate statement, it does not exist” ’ ”].) We disregard evidence if the trial court sustained an objection and the ruling is not challenged on appeal, and we consider evidence if the trial court overruled an objection and the objection is not renewed on appeal.2 (Frittelli, Inc. v. 350 North Canon Drive, LP (2011) 202 Cal.App.4th 35, 41 & fn. 1.) We resolve conflicts in the evidence and draw reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the party opposing summary judgment. (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 843.) We therefore look to Barclays’s statement of undisputed material facts and the supporting evidence submitted therewith, and Wynns’s amended separate statement of disputed material facts and supporting declarations that he submitted in opposition to Barclays’s motion. In April 2008, Wynns applied for and opened a credit card account with Barclays. Along with his credit card, Wynns was sent a cardmember agreement (Agreement) containing the account terms and conditions. The Agreement, which Wynns accepted,

informing [Barclays] that it did not appear to be in compliance with [federal law] because [Barclays] neither reviewed nor adjusted the interest rate on his [credit] card.” He contends that Barclays’s response that it “admits that it received a correspondence from [Wynns] regarding the Account” and “denies that a bona fide dispute existed between [Wynns] and Barclays” was an admission that Wynns complained of noncompliance with the federal Credit CARD Act of 2009 (Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Pub.L. No. 111-24 (May 22, 2009) 123 Stat. 1734; hereafter Credit CARD Act). We are satisfied that the responses and affirmative allegations of Barclays’s answer placed in issue all material allegations of the FAC. (5 Witkin, Cal. Procedure (5th ed. 2008) Pleading, § 1062, p. 499.) Wynns’s arguments border on the frivolous. 2 The trial court overruled all of Wynns’s objections to Barclays’s evidence, and Wynns does not renew those objections on appeal.

2 provides: “By signing, keeping or using your Card or Account, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.” Wynns received an initial promotional interest rate of zero percent on balance transfers and convenience checks, applicable to the first 12 billing cycles. In October 2008, Wynns made a balance transfer to the account in the amount of $1,500. As set forth in the Agreement, the regular annual percentage rate applicable to account balances was 17.99 percent. In early September 2010 (on or about Sept. 10), Wynns sent Barclays a written request for reduction of the account interest rate and credit for “excessive interest charged.” He complained that the rate of 17.99 percent was “exorbitant and unjustified,” denied that he had agreed to that rate of interest, and contended that the Credit CARD Act required periodic review and adjustment of his interest rate. By letter dated September 20, Barclays advised Wynns that it declined to make any adjustments to his account. Shortly thereafter (on or about Sept. 27), Wynns wrote to Barclays again. He asserted that the bank had failed to “respond to the issues [he] raised” and enclosed a copy of a complaint letter he had sent to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.3 Barclays responded by letter dated October 18 and reiterated that the terms and conditions applicable to Wynns’s account provided for an interest rate of 17.99 percent. Barclays also asserted that the federal regulations under the Credit CARD Act were inapplicable to Wynns’s account. The balance on Wynns’s account, as reflected on his September 2010 monthly billing statement, was $900.81, with a minimum payment of $22.74 due by October 28, 2010. Before Barclays had responded to Wynns’s September 27 correspondence, he again wrote to Barclays (on or about Oct. 9) and enclosed a check in the amount of $400. Wynns stated that Barclays had “not responded to the dispute [he] wrote . . . about in [his] previous letters.” He proposed to “settle this dispute with you as follows: Your negotiation of the enclosed $400 check will constitute your acknowledgement of my

3 By letter of November 26, 2010, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation advised Wynns that his understanding of the Credit CARD Act was incorrect.

3 paying the account in full. As you know, I have been making all payments in a timely manner for more than the ‘minimum balance.’ I have no obligation to make any further payments at this time. Thus, you accept and negotiate it [sic], your acceptance and negotiation of the enclosed check will constitute a ‘satisfaction and accord’ pursuant to California law, and my account balance thereafter will be zero.” Wynns’s account number, and the hand-printed words “Payment in Full” were written in the memo section on the face of the check. Barclays credited the $400 payment to Wynns’s account and continued to bill him for the balance. Wynns sent two further letters to Barclays (on or about Nov. 1, 2010 & Jan. 4, 2011) demanding that his account record be revised to reflect a zero balance. Wynns made no further payments, and Barclays ultimately reported Wynns’s account to credit reporting agencies as delinquent. Wynns filed the present action on September 25, 2012, and filed his operative FAC on December 4, 2012. The FAC alleged three causes of action: breach of contract, declaratory relief, and a violation of Civil Code section 1785.25.

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