SER McGraw v. Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick
Annotate this Case
January 1995 Term
___________
No. 22728
___________
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA EX REL.
DARRELL V. McGRAW, JR., ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Plaintiff Below, Appellant,
v.
SCOTT RUNYAN PONTIAC-BUICK, INC., A WEST VIRGINIA
CORPORATION; SCOTT RUNYAN, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS AN
OFFICER OF SCOTT RUNYAN PONTIAC-BUICK, INC.;
COX PONTIAC-BUICK, INC., A WEST VIRGINIA CORPORATION;
A. W. COX DEPARTMENT STORE CO., A WEST VIRGINIA
CORPORATION; WILBER E. COX, INDIVIDUALLY;
WILBER E. COX II, INDIVIDUALLY;
RUNYAN CREDITORS TRUST, SCOTT RUNYAN, TRUSTEE;
GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION, A DELAWARE
CORPORATION; CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK OF ST. ALBANS, A
FEDERALLY CHARTERED BANK; AND OTHER FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS AS YET UNKNOWN,
Defendants Below, Appellees
AND
GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION,
A DELAWARE CORPORATION,
Defendant and Third-Party Plaintiff Below, Appellee
v.
WORLD-WIDE WARRANTY, INC., AND
GUARANTY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY,
Third-Party Defendants Below, Appellees
_______________________________________________________
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Kanawha County
Honorable Charles E. King, Judge
Civil Action No. 90-C-3993
REVERSED AND REMANDED
_______________________________________________________
Submitted: May 2, 1995
Filed: July 19, 1995
Darrell V. McGraw, Jr.
Attorney General
Donald L. Darling
Senior Deputy Attorney General
Jill L. Miles
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Charleston, West Virginia
Attorneys for the Appellant
E. W. Rugeley, Jr. Dennis R. Vaughan, Jr.
William D. Esbenshade Vaughan & Withrow
Jackson & Kelly Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia Attorney for the Appellee
Attorneys for the Appellee Citizens National Bank of
General Motors Acceptance Corp. St. Albans (now Bank One,
West Virginia, St. Albans)
James T. Cooper John R. Hoblitzell
Lovett, Cooper & Glass Kay, Casto, Chaney, Love
Charleston, West Virginia & Wise
Attorney for the Appellee Charleston, West Virginia
World-Wide Warranty, Inc. Attorney for the Appellee
Guaranty National Insurance
Company
Deborah K. Aronoff Steven S. Zaleznick
North Central W. Va. Legal Deborah M. Zuckerman
Aid Society American Association of
Morgantown, West Virginia Retired Persons
Amicus Curiae Washington, D.C.
Amicus Curiae
JUSTICE CLECKLEY delivered the Opinion of the Court.
JUSTICE BROTHERTON and JUSTICE RECHT did not participate.
RETIRED JUSTICE MILLER and JUDGE FOX sitting by temporary
assignment.
SYLLABUS BY THE COURT
1. The key to determining if an order is final is not
whether the language from Rule 54(b) of the West Virginia Rules of
Civil Procedure is included in the order, but is whether the order
approximates a final order in its nature and effect. We extend
application of this rule to a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6)
of the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure.
2. Appellate review of a circuit court's order granting
a motion to dismiss a complaint is de novo.
3. "'The powers and duties of the Attorney General are
specified by the constitution and by the rules of law prescribed
pursuant thereto.' Syllabus point 1, Manchin v. Browning, 170
W. Va. 779, 296 S.E.2d 909 (1982)." Syllabus Point 2, State ex
rel. Fahlgren Martin, Inc. v. McGraw, 190 W. Va. 306, 438 S.E.2d 338 (1993).
4. "When a note is created as a result of a consumer
transaction, an assignee of such a note takes the note subject to
all claims and defenses, regardless of whether the assignee is a
holder in due course. W. Va. Code 46A-2-102 [1990]." Syllabus
Point 1, One Valley Bank of Oak Hill, Inc. v. Bolen, 188 W. Va.
687, 425 S.E.2d 829 (1992).
5. The Attorney General clearly has the right to bring
a civil action against an assignee to collect a refund of an excess
charge imposed upon a consumer regardless of whether the assignee
committed any wrongdoing. The issue of wrongdoing only is relevant
under W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1) (1974), when the assignee may be
subjected to a "civil penalty." If the assignee can establish an
unintentional violation or a bona fide error on the part of the
wrongdoer by a preponderance of the evidence, a penalty may not be
imposed under this subsection. W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1).
