AI Case Brief
Generate an AI-powered case brief with:
đKey Facts
âïžLegal Issues
đCourt Holding
đĄReasoning
đŻSignificance
Estimated cost: $0.10â$0.50 per brief, depending on opinion length and retries
Full Opinion
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA DEJA WASHINGTON, Plaintiff, v. CIVIL ACTION FEDLOAN SERVICING NO. 19-143 Defendant. MEMORANDUM SCHMEHL, J. /s/ JLS SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 Plaintiff brought this action, claiming Defendant FedLoan Servicing (âFedLoanâ) violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (âFCRAâ), 15 U.S.C. § 1681s- 2(b) by reporting inaccurate and misleading information on her credit report and by failing to conduct a good faith investigation into the allegedly inaccurate reporting.1 Presently before the Court is the motion of FedLoan for summary judgment. For the reasons that follow, the motion is granted. STANDARD OF REVIEW A court shall grant a motion for summary judgment âif the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.â Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). An issue is âgenuineâ if there is a sufficient evidentiary basis on which a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Kaucher v. Cnty. of Bucks, 455 F.3d 418, 423 1 The Complaint also named Chrysler Capital Corp and TransUnion, LLC as Defendants, but the Plaintiff has reached a settlement agreement with both. (3d Cir. 2006) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986)). A factual dispute is âmaterialâ if it might affect the outcome of the case under governing law. Id. (citing Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248). Under Rule 56, the Court must view the evidence presented on the motion in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255. However, â[u]nsupported assertions, conclusory allegations, or mere suspicions are insufficient to overcome a motion for summary judgment.â Betts v. New Castle Youth Dev. Ctr., 621 F.3d 249, 252 (3d Cir. 2010). The movant bears the initial responsibility for informing the Court of the basis for the motion for summary judgment and identifying those portions of the record that demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986). Where the non-moving party bears the burden of proof on a particular issue, the moving partyâs initial burden can be met simply by âpointing out to the district court that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving partyâs case.â Id. at 325. After the moving party has met the initial burden, the non-moving party must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuinely disputed factual issue for trial by âciting to particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations . . . , admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materialsâ or by âshowing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute.â Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). Summary judgment is appropriate if the non-moving party fails to rebut by making a factual showing âsufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that partyâs case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.â Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322. FACTS The following facts, taken from FedLoanâs Undisputed Statement of Facts (ECF 39-13), are not in dispute: 1. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (âPHEAAâ) is a statutorily created instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with its principal place of business in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which conducts its federal student loan servicing activities under the business name FedLoan. 24 P.S. §§ 5101 â 5199.9. (Answer and Affirmative Defenses of Defendant FedLoan Servicing at ¶ 6.) 2. On June 21, 2007, Plaintiff signed and submitted a Federal Student Loan Master Promissory Note to receive student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (âFFELPâ). 3. Plaintiff received FFELP student loans pursuant to the Master Promissory Note and federal student loans to finance her post-secondary education from 2007 through 2012. (Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, at p. 12:16-20, included within âExhibit 1â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 4. On June 17, 2016, Plaintiff signed and submitted a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application and Promissory Note to consolidate her student loans, including the FFELP loans and federal student loans Plaintiff received to finance her education. (FedLoanâs Request for Admissions to Plaintiff at ¶ 4, and Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application and Promissory Note attached as Exhibit D, included within âExhibit 7â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 5. By letter dated July 30, 2016, FedLoan notified Plaintiff that the consolidation of her student loans was completed, and identified the loans that were included within her Direct Consolidation Loan. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 319â 321, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 6. Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan was disbursed on July 29, 2016, and consisted of a subsidized portion with a balance of $25,882.29 and an unsubsidized portion of $31,915.65, for a total amount of $57,797.94. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 321, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 7. . Upon Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan being disbursed by the Department of Education (âDOEâ), FedLoan began servicing Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 324-326, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 8. Plaintiffâs first payment due date on her Direct Consolidation Loan was September 26, 2016. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 260, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 9. Plaintiff did not make the required payment on her Direct Consolidation Loan by September 26, 2016. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 333-335, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 10. By letter dated October 19, 2016, FedLoan notified Plaintiff that she was delinquent on her Direct Consolidation Loan, and requested that she make payments to bring her loan current. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 333-335, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 11. Plaintiff did not make any payments on her Direct Consolidation Loan subsequent to the October 19, 2016 letter. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 256-260, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 12. By letter dated December 3, 2016, FedLoan again notified Plaintiff that she was delinquent on her Direct Consolidation Loan, and requested that she make payments to bring her loan current. