Koons Buick Pontiac GMC, Inc. v. Nigh, Bradley

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Oral Argument
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Advocates
A. Hugo Blankingship (argued the cause for Respondent)
Donald B. Ayer (argued the cause for Petitioner)
Case Basics
Docket No.: 
03-377
Petitioner: 
Koons Buick Pontiac GMC, Inc.
Respondent: 
Nigh, Bradley
Opinion: 
543 U.S. 50 (2004)

Cite this page
The Oyez Project, Koons Buick Pontiac GMC, Inc. v. Nigh, Bradley , 543 U.S. 50 (2004)
available at: (http://oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2004/2004_03_377)
Facts of the Case: 

Bradley Nigh bought a car from Koons Buick Pontiac GMC. Nigh later sued the dealership for intentionally charging him for a car feature for which he did not agree to pay. Nigh sued under the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA). A federal district court awarded Nigh about $24,000. Koons Buick appealed and argued the district court ignored TILA's cap on damages to $1,000. A Fourth Circuit held that a 1995 amendment to the act removed the $1,000 cap on recoveries involving loans secured by personal property.

Question: 

Could parties who suffered no actual damages recover more than the Truth in Lending Act's original $1,000 cap because of subsequent amendments to the act?

Conclusion: 

No. In an 8-1 judgment delivered by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Court held that a 1995 TILA amendment did not change the original limit on violations involving personal-property loans. Congress intended the amendment to raise the minimum and maximum recoveries for closed-end loans secured by real property. Congress had not sought to remove the $1,000 cap on loans secured by personal property.

Decisions

Decision: 8 votes for Koons Buick Pontiac GMC, Inc., 1 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Truth in Lending

Sort by Ideology

Voted with the majority, joined Kennedy's concurrence
Rehnquist
Wrote a regular concurrence
Stevens
Voted with the majority
O'Connor
Wrote a dissent
Scalia
Wrote a regular concurrence
Kennedy
Voted with the majority
Souter
Wrote a special concurrence
Thomas
Wrote the majority opinion
Ginsburg
Voted with the majority, joined Stevens' concurrence
Breyer

Full Opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg