No. 21-428

Rocket Mortgage, LLC, fka Quicken Loans Inc., et al. v. Phillip Alig, et al.

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2021-09-21
Status: GVR
Type: Paid
Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: article-iii-standing circuit-split civil-rights class-action damages due-process financial-injury injury mortgage-lending standing standing-doctrine
Key Terms:
Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri ClassAction
Latest Conference: 2022-01-07 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether basing Article III standing to seek damages on a mere risk of harm, without evidence that the harm ever materialized

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED The plaintiff class here was awarded nearly $10 million in statutory damages without establishing that any unnamed class member was injured. The class members claimed that the defendants committed a procedural error in how they ordered home appraisals. The Fourth Circuit acknowledged that the record was “devoid of evidence” that the supposed error actually affected any of the unnamed class members or the accuracy of their appraisals. By a divided vote, the panel nevertheless affirmed the class certification and the class-wide statutory-damages award, because the class members all faced the same risk of harm: the appraisers had been “exposed” to the supposed procedural error, and the class members paid for the appraisals, even though the court “cannot evaluate whether” any harm ever materialized. The questions presented are as follows: 1. Whether basing Article III standing to seek damages on a mere risk of harm, without evidence that the harm ever materialized, is inconsistent with this Court’s holding just a few months later in TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez. 2. Whether purchasing a product or service automatically creates a “financial injury” cognizable under Article III, even if the product or service provided precisely the benefit the consumer bargained for. 3. Whether a class can be certified (or remain certified) when many class members suffered no Article II injury. i

Docket Entries

2022-02-11
JUDGMENT ISSUED.
2022-01-10
Petition GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of <i>TransUnion LLC</i> v. <i>Ramirez</i>, 594 U. S. ___ (2021).
2021-12-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
2021-12-22
Reply of petitioners Rocket Mortgage, LLC, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2021-12-08
Brief of respondents Phillip Alig, et al. in opposition filed.
2021-11-12
Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.
2021-10-29
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including December 8, 2021.
2021-10-28
Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 12, 2021 to December 8, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
2021-10-12
Response Requested. (Due November 12, 2021)
2021-10-06
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/29/2021.
2021-09-28
Waiver of right of respondent Phillip Alig, et al. to respond filed.
2021-09-17
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 21, 2021)

Attorneys

Phillip Alig, et al.
Deepak GuptaGupta Wessler PLLC, Respondent
Rocket Mortgage, LLC, et al.
William McGinley JayGoodwin Procter, LLP, Petitioner
Washington Legal Foundation
John Mercer Masslon IIWashington Legal Foundation, Amicus