Cleckley, Justice:
The issue now before this Court is whether the plaintiff,
Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., Attorney General,See footnote 1 is authorized to seek
debt cancellations and/or refunds from the defendants, General
Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) and Citizens National Bank of
St. Albans (now Bank One, West Virginia, St. Albans, N.A.). The
Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General
of West Virginia filed suit against Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick,
Inc. (Scott Runyan), et al.,See footnote 2 on November 9, 1990, alleging Scott
Runyan engaged in various unfair and deceptive acts in violation of
the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (CCPA).
W. Va. Code, 46A-1-101, et seq. Specifically, the Attorney General
claimed Scott Runyan sold extended vehicle warranties to automobile
buyers at an average cost of over $600 each and collected the
purchase prices from consumers but failed to pay the warranty
company for the additional coverages. The Attorney General argues
that because GMAC and Bank One financed the extended warranty
purchases, they are lenders subject to the claims and defenses arising from consumer credit transactions pursuant to W. Va. Code,
46A-2-101; W. Va. Code, 46A-2-102; and W. Va. Code, 46A-2-103.
The plaintiff seeks a reversal of the July 25, 1994,
order of the Circuit Court of Kanawha County which granted motions
to dismiss filed by GMAC and Bank One.See footnote 3 The order stated, in
relevant part:
"3. The complaint filed by the
Attorney General contains no allegation that
the defendants GMAC and/or Bank One have
engaged in any unfair or deceptive act(s), or
violated any provisions of the [CCPA] and the
Attorney General conceded this in his
argument/statement to the Court.
"4. . . . [N]or is there any
allegation or proof offered respecting the
actions or activities of these defendants in
regard to the collection of charges in excess
of those permitted by Code § 46A-7-1 [sic 101]
et seq. There is no allegation or proof
offered that such defendants have willfully
violated the subject chapter and the [CCPA].
The actions and activities engaged in by these
defendants are within their normal scope of
business and there is no showing, contention,
or proof offered that such act(s) somehow
violated the [CCPA].
* * *
"6. . . . [I]t is only the
borrower, buyer or lessee who may assert such claim as a defense or setoff as against a
holder in due course, assignee or lender. The
[CCPA] does not authorize the Attorney General
to assert those claims on behalf of individual
consumers, borrowers or lessees, nor does his
office have the statutory standing or
authority to assert such claims. In addition,
these sections only permit the buyer or lessee
to assert such claims as a defense or seek the
cancellation of that part of the indebtedness
incurred by such alleged fraudulent conduct."
(Emphasis in original).
The plaintiff claims he has statutory authority to file
suit on behalf of and secure restitution for affected consumers
from those who violate the CCPA. W. Va. Code, 46A-7-108 (1974),
states: "The attorney general may bring a civil action to restrain
a person from violating this chapter and for other appropriate
relief." According to the Attorney General, restitution for the
consumer falls within the category of "other appropriate relief."
The Attorney General also contends that W. Va. Code, 46A-
7-111 (1974),See footnote 4 permits him to file suit against creditors for
collecting excess charges and to seek refunds for consumers for the
amount of the excess charges. The Attorney General asserts that GMAC and Bank One collected money for services the consumers never
received and, therefore, they collected fees in excess of those
permitted by the CCPA. The Attorney General further argues that
"[b]ecause W. Va. Code § 46A-7-111 makes it a per se violation of
the [CCPA] for a creditor to collect 'charges in excess of those
permitted by this chapter[,] the complaint undeniably asserts a
specific violation of the [CCPA] by GMAC and [Bank One] and should
not have been dismissed[.]"
I.
DISCUSSION
A.
Jurisdiction
Our jurisdiction normally does not encompass appeals from
the denial or granting of a motion to dismiss where there are
remaining issues to be litigated. However, the granting of the
defendants' dispositive pretrial motions to dismiss the claim as
against them could have the effect of gutting the lawsuit for all
practical purposes. We believe the spirit of Rule 54(b)See footnote 5 of the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure has been met, and we treat
this important appeal as if it falls into this narrow exception to
the finality principle and, therefore, is immediately appealable.
