MOHAMMAD H. CHAUDHRY; DIANA M. CHAUDHRY, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. MICHAEL G. GALLERIZZO; GEBHARDT & SMITH, Defendants-Appellees. JAMES E. KILEY, JR., Appellant, MOHAMMAD H. CHAUDHRY; DIANA M. CHAUDHRY, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. MICHAEL G. GALLERIZZO; GEBHARDT & SMITH, Defendants-Appellees., 174 F.3d 394

Summary

Plaintiffs sued defendants alleging various violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Act), 15 U.S.C.S. § 1692a. The dispute involved the collection of expenses and legal fees after plaintiffs defaulted on a residential construction loan. The trial court granted defendants' motion for judgment as a matter of law on all counts. The appellate court found no violation of the Act by defendants. Moreover, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiffs' motion to compel production of the unredacted legal bills and the research memorandum because the material was protected by the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine applied to the information. The court also held that the trial court did not err in refusing to allow plaintiffs to amend their complaint for a third time, and in granting sanctions against plaintiffs and their attorneys for filing frivolous claims.