Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. SFR Invs. Pool 1, LLC
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. SFR Invs. Pool 1, LLC
Opinion of the Court
Presently before the court is defendant SFR Investments Pool 1, LLC et al.'s ("SFR") motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 67). Plaintiff Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. ("Wells Fargo") filed a response (ECF No. 71), to which SFR replied (ECF No. 73).
Also before the court is Wells Fargo's motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 68). SFR filed a response (ECF No. 70), to which Wells Fargo replied (ECF No. 72).
Also before the court is cross defendant Transunion Settlement Solutions' ("Transunion") motion to set aside entry of default. (ECF No. 74). Wells Fargo has not filed a response and the time to do so has passed.
I. Facts
This action arises from a dispute over real property located at 1741 Choice Hills Drive, Henderson, Nevada 89012 ("the property"). (ECF No. 1).
Theresa Wingender purchased the property on July 6, 2001. (ECF No. 68-2). Wingender financed the purchase with a loan in the amount of $562,500.00 from World Savings Bank, FSB ("WSB"). (ECF No. 68-1). WSB secured the loan with a deed of trust, which names WSB as both the lender and beneficiary, and Golden West Savings Association Service Company as the trustee. Id. In December 2007, WSB changed its name to Wachovia Mortage, FSB ("Wachovia"). Id. On November 1, 2009, Wachovia merged into Wells Fargo. Id. Thus, Wells Fargo has been at all times relevant to this action the been the beneficiary of the deed of trust.
On August 16, 2011, Foothills at MacDonald Ranch Master Association ("Foothills"), through its agent defendant Homeowner Association Services, Inc. ("HAS"), recorded a notice of delinquent assessment lien ("the lien") against the property for Wingender's failure to pay Foothills in the amount of $19,454.00. (ECF No. 68-2). On August 29, 2012, Foothills recorded a notice of default and election to sell pursuant to the lien, stating that the amount due was $22,129.69 as of August 29, 2012. Id.
On September 6, 2012, Foothills mailed copies of the notice of default and election to sell to WSB at two different addresses specified in the deed of trust: (1) 1901 Harrison Street, Oakland, California 94612; and (2) P.O. Box 859548, San Antonio, *955Texas 78265. Id. Wells Fargo acknowledges receiving the copy sent to the Oakland address. (ECF No. 68).
On August 12, 2013, Foothills recorded a notice of foreclosure sale against the property, stating that a payment of $33,877.90 would be necessary to satisfy the lien. (ECF No. 68-2). On August 8, 2013, Foothills mailed copies of the notice of foreclosure sale to WSB at both the Oakland and San Antonio addresses. Id. However, Wells Fargo denies ever receiving copies of the notice of foreclosure sale. (ECF No. 68).
On September 26, 2013, Foothills sold the property in a nonjudicial foreclosure sale to SFR in exchange for $56,000.00. (ECF No 68-1). On January 14, 2014, SFR recorded the deed of foreclosure with the Clark County recorder's office. Id.
On September 26, 2016, Wells Fargo filed a complaint, alleging six causes of action: (1) declaratory relief under the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment against all defendants; (2) declaratory relief under the due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments against all defendants; (3) wrongful foreclosure against all defendants; (4) violation of NRS 116.1113 et seq. against Foothills and HAS; (5) unjust enrichment against Foothills and SFR; and (6) quiet title against all defendants. (ECF No. 1).
Now, SFR and Wells Fargo have filed cross-motions for summary judgment, requesting that the court resolve whether the foreclosure sale extinguished the deed of trust. (ECF Nos. 67, 68).