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 338-340, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 13. Also, by letter dated December 3, 2016, FedLoan notified Plaintiff that her Direct Consolidation Loan would default on July 1, 2017, if no payments were made, and again urged Plaintiff to make payments to bring her account current. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 341-343, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 14. Subsequent to Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan being disbursed on July 29, 2016, Plaintiff failed to make any payments on the loan. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 1117- 1118, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, pp. 329-330.) 15. In February 2017, due to non-payment, Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan became one hundred and twenty (120) days delinquent. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1117; FedLoanâs Request for Admissions to Plaintiff at ¶ 5; Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, at p. 15:1-10, included within âExhibits 1, 4, and 7â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 16. Beginning February 2017, FedLoan began reporting to the credit reporting agencies Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan as being one hundred and twenty (120) days delinquent. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1117, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 329.) 17. On October 3, 2017, FedLoan submitted to the DOE a request to transfer Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan due to non-payment on the loan. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 140, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 18. On October 12, 2017, due to non-payment, Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan charged off FedLoanâs servicing system, and was transferred to the DOE. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 140 â 141 (Activity Detail Screen); p. 1117 (FedLoanâs Credit Reporting of Deja Washington), included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 329.) 19. For each month from February 2017 through September 2017, payments on Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan were at least 120 days delinquent. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 6, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 20. At the time Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan transferred from FedLoanâs servicing system to the DOE on October 12, 2017, payments on the loan were at least 120 days delinquent. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1117, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 330.) 21. Beginning in October 2017, due to Plaintiffâs Direct Consolidation Loan charging off of FedLoanâs servicing system due to non-payment, FedLoan began reporting the status of Plaintiffâs loan as âE â Zero balance and current account,â with a status of â05âAccount transferred,â a special comment of âAT-account closed due to transfer,â and a payment rating of â6-180 or more days past the due date.â (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 1117-1118, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, pp. 329-330.) 22. Beginning in October 2017, Plaintiffâs credit report reflected her Direct Consolidation Loan as having a zero ($0.00) current balance, and a zero ($0.00) past due balance to all three credit reporting agencies. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶¶ 1 and 2, and Credit Reports of Deja Washington, included within âExhibit 9â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 23. By letter dated April 26, 2018, Plaintiff submitted a dispute regarding the credit reporting of her Direct Consolidation Loan to TransUnion. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1177, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 389.) The letter stated, â[t]hese accounts are showing the wrong status. It states that the account is currently past due but it cannot be currently late. The balance clearly shows $0. Further, I think the accounts were transferred which also means its impossible for it to be currently late with this creditor. This is hurting my credit.â Id. 24. FedLoan received notice of Plaintiffâs credit dispute from TransUnion on May 12, 2018 via an Automated Credit Dispute Verification (âACDVâ). (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1174, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2 p.386). The ACDV contained two dispute codes: â106-Disputes present/previous Account Status/Payment Rating/Account History. Verify Account Status, Payment Rating and Account Historyâ and â118-Disputes Current Balance and/or Amount Past Due. Verify Current Balance or Amount Past Due.â Finally, the ACDV requested that transfer of the account should be verified. Id. 25. FedLoan responded to the ACDV from TransUnion resulting from Plaintiffâs indirect dispute on June 4, 2018. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 1174-1176, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, pp. 386-388.) 26. By letter dated May 7, 2018, Plaintiff submitted a dispute regarding the credit reporting of her Direct Consolidation Loan to Equifax. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1192, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 404.) 27. FedLoan received notice of Plaintiffâs credit dispute from Equifax on May 16, 2018 via an ACDV. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, pp. 1189-1191, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, pp. 401-403.) 28. Within Plaintiffâs May 7, 2018 dispute, she indicated FedLoanâs reporting included inaccurate information and requested that her ID be confirmed and all Account Information be verified. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1189, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 401.) 29. FedLoan responded to the ACDV from Equifax resulting from Plaintiffâs indirect dispute on June 4, 2018. (FedLoanâs response to Washingtonâs Request for Production of Documents, p. 1189, included within âExhibit 4â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment at ECF 77-2, p. 401.) 30. By April 28, 2018, Plaintiffâs credit history included at least 3 accounts with lenders in her credit history in delinquent status, at least 5 accounts with lenders in a derogatory status, and at least one account with a lender in collection status. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶¶ 8-10, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 31. In September 2016, Plaintiff took out a loan or lease for an automobile with a lender identified as âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500771****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 11, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 32. In January 2017, Plaintiff became delinquent on her loan with âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500771****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 12, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 33. By April 2018, Plaintiffâs loan with âNISSN INF LTâ was reported by Transunion with a payment status of âCollection/Chargeoff,â by Experian with a payment status of âRepossession,â and by Equifax with a payment status of âCollection/Chargeoff.â (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 13, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 34. Plaintiffâs vehicle financed with a loan or lease from âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500771****, was repossessed as a result of her delinquent payments. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 14; Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, p. 56:11-18, included within âExhibits 1 and 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 35. In May 2016, Plaintiff took out a loan or lease for an automobile with a lender identified as âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500762****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 15, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 36. In December 2016, Plaintiff became delinquent on her loan or lease with âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500762****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 16, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 37. By August 2019, Plaintiffâs loan with âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500762****, was reported by TransUnion with a payment status of âInvoluntary repossession,â by Experian with a payment status of âInvoluntary repossession. Merchandise was taken back by credit grantor/there may be a balance due,â and by Equifax with a payment status of âInvoluntary Repossession Auto.â (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 17, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 38. Plaintiffâs vehicle financed with a loan or lease from âNISSN INF LT,â account number 2500762****, was repossessed due to her delinquent payments. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 18, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 39. In December 2012, Plaintiff received credit for a credit card with âCAPITALONE,â account number 51780578****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 19, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 40. In February 2017, Plaintiff became delinquent on her payments for her credit card with âCAPITALONE,â account number 51780578****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 20, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 41. By April 2018, Plaintiffâs credit card with âCAPITALONE,â account number 51780578****, was reported by TransUnion with a payment status of âCollection/Chargeoff,â by Experian with a payment status of âCollection Chargeoff,â and by Equifax with a payment status of âCollection Chargeoff.â (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 21, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 42. In relation to Plaintiffâs credit card with âCAPITALONE,â account number 51780578****, Plaintiffâs Three Bureau Credit Report dated April 28, 2018, lists comments from TransUnion of âCharged off as bad debt Canceled by credit grantor,â Experian of âAccount has been closed due to inactivity. Unpaid balance reported as a loss by the credit grantor,â and Equifax as âCharged off account Accounts closed by credit grantor.â (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 22, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 43. In September 2016, Plaintiff was approved for a credit card with âDISCOVERBANK,â account number 60110003****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 23, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 44. In September 2018, Plaintiff became delinquent on her payments for her credit card with âDISCOVERBANK,â account number 6011003****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 24, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 45. Plaintiffâs credit card with âDISCOVERBANK,â account number 6011003****, was reported by TransUnion as delinquent for the months of September 2018 through December 2018, by Experian for the months of September 2018 through December 2018, and by Equifax for the months of September 2018 to November 2018. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at¶ 25, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 46. In August 2018, Plaintiff was approved for a credit card with âCREDITONEBNK,â account number 444796240593****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 26, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 47. In November 2018, Plaintiff became delinquent on her payments for her credit card with âCREDITONEBNK,â account number 444796240593****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 27; Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, p. 19:3-11, included within âExhibits 1 and 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 48. Plaintiffâs credit card with âCREDITONEBNK,â account number 444796240593****, was reported by TransUnion as delinquent for the months of November 2018 and December 2018, was reported by Experian as delinquent for the months of November 2018 and December 2018, and was reported as delinquent by Equifax for the month of November 2018. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 28, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 49. In March 2018, Plaintiff received an installment loan with âLEAD BANK,â account number 1166****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 29, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 50. In August 2018, Plaintiff became delinquent on her payments for her installment loan with âLEAD BANK,â account number 1166****. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 30, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 51. Plaintiffâs installment loan with âLEAD BANK,â account number 1166****, was reported by TransUnion as delinquent for the months of August 2018 and September 2018, was reported by Experian as delinquent for the months of August 2018 and September 2018, and was reported by Equifax as delinquent for the months of August 2018 and September 2018. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 31, included within âExhibit 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 52. As of April 28, 2018, Plaintiffâs credit score was reported as 523 by TransUnion, 506 by Experian, and 521 by Equifax. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 1, and April 28, 2018 Credit Report of Deja Washington, included within âExhibits 7 and 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 53. As of August 9, 2019, Plaintiffâs credit score was reported as 585 by TransUnion, 572 by Experian, and 580 by Equifax. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Requests for Admission at ¶ 1, and August 9, 2019 Credit Report of Deja Washington, included within âExhibits 7 and 8â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 54. On February 28, 2019, Plaintiff requested a loan in an amount of $2,000.00 from Citadel Federal Credit Union. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Request for Production of Documents (Citadel Federal Credit Union Adverse Action Notice), included within âExhibit 6â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 55. Plaintiff received an Adverse Action Notice from Citadel Federal Credit Union advising her that Citadel Bank was unable to extend credit to her at this time. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Request for Production of Documents (Citadel Federal Credit Union Adverse Action Notice), included within âExhibit 6â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 56. Citadel Federal Credit Unionâs Adverse Action Notice indicated its decision was based in whole or in part on information obtained in a report received from TransUnion. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Request for Production of Documents (Citadel Federal Credit Union Adverse Action Notice), included within âExhibit 6â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 57. Citadel Bankâs Adverse Action Notice indicated that Plaintiffâs credit score as of February 28, 2019 was 489. Citadel Bankâs Adverse Action Notice indicated several key factors that affected Plaintiffâs credit score, including: a. Serious delinquency, and public record or collection filed; b. Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown; c. Number of accounts with delinquency; d. Too many accounts with balances; and e. Number of inquiries adversely affected the credit score. (Plaintiffâs response to FedLoanâs Request for Production of Documents (Citadel Federal Credit Union Adverse Action Notice), included within âExhibit 6â to FedLoanâs Motion for Summary Judgment.) 58. Plaintiff testified at her deposition that on November 5, 2017, she was denied a credit card from SynchBToys R Us DC. (Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, p. 59:12-24.) 59. Plaintiff testified that in March of 2018, she was denied by multiple financial institutions for a car loan. (Deposition of Deja Washington, November 5, 2019, p. 29:14-30:10.) PLAINTIFFâS CLAIMS To put Plaintiffâs credit history in proper context, FedLoanâs expert, John Ulzheimer, noted that the âPlaintiffâs credit reports contain a record of over 100 late payments, three collections, two charged off accounts and two automobile repossessions.â ECF 39-10 at p. 16. Indeed, Ulzheimer opined that â[i]n my 28+ years in the credit industry, the Plaintiffâs credit reports are among the worst Iâve ever seen.â Id. Yet, Plaintiff argues that her credit report from FedLoan is incorrect and misleading because it reports Plaintiffâs historical late payment information with a current delinquency code in the âPay Statusâ field (âAccount 120 Days Past Due Dateâ) making it appear that Plaintiff is currently late and still has a balance on her student loan. As a result, Plaintiff believes that prospective lenders believe that she is currently late which negatively reflects on her creditworthiness. Noticeably, Plaintiff does not contend that her federal student loan was at least 120 days past due at the time the loan was transferred back to the DOE and that she has never made even a single payment on that loan. Plaintiff contends that after receiving notice of Plaintiffâs dispute from TransUnion and Experian, FedLoan willfully and negligently failed to conduct a reasonable investigation of the inaccurate information that Plaintiff disputed, and continued reporting the inaccurate information to the credit bureaus. Compl. at ¶ 32. Plaintiff claims that as a result of FedLoanâs actions, she has suffered, inter alia, âloss of creditworthinessâ and a âloss of credit opportunityâ Id. at 35. In its motion for summary judgment, FedLoan argues that it conducted a good faith and reasonable investigation into the complaints Plaintiff raised with TransUnion and Experian. FedLoan argues that the results of its investigation revealed that the reported âPay Statusâ as âAccount 120 Days Past Due Dateâ is simply not inaccurate and could not reasonably mislead creditors into believing that the student loan is currently past due when considered in the context of the other information given about the account â that it was closed as of October 3, 2017 and has a zero-dollar balance. FedLoan argues that the âPay Statusâ field accurately reflects that Plaintiff was more than 120 days behind in her obligations on this federal school loan at the time the loan was closed as of October 3, 2017 and that prospective lenders need to be aware of this delinquency. DISCUSSION Congress enacted the FCRA âto protect consumers from the transmission of inaccurate information about them, and to establish credit reporting practices that utilize accurate, relevant, and current information in a confidential and responsible manner.â Cortez v. Trans Union, 617 F. 3d 688, 707 (3d Cir. 2010). To support these goals, Congress included âprovisions intended âto prevent consumers from being unjustly damaged because of inaccurate or arbitrary information.ââ Id. [citations omitted.] In Cortez, our Court Appeals instructs, ââ[t]hese consumer oriented objectives support a liberal construction of the [FCRA],â and any interpretation of this remedial statute must reflect those objectives.â Id. [citations omitted.] As a federal student loan servicer, FedLoan is required to report the history of all borrower accounts to the national credit reporting agencies. 34 C.F.R. § 685.211. In this regard, FedLoan acts as a âdata furnisher.â A data furnisher is an entity that furnishes information regarding a consumer to the credit reporting agencies (âCRAâ) for inclusion on a consumerâs credit report. Harris v. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, 696 Fed. Appâx. 87, 90 (3d Cir. June 22, 2017) (citing 16 C.F.R. § 660.2(c)). 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b) imposes certain duties on a data furnisher who has been notified by a consumer credit reporting agency that a consumer has disputed information furnished by that data furnisher. See Seamans v. Temple University, 744 F.3d 853, 864-65 (3d Cir. 2014). Once the data furnisher receives such notice, the data furnisher must (A) conduct an investigation with respect to the disputed information; (B) review all relevant information provided by the [CRA] ...; (C) report the results of the investigation to the [CRA]; (D) if the investigation finds that the information is incomplete or inaccurate, report [the results of the investigation] to all other [CRAs] to which the [furnisher] furnished the [disputed] information ...; and (E) [modify, delete, or permanently block the reporting of disputed information that the furnisher finds inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable after reinvestigation.] 15 U.S.C. § 1681sâ2(b)(1). Section 1681s-2(b) of FCRA allows a consumer to sue a data furnisher if the furnisher provides âincomplete or inaccurateâ information to a CRA and then refuses to âdeleteâ or âmodifyâ that information in response to a consumer complaint. 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b)(1). Our Court of Appeals has explained that â[a] report is inaccurate when it is âpatently incorrectâ or when it is âmisleading in such a way and to such an extent that it can be expected to [have an] adverse[ ]â effect.â Schweitzer v. Equifax Info. Solutions LLC, 441 Fed. Appx. 896, 902 (3d Cir.2011) (quoting Dalton v. Capital Assoc. Indus. Inc., 257 F.3d 409, 415 (4th Cir.2001)). In determining whether reported information is misleading, the Court must view the information in a credit report from the perspective of a reasonable creditor. Horsch v. Wells Fargo Home Mortg., 94 F. Supp. 3d 665, 681 (E.D. Pa. 2015). According to the affidavit of the Risk, Policy and Compliance Coordinator for the Credit Bureau Reporting Department at PHEAA, Leslie Harris (âHarrisâ), the ACDV FedLoan received from TransUnion on May 12, 2018, contained âdispute codes 106 and 118, as well as a separate instruction requesting FedLoan verify [Plaintiffâs] federal student loan was indeed transferred.â ECF 39- 3 at ¶19. According to Harris, â[d]ispute Code 106 includes instruction that the data furnisher needs to verify the Account Status, Payment Rating, and Account History.â Id. at ¶ 20. âDispute Code 118 includes instruction that the data furnisher needs to verify Current Balance and the Amount Past Due.â Id. at ¶ 21. Harris avers that â[w]hen responding to credit disputes, FedLoan processors follow the procedures in FedLoanâs âCredit Dispute Resolution Procedureâ [CDRP] document.â Id. at ¶ 22. Harris avers that the FedLoan CDRP instructs that for federal student loans, âAccount Status â05â should be used for all federal student loans which are transferred or deconverted due to delinquency.â Id. at ¶ 23. Under the CDRP, if the Account Status of 05 is used, ââthe Payment Rating must be populated based on the status of the loan immediately prior to the condition that resulted in such status.ââ Id. at ¶ 24. According to Harris, â[t]he CDRP instructs that the payment Rating of â6â must be used for transferred federal loans which are at least 180 days past due.â Id. at ¶ 25. Harris further avers that with regard to the Current Balance, the CDRP instructs, ââThe current balance must be zero when the Account Status is 05. . . .ââ Id. at ¶ 26. With regard to the Amount Past Due, âCDRP instructs, âThe Amount Past Due is zero when the Account Status is 05. . . .â Id. at ¶ 27. FedLoan responded to the TransUnion ACDV on June 4, 2018. Id. at ¶ 28. In its response, FedLoan verified the Account States as â05â â meaning âaccount transferredâ. FedLoan also updated the Payment Rating from â4â (120-149 days past due) to â6â (180 or more days past due) Id. at ¶¶29-30. FedLoan further verified the current balance was $0.00, and updated the past balance, actual payment and scheduled monthly payment to all reflect $0.00 Id. at ¶ 29. As such, Harris characterizes that Fedloanâs investigation of the TransUnion ACDV as âreasonable.â Id. at ¶ 30. FedLoan also received an ACDV from Equifax on May 16, 2018. Id. at ¶ 31. The Equifax ACDV contained only one dispute code 112, âwhich generally requests the data furnisher to confirm a complete ID and verify all Account Information.â Id. at ¶ 32. FedLoan responded to the Equifax ACDV on June 4, 2018. Id. at ¶ 34. Harris avers that the âonly notable distinction between the TransUnion ACDV and the Equifax ACDV is that the Equifax ACDV references an Account Status of 82, and no Payment Rating was provided by Equifax in the âRequest Dataâ filed.â Id. at ¶ 34. According to Harris, the CDRP explains that Account Status 82 âis only appropriate for student loans still being serviced by FedLoan, which are past due between 120 and 149 days.â Id. at ¶ 35. In addition, Harris avers that since Plaintiffâs loan had been transferred, FedLoan in its response updated the Account Status filed to â05.â Id. at ¶ 36. Since the Account Status was 05, FedLoan also added in its response that the âPayment Ratingâ was â6.â Id. at ¶ 37. Finally, âFedLoan also verified all balances, payments and past due amounts were $0.00.â Id. at ¶ 38. Finally, Harris averred that FedLoan verified or modified all of Plaintiffâs demographic information consistent with the CDRP. Id. at ¶ 40. Harris concluded by averring that FedLoanâs response to the Equifax dispute âis consistent with its internal records verifying that [Plaintiffâs] federal student loan transferred to the DOE when it was more than 180 days past due, and all balances and past due amounts were $0.00. FedLoanâs investigation of the Equifax ACDV was reasonable.â Id. at ¶ 41. The Court finds that FedLoan complied with its obligations under 15 U.S.C. § 1681sâ2(b)(1). FedLoan investigated and reviewed the disputed information supplied in the TransUnion and Equifax ACDVs after which it either verified or modified the disputed information pursuant to its Credit Dispute Resolution Procedure. Unfortunately for Plaintiff one of the modifications it made accurately reflected that Plaintiff had actually been 180 days or more delinquent (instead of 120 days or more past due) at the time her loan was transferred. Further, the Court finds, as a matter of law, that there is nothing in Plaintiffâs credit report that it is âpatently incorrectâ or âmisleading in such a way and to such an extent that it can be expected to have an âadverse effectâ on Plaintiffâs creditworthiness. Schweitzer 441 Fed. Appâx. at 902. In Schweitzer, our Court of Appeals held a CRA accurately represented information in its reports when a mortgage account read âOver 120 Days Past Due,â but the âADDITIONAL INFORMATIONâ field in the same report showed âAccount Paid/Zero Balance.