Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca3-09-03022/USCOURTS-ca3-09-03022-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 

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NOT PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

___________

No. 09-3022

___________

PETER DIPIETRO,

Appellant

v.

NEW JERSEY FAMILY SUPPORT PAYMENT CENTER; SUPERIOR COURT OF

NEW JERSEY; GLOUCESTER COUNTY PROBATION SERVICES; SUSAN

SASSER, Vicinage Assistant Chief Probation Officer; NEW JERSEY MOTOR

VEHICLE COMMISSION; SHARON HARRINGTON, Chief Administrator; CHRISTIE

MORGANDALE, Case Worker; JOANNA VASSALLO

____________________________________

On Appeal from the United States District Court

for the District of New Jersey 

(D. N.J. Civil No. 08-cv-04761)

District Judge: Honorable Freda L. Wolfson

____________________________________

Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1

March 18, 2010

Before: RENDELL, HARDIMAN AND ALDISERT, Circuit Judges

(Opinion filed: March 18, 2010)

_________

OPINION

_________

PER CURIAM

Peter DiPietro, proceeding pro se, appeals an order of the United States District

Court for the District of New Jersey dismissing his civil rights action. We will affirm the

Case: 09-3022 Document: 003110064550 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/18/2010
2

District Court’s order.

DiPietro alleged in his complaint that he and his wife, Joanna Vassallo, were

divorced in 2001. The Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Family Part,

ordered DiPietro to pay child support through the New Jersey Family Support Payment

Center (“FSPC”). DiPietro averred that he made child support payments by personal

and/or business check for seven years. DiPietro stated that in 2008 he was notified that

his checks would no longer be accepted due to a “dishonored check history” and that he

must make future payments by money order, cashier’s check, certified check, or

electronic payment. Compl. at 4. DiPietro alleged that he wrote a letter to the FSPC and

disputed that any of his checks were returned. He complained that the new payment

requirement imposed an undue hardship. DiPietro stated that he continued to make

payments by personal and/or business check but the FSPC returned the checks to him.

In May 2008, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Probation Services Division for

the Vicinage of Gloucester (“Probation Services”) notified DiPietro that he was in arrears

and that his weekly payment plus a portion of his arrears would be withheld from his

income unless he contested. DiPietro averred that Probation Services also notified him

that a bench warrant for his arrest would be issued and that his driving privileges would

be suspended. The New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission sent DiPietro a notice

confirming the suspension.

Case: 09-3022 Document: 003110064550 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/18/2010
 Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971). 1

 DiPietro argues in his brief that the standards for dismissal of a complaint under Rule 2

12(b)(6) violate the constitutional right to a jury trial. DiPietro did not raise his argument,

which consists of reproduced portions of a law review article, in District Court. Because

there are no exceptional circumstances justifying review, we will not entertain this

3

DiPietro filed his complaint against the FSPC, Probation Services, Vicinage

Assistant Chief Probation Officer Susan Sasser, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle

Commission, its Chief Administrator Sharon Harrington, Case Worker Christie

Morgandale, and his ex-wife, Joanna Vassallo. DiPietro claimed that the defendants

violated, among other things, his due process rights, his right to equal protection, the Fair

Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692p (“FDCPA”), and the New Jersey

Constitution. He also brought state law claims for malicious prosecution, malicious abuse

of process, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. DiPietro sought

declaratory and injunctive relief and compensatory and punitive damages.

The District Court granted the defendants’ motions to dismiss the complaint,

concluding that DiPietro failed to state a claim for relief against Vassallo and against any

defendant under the FDCPA. The District Court also dismissed DiPietro’s constitutional

and state law claims against the state defendants under the Younger abstention doctrine. 

1

This appeal followed.

We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Our review of an order

granting a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) is plenary. 

Nami v. Fauver, 82 F.3d 63, 65 (3d Cir. 1996). We also exercise plenary review over the 2

Case: 09-3022 Document: 003110064550 Page: 3 Date Filed: 03/18/2010
argument. Bagot v. Ashcroft, 398 F.3d 252, 256 (3d Cir. 2005).

