Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-16-01193/USCOURTS-ca10-16-01193-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 

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FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

August 10, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

TENTH CIRCUIT

MICHAEL A. COLLINS,

Plaintiff - Appellant,

v.

CFAM FINANCIAL SERVICES,

LLC, a/k/a Consumer Finance Asset

Management, LLC, jointly and

severally liable,

Defendant - Appellee.

No. 16-1193

(D.C. No. 16-CV-00377-LTB)

(D. Colo.)

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Before KELLY, HOLMES, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges.**

Plaintiff-Appellant Michael A. Collins, appearing pro se, appeals from the

district court’s dismissal of his claim, for lack of jurisdiction under the RookerFeldman doctrine. Collins v. CFAM Fin. Servs., No. 16-cv-00377-GPG (D. Colo.

Mar. 18, 2016). The court also denied Mr. Collins’ motion to alter or amend the

*

 This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the

doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited,

however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th

Cir. R. 32.1.

** After examining the briefs and the appellate record, this three-judge

panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not be of material

assistance in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 10th

Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.

Appellate Case: 16-1193 Document: 01019670034 Date Filed: 08/10/2016 Page: 1 
judgment. Collins v. CFAM Fin. Servs., No. 16-cv-00377-LTB (D. Colo. Apr.

18, 2016). We affirm for substantially the same reasons as given by the district

court. 

Mr. Collins filed suit against CFAM Financial Services (CFAM) alleging

violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Fair Credit

Reporting Act (FCRA), the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), and

various state laws. He claimed that adverse information in a credit report was

false. After reviewing the federal complaint, the district court determined that

Mr. Collins was actually challenging the disposition in a similar state court case

brought by Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins now claims that an employee of the

defendant committed “extrinsic fraud” on the court in a sworn affidavit by stating

he was not a “debt collector.” 

Federal courts, other than the United States Supreme Court, lack

jurisdiction to review state court decisions either via direct review or review of

cases “inextricably intertwined” with a prior state court judgment. See D.C.

Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462, 486 (1983); Rooker v. Fid. Tr. Co.,

263 U.S. 413, 415-16 (1923). Known as the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, this

concept bars parties from “seeking what in substance would be appellate review

of the state court judgment in a United States district court, based on the losing

party’s claim that the state judgement itself violates the loser’s federal rights.” 

Johnson v. De Grandy, 512 U.S. 997, 1005-06 (1994). 

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Appellate Case: 16-1193 Document: 01019670034 Date Filed: 08/10/2016 Page: 2 
As the district court explained, Mr. Collins could only prevail on his claims

were we to review and reject the state court findings. This brings his claims

within the purview of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. See Exxon Mobil Corp. v.

Saudi Basic Indus. Corp., 544 U.S. 280, 291-92 (2005). If Mr. Collins wishes to

raise his extrinsic fraud on the court claim, state court would be the place. See

Tal v. Hogan, 453 F.3d 1244, 1256 n.11 (10th Cir. 2006) (citing Rooker, 263 U.S.

at 415) (stating that errors, including fraud, in state court cases should be

reviewed and settled through the state appellate process). 

Therefore, we affirm for substantially the same reasons given by the district

court and deny IFP status for the purpose of appeal. 

Entered for the Court

Paul J. Kelly, Jr.

Circuit Judge

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Appellate Case: 16-1193 Document: 01019670034 Date Filed: 08/10/2016 Page: 3