FIL ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T APRI L 4, 2012 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO N OT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 1- 13 56 1 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :0 9- cv -0 00 02 -J RH-WLB MIKE SAMADI, Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t, ve rs us BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Defen da nt -Ap pe ll ee.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e So ut he rnDis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ap ril 4, 2 01 2) Befo re MAR CUS, PRYOR a ndMARTIN, Ci rcu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM:Mi ke Sam ad i ap pe al s p ro se t he su m m ary jud gm en t ag ai ns t h is co m pl ai nt th atth e Ban k o f Am eri ca v io la te d t he Trut h i n Len di ng Act, 1 5 U.S.C. § 16 01 et se q., the Fai r Cre di t Re po rti ng Act, i d. § 16 81 et s eq ., an d Geo rg ialaw. Sam ad i ch al le ng es th e d en ia l o f hi s m ot io ns go ve rn in g d is co ve ry , th e im po si ti on of sa nc ti on s fo r fai li ng to att en d h is de po si ti on , andth e d en ia l o f hi s m ot io ns to rem an d h is act io n t o s ta te co urt an d fo r le av e to am en d h is co m pl ai nt . Sam ad i al so ch al le ng es th e su m

m ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of th e Ban k. We affi rm . The di stric t co urt d idno t ab us e it s d is cret io n wh enitde ni edSam ad i’s m ot io ns to co m

pe l, t o e xt en d t he ti m e fo r di sc ov ery, an d t o h ol d ast atus co nf eren ce. Alt ho ug h we c on st ru e p ro se f il in gs li be ral ly, “pr oc edur al rul es in or di na ry civ il li ti ga ti on sh ou ld[no t] be i nt erp ret edso as t o e xc us e m is ta ke s b y th os e who pro ceedwitho utco un se l.” M cNei l v . Uni te d S ta te s, 5 08 U.S. 10 6, 1 13 , 11 3 S . Ct. 1 98 0, 1 98 4 (1 99 3) . The d is tri ctco urt was no t re qu ire d t o g ran t Sam ad i’s m ot io n t o c om

pe l wh enhe fai le d t o c ert ify tha t h e h adco nf erre d i n g oo d fai th with c ou ns el forth e Ban k, Fe d. R. C iv . P. 37 (a)( 1) , or t o c om pl y with alo cal ru le th athe ob

ject wi th sp eci fic it y

to th e res po ns es of t he Ban k t o re qu es ts for di sc ov ery, S.D. Ga. R. 26 .5. The di st ric t co urt al so was n otrequi redto ex te ndth e ti m e fo r di sc ov ery a se co ndti m e fo r Sam ad i t o fi le an ot he r m ot io n t o c om pe l af te r he ha d fa il edto fil e a co rrec te d m ot io n wi th in th e fi rs t ex te nd edpe rio d fo r 2di sc ov ery. See Sh ot z v . Cit y of P la nt at io n, Fl a., 34 4 F .3d11 61 , 11 84 n.3 5 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 03 ). Ther e was no ne edforth e d is tri ctco urt t o c on du cta st atus co nf eren ce to res ol ve Sam ad i’s g rie va nc e with t he Ban k re gard in g d is co ve ry whenSam ad i refu se d t o a va il hi m se lf o f pr oc edur es forres ol vi ng hi s g rie va nc e. See Ho ll om an v. M ai l-Well Co rp ., 44 3 F .3d83 2, 8 43 –4 4 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 6) . The di stric t co urt ac te d wi th in it s d is cret io n b y san ct io ni ng Sam ad i fo r fai li ng to att en d h is de po si ti on . “ [A]ll fe de ral co urts ha ve th e p owe r, by sta tu te , by rul e, an d b y

co m m on law, t o i m

po se san ct io ns ag ai ns t re cal ci tra nt. . . pa rti es li ti ga nt .” Carl uc ci v. Pi pe r Airc raftCo rp ., 77 5 F .2d14 40 , 14 46 (11 thCir . 19 85 ). Sam ad i re fu se d t o m ak e h im se lf a va il ab le fora de po si ti on withi n t he ti m e fo r di sc ov ery an d, af

te r rec ei vi ng no ti ce o f th e d at e sc he du le d, h e ref us edto ap pe ar un le ss he rece iv edm at eri al s t ha t h e h adreque st edintwo di sc ov ery reque st s. See Fed . R. Civ . P. 37 (d )(1 ). Sam ad i ar gu es th athe was n otrequi redto ap pe ar be cau se of d is co ve ry

m is co nduc t b y

th e Ban k, b utth e rec or d s up po rts th e d eci si on of th e d is tri ctco urt tha t Sa m ad i’s d is pu te with t he Ban k d idno t “ subs ta nt ia ll y jus ti f[y ]” his fai lu re t o app ear. Id . 37 (d )(3 ). As a re su lt , th e d is tri ctco urt was en ti tl edto ord er Sa m ad i t o “ pa y th e rea so nabl e ex pe ns es , in cl ud in g a tt orne y ’s fees ,” in cu rredby the Ban k a s a r es ul t o f Sam ad i’s ab se nc e. Id . Sam ad i ch al le ng es th e rea so nabl en es s o f th e ex pe ns es , bu t we ca nn otsay 3th atth e d is tri ctco urt “ ‘com m it te d acle ar erro r of

jud gm en t’” whe n i t awa rd edth e $2 ,28 3.8 5 t ha t the Ban k re qu es te d i n i ts rev is edst at em en t o f fee s an d c os ts . Jo se nd is v. Wall to W al l Re si de nc e Rep ai rs , Inc ., 66 2 F .3d12 92 , 13 13 (11 th Cir . 20 11 ) (quo ti ng Dore y