In the context of a summary judgment, we stated first in Syllabus
Point 2 of Durm v. Heck's, Inc., 184 W. Va. 562, 401 S.E.2d 908
(1991), and again in Syllabus Point 1 of Sisson v. Seneca Mental
Health/Mental Retardation Council, Inc., 185 W. Va. 33, 404 S.E.2d 425 (1991), that the key to determining if an order is final is not
whether Rule 54(b) language is included in the order, but is
whether the order "approximates a final order in its nature and
effect." We now extend application of the rule announced in Durm
and Sisson to a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6).See footnote 6
B.
Standard of Review
This case was dismissed by the circuit court because, in
its view, the plaintiff failed to state a claim upon which relief
could be granted. The procedural posture is central to the
adjudication of the present appeal. Accordingly, we find it
necessary to set forth at the beginning of our analysis, a
discussion of the settled principles of law that must guide our
inquiry when a case is presented in this procedural context.
Appellate review of a circuit court's order granting a
motion to dismiss a complaint is de novo. Revene v. Charles County
Comm'rs, 882 F.2d 870, 872 (4th Cir. 1989). Complaints are to be
read liberally as required by the notice pleading theory underlying
the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. Mandolidis v. Elkins
Indus., Inc., 161 W. Va. 695, 246 S.E.2d 907 (1978); John W. Lodge
Distrib. Co., Inc. v. Texaco, Inc., 161 W. Va. 603, 245 S.E.2d 157
(1978). See also Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47-48, 78 S. Ct.
99, 102-03, 2 L. Ed. 2d 80, 85-86 (1957). The circuit court, viewing
all the facts in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party, may
grant the motion only if "it appears beyond doubt that the
plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his[, her, or
its] claim which would entitle him[, her, or it] to relief." Syl.
pt. 3, in part, Chapman v. Kane Transfer Co., Inc., 160 W. Va. 530,
236 S.E.2d 207 (1977), citing Conley, 355 U.S. at 45-46, 78 S. Ct. at 102, 2 L. Ed. 2d at 84.See footnote 7 Indeed, Rule 8 of the Rules of Civil
Procedure requires clarity but not detail. Specifically, Rule
8(a)(2) requires "a short and plain statement of the claim showing
that the pleader is entitled to relief[.]" In addition, Rule
8(e)(1) states, in part, that "[e]ach averment of a pleading shall
be simple, concise, and direct." The primary purpose of these
provisions is rooted in fair notice. Under Rule 8, a complaint
must be intelligibly sufficient for a circuit court or an opposing
party to understand whether a valid claim is alleged and, if so,
what it is.
Although entitlement to relief must be shown, a plaintiff
is not required to set out facts upon which the claim is based.
Nevertheless, despite the allowance in Rule 8(a) that the
plaintiff's statement of the claim be "short and plain," a
plaintiff may not "fumble around searching for a meritorious claim
within the elastic boundaries of a barebones complaint[,]" see
Chaveriat v. Williams Pipe Line Co., 11 F.3d 1420, 1430 (7th Cir.
1993), or where the claim is not authorized by the laws of West Virginia. A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) enables a
circuit court to weed out unfounded suits.
On appeal of this case, the parties do not dispute the
facts. To the contrary, they argue the sole issue is one of law
and statutory construction. As a result of this inquiry being
strictly a matter of statutory construction, our power of
interpretive scrutiny is plenary. See Mildred L.M. v. John O.F.,
192 W. Va. 345, ___, 452 S.E.2d 436, 441 (1994). Considering our
review is de novo, the findings of the circuit court, although
relevant, are not binding on this Court.See footnote 8 Having settled upon the
proper legal standard for review, we now proceed to the merits of
this appeal.
B.
Analysis of the Attorney General's
Statutory Claim
Applying this standard of review, the complaint and this
appeal present several important questions of law. The defendants
contend they cannot be sued by the Attorney General under the CCPA
because they are not in any way guilty of the specific wrongdoing
made actionable by the statute. They contend that a fair reading
of the complaint indicates they are not alleged to have committed any wrongdoing with regard to the "excess charges" imposed by Scott
Runyan. Thus, they assert the complaint is insufficient against
them as a matter of law. We believe the defendants misconstrue the
law in West Virginia, the pertinent statutory provision, and the
allegations against them in the complaint. We hold that the
complaint clearly states a claim against the defendants upon which
relief can be granted and is sufficient to withstand a motion to
dismiss made pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6). More specifically, we
hold that the Attorney General has authority under the CCPA to
proceed against holders of notes obtained by their assignor in
violation of the law's provisions pursuant to his authority to
commence "a civil action against a creditor for making or
collecting charges in excess of those permitted" by law. W. Va.
