Zapatero v. Equifax Information Services LLC
Joseph Zapatero v. Equifax Information Services LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., TransUnion LLC, Credit Acceptance Corporation, American Honda Finance Corporation
- Valerie Caproni
- 1:25-cv-05370
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Joseph Zapatero v. Equifax, Judge Caproni dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs as to three settling defendants only.
Joseph Zapatero and Equifax Information Services LLC, TransUnion LLC, and Credit Acceptance Corporation were affected by the dismissal with prejudice and without costs. Experian Information Solutions, Inc. and American Honda Finance Corporation were not dismissed by this order.
What happened
In Joseph Zapatero v. Equifax Information Services LLC and others, the plaintiff told the court that he had reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues with Equifax Information Services LLC, TransUnion LLC, and Credit Acceptance Corporation.
The court dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs, including attorneys’ fees, as to those three defendants only. It directed the clerk to remove them from the docket. The order did not dismiss the case as to Experian Information Solutions, Inc. or American Honda Finance Corporation.
Judge Valerie Caproni also allowed the parties to apply within 30 days to reopen the case for good cause. If they wanted the court to keep authority to enforce the settlement, they had to submit the settlement agreement and request that authority within the same 30-day period.
The detailed version
- Zapatero v. Equifax Information Services LLC · No. 1:25-cv-05370
- Valerie Caproni
- Oct. 31, 2025
Background
Joseph Zapatero notified the court that he and Equifax Information Services LLC, TransUnion LLC, and Credit Acceptance Corporation had reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues. The order does not describe the underlying claims or the terms of the agreement.
Ruling
The court ordered that the case be dismissed with prejudice and without costs, including attorneys’ fees, as to Equifax Information Services LLC, TransUnion LLC, and Credit Acceptance Corporation only. “With prejudice” means those claims cannot be brought again in that case. The clerk was directed to terminate those three defendants on the docket. The order did not dismiss Experian Information Solutions, Inc. or American Honda Finance Corporation.
Possible Reopening and Enforcement
The parties could apply within 30 days to reopen the case, but the application had to show good cause for keeping the case open despite the settlement. A request filed after 30 days or without a showing of good cause could be denied on that basis alone. If the parties wanted the court to retain jurisdiction—the power to enforce the settlement agreement—they had to submit the agreement and request an order expressly retaining jurisdiction within the same 30-day period. Judge Valerie Caproni signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.