FTC Has Power Under § 19 of the FTC Act to Freeze Assets and Impose Receivership for Violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule
Posted on Feb 15, 2023 in Consumer Protection | Comments Off on FTC Has Power Under § 19 of the FTC Act to Freeze Assets and Impose Receivership for Violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule
Even after the Supreme Court limited the power of the Federal Trade Commission to receive monetary relief under § 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, the FTC still has authority under § 19(b) of the FTC Act to freeze assets and impose a receivership, the Eleventh Circuit ruled in FTC v. Simple Health Plans LLC, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 2192 (11th Cir. Jan. 27, 2023). The FTC brought...
Foreign Parent Company Not Subject to Personal Jurisdiction Based Solely on Actions of Subsidiary, and Expert Testimony Properly Excluded as Unreliable in Products-Liability Case
Posted on Oct 5, 2022 in Consumer Protection, Jurisdiction | Comments Off on Foreign Parent Company Not Subject to Personal Jurisdiction Based Solely on Actions of Subsidiary, and Expert Testimony Properly Excluded as Unreliable in Products-Liability Case
In the absence of facts supporting piercing the corporate veil or rendering affiliated companies alter egos, the actions of a subsidiary alone cannot subject a foreign parent company to personal jurisdiction in Florida, the Eleventh Circuit recently confirmed. The court’s decision in Knepfle v. J-Tech Corp., 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 25781 (11th Cir. Sept. 14, 2022), also reviewed the...
No Safe Harbor in Florida If Financing Statement Misnames the Debtor
Posted on Oct 5, 2022 in Consumer Protection | Comments Off on No Safe Harbor in Florida If Financing Statement Misnames the Debtor
As we reported here, the Eleventh Circuit recently certified to the Florida Supreme Court a series of questions about the consequences under Florida law of a misnamed debtor in a UCC-1 financing statement. Florida law provides that a financing statement is “seriously misleading” if it does not include the debtor’s correct name, but provides a safe harbor where “a search of the records...
Certain Mortgage Communications Must Comply with Both the Truth in Lending Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Posted on Oct 2, 2022 in Consumer Protection | Comments Off on Certain Mortgage Communications Must Comply with Both the Truth in Lending Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
The Eleventh Circuit has held again that certain mortgage servicing communications required under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and sent to a borrower also can be subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Lamirand v. Fay Servicing, LLC, 38 F.4th 976 (11th Cir. 2022). The court vacated an order dismissing the complaint filed by borrowers who received monthly...
Fair Debt Collection Laws May Apply to Mortgage Statements
Posted on Jun 9, 2022 in Consumer Protection | Comments Off on Fair Debt Collection Laws May Apply to Mortgage Statements
Answering a question of first impression for the court, the Eleventh Circuit held in Daniels v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 14013 (11th Cir. May 24, 2022), that a mortgage statement submitted to a borrower may, under certain circumstances, constitute a communication in connection with a debt that is subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C....
Paradise Found: Consumer Not Damaged by Purchasing (and Consuming) Gin Containing Prohibited “Grains of Paradise”
Posted on Apr 21, 2022 in Consumer Protection | Comments Off on Paradise Found: Consumer Not Damaged by Purchasing (and Consuming) Gin Containing Prohibited “Grains of Paradise”
The Eleventh Circuit again had the opportunity to interpret the scope of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA), this time applying the Act’s safe-harbor provision for actions otherwise permitted by law. In Marrache v. Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., 17 F.4th 1084 (11th Cir. Nov. 8, 2021), the court affirmed dismissal of a putative class action that had attempted to hold a...