Code, 46A-7-111(1).
This Court previously explained that the Attorney
General's powers are limited to those specifically conferred by
statute. As we stated in Syllabus Point 2 of State ex rel.
Fahlgren Martin, Inc. v. McGraw, 190 W. Va. 306, 438 S.E.2d 338
(1993):
"'The powers and duties of the
Attorney General are specified by the
constitution and by the rules of law
prescribed pursuant thereto.' Syllabus point
1, Manchin v. Browning, 170 W. Va. 779, 296 S.E.2d 909 (1982)."
In Manchin, 170 W. Va. at 786, 296 S.E.2d at 916, we followed
numerous other jurisdictions that held "[t]he Attorney General has no common law powers and duties where the constitutional provision
which creates the office makes no specific grant of powers other
than requiring him to perform such duties as are 'prescribed by
law.'" (Citations omitted). In Fahlgren Martin, 190 W. Va. at
312, 438 S.E.2d at 344, we reiterated:
"[T]he reasoning set forth in Manchin remains
valid: because the Attorney General has no
common law authority, his power is limited to
what is conferred by law through statute and
the Constitution. Because the Constitution
confers only those powers 'prescribed by law,'
we turn to the statute to see what powers have
been granted by the legislature."
If possible, a statute should be construed in a way that
conforms to the plain meaning of the text.See footnote 9 In State ex rel.
Frazier v. Meadows, ___ W. Va. ___, ___, 454 S.E.2d 665, 68-69
(1994), we stated:
"We begin, as we must, by examining
the statutory language, bearing in mind that
we should give effect to the legislative will
as expressed in the language of the
statute. . . . Generally, words are given
their common usage. . . . Courts are not free
to read into the language what is not there,
but rather should apply the statute as
written. If the statute 'is clear' . . . ; if
'the statutory scheme is coherent and
consistent'. . . ; and if the law is within
the constitutional authority of the lawmaking
body that passed it, then the duty of
interpretation does not arise, and the rules
for ascertaining uncertain language need no
discussion." (Citations omitted).
We believe W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), is clear on its face; even if
we found there was ambiguity, we would resolve any doubt in this
case against the defendants. When a statute's language is
ambiguous, a court often must venture into extratextual territory
in order to distill an appropriate construction. Absent
explicatory legislative history for an ambiguous statute governing
the duties of the Attorney General under the CCPA, this Court is
obligated to consider the overreaching design of the statute.
The purpose of the CCPA is to protect consumers from
unfair, illegal, and deceptive acts or practices by providing an
avenue of relief for consumers who would otherwise have difficulty
proving their case under a more traditional cause of action. As
suggested by the court in State v. Custom Pools, 150 Vt. 533, 536,
556 A.2d 72, 74 (1988), "[i]t must be our primary objective to give
meaning and effect to this legislative purpose." Where an act is
clearly remedial in nature, we must construe the statute liberally
so as to furnish and accomplish all the purposes intended.
Kisamore v. Coakley, 190 W. Va. 147, 437 S.E.2d 585 (1993) (per
curiam); Hubbard v. SWCC and Pageton Coal Co., 170 W. Va. 572, 295 S.E.2d 659 (1981); Wheeling Dollar Savings & Trust Co. v. Singer,
162 W. Va. 502, 250 S.E.2d 369 (1979).
In surveying the terrain occupied by the statute, the
threshold question is whether the circuit court correctly
interpreted the CCPA insofar as it grants to the Attorney General authority to bring lawsuits against the defendants on behalf of
consumers. Under the CCPA, the extent of the Attorney General's
special authority to seek relief for consumers is generally set
forth in W. Va. Code, 46A-7-108 through -111. W. Va. Code, 46A-7-
108 (1974), authorizes the Attorney General to file a civil action
"to restrain a person from violating this Chapter and for other
appropriate relief." W. Va. Code, 46A-7-109 (1974), allows the
Attorney General to bring an action to restrain creditors from
engaging in specific types of unconscionable or fraudulent conduct,
and W. Va. Code, 46A-7-110 (1974), permits the Attorney General to
seek temporary relief when "there is reasonable cause to believe"
violations of the CCPA are occurring or will occur. In this case,
because the Attorney General did not charge the defendants with any
specific, deliberate violations of the CCPA, nor did he make any
allegations of ongoing unconscionable or fraudulent conduct
requiring temporary injunctive-type relief, the defendants claim
that absent specific allegations of conduct which would permit the
Attorney General to proceed under W. Va. Code, 46A-7-108, -109, or
-110, he is without authority to do so. We disagree.