 The District Court also correctly ruled that DiPietro fails to state a claim against the 3

state defendants under the FDCPA. See Mabe v. G.C. Servs. Ltd. P’ship, 32 F.3d 86, 88

(4th Cir. 1994) (holding child support obligations are not “debts” under FDCPA); 

Heredia v. Green, 667 F.2d 392, 394 (3d Cir. 1981) (holding state officers and employees

attempting to collect a debt in the performance of their official duties are not “debt

collectors” for purposes of the FDCPA).

4

question of whether the elements required for abstention exist. Marran v. Marran, 376

F.3d 143, 154 (3d Cir. 2004). If the elements exist, we review the decision to abstain for

abuse of discretion. Id.

We agree with the District Court that DiPietro fails to state a claim for relief

against Vassallo. DiPietro has not alleged any facts supporting the conclusion that

Vassallo, who is the recipient of the child support award, acted under color of state law.

He thus fails to state a claim against her under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. See Kost v.

Kozakiewicz, 1 F.3d 176, 184 (3d Cir. 1993). DiPietro also fails to state a claim against

Vassallo under the FDCPA because the FDCPA applies to debt collectors and Vassallo is

not a debt collector as defined by the statute. Pollice v. Nat’l Tax Funding, L.P., 225 F.3d

379, 403 (3d Cir. 2000). We also agree, for substantially the reasons stated by the 3

District Court, that DiPietro fails to state a claim against Vassallo under the New Jersey

Constitution, for malicious prosecution or abuse of process, and for intentional or

negligent infliction of emotional distress.

As noted above, the District Court dismissed DiPietro’s constitutional and state

law claims against the state defendants under the Younger abstention doctrine, which in

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5

certain circumstances requires a district court to abstain from exercising jurisdiction over

a claim where its resolution would interfere with an ongoing state proceeding. Lazaridis

v. Wehmer, 591 F.3d 666, 670 (3d Cir. 2010). Abstention is appropriate only when: (1)

there are ongoing state proceedings that are judicial in nature; (2) the state proceedings

implicate important state interests; and (3) the state proceedings provide an adequate

opportunity to raise the federal claims. Id. The District Court applied our decision in

Anthony v. Council, 316 F.3d 412, 418 (3d Cir. 2003), in which we held that abstention

was proper where persons in New Jersey, who had been incarcerated for failing to comply

with their child support orders, claimed violations of their due process rights.

The District Court correctly found that the requirements for abstention are met

here. First, DiPietro alleges in his complaint that there are ongoing proceedings in New

Jersey state court. Compl. at 3. We also recognized in Anthony that New Jersey courts

are charged with monitoring, enforcing, and modifying child support obligations

throughout the duration of a child support order. Anthony, 316 F.3d at 419. Second,

there is no question that state child support proceedings implicate important state

interests. Id. at 421. Finally, DiPietro is able to raise his claims in state court and to

appeal adverse decisions through the state appellate system and to the United States

Supreme Court. Id. at 422. We also agree with the District Court that, although DiPietro

contends that bias exists in the state system, he has not shown a legitimate extraordinary

circumstance justifying federal intervention. Abstention was thus proper in this case. See

Case: 09-3022 Document: 003110064550 Page: 5 Date Filed: 03/18/2010
 Anthony involved claims for injunctive and declaratory relief. DiPietro does not 4

argue in his brief that the District Court erred in dismissing his claims for compensatory

and punitive damages and we have thus not considered this question. See F.D.I.C. v.

Deglau, 207 F.3d 153, 169-70 (3d Cir. 2000) (issue not raised in opening brief is waived). 

 DiPietro’s motion for leave to file a Rule 28(j) letter that exceeds the permissible 5

word limit is granted.

6

also Lazaridis, 591 F.3d at 670-71 (holding abstention appropriate where plaintiff brought

due process challenge to registration and enforcement of French custody order in

Delaware state court).4

Accordingly, we will affirm the District Court’s order.5

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