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Case Name
Miller v. Countrywide
FH-KY-0002
Docket / Court
3:08-cv-448 ( W.D. Ky. )
Additional Docket(s)
3:08-MD-1974 [ 08-1974 ]
1:07-cv-11275 [ 07-11275 ]
1:08-cv-2935 [ 08-2935 ]
5:07-cv-1161 [ 07-1161 ]
State/Territory
Kentucky
Case Type(s)
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Case Summary
On July 12, 2007, four named plaintiffs filed a lawsuit on behalf of all black consumers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Countrywide Bank and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries, under under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA") and the Fair Housing Act ("FHA") ...
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On July 12, 2007, four named plaintiffs filed a lawsuit on behalf of all black consumers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Countrywide Bank and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries, under under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA") and the Fair Housing Act ("FHA"). The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants maintained a pattern or practice that had a discriminatory impact on black consumers in their home financing policies and practices. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants' policy authorizing unchecked, subjective surcharge of additional points and fees to an otherwise objective risk-based financing rate, had a discriminatory impact on black home mortgage loans applicants, making them more likely to pay higher interest rates and charges than similarly situated white applicants. The plaintiffs sought injunctive, declaratory and monetary relief.
On September 10, 2007, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss. On July 30, 2008, the Court (Judge Nancy Gertner) issued an order denying the motion.
In 2008, the plaintiffs have moved for consolidated or coordinated pre-trial proceedings of the present litigation with two other class-wide actions against Countrywide and its subsidiaries (Garcia v. Countrywide Financial Corp., C.A. No. 5:07-1161 (C.D. Cal.); Jenkins v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., C.A. No. 1:08-2935 (N.D. Ill.)). The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a transfer order and centralized the three cases in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Judge John G. Heyburn II was assigned to the case. The cases were associated under a docket 3:08-MD-1974. The case then proceeded into discovery.
On June 13, 2011, the case was stayed pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes, 131 S. Ct. 2541 (2011). On October 13, 2011, the Court (Judge John G. Heyburn II) issued an order that, in light of the decision in Wal-Mart, the plaintiffs did not satisfy the commonality requirement. The plaintiffs had not identified the common method of exercising discretion that would discriminate against the class members in a similar fashion. The plaintiffs appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Sixth Circuit issued its decision on January 15, 2013. The District Court's denial of class certification was affirmed.
On August 9, 2013, the four named plaintiffs entered separate stipulations to dismiss the case with prejudice, without costs and right of appeal. On August 12, 2013, the Court issued an order granting the stipulations and dismissing the case with prejudice.
Zhandos Kuderin - 07/28/2014
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Defendant-type
Bank or credit provider
Discrimination-area
Lending
Discrimination-basis
Race discrimination
General
Disparate Impact
Pattern or Practice
Predatory lending
National Origin/Ethnicity
Hispanic
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Race
Black
Causes of Action
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. § 1691
Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Countrywide Bank
Plaintiff Description
Four black home mortgage loan applicants on behalf of all black consumer at Countrywide Bank.
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Defendant
Public Int. Lawyer
No
Nature of Relief
None
Source of Relief
None
Form of Settlement
Voluntary Dismissal
Filed
07/12/2007
Case Closing Year
2013
Case Ongoing
No
Related Cases
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Case Listing
FH-MA-0003
: Miller v. Countrywide (D. Mass.)
Additional Resources
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
W.D. Ky.
03/08/2012
3:08−cv−00448
FH-KY-0002-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
W.D. Ky.
07/12/2007
Class Action Complaint [ECF# 1]
FH-KY-0002-0001.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
D. Mass.
07/30/2008
Memorandum and Order Re: Motion to Dismiss [ECF# 67]
(571 F.Supp.2d 251)
FH-KY-0002-0002.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
not recorded
08/07/2008
Transfer Order [ECF# 68]
(571 F.Supp.2d 1366)
FH-KY-0002-0004.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
W.D. Ky.
10/11/2011
Memorandum Opinion and Order [Denying Motion for Class Certification]
(2011 WL 4862174)
FH-KY-0002-0003.pdf
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WESTLAW
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Detail
U.S. Court of Appeals
01/15/2013
Opinion [Affirming District Court's Order] [Ct. of App. ECF# 114]
(708 F.3d 704)
FH-KY-0002-0005.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
W.D. Ky.
08/12/2013
Order of Dismissal with Prejudice [Dismissing Gillian Miller's Claims] [ECF# 115]
FH-KY-0002-0006.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
W.D. Ky.
08/12/2013
Order of Dismissal with Prejudice [Dismissing Lakisha Austin's Claims] [ECF# 116]
FH-KY-0002-0007.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
W.D. Ky.
08/12/2013
Order of Dismissal with Prejudice [Dismissing the Davis' Claims] [ECF# 117]
FH-KY-0002-0008.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Gertner, Nancy
(D. Mass.)
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FH-KY-0002-0002
Gilman, Ronald Lee
(Sixth Circuit)
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FH-KY-0002-0005
Hansen, David Rasmussen
(N.D. Iowa, Eighth Circuit)
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FH-KY-0002-0004
Heyburn, John Gilpin II
(W.D. Ky.)
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FH-KY-0002-0003 | FH-KY-0002-0004 | FH-KY-0002-0006 | FH-KY-0002-0007 | FH-KY-0002-0008 | FH-KY-0002-9000
Kethledge, Raymond M.
(Sixth Circuit)
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FH-KY-0002-0005
Miller, Robert Lowell Jr.
(N.D. Ind.)
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FH-KY-0002-0004
Moore, Karen Nelson
(Sixth Circuit)
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FH-KY-0002-0005
Motz, J. Frederick
(D. Md.)
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FH-KY-0002-0004
Vratil, Kathryn Hoefer
(D. Kan.)
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FH-KY-0002-0004
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Costello, Kevin
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Fanning, Lori A.
(Illinois)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Feiner, Gillian R
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-0001 | FH-KY-0002-9000
Friedman, Andrew S.
(Arizona)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Kavanagh, Shennan Alexandra
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-0001 | FH-KY-0002-9000
Klein, Gary E.
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-0001 | FH-KY-0002-9000
Matthews, Gregory
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Miller, Marvin A.
(Illinois)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Parry, Ronald R.
(Kentucky)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Reich, Mark S.
(New York)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Rothman, Robert M.
(New York)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Rudman, Samuel H.
(New York)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Sobol, Thomas M.
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-0001
Van Tine, Matthew E.
(Illinois)
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FH-KY-0002-0001 | FH-KY-0002-9000
Defendant's Lawyers
Gonnam, Michelle R.
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Gorman, Chris
(Kentucky)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Hagopian, Michael R
(Rhode Island)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Hefferon, Thomas M.
(District of Columbia)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Leet, Byron E.
(Kentucky)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
McGarry, James W
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
Worth, William A
(Massachusetts)
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FH-KY-0002-9000
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