On January 13, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the District Court’s grant of class certification in a case where plaintiffs allege violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. In Powers v. Credit Management Services, the defendant filed standard-form complaints and discovery requests against the plaintiffs in state court to collect past
Class Actions
Ninth Circuit Clarifies “Personal Stake” Necessary for Putative Class Representatives on Appeal
On December 31, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in dismissing a class action appeal as moot, ruled that the putative class representative had not retained a personal stake in the class certification motion after voluntarily settling his individual claims.
In Campion v. Old Republic Protection Company, Inc., the plaintiff…
FCRA Class Action Filed in Illinois State Court Based on Credit Card Receipts
On December 29, a putative class action was filed against Airgas, Inc. for printing expiration dates on credit and debit card receipts. The putative class action, Aliano et al. v. Airgas USA LLC et al., Case No. 14CH20024 (Cook County), alleges violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and identity theft. Airgas is an…
District Court Certifies FCRA Background Check Disclosure and Adverse Action Class Action
On October 31, a United States District Court certified a Fair Credit Reporting Act class action involving claims that an employer procured a background check through an improper disclosure form and took adverse action without following the proper adverse action protocol. Although the Court’s decision did not address the merits of the case, the Court…
Eighth Circuit Rejects County Recorders’ Claims Against Lenders, Servicers, and MERS
Last Friday, the Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissals of claims filed by county recorders in Iowa and Minnesota who claimed that the use of the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) unjustly deprived the counties of recording fees. In Plymouth County v. Merscorp, Inc., Plymouth County, on its own behalf and on behalf of all…
New FCRA Background Check Class Action Reminds Employers to Double Check Their Disclosure Forms
On December 4, Whole Foods was added to the long list of employers that have been hit with nationwide class action lawsuits under the FCRA based on their background check practices. This lawsuit should serve as another reminder to employers to verify that their background check practices comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Prior…
Dish Network Gets Served: An Illinois Court Finds Massive Exposure for Violations of Telemarketing and Do-Not-Call Restrictions
On December 12, 2014, an Illinois federal judge found Dish Network LLC liable for participating in millions of unwanted telemarketing sales calls, where Dish Network could be subject to penalties exceeding $1 billion. Specifically, the District Court for the Central District of Illinois issued an opinion in United States of America v. Dish Network LLC …
U.S. Supreme Court Vindicates Broad Jurisdiction of Federal Courts over Class Actions Under CAFA
On December 15, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the notion that class actions defendants should be forced to proffer affirmative evidence with their removal petition in order to remove their cases from state to federal court. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held in Dart Cherokee Basin Operating Co. LLC v. Owens that a…
Illinois Federal Court Dismisses Data Breach Lawsuit against P.F. Chang’s For Lack of Damages
On December 11, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois dismissed a proposed class action over a June 2014 data breach at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, finding that no actual harm had been alleged. The court tossed a pair of consolidated complaints claiming that the restaurant chain failed to properly safeguard…
Court Dismisses FCRA Claim Regarding Employment Background Screening Notices and Provides Commentary on Structure and Requirements of FCRA Provision
In recommending that the district court grant the defendant’s motion to dismiss, a magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia recently addressed the contours of 15 U.S.C. § 1681k(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act in a way that affirms the disjunctive nature of that statutory provision, and…