Our analysis boils down to an inquiry of whether the
defendants are liable under W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), by virtue of
the "excess charges" the seller imposed upon the consumers. W. Va.
Code, 46A-7-111(1), in relevant part, states:
"After demand, the attorney general
may bring a civil action against a creditor
for making or collecting charges in excess of
those permitted by this chapter. If it is found that an excess charge has been made, the
court shall order the respondent to refund to
the consumer the amount of the excess charge.
If a creditor has made an excess charge in a
deliberate violation of or in reckless
disregard for this chapter, or if a creditor
has refused to refund an excess charge within
a reasonable time after demand by the consumer
or the attorney general, the court may also
order the respondent to pay to the consumer a
civil penalty in an amount determined by the
court not in excess of the greater of either
the amount of the sales finance charge or loan
finance charge or ten times the amount of the
excess charge. . . . If the creditor
establishes by a preponderance of evidence
that a violation is unintentional or the
result of a bona fide error, no liability to
pay a penalty shall be imposed under this
subsection." (Emphasis added).
This statute clearly gives the Attorney General the power to act on
behalf of a consumer when an "excess charge" has been imposed.
Upon a prevailing action by the Attorney General, the circuit court
is explicitly mandated to refund the "excess charge" to the
consumer. The circuit court also has discretion to award a civil
penalty if there is a "deliberate violation" or "reckless
disregard" of the chapter, or "if the creditor has refused to
refund an excess charge within a reasonable time after demand[.]"
Significantly, a civil penalty may not be imposed upon a creditor
if the creditor demonstrates the excess charge was unintentional or
a bona fide error.
The defendants appear to base their argument with regard
to W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), upon their lack of wrongdoing.
However, the law in West Virginia makes the wrongdoing of the defendants irrelevant. In reaching this decision, we are required
to move beyond the four corners of the statute's text. In doing
so, we find the irrelevancy of the wrongdoing of the defendants has
deep roots in precedent and policy. A virtually unbroken skein of
our cases are illustrative.
In One Valley Bank of Oak Hill, Inc. v. Bolen, 188 W. Va.
687, 425 S.E.2d 829 (1992), a car previously used as a rental car
was sold to the purchasers who were unaware of the car's history.
On the day the car was purchased, the seller sold the purchasers'
credit obligation to One Valley Bank of Oak Hill. Upon learning of
the car's history, the purchasers alleged fraud and stopped making
payments to the bank. One Valley brought suit against the
purchasers, and the purchasers countersued. This Court stated in
Syllabus Point 1:
"When a note is created as a result
of a consumer transaction, an assignee of such
a note takes the note subject to all claims
and defenses, regardless of whether the
assignee is a holder in due course. W. Va.
Code 46A-2-102 [1990]."See footnote 10
Thus, under this analysis, One Valley took the note subject to the
claims and defenses the purchasers had as a result of the
wrongdoing of the original seller. Similarly, in Chrysler Credit
Corp. v. Copley, 189 W. Va. 90, 92, 428 S.E.2d 313, 315 (1993),
this Court applied Syllabus Point of 1 of Bolen, and found the
purchasers of a defective car "could, under the CCPA, assert such
defects as a defense to the suit [brought] by Chrysler Credit
Corporation as the assignee of the financing documents[.]"See footnote 11
As explained in Bolen, 188 W. Va. at 690, 425 S.E.2d at
832, the purpose of the Legislature's enactment of the CCPA and
"stripping assignees of consumer commercial paper of most of the
benefits of being holders in due course" is "to mitigate the
harshness of the holder in due course rules on consumers[.]"See footnote 12
Citing Clendenin Lumber and Supply Co., Inc. v. Carpenter, 172
W. Va. 375, 379-80, 305 S.E.2d 332, 336-37 (1983). In addition, as
is relevant to the present case, in Harless v. First National Bank,
162 W. Va. 116, 125, 246 S.E.2d 270, 276 (1978), we also recognized
that "under Article 7 of the [CCPA], the Attorney General is given
broad powers to supervise, investigate and prosecute violations in
order to see that compliance with the [CCPA] is maintained." We
can discern no basis for rejecting this imposing array of well-
reasoned opinions.
