Type: Amicus
Date: November 23, 2022
Description: Whether bankruptcy court has authority to adjudicate a national class action claim for a violation of the discharge injunction. Debtor is the appellee.
Result: Pending.
Class Certification in FDCPA Case where Servicer Raised Preclusion Defense
The district court abused its discretion when it denied certification of a class of plaintiffs alleging FDCPA violations based on the mortgage servicer’s post-discharge collection efforts where the servicer’s defense that the Bankruptcy Code’s discharge injunction precluded the claim applied to all claims of the purported class members. Sellers v. Rushmore Loan Management Services, No. 15-1106 (11th Cir. Oct 29, 2019).
After the Sellerses moved out of their home and obtained a chapter 7 discharge, the mortgage servicer, Rushmore, continued to send them monthly statements listing an ever-increasing amount due on their mortgage. The Sellerses filed suit in the district court alleging that Rushmore’s continued collection efforts violated the FDCPA and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA) by falsely representing its right to collect the discharged debt. In addition, the Sellerses sought to certify a class of consumers subject to the same conduct. In its answer to the complaint, Rushmore argued against class certification and raised the affirmative defense that the claims were preempted/precluded by the Bankruptcy Code’s discharge injunction provision.
The district court declined to certify the class, finding that the issue of whether the Code preempted/precluded the purported class’s claims was a matter of individualized consideration. Its decision rested on the finding that the preclusive effect of the Bankruptcy Code was a function of the applicability of section 524(j), which permits a debt collector to collect payments in lieu of foreclosure from a debtor whose personal liability was discharged in bankruptcy but who continues to live on the property. The district court found that the issue of preclusion would affect only debtors to whom section 524(j) applied. [Read more…] about Class Certification in FDCPA Case where Servicer Raised Preclusion Defense
In re Wilborn, No. 09-20415 (5th Cir.)
Type: Amicus
Date: December 7, 2009
Description: Whether bankruptcy court could certify class to challenge Well Fargo’s charging of undisclosed professional fees during court of chapter 13 plan.
Result: Vacated.
Gentry v. Circuit City, Inc., No. 10-2418 (4th Cir.)
Type: Amicus
Date: August 2, 2011
Description: Whether bankruptcy court erred in denying class certification to employee creditors of Circuit City.
Result: Judgment affirmed, February 2, 2012.
NACBA Files Amicus in Fourth Circuit on Issue of Class Certification
NACBA and the National Association of Consumer Advocates has requested leave to file an amicus brief in the case of Gentry v. Circuit City, Inc. No. 10-2418 (4th Cir.) to address the issue of the proper standards to be applied by the bankruptcy court in determining whether to certify a class in bankruptcy. The class consisted of employee creditors of Circuit City. The amici argue that the lower courts erred in finding that the bankruptcy court had discretion, without conducting a factual inquiry under Rule 23, to find that the individual bankruptcy process was superior to class actions. The brief further argues that the bankruptcy court erred in finding that the class claim must be filed prior to the “claims bar date” rather than at “an early practicable time” as required by Rule 23.