KENNETH A. MARRA, District Judge.
This cause is before the Court upon Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification (DE 100). The Court has carefully considered the Motion and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.
On August 8, 2013, Plaintiffs Norman Hirsch, Matthew Dwyer and Ralph Willard filed a three-count class action Amended Complaint (DE 23) for declaratory judgment (count one), breach of contract (count two) and injunctive relief (count three). In their amended complaint, Plaintiffs allege that they signed agreements to be members of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter (the "Club") which Defendants RBF, LLC d/b/a the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa Jupiter ("RBF") and Jupiter Golf Club, LLC ("JGC") owned either previously (RBF) or currently (JGC). When JGC bought the club from RBF, Plaintiffs allege that the new owner changed the club membership terms set forth in the membership agreements, which triggered Defendants' obligation under the contract to refund Plaintiffs' membership deposits. JGC breached the membership agreements by attempting to alter the membership refund policy and RBF failed to convey title to the club facilities subject to the terms of the existing membership plan. Plaintiffs allege these claims on behalf of themselves and similarly situated individuals. Defendants moved to dismiss the Complaint (DE 30 and 31), which the Court denied (DE 50).
Plaintiffs now seek to certify a class pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. They propose a class defined as:
(DE 100 at 5.)
Plaintiffs assert that they have met all prerequisites to class certification under Rule 23. In response, RBF argues that there are no common questions with regard to RBF's liability. According to RBF, Plaintiffs' allegations contradict the language of the Membership Agreements and the Membership Plan on which their claims are based. RBF states that "[b]ecause there is no question that RBF has no liability to the Plaintiffs, there, therefore can be no common question that satisfies the requirements of Rule 23." (DE 111 at 8) (emphasis omitted). JGC contends that there is no common question because Plaintiffs have not shown that there is any question as to whether JGC: (1) terminated all existing categories of membership; (2) terminated Plaintiffs' membership plans; (3) recalled Plaintiffs' memberships; (4) denied Plaintiffs' access to club facilities and (5) continued to collect dues and payments from Plaintiffs improperly.
Rule 23 governs the certification of class actions. Rule 23(a)'s requirements are quite familiar: (1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable (numerosity); (2) there is a question of law or fact common to the class (commonality); (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class (typicality); and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class (adequacy). Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a). In additional to Rule 23(a), the party seeking class certification "must also satisfy through evidentiary proof at least one of the provisions of Rule 23(b)."
Rule 23 is more than a pleading standard; it requires the party seeking class certification to affirmatively demonstrate compliance with the Rule, and it requires the trial court to engage in a "rigorous analysis" of whether the Rule 23(a) prerequisites have been satisfied.
With these principles in mind, the Court analyzes whether Plaintiffs have affirmatively demonstrated Rule 23's requirements for class certification.
A party seeking class certification must demonstrate that "the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable." Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(1). Although mere allegations of numerosity are insufficient to satisfy Rule 23(a)(1), "a plaintiff need not show the precise number of members in the class."
In this case, Plaintiffs assert that, based on material produced in discovery, there are 150 individuals who purchased one of the three Club memberships, paid a Membership Deposit, have not received a full refund of their deposit and have not signed a Trump Legacy Addendum converting their deposit to a non-refundable deposit. In support, Plaintiffs provided the Court with materials identifying these 150 individuals, residing throughout the United States, and Defendants do not challenge these numbers. (Ex. A to DE 100.) Thus, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have produced sufficient evidence to support a finding of numerosity in this case.
Next, the Court must be satisfied that "there are questions of law or fact common to the class." Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(2). This part of Rule 23 "does not require that
By definition, the class contains only individuals who purchased one of the three Club memberships defined by the terms and conditions of the Membership Agreement and Plan, paid a membership deposit but did not receive a full refund of the deposit and has not signed the Legacy Addendum converting the deposit back to a non-refundable deposit. The underlying common legal question is whether Defendants breached the Membership Agreement. Indeed, "[i]t is the form contract, executed under like conditions by all class members, that best facilitates class treatment."
