Robert D. Slenk Chris Slenk v. Trans World Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2001). · Go Syfert
Robert D. Slenk Chris Slenk v. Trans World Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2001). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“t is necessary when classifying a loan to 'examine the transaction as a whole,' paying particular 12 attention to 'the purpose for which the credit was extended in order to determine whether transaction was primarily consumer or commercial in nature.”
105 citation events (105 in the last 25 years) across 24 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Kershner v. Hillcrest, Davidson, and Associates LLC (caed, 2021-08-30)
Treatment trajectory · 2001 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
2001 2013 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 50 distinct citers. How cited ↗
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Kershner v. Hillcrest, Davidson, and Associates LLC (3×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
E.D. Cal. · 2021 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
it is 9 not the province of the district court to weigh conflicting evidence for purposes of summary 10 judgment.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Valhalla Investment Properties, LLC v. 502, LLC
M.D. Tenn. · 2020 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
t is necessary when classifying a loan to 'examine the transaction as a whole,' paying particular 12 attention to 'the purpose for which the credit was extended in order to determine whether transaction was primarily consumer or commercial in nature.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Abdou v. Citadel Servicing Corporation
N.D. Ill. · 2025 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Tsang v. Porter McGuire Kiakona, LLP (2×)
D. Haw. · 2025 · confidence medium
The FDCPA “precludes debt collectors from implementing unlawful debt collection tactics against consumers.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Lombard Flats LLC v. JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A.
N.D. Cal. · 2024 · confidence medium
In this analysis, “[n]either the 13 lender’s motives nor the fashion in which the loan [was] memorialized are dispositive.” Slenk v. 14 Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001). 15 The plaintiffs provided no evidence to show a genuine issue for trial about whether the loan was 16 a consumer debt.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Rosa v. Mandarich Law Group LLP
S.D.N.Y. · 2024 · confidence medium
The Second Circuit reasoned that such an argument “contradicts the plain language of the statute by attempting to define ‘consumer debt in accordance with the actions of the debt collector, rather than the true nature of the debt.’” Id. (quoting Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir. 2001)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Franklin Savings Bank v. Michael T. Bordick
Me. · 2024 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (citations, alterations, and quotation marks omitted); see also Thorns v. Sundance Props., 726 F.2d 1417, 1419 (9th Cir. 1984) (listing the five factors in the 1983 Official Staff Interpretations and remanding the matter to the trial court so that it could evaluate whether the loan at issue was covered by TILA); Westbank v. Maurer, 658 N.E.2d 1381, 1387-89 (Ill.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Lombard Flats LLC v. JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A.
N.D. Cal. · 2023 · confidence medium
In this analysis, “neither the lender’s motives nor the fashion in which the 26 27 1 loan [was] memorialized are dispositive.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th 2 Cir. 2001) (cleaned up); Bloom, 972 F.2d at 1068–69. 3 First, Mr. Eng is the borrower on the mortgage and thus the mortgage is in the name of a 4 natural person.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Skrabets v. Tikhvinskiy Law, LLC
Ill. App. Ct. · 2023 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld System, Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Maxine Gilliam v. Joel Levine
9th Cir. · 2023 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Bloom v. I.C.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Calderon v. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
W.D. Wash. · 2023 · confidence medium
Turner, 362 F.3d at 1227 , citing Slenk v. Transworld Sys., 9 Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001). 10 The FDCPA defines debt as “any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay 11 money arising out of a transaction in which the money, property, insurance, or services which are 12 the subject of the transaction are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, whether 13 or not such obligation has been reduced to judgment.” 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Bostwick v. SN Servicing Corporation
N.D. Cal. · 2023 · confidence medium
