Fortin v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, Nationstar Mortg., LLC (In re Fortin)
Fortin v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, Nationstar Mortg., LLC (In re Fortin)
Opinion of the Court
In February 2007, Bruce Fortin - the debtor in the underlying bankruptcy case and plaintiff in this adversary proceeding (the "Debtor") - obtained a $ 165,000 mortgage loan to purchase real property located in Webster, Massachusetts (the "Property"). In connection with the loan, the Debtor signed a promissory note (the "Note") and granted a mortgage on the Property to secure the Note (the "Mortgage").
Count I, through which the Debtor attacks the validity of various assignments of the Note and Mortgage and the foreclosure sale, is not currently before the Court. As to Count II, however, the Defendants have filed a motion seeking partial judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(c) (made applicable to this proceeding by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7012(b) ).
The Defendants seek judgment as to Count II arguing that the Debtor's theory has been squarely rejected by the First Circuit Court of Appeals (the "First Circuit") in Harry v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.,
In response the Debtor says that the Defendants (as well as the First Circuit and several lower courts) have not yet considered other non-statutory theories as to why a mortgage should become unenforceable coextensive with the unenforceability of the underlying Note. The Debtor cries foul at the ability of a mortgage holder to enforce a mortgage where the underlying note has become unenforceable, as doing so allows "the Court ... to create a de facto judicial extension of a limitations period enacted by the State Legislature, or to sanction an outright repeal of the statute itself ...." Response at 19. This result, the Debtor maintains, violates "the doctrine of laches and the policy concerns that underlie the need for periods of limitation, whether in law or equity." Response at 18.
Despite the Debtor's creative attempts to create a specter of uncertainty in the law, binding precedent from the First Circuit and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the "SJC") compel judgment in favor of the Defendants as to Count II With regard to the Debtor's reference to the Fitchburg case in support of the theory that "a life-changing alteration of the note, such as one that occurs by acceleration" would effect an attendant acceleration of a mortgage, the First Circuit has unambiguously rejected that argument. See Harry v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.,
To the extent the Debtor's public policy and laches argument was not foreclosed by the First Circuit in Harry , this Court must predict how the SJC would rule. In re Garran,
As for the Defendants' urging this Court to issue an order to show cause why the Debtor should not be sanctioned for refusing to voluntarily dismiss Count II with prejudice, that request must be denied. It is axiomatic that, given the seriousness of an imposition of sanctions under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9011, strict compliance with that rule is required. A request for sanctions must "be made separately from other motions or requests" and "may not be filed with or presented to the court unless, within 21 days after service of the motion ..., the challenged ... claim ... is not withdrawn or appropriately corrected ...." Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9011(c)(1)(A). Having failed to comply, the Defendants seek an end run around these procedural requirements by inviting the Court to exercise its sua sponte powers under Rule 9011(c)(1)(B), an invitation which this Court declines.
A separate order and partial judgment in conformity with this Memorandum will issue forthwith.
Neither of the defendants in this adversary proceeding were the original lender. The assignments of the Note and Mortgage from the original lender and the validity of the subsequent foreclosure sale are contested. However, those particular disputes are not material to the discrete issue currently before the Court.
See
Unless otherwise noted, all references to "Rules" in this Memorandum are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.
Pursuant to MGL ch. 106, § 3-118(a), an action on a Note must be brought within 6 years of acceleration.
The Obsolete Mortgage Statute provides that the holder of a mortgage cannot foreclose on the mortgage after 5 years following the maturity date unless the mortgagor has recorded an extension of the mortgage or an acknowledgment or affidavit that the mortgage has not been satisfied. The parties agree that no such extension or acknowledgment/affidavit has been recorded with respect to the Mortgage in this case. MGL ch. 260, § 33.
See also Duplessis v. U.S. Bank. Nat'l Ass'n.,
See also Junior v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE: Bruce FORTIN, Debtor Bruce Fortin v. Federal National Mortgage Association, Nationstar Mortgage, LLC
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published