Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/18-328_pm02.pdf
Page Number: 4.0

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ROTKISKE v. KLEMM 

Opinion of the Court 

FDCPA pursues these stated purposes by imposing affirm-
ative  requirements  on  debt  collectors  and  prohibiting  a 
range of debt-collection practices.  §§1692b–1692j. 

The  FDCPA  authorizes  the  Federal  Trade  Commission, 
the  Bureau  of  Consumer  Financial  Protection,  and  other 
federal  agencies  to  enforce  its  provisions.  §1692l.  The 
FDCPA  also  authorizes  private  civil  actions  against  debt 
collectors.  §1692k(a).  These private civil actions “may be
brought  in  any  appropriate  United  States  district  court 
without  regard  to  the  amount  in  controversy,  or  in  any
other court of competent jurisdiction, within one year from
the date on which the violation occurs.”  §1692k(d). 

B 
Petitioner  Kevin  Rotkiske  failed  to  pay  approximately 
$1,200  in  credit  card  debt.1    His  credit  card  company  re-
ferred the debt to respondent Klemm & Associates (Klemm) 
for collection.2  In March 2008, Klemm sued Rotkiske, seek-
ing to collect the unpaid debt.  Klemm attempted service at
an  address  where  Rotkiske  no  longer  lived,  and  a  person
whose description did not match Rotkiske’s accepted service 
of the complaint.  Klemm later withdrew the suit. 

Klemm refiled suit in January 2009, and a process server 
attempted service at the same address.  Once again, some-
one other than Rotkiske accepted service.  Rotkiske failed 
to respond to the summons, and Klemm obtained a default 

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1 Because this case comes to us from a decision granting a motion to
dismiss, we assume the truth of the facts alleged in Rotkiske’s operative
complaint.  See, e.g., Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N. A., 534 U. S. 506, 508, 
n. 1 (2002). 

2 Paul Klemm, the managing partner of Klemm & Associates, moved 
to a new firm named Nudelman, Nudelman & Ziering, which was later
renamed Nudelman, Klemm & Golub.  Rotkiske has sued Paul Klemm, 
Klemm  &  Associates,  Nudelman,  Klemm  &  Golub,  and  Nudelman, 
Nudelman & Ziering.  For the sake of simplicity, we refer to the respond-
ents as Klemm.