Thus, under the foregoing cases and W. Va. Code, 46A-7-
111(1), the Attorney General clearly has the right to bring a civil
action against an assignee to collect a refund of an excess charge
imposed upon a consumer regardless of whether the assignee
committed any wrongdoing. The issue of wrongdoing only is relevant
under W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), when the assignee may be subjected
to a "civil penalty."See footnote 13 If the assignee can establish an
unintentional violation or a bona fide error on the part of the
wrongdoer, which in this case is the seller,See footnote 14 by a preponderance
of the evidence, a penalty may not be imposed under this
subsection. W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1).See footnote 15
Our conclusion is buttressed by nothing less than logic
and experience, on one hand, and by precedent on the other hand.
Logic and experience dictate that if the types of lawsuits which
the Attorney General could bring under the CCPA did not include
lawsuits against financial institutions such as the defendants,
these institutions could, if unsavory, run in effect a "laundry"
for "fly-by-night" retailers that seek to excessively charge their
customers. Consequently, the real meaning of consumer protection
would be stripped of its efficacy.See footnote 16
Again, logic dictates that the burden of cost of the
seller's misconduct in violation of the CCPA may be placed on the
financing party to the transaction. Financing parties, more so
than consumers, are in a position to police the activities of the
seller-retailer and to protect themselves against misconduct. See
Custom Pools, 150 Vt. at 536, 556 A.2d at 74, citing George J.
Wallace, The Logic of Consumer Credit Reform, 82 Yale L.J. 461
(1973). Indeed, "we would be derelict in our duties were we to
frustrate that intent . . . it is our duty to give effect and meaning to the will of the Legislature." Custom Pools, 150 Vt. at
536, 556 A.2d at 74.
In determining that the Attorney General has the
authority to litigate excess charges on behalf of a consumer and
that the assignee of a consumer note is subject to the claims and
defenses a consumer may have against a seller, we recognize that
W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), is substantially similar to Section
6.113(1) of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code, 1968 Act. 7 Uniform
Laws Annotated, Master Edition 841-42 (1985).See footnote 17 The first "Comment"
following Section 6.113 of the Uniform Act states, in part, that
"Subsection (1) allows the [Attorney General] . . . to bring suit
for refunds on behalf of all [consumers] who have been overcharged,
so long as the statute of limitations specified in the section has
not run." As explained in this "Comment," the purpose for allowing
the Attorney General to take such action is because "[i]ndividual
excess charges are often very small sums; this section provides a
practical way to litigate the question of whether such excess
charges have been made." Uniform Laws Annotated at 842.
The third "Comment" to this section further provides that
the Attorney General "may recover excess charges from an assignee
only where the assignee has undertaken direct collection or
enforcement." Uniform Laws Annotated at 843, citing Section
5.202(3). Section 5.202(3) virtually is identical to W. Va. Code,
46A-5-101(3) (1974), which states in full:
"A consumer is not obligated to pay
a charge in excess of that allowed by this
chapter, and if he has paid an excess charge
he has a right to a refund. A refund may be
made by reducing the consumer's obligation by
the amount of the excess charge. If the
consumer has paid an amount in excess of the
lawful obligation under the agreement, the
consumer may recover in an action the excess
amount from the person who made the excess
charge or from an assignee of that person's
rights who undertakes direct collection of
payments from or enforcement of rights against
the consumer arising from the debt."
(Emphasis added).
See also W. Va. Code, 46A-2-102. Thus, the Uniform Act and W. Va.
Code, 46A-5-101(3), and W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), do not rest a
consumer's ability to be relieved of the responsibility to pay an
excess charge or to receive a refund for an excess charge upon the
fault of the assignee. The assignee takes the note subject to all
the rights a consumer may have against a seller, and, upon demand,
the Attorney General may enforce those rights on behalf of a
consumer.
There is ample authority from other jurisdictions that
have taken a similar approach. Many courts interpret the powers of
their State's Attorney General broadly and refuse to restrict the Attorney General's authority to protect the public's interest where
the limitations would rob the statute of its purpose. Western Food
Plan, Inc. v. District Court, 198 Colo. 251, 598 P.2d 1038 (1979);
State ex rel. Hartigan v. E & E Hauling, Inc., 153 Ill. 2d 473, 607 N.E.2d 165, 180 Ill. Dec. 271 (1992); State ex rel. Guste v. Orkin
Exterminating Co., Inc., 528 So. 2d 198 (La. 1988); State ex rel.
