The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has held that a title insurer has no duty to defend a bank against a third-party suit challenging the validity of the underlying debt, absent a specific provision in the title insurance policy envisioning such a claim. Deutsche...
Banking Law Blog
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Eliminates Dual Notice Requirement Regarding ATM Fees
The Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") recently amended Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.16 ("Reg. E"), to eliminate duplicative fee notice requirements on ATM machines. As a result of the March 26, 2013 amendment, banks will no longer be liable for...
UCC Article 9 Damages Provisions Displace Common Law
In a case handed down just last month, the Supreme Judicial Court reinforced the long-standing rule that provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code (the "UCC") displace common law principles that would otherwise apply in contexts not governed by the UCC. In Reading...
Bank Not Liable to Customer’s Employee for Negligence
A bank is not liable to its customer's employee, who was fired for negligence with respect to the employer's deposits, the Appellate Division recently held in Dennen v. TD Bank Gloucester, 2013 WL 865318 (2013). Plaintiff Frederic Dennen sued TD Bank after being fired...
The “Same Wrongdoer” Defense In Check Fraud Litigation
In "check fraud" litigation, bank customers often sue their banks after learning that someone has made a forged or otherwise unauthorized signature on the front of one or more of the customer's checks. It often turns out that the fraudster has perpetrated the scheme...