Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-1_05-cv-00747/USCOURTS-almd-1_05-cv-00747-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, SOUTHERN DIVISION

ARTHUR EARL CLARK and wife, )

BARBARA E. CLARK, )

)

Plaintiffs, )

) CIVIL ACTION NO.

v. ) 1:05cv747-MHT

) (WO)

AMSOUTH MORTGAGE COMPANY, )

INC., a corporation, )

DOVENMUEHLE MORTGAGE, )

INC., a corporation, and )

GEOTRAC INFORMATION SYSTEM )

SPECIALISTS, an entity, )

)

Defendants. )

ORDER

It is ORDERED that defendant Geotrac Information

System Specialists‘s motion for reconsideration (Doc. No.

89) is denied.

While this court doubts that Alabama state courts

will recognize a state-law claim under NFIA, cf.

Tectonics, Inc. v. Castle Construction Co., 496 So.2d 704

(Ala. 1986) (refusing to confer state cause of action

Case 1:05-cv-00747-MHT-WC Document 92 Filed 06/04/07 Page 1 of 2
based on federal Small Business Act), this court

nonetheless remains convinced that it would be more

expeditious for the Alabama state courts to address this

open issue. See, e.g., Tectonics, Inc. of Florida v.

Castle Const. Co., 753 F.2d 957, 964 (11th Cir. 1985) (“A

state court is ‘free to look to the provisions of a

federal statute for guidance in applying its longstanding

common-law remedies' unless Congress has prohibited the

state from looking to the statute's provisions as a

standard in determining whether there has been a

common-law breach of duty.’”) (quoting Hofbauer v.

Northwestern National Bank of Rochester, Minnesota, 700

F.2d 1197, 1201 (8th Cir. 1983)).

DONE this the 4th day of June, 2007.

_____________________________ /s/ Myron H. Thompson

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:05-cv-00747-MHT-WC Document 92 Filed 06/04/07 Page 2 of 2