Celebrezze v. Grogan Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 598 N.E.2d 796 (Ohio
1991); State v. International Collection Serv., Inc., 156 Vt. 540,
594 A.2d 426 (1991).
III.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, the judgment of the Circuit Court
of Kanawha County dismissing the defendants based upon the
insufficiency of the pleadings and the statutory authority of the
Attorney General is reversed, and this case is remanded for further
proceedings on the merits of the plaintiff's claims.
Reversed and remanded.
Footnote: 1
The amended complaint was filed in the circuit court by the
Honorable Mario J. Palumbo, who was then the Attorney General for
the State of West Virginia.Footnote: 2
The suit also was filed against Scott Runyan, individually
and as an officer of Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick, Inc.; Cox
Pontiac-Buick, Inc., a West Virginia corporation; A.W. Cox
Department Store Co., a West Virginia corporation; Wilber E. Cox,
individually; Wilber E. Cox II, individually; Runyan Creditors
Trust, Scott Runyan, Trustee; General Motors Acceptance
Corporation, a Delaware corporation; Citizens National Bank of
St. Albans, a federally chartered bank; and other financial
institutions as yet unknown. Footnote: 3
In its order granting the motions to dismiss, the circuit
court specified that it considered, in addition to the pleadings,
memoranda, and arguments of counsel, certain "documents and
exhibits" filed in support of the motions.
Under Rule 12(b) of the West Virginia Rules of Civil
Procedure, when matters outside the pleadings are presented, such
as documents and exhibits in this instance, the circuit court may
consider and treat the motion "as one for summary judgment" under
Rule 56 of the Rules of Civil Procedure.Footnote: 4
W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), provides, in part:
"After demand, the attorney general
may bring a civil action against a creditor
for making or collecting charges in excess of
those permitted by this chapter. If it is
found that an excess charge has been made,
the court shall order the respondent to
refund to the consumer the amount of the
excess charge."
W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111, is quoted and discussed more fully in the
text, infra. Footnote: 5
Rule 54(b) provides:
"Judgment upon multiple claims or
involving multiple parties.--When more than
one claim for relief is presented in an
action, whether as a claim, counterclaim,
cross-claim, or third-party claim, or when
multiple parties are involved, the court may
direct the entry of a final judgment as to
one or more but fewer than all of the claims
or parties only upon an express determination
that there is no just reason for delay and
upon an express direction for the entry of
judgment. In the absence of such
determination and direction, any order or
other form of decision, however designated,
which adjudicates fewer than all the claims
or the rights and liabilities of fewer than
all the parties shall not terminate the
action as to any of the claims or parties,
and the order or other form of decision is
subject to revision at any time before the
entry of judgment adjudicating all the claims
and the rights and liabilities of all the
parties." Footnote: 6
The expansion of the summary judgment rule is consistent with
what we stated in note 1 of Strahin v. Lantz, ___ W. Va. ___,
___, 456 S.E.2d 12, 13 (1995), that in "[a]ddressing the finality
requirement, we adopt a practical interpretation that looks to
the intention of the circuit court." (Citation omitted). Footnote: 7
Our review of the case is limited to the sufficiency of the
complaint; thus, we must accept as true all well-pled facts and
must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the dismissed
party. Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narc. Intell. & Coord. Unit,
___ U.S. ___, ___, 113 S. Ct. 1160, 1161, 122 L. Ed. 2d 517, ___
(1993). Any facts asserted in a memorandum in opposition to a
motion to dismiss but not contained in the complaint are relevant
to the extent that they "could be proved consistent with the
allegations." Hishon v. King & Spaulding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104
S. Ct. 2229, 2232, 81 L. Ed. 2d 59, 65 (1984). (Citation omitted).Footnote: 8
Although Rule 52(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure states,
in part, that "[f]indings of fact and conclusions of law are
unnecessary on decisions of motions under Rule[] 12," as we
previously have observed, some explication of a circuit court's
reasoning often will prove valuable to both the litigants and the
reviewing court. Footnote: 9
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. See 2A Norman
J. Singer, Sutherland's Statutes and Statutory Construction §
46.07 at 126-27 (5th ed. 1992 rev.) (collecting exceptions). The
case at bar does not require us to probe the exceptions to the
general rule. Footnote: 10
W. Va. Code, 46A-2-102, provides, in relevant part:
"The following provisions shall be
applicable to instruments, contracts or other
writings, other than negotiable instruments,
evidencing an obligation arising from a
consumer credit sale or consumer lease. . . :
"(1) Notwithstanding any term or
agreement to the contrary or the provisions
of article two [§ 46-2-101 et seq.], chapter
forty-six of this code or section two hundred
six [§ 46-9-206], article nine of said
chapter forty-six, an assignee of any such
instrument, contract or other writing shall
take and hold such instrument, contract or
other writing subject to all claims and
defenses of the buyer or lessee against the
seller or lessor arising from that specific
consumer credit sale or consumer lease of
goods or services but the total of all claims
and defenses which may be asserted against
the assignee under this subsection or
subsection (3) or subsection (4) of this
section shall not exceed the amount owing to
the assignee at the time of such assignment
except (i) as to any claim or defense founded
in fraud: Provided, That as to any claim or
defense founded in fraud arising on or after
the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety, the total sought shall not
exceed the amount of the original obligation
under the instrument, contract or other
writing and (ii) for any excess charges and
penalties recoverable under section one
hundred one [§ 46A-5-101], article five of
this chapter." (Emphasis added).
