Cathy L. Pitts Missouri Cases

Cathy Pitts appealed a circuit court's judgment confirming an arbitration award in favor of Car Credit, Inc., which arose from a vehicle financing dispute. Pitts argued the arbitration agreement was invalid because the designated arbitrator, the National Arbitration Forum, was unavailable. The Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed the circuit court's judgment, holding that Pitts failed to specifically challenge the delegation clause within the arbitration agreement, thereby delegating the issue of the arbitrator's unavailability to the arbitrator.

Cathy Pitts appealed the circuit court's judgment confirming an arbitration award in favor of Car Credit, Inc., stemming from an automobile purchase and financing dispute. Pitts had signed an arbitration agreement designating the National Arbitration Forum (NAF), which later became unavailable. The trial court compelled arbitration before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and confirmed its award. The appellate court reversed, holding that because the arbitration agreement exclusively designated NAF, the AAA arbitrator lacked authority to arbitrate Pitts's claims.