Opinion ID: 807503
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Zinni

Text: Zinni filed a complaint on July 2, 2010, alleging that ER Solutions, Inc. violated the FDCPA by causing his phone “to ring repeatedly or continuously with the intent to annoy, abuse or harass in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1692d(5),” and by failing to make disclosures required by §§ 1692d(6) and 1692e(11). Zinni alleged ER Solutions had left him more than 50 voice mail messages in the course of attempting to collect a debt. Zinni requested damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs under the FDCPA, as well as judgment in his favor and against ER Solutions. On January 10, 2011, ER Solutions e-mailed a settlement offer to Zinni’s counsel. In the e-mail, ER Solutions offered $1,001 to resolve Zinni’s claims under the FDCPA, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs to be determined by the court.4 Zinni did not respond. On January 20, 2011, ER Solutions e-mailed Zinni’s counsel a second time to reiterate the offer, but Zinni once again did not respond.5 4 Zinni also alleged ER Solutions violated the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA), Fla. Stat. §§ 559.55-559.785. ER Solutions offered to settle Zinni’s FCCPA claim for $1,001, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. The district court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over this issue. 5 In its brief, ER Solutions asserts “[w]hile not a part of the record, ER Solutions notifies the Court that it tendered the $1,001 settlement check to Zinni on May 4, 2011, but Zinni has not cashed the check.” This purported tender of the settlement check is not in the record, and even if 4 Case: 11-12413 Date Filed: 08/27/2012 Page: 5 of 14 On February 23, 2011, ER Solutions filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1). ER Solutions asserted that because it had offered Zinni everything he was entitled to under the FDCPA, his FDCPA claim was moot and should be dismissed with prejudice. The district court granted ER Solutions’ motion and dismissed the case with prejudice, explaining that “[o]nce the defendant offers to satisfy the plaintiff’s entire demand, there is no dispute over which to litigate.” The district court acknowledged that Zinni had never accepted ER Solutions’ offer, but rejected as “nonsensical” Zinni’s argument that, had he accepted ER Solutions’ offer, he would have been left with nothing but an unenforceable promise. The district court concluded it was “Plaintiff’s failure to accept the offer that creates these issues in the first place,” because “[i]f Plaintiff accepts the offer, it becomes a binding agreement that can be enforced through a motion to enforce settlement.” the check had been tendered, that fact would not change our ultimate conclusion. 5 Case: 11-12413 Date Filed: 08/27/2012 Page: 6 of 14