In
The Court distinguishes this case from
Here, the parties are disputing the interpretation of the language in a form contract, which all class members executed. Cf. Vega v. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 564 F.3d 1256, 1272 (11th Cir. 2009) ("Most importantly, [Plaintiff] has not shown commonality under a breach of contract theory because he has not alleged in his complaint the existence of a common contract under which T-Mobile employed all class members."). The vast majority of Defendants' arguments challenging class certification simply cite to the language of Membership Agreement and other supporting documents, which arguments go to the merits of the underlying claim. (See DE 111 at 8 "Plaintiffs' bare assertion contradict the unequivocal language of the Membership Agreements and the Membership Plan on which their claims are based.") Plaintiffs need not prove their claim to be granted class certification. Instead, it is sufficient for Plaintiffs to demonstrate that common questions predominate such as whether Defendants breached the Membership Agreement and the subsidiary legal questions that flow from that question. See Oakley v. Verizon Communications, Inc., No. 09-9175, 2012 WL 335657, *14 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 1, 2012) ("Of course, when a group of plaintiffs suffer under a uniform policy, the commonality test is often satisfied, even after [Wal-Mart].").
In sum, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have demonstrated that the claims of the class share a common contention capable of classwide resolution.
Next, Plaintiffs must demonstrate that "the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class." Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(3). Although the "commonality and typicality requirements of Rule 23(a) tend to merge," Wal-Mart, 131 S. Ct. at 2551 n.5, typicality requires special consideration of whether there is "a nexus between the class representative's claims or defenses and the common questions of fact or law which unite the class." Kornberg v. Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc., 741 F.2d 1332, 1337 (11th Cir. 1984). "A sufficient nexus is established if the claims or defenses of the class and the class representative arise from the same event or pattern or practice and are based on the same legal theory." Id.
In this case, the class is defined to include individuals who, like Plaintiffs, purchased a Full Golf, Fractional Golf or Social and Spa membership from RBF to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, paid a Membership Deposit, have not received a full refund of their Membership Deposit, and have not executed the Trump Legacy Addendum. This nexus is sufficient to render Plaintiffs' breach of contract claim typical of the breach of contract claims of the class. Plaintiffs have satisfied the typicality requirement.
Finally, Rule 23(a) requires that "the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class." Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(4). The adequacy of representation requirement encompasses two inquiries: "(1) whether any substantial conflicts of interest exist between the representatives and the class; and (2) whether the representatives will adequately prosecute the action." Valley Drug Co. v. Geneva Pharm., Inc., 350 F.3d 1181, 1189 (11th Cir. 2003) (citation omitted); see also Wal-Mart, 131 S. Ct. at 2551 n.5.
Defendants do not challenge the assertion that Plaintiffs and their counsel will vigorously prosecute this action. The Court finds that the named Plaintiffs have no substantial conflict of interest with the class. Further, based on the declarations of Plaintiffs and their counsel (DE 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4), the Court finds that Plaintiffs will adequately prosecute this action on behalf of the class. Plaintiffs have satisfied Rule 23(a)(4).
Plaintiffs must also satisfy through evidentiary proof at least one of the provisions of Rule 23(b). Comcast Corp., 133 S. Ct. at 1432. Plaintiffs assert that they have satisfied Rule 23(b)(3), which requires a finding that (1) "questions of law or fact common to class members predominate over any questions affecting only individual members," and (2) "that a class action is superior to other available methods for fairly and efficiently adjudicating the controversy." Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3).
Regarding the predominance requirement of Rule 23(b)(3), "[i]t is not necessary that all questions of fact or law be common, but only that some questions are common and that they predominate over individual questions." Klay v. Humana, Inc., 382 F.3d 1241, 1254 (11th Cir. 2004), abrogated in part on other grounds, Bridge v. Phoenix Bond & Indem. Co., 553 U.S. 639 (2008). The Supreme Court has noted that "[p]redominance is a test readily met in certain cases alleging consumer or securities fraud or violations of the antitrust laws." Amchem Prods., Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 625 (1997).
The Court finds that the common questions of law and fact in this case predominate over individual questions that class members might present. The allegations of breach of contract center around a common question whether Defendants breached the Membership Agreement. No individual questions threaten to overshadow these common questions.
Turning to the superiority requirement, the Court finds that a class action is superior to other methods of fairly and efficiently adjudicating this controversy. The large number of potential claims and the desirability of adjudicating these claims consistently indicate that class treatment is the superior method of adjudicating this FDCPA claim.
Accordingly, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have met their burden of satisfying Rule 23(b)(3), and class certification is appropriate.
Accordingly, it is hereby
The Court hereby