As is discussed and quoted in the text of this opinion, infra,
W. Va. Code, 46A-5-101, is relevant to the present case. In
interpreting the statutes, all relevant statutory schemes must be
read in pari materia.Footnote: 11
The purchasers of the car stopped making payments to the
assignee because the car was defective. The assignee sued the
purchasers to recover the balance due.Footnote: 12
In note 2 of Bolen, 188 W. Va. at 689, 425 S.E.2d at 831, we
defined a "holder" and the significance of being a "holder in due
course" as:
"A 'holder' is a person who is in
possession of a financial instrument made to
his order, or in blank. W. Va. Code 46-1-201
[1979]. If a 'holder' takes that note for
value, in good faith, without notice that it
is overdue or has been dishonored or of any
defense against it or claim to it on the part
of any person, then the holder is a 'holder
in due course'. W. Va. Code 46-3-302 [1963].
If one is a holder in due course, then
implicitly one has no knowledge of any claims
arising from the instrument or defenses
against the collection under that instrument.
Once a holder is, in fact, a holder in due
course, the only valid defenses against him
are: infancy, incapacity, duress, illegality
of the transaction, fraud in the factum, or a
bankruptcy discharge on the part of the
maker. W. Va. Code 46-3-305 [1963]."Footnote: 13
Had the West Virginia Legislature intended to limit the
Attorney General's authorization to bring suit against only
wrongdoers, it could have done so with clear language to that
effect. We may "assume that our elected representatives . . .
know the law[.]" Cannon v. University of Chicago, 441 U.S. 677,
696-97, 99 S. Ct. 1946, 1958, 60 L. Ed. 2d 560, 576 (1979). Thus,
it is logical that the Legislature fully is aware of this Court's
decisions and has acquiesced and accepted them as a proper
interpretation of the law. State ex rel. Smith v. Maynard, 193
W. Va. 1, __, 454 S.E.2d 46, 53-54 (1994).Footnote: 14
In essence, the assignee is standing in the shoes of the
seller. Footnote: 15
In addition, under W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(2):
"The attorney general may bring a
civil action against a creditor or other
person to recover a civil penalty for
willfully violating this chapter, and if the
court finds that the defendant has engaged in
a course of repeated and willful violations
of this chapter, it may assess a civil
penalty of no more than five thousand
dollars." (Emphasis added).
However, this appeal does not require us to decide whether an
assignee also could be subjected to this penalty by virtue of the
wrongdoing of the seller. Therefore, we decline to address
whether the defendants could be liable as "the defendant" under
this subsection. Footnote: 16
At some point, one must pause and inquire, like Alice to
Humpty Dumpty, whether words are infinitely elastic. See
generally Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland 163 (D. Gray ed.
1971) ("When I use a word . . . it means just what I choose it to
mean--neither more nor less"). Footnote: 17
The differences between Section 6.113(1) of the Uniform Act
and W. Va. Code, 46A-7-111(1), are mostly semantical in nature.
One sentence that is included in the Uniform Act that was left
out of West Virginia's statute appears after the first sentence
of Section 6.113(1) and reads: "An action may relate to
transactions with more than one debtor." Uniform Laws Annotated
at 841. The exclusion of this sentence and the other minor
differences between the two sections are irrelevant to the issue
currently before this Court.
For the historical development of the entire CCPA, see Vincent P. Cardi, The West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, 77 W. Va. L. Rev. 401 (1975).
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