InterNACHI® Prevails Over Class Action Con Artist

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOULDER, Colo. (Feb. 21, 2025) – A Florida man joined InterNACHI® for a month so that he could sue InterNACHI® in a class action lawsuit designed to enrich himself and his lawyer. It didn’t work. In fact, it backfired badly.

Richard Sancruzado has nothing to do with the home inspection industry. Nevertheless, he joined InterNACHI® back in 2023. When InterNACHI® was unable to process his $49 membership dues in the second month after he joined, InterNACHI’s automated computer system sent him a polite note about the need to update his credit card information. He shared this email – a single email – with a lawyer in Miami, Fla., named Jibrael Hindi, who files class action lawsuits by the dozen. Together, Mr. Sancruzado and Mr. Hindi, Esq., filed a class action lawsuit (Richard-Sancruzado-vs-InterNACHI.pdf) against InterNACHI® seeking an unspecified amount of money on behalf of an alleged class of individuals also “victimized” by InterNACHI’s unbelievably awful practice of sending auto-generated emails after 9 p.m., encouraging members to keep their credit card payment information up to date. They alleged that such an email was an unfair debt collection practice under Florida law.

The plaintiff then offered to drop the class action suit against InterNACHI® if InterNACHI® would pay a certain amount to be removed as a defendant.  InterNACHI® Founder Nick Gromicko refused to settle, choosing instead to prepare to fight the lawsuit in court.

Emails about credit card information being out of date are not efforts to collect a debt for many reasons, including that InterNACHI® memberships are like a movie ticket – something purchased in advance to secure ongoing membership rights. More importantly, Mr. Sancruzado’s lawyer apparently didn't realize that InterNACHI® members have an agreement with the organization that requires – gasp – a discussion before they can sue InterNACHI®. InterNACHI® operates in the real world – where people with honest grievances first meet like adults so that problems have an opportunity of being solved before resorting to hiring lawyers.

Fast forward: On the night of Nov. 19 at 6:59 p.m., just hours before the parties were to appear in court, the plaintiff voluntarily withdrew his own complaint.

InterNACHI® has since filed a motion (InterNACHI-motion-for-attorneys-fees.pdf) seeking attorneys' fees. 

InterNACHI® was well represented in this matter by its attorney Matthew Furton, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke.

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