In this analysis, “neither the lender’s motives nor the fashion in which the 14 loan [was] memorialized are dispositive.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th 15 Cir. 2001) (cleaned up); Bloom, 972 F.2d at 1068–69. 16 Courts have held that under the federal Act, “a mortgage loan on a rental property . . . is not a 17 ‘debt.’” Aniel v. TD Serv.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Lewis v. Sole Law, PLLC
E.D. Mich. · 2022 · confidence medium
Admin., 992 F.3d 153, 157 (3d Cir. 2021); Scarola Malone & Zubatov LLP v. McCarthy, Burgess & Wolff, 638 F. App’x 100, 102 (2d Cir. 2016) (unpublished) (quoting Goldman v. Cohen, 445 F.3d 152 , 154 n.1 (2d Cir. 2006)); Hall v. Phenix Investigations, Inc., 642 F. App’x 402, 405 (5th Cir. 2016) (per curiam) (unpublished); Boosahda v. Providence Dane LLC, 462 F. App’x 331 , 333 n.3 (4th Cir. 2012) (per curiam) (unpublished); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Bloom v. I.C.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Farias Matos v. Lexington Place Condominium Association, Inc.
M.D. Fla. · 2022 · confidence medium
Fla. Sept. 22, 2009) (“In determining whether a debt is a consumer debt, it is necessary to look at the transaction as a whole, paying particular attention to the borrower's purpose in obtaining the credit.”) (citing Slenk v. Transworld Sys., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001)); Fischer v. Fed.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Curtis Glawe v. Carpenter Hazlewood (2×) also: Cited "see"
9th Cir. · 2021 · confidence medium
To determine whether the transaction was primarily consumer or commercial in nature, the court must “examine the transaction as a whole, paying particular attention to the purpose for which the credit was extended.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (cleaned up).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Denicolo v. Viking Client Services, Inc. (3×)
N.D. Cal. · 2021 · confidence medium
(FDCPA) is amenable to class treatment in light of Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 1 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001), which the parties filed on November 3, 2020.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Milburn v. SN Servicing Corporation
D. Or. · 2021 · confidence medium
“The FDCPA precludes debt collectors from implementing unlawful debt collection tactics against consumers.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Norton v. LVNV Funding, LLC
N.D. Cal. · 2020 · confidence medium
Instead, the factfinder must “look to the substance of the transaction and the borrower’s 7 purpose in obtaining the loan.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) 8 (citation omitted). 9 In this case, Defendants assert that there is no evidence that the judgments entered against 10 any putative class members were based on a consumer debt.4 Anne Herthneck, an authorized 11 representative of LVNV, testifies that LVNV is not a direct lender but instead acquires delinquent 12 accounts that were originated by financial services companies.
examined Cited as authority (rule) Denicolo v. Viking Client Services, Inc. (3×)
N.D. Cal. · 2020 · confidence medium
Debt Incurred for “Personal, Family, or Household Purposes” 21 “Because not all obligations to pay are considered debts under the FDCPA, a threshold 22 issue in a suit brought under the Act is whether or not the dispute involves a ‘debt’ within the 23 meaning of the statute.” Turner v. Cook, 362 F.3d 1219 , 1226–27 (9th Cir. 2004) (citing Slenk v. 24 Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Harout Bagdasaryan v. Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC
9th Cir. · 2020 · confidence medium
See C.B. v. City of Sonora, 769 F.3d 1005, 1016 (9th Cir. 2014) (standard of review); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (explaining the definition of consumer debt under the FDCPA).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Aspen Skiing Co. v. Cherrett (In Re Cherrett) (2×)
9th Cir. · 2017 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Aspen subsidized Cherrett’s condo loan, but the condo itself was used for a personal purpose—Cherrett lived there. “[D]ebt incurred to purchase the debtor’s principal residence . . . is a ‘consumer debt’ under [11 U.S.C.] § 101(8).” In re Fadel, 492 B.R. 1, 15 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2013) (citing Kelly, 841 F.2d at 913 ); see also 15 U.S.C. § 1602 (x) (defining “residential mortgage transaction” as “a transaction in which a . . . consensual security interest is created or retained against the consumer’s dwelling to finance [its] acquisition”); cf. Slenk v. Transworld Sys., …
cited Cited as authority (rule) Lowe v. Maxwell & Morgan PC
D. Ariz. · 2017 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (internal quotations and citation omitted).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Dennly Becker v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Inc.
9th Cir. · 2016 · confidence medium
See Riggs v. Prober & Raphael, 681 F.3d 1097, 1100 (9th Cir. 2012); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074-75 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Peters v. Coface Collections North America Inc.
9th Cir. · 2016 · confidence medium