II. Legal Standard
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allow summary judgment when the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that "there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A principal purpose of summary judgment is "to isolate and dispose of factually unsupported claims." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett ,
For purposes of summary judgment, disputed factual issues should be construed in favor of the nonmoving party. Lujan v. Nat'l Wildlife Fed. ,
In determining summary judgment, a court applies a burden-shifting analysis. "When the party moving for summary judgment would bear the burden of proof at trial, it must come forward with evidence which would entitle it to a directed verdict if the evidence went uncontroverted at trial. In such a case, the moving party has the initial burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue of fact on each issue material to its case." C.A.R. Transp. Brokerage Co. v. Darden Rests., Inc. ,
By contrast, when the nonmoving party bears the burden of proving the claim or defense, the moving party can meet its burden in two ways: (1) by presenting evidence to negate an essential element of the nonmoving party's case; or (2) by demonstrating that the nonmoving party failed to make a showing sufficient to establish an element essential to that party's case on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. See Celotex Corp. ,
*956If the moving party satisfies its initial burden, the burden then shifts to the opposing party to establish that a genuine issue of material fact exists. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp. ,
In other words, the nonmoving party cannot avoid summary judgment by relying solely on conclusory allegations that are unsupported by factual data. See Taylor v. List ,
At summary judgment, a court's function is not to weigh the evidence and determine the truth, but to determine whether a genuine dispute exists for trial. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. ,
III. Discussion
Before the court are several motions. First, the court will set aside the entry of default against Transunion as the court can reasonably resolve this case on the merits. Second, the court will resolve the cross motions for summary judgment in favor of SFR because Chapter 116 is not unconstitutional and Wells Fargo received adequate notice of the foreclosure sale.
a. Entry of default
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(c) provides that "[t]he court may set aside an entry of default for good cause ..." Fed. Ru. Civ. P. 55(c). To determine if good cause exists, the court considers: "(1) whether the party seeking to set aside the default engaged in culpable conduct that led to the default; (2) whether it had no meritorious defense; or (3) whether reopening the default judgment would prejudice the other party." United States v. Signed Personal Check No. 730 of Yubran S. Mesle ,
While the court considers the same factors prior to vacating an entry of default as it would for a default judgment, the test is less stringent when the court has not entered default judgment. See Hawaii Carpenters' Trust Funds v. Stone ,
In considering the three relevant factors, the court finds that good cause exists to set aside the clerk's entry of default (ECF No. 69). Transunion was not aware of this action until July 2018 due the mistakes of a third party, Transunion does not possess any interest in the property, prejudice is unlikely to result, and Wells Fargo has not opposed the motion to set aside entry of default. See LR 7-2(d)
*957("[T]he failure of an opposing party to file points and authorities in response to any motion shall constitute a consent to the granting of the motion."). Further, there is a strong policy favoring the adjudication of claims "upon their merits whenever reasonably possible." Eitel v. McCool ,
b. Cross motions for summary judgment
SFR and Wells Fargo dispute whether the deed of trust encumbers the property. (ECF Nos. 67, 68). Because Wells Fargo has failed to provide sufficient grounds to set aside the foreclosure sale, the court will grant SFR's motion for summary judgment and deny Wells Fargo's motion for summary judgment.
Under Nevada law, "[a]n action may be brought by any person against another who claims an estate or interest in real property, adverse to the person bringing the action for the purpose of determining such adverse claim."
NRS 116.3116 et seq.
Chapter 116 then provides an exception to the subparagraph (2)(b) exception for first security interests. See
As to first deeds of trust, NRS 116.3116(2) thus splits an HOA lien into two pieces, a superpriority piece and a subpriority piece. The superpriority piece, consisting of the last nine months of unpaid HOA dues and maintenance and nuisance-abatement charges, is "prior to" a first deed of trust. The subpriority piece, consisting of all other HOA fees or assessments, is subordinate to a first deed of trust.
Under Chapter 116, an HOA can enforce its superpriority lien with a nonjudicial foreclosure sale.
NRS 116.31166(1) provides that when an HOA forecloses on a property pursuant to NRS 116.31164, the following recitals in the deed are conclusive proof of the matters recited:
(a) Default, the mailing of the notice of delinquent assessment, and the recording of the notice of default and election to sell;
(b) The elapsing of the 90 days; and
(c) The giving of notice of sale[.]