â Schweitzer, 441 F. Appâx at 902. The consumer argued the reporting agency violated the FCRA by stating his mortgage account âhad been âOver 120 Days Past Dueââ in two different credit reports. Id. Our Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment on this entry because the reporting agency âproperly reflectedâ the consumer had paid off the balance of his account. Id. at 902. As a result, the Court determined the report did not include inaccurate information. Id. Indeed, district courts both in this Circuit and throughout the country have routinely granted defendantsâ dispositive motions on plaintiffsâ § 1681s-2(b) claims that the reporting of terms of a closed account with zero balance, yet with the pay status listed as past due is not âpatently incorrectâ or âmisleading.â See, e.g., Samoura v. Trans Union LLC, 2021 WL 915723 (E.D. Pa. March 10, 2021)(Kearney, J.); Parke v. Trans Union, LLC, No. 20-4487, ECF Doc. No. 32 (Order) (E.D. Pa. March 5, 2021)(Robreno, J.); Bibbs v. Trans Union LLC, 2021 WL 695112 (E.D. Pa. February 23, 2021)(Kearney, J.); See also, e.g., Gross v. Private National Mortgage Acceptance Co., LLC, 2021 WL 81465 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 9, 2021) 2; Hernandez v TransUnion, LLC, No. 19-cv-1987, Dkt. No. 82, (N.D. Fla. Dec. 10, 2020) (concluding that reporting a âpay statusâ as â120 days past dueâ for a closed account with a $0 balance âwould not reasonably mislead a creditor to believe [the plaintiff] is currently past due on this loanâ); Settles v. Trans Union, LLC, 2020 WL 6900302 (M.D. Tenn. Nov 24, 2020) (same); Euring v. Equifax Information Servs., LLC, No. 19- cv-11675, 2020 WL 1508344 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 30, 2020) (finding nothing false or materially misleading about the âmonthly paymentâ information on plaintiffâs credit reports in light of the other information that appears on those reports); Parker v. 1st Franklin Financial Corp., et. al, No. 1:19-cv-1897-TCB-JKL (Document 42)(January 10, 2020) (adopted January 15, 2020); Magee v. Ford Motor Credit Company, LLC, No. 2:18-cv-148- KS-MTP, 2019 WL 7593371 (S.D.Miss. November 15, 2019); Burrow v. Equifax Info. Sys., LLC, Case Action File No. 1:18-cv-05134-JPB-LTW, 2019 WL 54417147, at *8-*9, (N.D.Ga., August 5, 2019) adopted report and recommendation 2019 WL 5410067 (N.D.Ga. August 26, 2019); Jones v. Equifax Info. Servs., LLC, No. 2:18-cv-2814, 2019 WL 5872516 (M.D. Tenn. Aug. 8, 2 The Court is aware that Judge Cogan subsequently allowed the Plaintiff to amend the Complaint against the furnisher defendant to include the allegation that âcredit scoring algorithms look to the pay status field as a field that instructs whether the account should be considered as an actively derogatory.â Plaintiff has made no such allegation in this case and his expert, Evan Hendricks, also make no reference to âcredit scoring algorithms.â 2019) (finding that a credit report showing a monthly payment obligation when the account was closed and had a zero-dollar balance was not materially misleading because âa reasonable prospective lender would understand [that] the report showed a past obligation onlyâ); Meeks v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, Civil Action File No. 1:18-cv-03666-TWTWEJ, 2019 WL 1856411, at *5 (N.D. Ga. March 4, 2019), report and recommendation adopted 2019 WL 1856412 (N.D. Ga. April 23, 2019); Hunt v. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., Case No. 17-cv-62094-BB, 2018 WL 1183357 (S.D. Fl. February 23, 2018); Alston v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, Civil Action No. TDC-13-1230, 2014 WL 6388169 (D.Md., November 13, 2014). Pursuant to the Credit Reporting Resource Guide (âCRRGâ), a data furnisher such as FedLoan that is servicing a transferred account is required to report the âPay Statusâ at the time the account is transferred and not on the date of access. Harris Affidavit, ECF 39-3, Ex. A at p. 22, FAQ No. 46; Ulzheimer Report, ECF 39-10 at p. 14. As one district court has explained, â[t]he payment rating code, then, is indicative of the status of the paid or closed account while the account was still active, not at the time the consumerâs credit report is accessed.â Moulton v. Americredit Financial Services, Inc., No. C. 04-02485 JW, 2006 WL 8459731, at *3 (N.D.Ca. December 29, 2006) (emphasis in original). In addition, all of the above cases have found that the tradeline must be viewed in its entirety, rather than simply focusing on a single field such as âPay Status.â On October 3, 2017, the date FedLoan requested that Plaintiff's student loan be transferred to the DOE for non-payment, Plaintiff's tradeline appeared as follows: FEDLOAN SERVICING #6500183921FD0*"* POB 60610 HARRISBURG, PA 17106 (800) 699-2908 Date Opened: ores2016 Balance: $0 Pay Status: Account 120 Days Past Responsibility: Individual Account Date Updated: 10/03/2017 Due Date< Account Type: Installment Account High Balance: $57,679 Terms: Monthly for 303 months âeames Smee âter Delon 2 ae 201 a i Page 6 of 27 âĄâĄ âĄâĄ âĄâĄâĄ âĄâĄ Estimated month and jour that thie tom anil ke cemoued. (O02 ANSPER: TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER OFFICE ECF 43-1, Ex. A. By examining Plaintiff's credit report as it appeared on October 3, 2017, a reasonable creditor would note that in addition to the âPay Statusâ field being marked on the tradeline as âAccount 120 Days Past Due Date,â the remainder of the tradeline reveals that âDate Closedâ was â10/3/2017â and directly across the âBalanceâ field reads â$0.â In addition, the remarks section contains, inter alia, the notation âACCT CLOSED DUE TO TRANSFER; TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER OFFICE.â The Court finds that any reasonable creditor construing the tradeline in its entirety, as mandated by the prior referenced cases, would clearly realize that Plaintiff's loan with FedLoan was closed due to transfer and had a remaining balance of $0.The tradeline also provides payment history that clearly 26 shows that Plaintiff became 120 days delinquent on her student loan in February, 2017 and that she remained at least 120 days delinquent through the date her account was transferred. Further, on October 12, 2017, the date Plaintiffâs loan was transferred to the DOE, Plaintiff tradeline noted a payment rating of 6-180 days or more past the due date, but also that the current balance on her loan was $0.00, the scheduled monthly payment was $0.00, the actual payment amount was $0.00, the amount past due was $0.00, and that the status of the account was 05- closed due to transfer. ECF 77-2, p. 330. There is simply nothing in Plaintiffâs credit report that a reasonable jury could find misleading. Under these circumstances, reporting a Pay Status of âcurrentâ or âpaid as agreedâ as advocated by Plaintiff could imply that Plaintiff satisfied her loan obligations when it is