“We must determine, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, whether (1) there are any genuine issues of material fact, and (2) whether the district court correctly applied the relevant substantive law.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Scarola Malone & Zubatov LLP v. McCarthy, Burgess & Wolff
2d Cir. · 2016 · confidence medium
We reject this argument because it contradicts the plain language of the statute by attempting to define “consumer debt in accordance with the actions of the debt collector, rather than the true nature of the debt.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir.2001) (citing 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5)); see also Holman v. W.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Mavris v. RSI Enterprises Inc. (2×)
D. Ariz. · 2015 · confidence medium
Consequently, the [FDCPA] applies to consumer debts and not business loans.” Slenk v. Transworld Sys., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001) (alteration in original) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Harold Boosahda v. Providence Dane LLC
4th Cir. · 2012 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001) (explaining that, in determining whether debt is consumer debt, court should “examine the transaction as a whole” and “look to the substance of the transaction and the borrower’s purpose in obtaining the loan, rather than the form alone” (internal quotation marks omitted)); Miller v. McCalla, Raymer, Padrick, Cobb, Nichols, & Clark, LLC, 214 F.3d 872, 875 (7th Cir.2000) (observing that whether debt is consumer debt depends on “the transaction out of which the obligation to repay arose, not the obligation itself�…
cited Cited as authority (rule) Matin v. FULTON, FRIEDMAN & GULLACE LLP
E.D. Pa. · 2011 · confidence medium
May 11, 2011) (citing Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir.2001)); see also Raabe, 2011 WL 2533288 .
cited Cited as authority (rule) Frazer v. IPM Corp. of Brevard, Inc.
N.D. Ga. · 2011 · confidence medium
Sept. 22, 2009) (citing Slenk v. Transworld Sys., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001)).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Hutton v. LAW OFFICES OF COLLINS & LAMORE
S.D. Cal. · 2009 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Doran v. Aus
9th Cir. · 2009 · confidence medium
Littlejohn v. United States, 321 F.3d 915, 919 (9th Cir.2003); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Doran v. Aus
9th Cir. · 2009 · confidence medium
Littlejohn v. United States, 321 F.3d 915, 919 (9th Cir.2003); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Guerrero v. RJM ACQUISITIONS LLC (2×)
9th Cir. · 2007 · confidence medium
Romine v. Diversified Collection *933 Serv., Inc., 155 F.3d 1142 , 1145 (9th Cir. 1998); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Guerrero v. Rjm Acquisitions
9th Cir. · 2007 · confidence medium
Romine v. Diversified Collection Serv., Inc., 155 F.3d 1142 , 1145 (9th Cir. 1998); Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Linda L. Clark Jerry v. Clark v. Capital Credit & Collection Services, Inc., an Oregon Corporation Janine Brumley Jeffrey I. Hasson, Linda L. Clark Jerry v. Clark v. Capital Credit & Collection Services, Inc., an Oregon Corporation Janine Brumley, and Jeffrey I. Hasson, Linda L. Clark Jerry v. Clark v. Capital Credit & Collection Services, Inc., an Oregon Corporation Janine Brumley, and Jeffrey I. Hasson
9th Cir. · 2006 · confidence medium
District Court's Ruling on Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment 12 We review de novo both the district court's interpretation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), Romine v. Diversified Collection Serv., Inc., 155 F.3d 1142 , 1145(9th Cir.1998), and the district court's rulings on cross-motions for summary judgment, see Slenk v. Transworld Systems, Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Clark v. Capital Credit & Collection Services, Inc. (2×)
9th Cir. · 2006 · confidence medium
District Court’s Ruling on Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment We review de novo both the district court’s interpretation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), Romine v. Diversified Collection Serv., Inc., 155 F.3d 1142, 1145(9th Cir.1998), and the district court’s rulings on cross-motions for summary judgment, see Slenk v. Transworld Systems, Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Edwards v. OSI Collection Services, Inc.
9th Cir. · 2006 · confidence medium
We review de novo, Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001), and we affirm.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Nelson v. Farm Credit Services of North Dakota, PCA
D.N.D. · 2005 · confidence medium
Bank of DeKalb County, 597 F.2d 895, 896 (5th Cir.1979); Gallegos v. Stokes, 593 F.2d 372, 375 (10th Cir.1979)); Slenk v. Transworld Systems, Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001); Gombosi v. Carteret Mortgage Corp., 894 F.Supp. 176, 180 (E.D.Pa.1995); Federal Deposit Ins.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Turner v. Cook