Here, the parties have provided the recorded notice of delinquent assessment, the recorded notice of default and election to sell, the recorded notice of foreclosure sale, and the recorded trustee's deed upon sale. See (ECF Nos. 68-1, 68-2). Further, the recorded foreclosure deed contains the necessary recitals to establish compliance with NRS 116.31162 through NRS 116.31164. (ECF No. 68-1); See
While NRS 116.3116 accords certain deed recitals conclusive effect, it does not conclusively entitle the buyer at the HOA foreclosure sale to success on a quiet title claim. See Shadow Wood ,
"When sitting in equity ... courts must consider the entirety of the circumstances that bear upon the equities. This includes considering the status and actions of all parties involved, including whether an innocent party may be harmed by granting the desired relief."
Wells Fargo contends that the foreclosure sale did not extinguish the deed of trust for two reasons: (1) Foothills foreclosed on the property pursuant to a facially unconstitutional statute, and (2) Foothills did not provide Wells Fargo with adequate notice. (ECF No. 68).
i. Constitutionality of Chapter 116
Wells Fargo argues that the court should grant summary judgment in its favor because, under Bourne Valley , Foothill foreclosed pursuant to a facially unconstitutional state statute. (ECF No. 53); see Bourne Valley Court Tr. v. Wells Fargo Bank, NA ,
In Bourne Valley , the Ninth Circuit held that Chapter 116 violated the Due Process *959Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it did not require a party foreclosing on a property to provide notice to a holder of any subordinate security interest. Bourne Valley ,
When the Ninth Circuit ruled in Bourne Valley , there was no authority on the interpretation of NRS 116.31168(1). Left with the general doctrines of statute interpretation, the court declined to incorporate NRS 107.090 on the grounds that it would render NRS 116.31168(1) superfluous.
Since the Ninth Circuit's decision in Bourne Valley , the Nevada Supreme Court has provided its interpretation of Chapter 116, holding that NRS 116.31168(1) does incorporate NRS 107.090. SFR Invs. Pool 1, LLC. v. The Bank of N.Y. Mellon ,
Both the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court have recognized, "a [s]tate's highest court is the final judicial arbiter of the meaning of state statutes." Sass v. California Bd. of Prison Terms ,
ii. Due process
Wells Fargo argues that Foothills did not provide notice of the foreclosure sale in compliance with the due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. (ECF No. 68). The court disagrees.
"A first deed of trust holder only has a constitutional grievance if he in fact did not receive reasonable notice of the sale at which his property rights was extinguished." Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Sky Vista Homeowners Ass'n , No. 3:15-cv-00390-RCJ-VPC,
Wells Fargo confuses constitutionally mandated notice with the notices required to conduct a valid foreclosure sale. Due process does not require actual notice. Jones v. Flowers ,
Here, Foothills provided reasonably calculated notice when it mailed multiple copies of the notice of default and notice of foreclosure sale to Wells Fargo at two different addresses. (ECF No. 68-2). Further, Wells Fargo admits receiving a copy of the notice of default, which was *960sufficient to apprise Wells Fargo of the foreclosure sale and afford it an opportunity to present objections. (ECF No. 68). Therefore, Wells Fargo's due process argument fails as a matter of law. See, e.g. , Spears v. Spears ,
IV. Conclusion
In light of the foregoing, SFR is entitled to judgment as a matter of law against Wells Fargo.
Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that SFR's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 67) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Wells Fargo's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 68) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Transunion's motion to set aside entry of default. (ECF No. 74) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED.
The clerk shall enter judgment accordingly and close the case.
The 2015 Legislature revised Chapter 116 substantially. 2015 Nev. Stat., ch. 266. Except where otherwise indicated, the references in this order to statutes codified in NRS Chapter 116 are to the version of the statutes in effect in 2011-13, when the events giving rise to this litigation occurred.
The statute further provides as follows:
2. Such a deed containing those recitals is conclusive against the unit's former owner, his or her heirs and assigns, and all other persons. The receipt for the purchase money contained in such a deed is sufficient to discharge the purchaser from obligation to see to the proper application of the purchase money.
3. The sale of a unit pursuant to NRS 116.31162, 116.31163 and 116.31164 vests in the purchaser the title of the unit's owner without equity or right of redemption.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. v. SFR INVESTMENTS POOL 1, LLC
- Status
- Published