v. Do rey, 60 9 F .2d11 28 , 11 35 –3 6 (5 th Cir . 19 80 )). The di st ric t co urt o rd eredth e Ban k t o re vi se it s fi rs t s ta te m en t o f $4 ,40 0, an d t he Ban k co m pl ie d wi th th atord er b y

in cl ud in g i n i ts rev is edst at em en t o nl y it s ex pe ns es rel at edto att em

pt in g t o d ep os e Sam ad i an d p rep ari ng a m ot io n fo r sa nc ti on s. The di stric t co urt al so di d n otab us e it s d is cret io n b y de nyin g a s unt im el y Sam ad i’s m ot io ns to rem an d h is act io n t o s ta te co urt an d fo r le av e to am en d h is co m pl ai nt . Sam ad i m ov edto rem an d t hi s ac ti on ov er s ix m on th s af te r th e Ban k rem ov editto th e d is tri ctco urt. See 28 U.S.C. § 1 44 7( c). AndSam ad i d idno t reque stlea ve to am en d h is co m pl ai ntun ti l af

te r th e d ead li ne fordi sc ov ery an d pr e-tria l p le ad in gs ha d e xp ire d a ndaft er the Ban k h adm ov edfor su m m ary jud gm en t. See Lowe’s Ho m e Ctrs ., Inc . v. Oli n C or p, 3 13 F.3d13 07 , 13 14 –1 5 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 2) . A pla in ti ff m us t h av e “ go odcau se for

be la te dl y am en di ng [hi s] co m pl ai nt ,” So sav. Ai rp rin t Sys., Inc ., 13 3 F .3d14 17 , 14 18 (11 th Cir . 19 98 ); s ee Fed . R. Civ . P. 16 (b )(4 ), bu t Sa m ad i s ou gh t t o wi th dr aw hi s fe de ral cla im s t o de featfed eral juri sd ic ti onan d t o a vo idanun fav or ab le su m m ary jud gm en t. The di stric t co urt d idno t err by gran ti ng su m m ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of th e 4Ban k andag ai ns t Sa m ad i’s cl ai m s u nd er the Trut h i n Len di ng Act. To be subjec t

to reg ul at io n u nd er the Lend in g Act , th e Ban k m us t h av e ex te nd edSam ad i, as a

“ co ns um er,” cr ed itto be us ed“pr im ari ly for p ers on al , fam il y , or h ou se ho ld pu rp os es .” 15 U.S.C. § 1 60 2( i). Sa m ad i ar gu es th athe ob ta in edtwo li ne s o f cred itforco ns um er p ur

po se s, as ev id en cedby his “pe rs on al in fo rm at io n a nd si gn atur e” o n t he lo ando cu m en ts an d t he lac k o f a “ res tri ct io n [o n] th e u se of [ th e] fu nd s” by the Ban k. Bu t the reco rdest ab li sh es th atSam ad i u se d t he li ne s o f cre di t

“pr im ari ly for b us in es s, [o r] comm erci al . . . pu rp os es ,” whi chare ex em ptfro m th e Len di ng Act. Id . § 1 60 3( 1) . Sam ad i, a re al est at e in ve st or , tes ti fie d t ha t h e h ad in te nd edto “bo rro w m on ey ag ai ns t . . . [hi s] li ne of c red it. . . to pu rch as e an ot he r pr op erty ” fo r in ve st m en t; to us e th e “ fu nd s . . . to do rep ai rs on. . . pr op ert ie s” ; an d t o a dda bu si ne ss pa rtn er, Bra dl ey Kirk la nd , as agu aran to r on th e li ne s o f cred itto “ im

pr ov e h is [cre di t] sco re.” The di stric t co urt al so di d n oterr b y grant in g s umm ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of th e Ban k a ndag ai ns t Sa m ad i’s cl ai m un de r th e Fai r Cre di t Re po rti ng Act. Th e Rep orti ng Act i m

po se s o n e nt it ie s t ha t fu rn is h i nf orm at io n t o c on su m er re po rti ng ag en ci es du ti es to rev ie w andin ve st ig at e th e acc ur acy of it s i nf orm at io n a ndto rep ort an y

erro rs . 15 U.S.C. §§ 16 81 a(f) , 16 81 s- 2. Sam ad i co m pl ai ne d tha t the Ban k h advi ol at edth e Rep orti ng Act i n t hr ee ways: (1 ) de nyin g app li cat io ns to 5ad d Ki rk landto th e li ne s o f cre di t; (2) reduc in g o ne of S am ad i’s l in es of c red it

witho utno ti fy in g h im ; an d (3 ) rep orti ng an d fa il in g t o c orrectin fo rm at io n abo ut Sam ad i’s two l in es of c red it . Sam ad i’s fi rs t two co m pl ai nt s fa il edto st at e a cl ai m un de r th e Rep orti ng Act, an d S am ad i fa il edto est ab li sh th ata ge nu in e is su e o f fac t ex is te d t ha t the Ban k h adbre ach edan y du ty whe n re po rti ng in fo rm at io n abo ut Sam ad i’s l in es of c red it . After t he Ban k l earn edab ou t a d is pu te reg ard in g in fo rm at io n i t h adpro vi de d t o Expe ria n re ga rd in g S am ad i’s l in es of c red it , th e Ban k i nv es ti ga te d a ndde te rm in edth atit s i nf orm at io n was accu rat e. Sam ad i arg ue s t ha t the Ban k s ho ul d h av e rep orte d h is li ne s o f cre di t u si ng di ffer en t te rm in ol og y , bu t the rep orts were i n a cco rd an ce wi th th e cre di t ag reem en ts th at Sam ad i s ig ne d, wh ic h g ov ern edth e te rm s an d c on di ti on s o f hi s l in es of c red it . W e AFFIRMth e su m

m ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of th e Ban k.

6