clear that she never made a payment on her student loan and actually defaulted. Indeed, Plaintiff is fortunate that the âBalanceâ field reads â$0.00â and that the tradeline lists her account as closed given the undisputed fact that Plaintiff never made a single payment on her loan and, as a result, the loan needed to be transferred back to the DOE. To add further clarity to the matter, FedLoanâs expert opined: FedLoan credit reported the Plaintiffâs defaulted student loan in compliance with industry standards as per CRRG guidance regarding how to report accounts that were transferred while delinquent. The Plaintiffâs loan was, in fact, at least 120 days past due/late when FedLoan transferred the loan back to the United States Department of Education. Per CRRG guidance going back to at least 2009, an account that has been transferred internally or to a servicer is to be reported with a zero balance and with an Account Status Code that specifies the status of the account AT THE TIME OF TRANSFER (emphasis in original). When the subject FedLoan account was transferred it was, in fact, 120 days past due. Simply put and pursuant to long standing industry guidelines FedLoan properly reported the Account Status as being 120 days past due as of September 2017. The status of an account or, formally, the Account Status is a Metro-2 field representing the condition of an account as of the Date of Account Information. It does not and is not intended to represent the condition of an account as of the current date. In fact, FedLoan had not reported the Plaintiff as being currently delinquent on her loan since September of 2017, when she was at least 120 days delinquent. Since September 2017 FedLoan reported âno dataâ as a current status. ECF 39-19 at pp. 14-15. As to Plaintiffâs claim that she suffered âloss of creditworthinessâ or âloss of credit opportunity,â FedLoanâs expert stated: âŠthere is simply no evidence in the record of this lawsuit that any of this actually occurred. And, if it did occur there is no evidence the Plaintiff was denied credit or experienced adverse creditor actions as a result of FedLoanâs credit reporting. However, given the prevalence of unrelated derogatory information polluting the Plaintiffâs credit reports, it would not surprise me if creditors avoided doing business with the Plaintiff as she has a long record of irresponsible credit management including defaults, collections and automobile repossessions. Id. at p. 16. In his expert report, Plaintiffâs expert, Evan Hendricks, opined that: âą A well-known and long-standing cause of credit report inaccuracy and/or incompleteness is the furnishing of inaccurate and/or incomplete data by furnishers such as Defendant PHEAA. âą Knowledge of and consensus about this problem was so widespread that in 1996, Congress amended the FCRA to place a duty on âfurnishersâ of credit report information, such as PHEAA, to report accurate information to consumer reporting agencies, and to investigate consumersâ disputes of inaccurate and/or incomplete data that were forwarded to furnishers by CRAs. âą PHEAA failed both of its accuracy-related responsibilities. First, it furnished information to CRAs portraying Plaintiff with the current âPay Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Date,â when in fact as of January 2018 Plaintiff was not past due on any obligation to PHEAA because she did not have any obligation for any debts to PHEAA. (emphasis in original.) âą Second, when Plaintiff disputed the inaccurate PHEAA tradeline, PHEAA, rather than conducting an adequate investigation which was reasonably calculated to determine the accuracy or completeness of the disputed data, merely confirmed that the inaccurate, current âPay Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Date,â should remain in Plaintiffâs Trans Union credit file. âą Plaintiffâs ACDV dispute informed PHEAA that she was wrongly being portrayed as currently past due even though the â. . . balance clearly show(ed) $0. Further, I think the accounts were transferred which also means its (sic) impossible for it to be currently late with this creditor.â âą PHEAAâs responses to her ACDV dispute were inadequate because it did not investigate sufficiently to discover that PHEAAâs placement of a âPayment Ratingâ of â4â was causing Plaintiffâs PHEAA tradeline to be portrayed with a current âPay Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Date.â So rather than discovering it was causing this inaccuracy, PHEAA worsened it by instructing TransUnion and Equifax to change the âPayment Ratingâ to â6,â which then caused Plaintiffâs PHEAA tradeline to be portrayed with a current âPay Statusâ of âAccount 180 Days Past Due Date.â (emphasis in original.) âą PHEAAâs inadequate response reflected its disregard of the essence of Plaintiffâs ACDV disputeânamely, that as of 2018, PHEAAâs portrayal of a current âPay Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Date,â was inaccurate because Plaintiff was neither past due on any obligation to PHEAA nor even had any obligation for any debts to PHEAA. (emphasis in original.) âą PHEAAâs inadequate response also reflected its disregard of the both the general notice from the FCAâs enforcement authorities to furnishers as to what amounted to an unacceptable, superficial investigation, as well as specific notice as to how the âPayment Ratingâ could cause a tradelineâs current status to be portrayed inaccurately. ECF 39-11. pp. 3-4. In a follow-up affidavit to Ulzheimerâs expert report3, Hendricks averred, in pertinent part, as follows: 7. PHEAA renderâs Plaintiffsâ Equifax and Trans Union credit reports inaccurate when it furnishes a derogatory payment rating because, for Equifax and Trans Union, the payment rating supercedes [sic] the status code and thereby becomes the âstatus.â This made Plaintiff wrongly appear to currently have a âpast due statusâ on a PHEAA account that in fact had been transferred. This derogatory status was both inaccurate and unfairly harmful to Plaintiffsâ creditworthiness. 8. It is inconsistent with the industry standard to interpret the CRRG to allow the reporting of a current late status on an account that is transferred. On its first page, the CRRG emphasizes that in credit reporting, the goal and the most important standard is accuracy. It is patently inaccurate to furnish a payment rating that supersedes the status code. In fact, Experian, one of the âBig Threeâ credit reporting agencies, completely precludes this type of reporting altogether. 