IN CLERK'S OFFICEUS DISTRICT COURT E.D.N.Y.

* NOV 2 7 2017 ^UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK BROOKLYN OFFICEX

BLIMA KRAUS, On Behalf of Herself andAll Other Similarly Situated Consumers,

against -

Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM AND ORDER17-CV-3402

PROFESSIONAL BUREAU OF

COLLECTIONS OF MARYLAND, INC.,

Defendant.X

GLASSER, Senior United States District Judge:

Plaintiff Blima Kraus ("Kraus") brings this putative class action against Professional

Bureau of Collections of Maryland, Inc. ("PBCM")» alleging violations of the Fair DebtCollection

PracticesAct ("FDCPA"), 15 U.S.C. § \692 etseq. Beforethe Court is PBCM's motion to dismiss

the complaint under Rule 12(b)(6)of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Kraus's claim is essentially as follows: Sheallegesthat PBCM's June 6,2016 letterto her

(the"Letter"),whichtransmitted an offerto settleherdebtfor 40%of her accountbalance, violated

15 U.S.C. § 1692e because it listed her account balance but did not indicate that the account

balance might increase due to interest or othercharges. Section 1692e prohibits the use of "any

false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any

debt," including "[t]he false representation of. . . the character, amount, or legal status of any

debt." 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692e, 1692e(2)(A). In Avila v. Riexinger & Associates, LLC^ the Second

Circuit held that a debt collector violates § 1692e if it notifies a consumer of his or her account

balance but fails to disclose that the consumer's balance may increase due to interest and fees. See

817 F.3d 72, 76-77 (2d Cir. 2016). But Avilaalso providesa safe harbor for a debt collectorwho

"fail[s] to disclose that the consumer's balance may increase due to interest and fees" but

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