9th Cir. · 2004 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Turner v. Cook
9th Cir. · 2004 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Hansen v. Ticket Track, Inc.
W.D. Wash. · 2003 · confidence medium
In Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1073 (9th Cir.2001), plaintiff took out a loan to purchase a backhoe in his company’s name.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Edwards v. Stock
9th Cir. · 2002 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Edwards v. Beatty (2×) also: Cited "see"
9th Cir. · 2001 · confidence medium
Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1074 (9th Cir.2001), We review the district court’s determination of bad faith for clear error and its decision whether to award attorneys fees for an abuse of discretion.
discussed Cited "see" Denicolo v. Viking Client Services, Inc.
N.D. Cal. · 2020 · signal: see · confidence high
See Slenk, 236 F.3d at 1074 (courts must “examine the 13 transaction as a whole, paying particular attention to the purpose for which the credit was extended 14 || in order to determine whether [the] transaction was primarily consumer or commercial in nature,” 3 15 neither creditor’s motivations nor manner in which the obligation is documented have dispositive 16 || weight).?
discussed Cited "see" Timothy Barnes v. Chase Home Finance, LLC
9th Cir. · 2019 · signal: see · confidence high
See Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (looking to substance over form in classifying a loan for purposes of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act).
discussed Cited "see" Pasley v. Biggs (In re Pasley)
unknown court · 2019 · signal: see · confidence high
See Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc. , 236 F.3d 1072 , 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (holding that the borrower's intended use of the loan proceeds is the determinative issue); see also Miller v. McCalla, Raymer, Padrick, Cobb, Nichols, & Clark, L.L.C. , 214 F.3d 872 , 874-75 (7th Cir. 2000) (holding that a loan is a consumer debt under the FDCPA, even if the loan proceeds are ultimately used for commercial purposes, if the borrower intended to use the proceeds for personal use at the time of the transaction).
discussed Cited "see" Howe v. Creditors Interchange Receivables Management, LLC (In Re Howe)
Bankr. E.D. Pa. · 2009 · signal: see · confidence high
See Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir.2001) (opining that the borrower’s intended use of the loan proceeds is the determinative issue); see also Miller v. McCalla, Raymer, Padrick, Cobb, Nichols, & Clark, L.L.C., 214 F.3d 872, 874-75 (7th Cir.2000)(holding that a loan is a consumer debt under the FDCPA, even if the loan proceeds are ultimately used for commercial purposes, if the borrower intended to use the proceeds for personal use at the time of the transaction); and see also Riviere v. Banner Chevrolet, Inc., 184 F.3d 457, 462 (5th Cir.1999) (“In order to det…
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Nicolaides v. Divine & Serv., Ltd.
E.D.N.Y · 2019 · signal: compare · confidence low
Compare Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc. , 236 F.3d 1072 , 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (dispute of material fact existed as to transaction's purpose where plaintiff took out loan in the name of his business to purchase a backhoe used to build his home and the loan instrument indicated funds would be used for "excavation equipment and other personal goods" (emphasis omitted)).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Heejoon Chung v. U.S. Bank, N.A.
D. Haw. · 2017 · signal: see also · confidence medium
Neither party disputes that Plaintiff is a consumer. 17 The Court, therefore, must address whether Plaintiff has established that there is no issue of material fact for the remaining three elements of his FDCPA claim. i. Whether Plaintiff Establishes that the Loan was a Personal Debt Under the FDCPA, “debt”' includes “any obligation ... arising out of a .transaction” where the subject of the transaction is “primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.” 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5); see also Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 2001) (stating that the ¡F…
cited Cited "see, e.g." DepoLink Court Reporting & Litigation Support Services v. Rochman
N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. · 2013 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence medium
See, e.g., Slenk v. Transworld Sys., Inc., 236 F.3d 1072, 1076 (9th Cir.2001); Beaton v. Reynolds, Vogt & Morgan, P.L.L.C., 986 F.Supp. 1360, 1362 (W.D.Okla.1998).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Robert D. SLENK; Chris Slenk, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS, INC., Defendant-Appellee
99-16231.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Jan 10, 2001.
236 F.3d 1072
John Harris Paer, Honolulu, Hawaii, for the plaintiffs-appellants., Neil F. Hulbert, Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, Honolulu, Hawaii, for the defendant-appellee.
Hug, Trott, Law.
Cited by 59 opinions  |  Published
TROTT, Circuit Judge:

Robert D. Slenk (“Slenk”) and his wife, Chris Slenk, appeal the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii’s (“the district court”) order granting summary judgment to Transworld Systems (“Transworld”). Slenk brought this consumer protection action alleging that Transworld had engaged in abusive debt collection practices violative of the Fail-Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), the Hawaii Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices Act (“UDAP”), and Hawaii’s statutory prohibition on monopolies and illegal restraints of trade. Transworld argues that Slenk is precluded from invoking the protections afforded by the foregoing statutes because the debt at issue was not a consumer debt. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and REVERSE and REMAND the case to the district court for further proceedings.

I

BACKGROUND

Slenk is the owner and sole employee of Slenk’s Builders. Slenk’s Builders is licensed as a general contractor to do carpentry work in Hawaii. On December 9, 1993, Slenk purchased a backhoe from Hawaii Tractor, Ltd. Slenk contends that he purchased the backhoe for the sole purpose of building his family home and driveway. It is undisputed that the backhoe was ultimately used by Slenk for this purpose only and was sold immediately thereafter. The backhoe was never used by Slenk’s Builders, nor has Slenk’s Builders ever been licensed to use a backhoe.

However, the record reflects substantial documentary evidence suggesting that the backhoe was purchased for business purposes. The invoice documenting the sale (“Invoice”) lists “Slenk Bldrs” as the purchaser, and shows that Slenk’s Builders paid the lower 0.5% sales tax applicable to business purchases, rather than the customary 4% sales tax charged for consumer purchases.

[*1074] In an application for a city building permit for the construction of his home and driveway, dated April 4,1994, Slenk identified the building contractor as “Slenk’s Bldrs.” By making this representation, Slenk was able to streamline the permit process by avoiding additional procedural requirements that are required of a private owner-builder who does not have a contractor’s license.

Moreover, on Slenk’s tax returns for 1993, the backhoe was listed as the property of Slenk’s Builders. This characterization permitted Slenk and his wife to expense the total cost of the backhoe. See 26 U.S.C. § 6065.

On January 14, 1994, Slenk obtained a loan from the Honolulu Fire Department Federal Credit Union (“Credit Union Loan”) in an attempt to finance the previously purchased backhoe. It was this loan that gave rise to the present controversy. The loan agreement was signed by Slenk as an individual, rather than as Slenk’s Builders, and identified the intended use for the loan as the purchase of “excavation equipment [and] other personal goods.” Despite the loan agreement’s reference to “other personal goods,” it is undisputed that Slenk used the entire loan to finance the purchase of the backhoe.

Slenk subsequently failed to repay the Credit Union Loan, causing his account to be assigned to Transworld Systems, a national collection agency. Between June and September of 1997, Transworld sent seven collection letters to Slenk in his capacity as an individual, and called him and his wife at home on numerous occasions.

In response to Transworld’s actions, Slenk filed the instant suit alleging that Transworld’s collection practices violated: (1) the FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692o; [1] (2) its Hawaii state law counterpart, the UDAP, Haw. Rev. Stat. § 443B; and (3) Haw. Rev. Stat. § 480, dealing with monopolies and restraints of trade. Transworld moved for, and was granted, summary judgment by the district court on the ground that the Credit Union Loan was commercial in nature, and, as such, did not fall within the protective purview of these statutes.

II

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

A grant of summary judgment is reviewed de novo. See Weiner v. San Diego County, 210 F.3d 1025, 1028 (9th Cir.2000). We must determine, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, whether (1) there are any genuine issues of material fact, and (2) whether the district court correctly applied the relevant substantive law. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1131 (9th Cir.2000) (en banc).

B. The District Court Erroneously Concluded that No Genuine Issue of Material Fact Existed as to Whether the Credit Union Loan was a Consumer Debt

The district court erred in concluding that no genuine issue of material fact existed as to whether Slenk’s Credit Union Loan was a consumer debt for purposes of the FDCPA and the UDAP. The FDCPA precludes debt collectors from implementing unlawful debt collection tactics ’against consumers. “Consequently, the [FDCPA] applies to consumer debts and not business loans.” Bloom v. I.C. System, Inc., 972 F.2d 1067, 1068 (9th Cir.1992). The FDCPA defines a consumer debt as, “any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay money arising out of a transaction in which the ... property ... which [is] the subject of the transaction [is] primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.... ” 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5) (emphasis added).

[*1075] Both the UDAP and Hawaii’s statutory prohibition on unfair trade practices implement a definition of consumer debt that parallels the definition used by the FDCPA. See Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 443B-1 (“ ‘Debt’ means any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay money or other forms of payment arising out of a transaction in which the money, property, insurance, or services, which are the subject of the transaction, are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, whether or not such obligation has been reduced to judgment.”); Haw. Rev. Stat. § 480D-2 (“ ‘Consumer debt’ means any debt of a natural person incurred primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.”). Thus, the threshold issue in this case is whether Slenk has raised a genuine issue of material fact as to whether his Credit Union Loan was a consumer debt, as that phrase is defined by the FDCPA. We hold that he has.

We have found it necessary when classifying a loan to “ ‘examine the transaction as a whole,’ paying particular attention to ‘the purpose for which the credit was extended in order to determine whether [the] transaction was primarily consumer or commercial in nature.’ ” Bloom, 972 F.2d at 1068 (quoting Tower v. Moss, 625 F.2d 1161, 1166 (5th Cir.1980)). In making this determination, we have elevated substance over form, holding that “[n]either the lender’s motives nor the fashion in which the loan is memorialized are dispositive of this inquiry.” Id. We must therefore “look to the substance of the transaction and the borrower’s purpose in obtaining the loan, rather than the form alone.” Riviere, et al. v. Banner Chevrolet, Inc., 184 F.3d 457, 462 (5th Cir.1999).

Slenk’s use of the loan money is not in dispute. Slenk concedes that the Credit Union Loan was used exclusively to finance the backhoe. Thus, the sole determination we must make is whether the district court correctly found as a matter of law that Slenk purchased the backhoe for commercial use and not “primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.” Viewing the transaction as a whole, we find that Slenk has raised a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the backhoe was purchased primarily for consumer purposes.

The district court relied upon numerous facts in concluding as a matter of law that the backhoe was purchased strictly for commercial purposes. First, the Invoice states that the backhoe was sold to “Slenk Bldrs.” As a business, Slenk’s Builders was charged a significantly lower sales tax than Slenk would have paid had he purchased the backhoe as an ordinary consumer. Second, the building permits and accompanying documentation for the construction of Slenk’s house and driveway state that the work would be done by Slenk’s Builders, rather than by Slenk as. an individual. Third, the Slenks’ 1993 tax returns characterized the backhoe as a business asset belonging to Slenk’s Builders, thus enabling the Slenks to expense the backhoe’s cost. While the foregoing facts militate against Slenk’s position, they are not dispositive.

The record is replete with undisputed objective facts which, when viewed in the aggregate, create a genuine issue of material fact. First, the loan instrument itself connotes that the debt was consumer in nature, providing that the loan was secured for the purpose of purchasing “excavation equipment and other personal goods.” (emphasis added). Second, Slenk used the backhoe to build his family home. There could not be a more quintessential personal, family, or household purpose. Third, Slenk has presented uncontroverted testimony that he never once used the backhoe for any other purpose, including in his capacity as the owner of Slenk’s Builders. Fourth, while the purchase of a backhoe by the owner of a construction company for personal use does invoke suspicion, Slenk has presented uncontroverted evidence proving that Slenk’s Builders was not even licensed to use a backhoe. Fifth, the fact that Slenk immediately sold the[*1076] backhoe upon completing his home illustrates that he was not harboring an ulteri- or motive to use the backhoe for business purposes in the future.

With all respect, the district court appears to have overlooked the foregoing facts in concluding that no genuine issue of material fact existed as to whether the Credit Union Loan constituted a consumer debt. By focusing exclusively on select documentary evidence, rather than looking to the facts illustrating the actual use to which the backhoe was put, the forest was lost. for the trees. The undisputed evidence in the case at bar proves that the backhoe was used strictly for personal use, and was never used by Slenk’s Builders. While this fact contradicts the representations made on the Invoice, Slenk’s tax returns, and Slenk’s building permit applications, it is not the province of the district court to weigh conflicting evidence for purposes of summary judgment. See Musick v. Burke, 913 F.2d 1390, 1394 (9th Cir.1990).

C. Sole Proprietorship Debts Are Not Necessarily Consumer Debts

Slenk contends that any debt procured by a sole proprietor necessarily constitutes a consumer debt for purposes of the FDCPA, as stated by the court in Sluys v. Hand, 831 F.Supp. 321, 323 (S.D.N.Y.1993). Slenk’s reliance on Sluys is misplaced. The opinion in Sluys has been sharply criticized — and rightly so — by courts and academic commentators due to its abandonment of the FDCPA’s definition of a consumer debt. The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in Beaton v. Reynolds, Ridings, Vogt and Morgan, P.L.L.C., 986 F.Supp. 1360 (W.D.Okla.1998), found the result in Sluys to be “plainly wrong,” stating that “[t]o the extent Sluys stands for the proposition that the Act does not require proof [that a transaction was entered into primarily for personal, family, or household purposes], the decision is in error.” Id. at 1362.

The foregoing sentiment has been echoed in legal publications, which suggest that “the [Sluys ] court completely disregarded the statutory definition of ‘debt.’ For this reason, ... the case is not good law, and is contrary to the statutory language of the Act.” Louis Rosenberg, Complying With the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 40-DEC Res Gestae 24, 25 n. 22 (1996). We agree. Therefore, because the holding in Sluys circumvents the statutory requirements for proving a consumer debt as required under the FDCPA, we deem it unworthy of credence.

D. Transworld’s Contact with Slenk at His Home Did Not Redefine the Nature of His Debt

Slenk asserts that even if the Credit Union Loan was originally commercial in nature, Transworld transformed the loan into a consumer debt by contacting him at home. Slenk is mistaken. Slenk bases his argument on the case of Moore v. Principal Credit Corp., 1998 WL 378387, at *2 (N.D.Miss.1998), in which the court held, “[i]f the plaintiffs were not ‘consumers’ at the time of the purchase, then certainly they became ‘consumers’ for purposes of the Act once the telephone calls to their home began.” The logic in Moore is antithetical to the tenets of the FDCPA. As one court noted in rejecting the holding in Moore, “if a communication to the debtor’s home converted any commercial debt into an obligation under the FDCPA, it would be tantamount to an amendment of the clear intent of Congress.” Holman v. West Valley Collection Services, Inc., 60 F.Supp.2d 935, 936-37 (D.Minn.1999). We, too, refuse to ignore Congress’s intent by defining a consumer debt in accordance with the actions of the debt collector, rather than the true nature of the debt. See 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(5). Accordingly, we decline Slenk’s invitation to adopt the questionable precedent established in Moore.

[*1077] III

CONCLUSION

For the reasons stated above, we REVERSE and REMAND the case to the district court for further proceedings.

1

. Because the applicability of the FDCPA in this case remains an open question, we decline to resolve the issue of whether Trans-world’s initial letter to Slenk violated the FDCPA.