9. Interpreting the CRRG to allow the current status of a transferred account is incorrect because it results in inaccurate credit reporting which is 3 In order to permit the filing of Hendrickâs affidavit, the Court permitted FedLoan to depose Hendricks [ECF 50] and permitted both parties to file supplemental memoranda [ECF 53]. misinterpreted by lendersâ loan underwriting programs to reflect that a given account is currently lateâ harming creditworthiness ECF 43-1 at pp 8-9. As pointed out by FedLoanâs expert, the problem is Plaintiffâs expert equates the field âPay Statusâ or âAccount Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Dateâ with âCurrent Pay Statusâ of âAccount 120 Days Past Due Dateâ in an effort to show that FedLoanâs credit report was inaccurate or misleading. In his expert report, Hendricks has subjectively added and highlighted the term âcurrentâ to a field that simply states âPay Status.â According to Hendricks, since FedLoanâs credit report indicated that Plaintiffâs current status was 120 days delinquent, FedLoanâs credit report was inaccurate and misleading. ECF 39- 11(emphasis in original). FedLoanâs expert, however, clarifies this in his Rebuttal Report by pointing out that in the Metro 2 credit reporting language4, âthere is no such thing as a âCurrent Statusâ or a âCurrent Pay Status.ââ ECF 39-10, p. 27. Instead, FedLoanâs expert opined that the purpose of the ââPay Statusâ field is to âspecify the status of the account at the time of the transfer (emphasis in original). There is no guidance for transferred accounts that indicates the Account Status is supposed to represent any date after the date of transfer, up to and including the present date.â Id. FedLoanâs expert goes on to state that â[t]he definition of âAccount 4 The Metro 2 is the standard electronic data reporting format adopted by the Consumer Data Industry Association (âCDIAâ). This is the format that permits data furnishers to transmit data directly to the credit reporting agencies. The Credit Reporting Resource Guide is a document published by the CDIA, which includes the entire Metro 2 format. Statusâ in the Metro 2 credit reporting language is, âthe status code that properly identifies the current condition of the account as of the Date of Account Information.â (emphasis in original). The Date of Account Information, as reported by [FedLoan] was October 3, 2017. The Plaintiffâs account was, in fact, at least 120 days past due at that time thus FedLoanâs reporting is accurate.â5 Id. Plaintiff relies on a number of cases that are distinguishable from this case and the other cases cited above. In Mund v. Transunion, No. 18-6761, 2019 WL 955033, at * 1 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 9, 2021), the credit report indicated that the plaintiff still had a monthly payment of $4,123 on the account, and in Friedman v. CitiMortgage, Inc., No. 18-11173, 2019 WL 4194350, at * 1 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 3, 2019), the credit report stated that the plaintiff had a monthly payment of $360. These entries âma[de] [the plaintiffsâ] monthly obligations look greater than they are,â raising the plausible inference that a creditor could read the âPay Statusâ as a current one. Friedman, 2019 WL 4194350, at *3. By contrast, in the case sub judice, Plaintiff defaulted on her student loan and the information provided regarding her account states that her account is closed and does not indicate any monthly payment amount. In Macik v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. G-14-44, 2015 WL 12999728, at * 1 (S.D. Tex. May 28, 2015), report and recommendation adopted by Macik v. Trans Union LLC, No. 14-44, 2015 WL 12999727 (S.D. Tex. July 31, 5 The Court also notes that Hendrickâs averment that â[i]nterpreting the CRRG to allow the current status of a transferred account is incorrect because it results in inaccurate credit reporting which is misinterpreted by lendersâ loan underwriting programs to reflect that a given account is currently lateâharming creditworthinessâ appears to be a conclusory statement not supported anywhere in Hendrickâs expert report or deposition. 2015), a case relied on heavily by Plaintiffâs expert, the report listed a mortgage account as â90 days past dueâ even though the consumer had fully paid off her mortgage, including three past due payments. Here, by contrast, the Plaintiff does not dispute that she never made a single payment and that she defaulted on her obligations to FedLoan before the account was transferred to the DOE. Daugherty v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, 701 Fed.Appâx. 246 (4th Cir. 2017), is also clearly distinguishable. In Daugherty, as in Macik, a mortgagee fell delinquent on his home loan but brought his account current before the data furnisherâs reporting ceased. See id. at 249. In addition, when the mortgagee initially filed a credit dispute related to his loan origination date, the credit reporting agency erroneously created a second tradeline for the same account. See id. When the mortgagee alerted the loan servicer that there now existed two tradelines â one showing the loan was current, while the other showed the loan was closed and 120 days past due â both tradelines were repeatedly verified as accurate. See id. at 250. Under these circumstances the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a juryâs verdict in favor of the mortgagee. By contrast, the case sub judice, involves a student loan borrower who obtained a federal student loan, made absolutely no payments, resulting in her loan having to be transferred back to the lender without any payments ever having been made. Finally, the Plaintiff directs the Courtâs attention to a very recent decision from this Court, Barrow v. Trans Union, LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-3628 (E.D. Pa. April 9, 2021), in which Judge Joyner respectfully disagreed with Judge Kearneyâs decision in Bibbs, supra, and denied the Defendantâs motion for judgment on the pleadings. Central to Judge Joynerâs decision, however, was that, unlike here, no discovery had been taken and a more complete record had not yet been developed. In addition, the Plaintiff in Barrow, unlike the Plaintiff here, clearly alleged that she had fully satisfied her account. While Plaintiff argues that questions about the inaccurate or misleading quality of information are for the jury, the material facts are not in dispute. After construing those facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiff and drawing all inferences in her favor, and construing the FCRA liberally in order to protect consumers such as Plaintiff, the Court concludes as a matter of law that FedLoan complied with its obligations under 15 U.S.C. § 1681sâ2(b)(1) and that the reported information is neither inaccurate nor misleading. Accordingly, FedLoanâs motion for summary judgment is granted.
Case Information
- Court
- E.D. Pa.
- Decision Date
- September 8, 2021
- Status
- Precedential