MARY M. LISI, Chief District Judge.
The plaintiff in this case, Christopher McDonald ("McDonald"), brings this action
As set forth in the Complaint, McDonald, a Rhode Island resident, opened a credit card account with Citizens Bank-RBS N.B. ("RBS") on March 5, 2008. Complaint ¶ 22. McDonald then incurred consumer credit card debt to RBS relating to consumer purchases.
On April 19, 2012, RJBA mailed a letter to McDonald, stating that it had been hired by RBS CARD SERVICES, the current owner of McDonald's debt, to assist it in the collection of McDonald's credit card account.
McDonald asserts that, if a credit card account has been charged off, the credit card issuer must send periodic statements on all accounts "for any period during which fees and/or interest are added to the debt."
The Complaint was filed in this Court on April 19, 2013, exactly one year after RJBA's letter was sent to McDonald. In response, RJBA filed a motion to dismiss the Complaint on May 13, 2013. On June 12, 2013, McDonald filed an objection to RJBA's motion, to which RJBA filed a reply in response on June 21, 2013.
When considering a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1), the court applies the same standard of review which is applicable to motions under Rule 12(b)(6).
In order to withstand a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6), "the `complaint must contain sufficient factual matter . . . to `state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'"
If the complaint satisfies Rule 8(a)(2)'s requirement of "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief," Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2), dismissal of the complaint is not warranted.
In its motion to dismiss, RJBA asserts that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this case because the Complaint was filed one day too late. Specifically, RJAB argues that the statute of limitations set forth in the FDCPA required McDonald to bring the Complaint no later than April 18, 2013, "within one year" of RJBA's letter to McDonald. RJAB also contends that this requirement is jurisdictional. Def.'s Mot. Dismiss 1 (Docket # 5). In its conclusion, RJAB relies primarily on the case of
In response, McDonald points out that a majority of courts that have considered the issue have rejected
Section 1692k(d) provides — under the heading "Jurisdiction" — that "[a]n action to enforce any liability created by this subchapter may be brought in any appropriate United States district court without regard to the amount in controversy, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, within one year from the date on which the violation occurs." 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d). The statute is silent, however, on the precise method of computing that time period.
Pursuant to Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, "a suit filed on the one-year anniversary of accrual of the claim is filed `within' one year."
The parties appear to be in agreement that the April 19, 2012 letter to McDonald serves as the triggering date for his FDCPA claim. Even assuming, without deciding, that the FDCPA one-year statute of limitations is jurisdictional, in the absence of a computation method in Section 1692k(d), the day of the triggering event is excluded under Rule 6(a). Therefore, McDonald's filing on April 19, 2013 is timely.
RJBA's challenge of the Complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) is based on the assertion that the Complaint cites statutes and regulations which do not, and were never intended to, apply to debt collectors like RJBA. In addition, RJBA states that the Complaint lacks the specificity required by Rule 9(c). Def.'s Mot. Dismiss at Page 2 of 3. With respect to the first argument, RJBA contends that the Complaint fails to express explicitly that RBS "waived future interest by failing to send periodic statements post-chargeoff." Def.'s Mem. at Page 5 of 9. Regarding the lack of specificity of the Complaint, RJBA asserts that McDonald "fails to provide any remote factual basis for the statement that RBS waived interest, the method by which RBS came to waive the interest and the manner in which [McDonald] acquired knowledge of the waiver." Def.'s Mem. at Page 7 of 9.
In its opposition to RJBA's motion to dismiss, McDonald reiterates the allegations of his Complaint: that RBS charged off McDonald's credit card debt on March 28, 2012; that RBS reported the debt as $6,447; and that the April 19, 2012 debt collection letter indicated a debt of $7,166.43, with the possibility of a higher amount "[b]ecause of interest accruing." April 19, 2012 letter (Docket # 1-1). Based on those allegations, McDonald asserts that RJBA is attempting to collect a debt by "threatening to add an unauthorized amount of money `because of interest accruing'" and also adding such an additional amount. Pltf.'s Mem 7-8, Complaint ¶ 45. According to McDonald, RBS' failure to deliver periodic statements after the charge-off evidences RBS's waiver
McDonald alleges, in some detail, that RBS charged off the debt he owed to RBS and that he received no further periodic statements from RBS after that. McDonald also alleges that, at the time the debt was charged off, the amount was reported by RBS to Equifax as $6,447. Because a creditor is required to deliver such statements unless it will charge no additional fees or interest, Mcdonald asserts that the discontinuance of such statements signifies RBS's waiver to charge further interest on McDonald's debt. However, according to the letter McDonald received from RJBA, the debt amount was subsequently increased to $7,166.43 and was subject to further increase for additional interest. McDonald's success in this case ultimately depends on his ability to show that RBS did, in fact, waive imposition of future interest on McDonald's credit card debt following the charge-off. Accepting, however, as the Court must in the context of a motion to dismiss, all well-pleaded facts in the Complaint as true and drawing all inferences therefrom in McDonald's favor, the Court finds that the allegations in the Complaint are sufficient to withstand RJBA's motion to dismiss the Complaint.
For the reasons stated herein, RJBA's motion to dismiss the Complaint is DENIED.
SO ORDERED.