Bank of Am., N.A. v. Inspirada Cmty. Ass'n
Bank of Am., N.A. v. Inspirada Cmty. Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
*1080I. SUMMARY
This case arises from the foreclosure sale of property to satisfy a homeowners' association lien. Before the Court are three motions: (1) Defendant Inspirada Community Association's ("HOA") motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 109); (2) Plaintiff Bank of America, N.A.'s ("BANA") motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 110); and (3) Defendant SFR Investments Pool 1, LLC's ("SFR") motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 111). The Court has reviewed the parties' responses (ECF Nos. 115, 116, 117, 118) and replies (ECF Nos. 119, 120, 121). The Court also has reviewed the supplemental briefs that the parties submitted (ECF Nos. 123, 124 (errata), 125) in response to the Court's order (ECF No. 122) allowing the parties to address the applicability of a recent Nevada Supreme Court case
II. RELEVANT BACKGROUND
The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise indicated.
Kyle and Kelly Schramm ("Borrowers") purchased real property
The Borrowers failed to pay HOA assessments, and the HOA recorded the following notices through its agent, Leach Johnson Song & Gruchow ("Leach"): (1) notice of delinquent assessment on January 4, 2011 (ECF No. 110-5 at 2-3); and (2) notice of default and election to sell on March 25, 2011 (ECF No. 110-6 at 2-3).
BANA asked Leach to identify the superpriority amount of the HOA's lien and offered to pay that amount on April 22, 2011. (ECF No. 110-7 at 5-6.) Leach refused to provide any account information to BANA unless BANA obtained the Borrowers' authorization to release their assessment account records. (Id. at 8.) The authorization form required the Borrowers to consent to a $ 150 fee. (Id. at 9.) It does not appear that BANA and Leach communicated further after this.
The HOA recorded a notice of sale on May 14, 2012. (ECF No. 110-9 at 2-4.) The HOA sold the Property to SFR on April 18, 2013 ("HOA Sale") for $ 14,000. (ECF No. 110-10 at 2-4.)
BANA asserts the following claims in its Complaint: (1) quiet title/declaratory judgment against all Defendants; (2) breach of *1081NRS § 116.1113 against the HOA and Leach; (3) wrongful foreclosure against the HOA and Leach; and (4) injunctive relief against SFR. (ECF No. 1 at 6-14.)
SFR asserted a counterclaim and crossclaim for quiet title and injunctive relief against BANA and the Borrowers. (ECF No. 25 at 9-16.)
III. LEGAL STANDARD
"The purpose of summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials when there is no dispute as to the facts before the court." Nw. Motorcycle Ass'n v. U.S. Dep't of Agric. ,
The moving party bears the burden of showing that there are no genuine issues of material fact. Zoslaw v. MCA Distrib. Corp. ,
Further, "when parties submit cross-motions for summary judgment, '[e]ach motion must be considered on its own merits.' " Fair Hous. Council of Riverside Cty., Inc. v. Riverside Two ,
IV. BANA'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (ECF NO. 110)
BANA argues that it is entitled to summary judgment on its quiet title/declaratory *1082judgment claim and SFR's counterclaim because: (1) BANA tendered the superpriority amount (ECF No. 110 at 5-10); (2) the state statute- NRS § 116.3116 -governing the HOA Sale is unconstitutional (id. at 10-13); (3) the HOA Sale violated the Supremacy Clause (id. at 13-17); and (4) BANA is entitled to equitable relief (Id. at 17-19).
A. Tender
In several recent decisions, the Nevada Supreme Court effectively put to rest the issue of tender. For example, in Bank of Am., N.A. v. SFR Invs. Pool 1, LLC , --- Nev. ----,
Here, BANA offered to pay the superpriority amount (see ECF No. 110-7 at 5-6) but never actually tendered payment (see ECF No. 119 at 4 ("[T]he law does not obligate BANA to undertake a futile act such as submitting a tender check ....") ).
In Thomas Jessup , the Nevada Supreme Court found that a mortgage lender was excused from the obligation to tender payment when the homeowners' association's agent essentially stated that it would reject any tender it received. --- Nev. at ----,
Here, Leach did not state that a nine-month statement of account was invalid or refute BANA's position that the superpriority portion could be satisfied prior to foreclosure. (See ECF No. 123 at 3 n.2.) Nor has BANA cited to deposition testimony in this case indicating that the HOA's agent would have rejected tender. (See
BANA argues that Leach essentially rejected BANA's offer based on Leach's briefing in another case in which Leach argued that the superpriority lien is triggered by foreclosure. (ECF No. 123 at 3.) But BANA has produced no evidence that it was aware of this position at the time the letters about tender were exchanged with Leach. Leach's subsequent litigation position cannot excuse BANA's prior obligation to tender.
BANA also argues that Leach had a policy of rejecting tender based on evidence from another case (ECF No. 123 at 4). But one example of rejection does not establish a policy. Thus, this case is distinguishable from RH Kids, LLC v. MTC Fin. , No. 2:12-cv-00949-KJD-RJJ,
This case is also distinguishable from Bank of Am., N.A. v. Woodcrest Homeowners Ass'n , No. 2:15-cv-01193-MMD-GWF,
Accordingly, the Court finds that BANA did not tender the superpriority amount, nor was it excused from tendering the superpriority amount.
B. Constitutionality of NRS § 116.3116
The Court rejects BANA's argument that NRS § 116.3116 is unconstitutional based on the reasoning in Bank of N.Y. Mellon v. Log Cabin Manor Homeowners Ass'n ,
C. Supremacy Clause
BANA argues that the Supremacy Clause of the Federal Constitution prevents extinguishment of the DOT because the DOT is federally insured. (ECF No. 110 at 13-17.) The Court disagrees. See PHH Mortg. Corp. v. Saticoy Bay LLC , No. 2:16-cv-02795-MMD-NJK,
D. Equitable Relief
The Nevada Supreme Court has held that "courts retain the power to grant equitable relief from a defective foreclosure sale." Shadow Wood Homeowners Ass'n v. N.Y. Cmty. Bancorp. ,
*1084Adequacy of sale price aside, BANA has not demonstrated fraud, unfairness, or oppression. BANA relies on the following indicia of unfairness: the HOA foreclosed despite BANA's tender and the parties faced massive legal uncertainty when the HOA foreclosed. (ECF No. 110 at 18-19.) The first argument is unpersuasive as discussed supra Section IV(A). The second argument is also unpersuasive. As the Court has noted in a similar case, legal uncertainty put the parties on equal footing. Nationstar Mortg. LLC v. Highland Ranch Homeowners Ass'n , No. 3:15-cv-00375-MMD-CBC,
Accordingly, the Court denies BANA's motion for summary judgment.
V. SFR'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (ECF NO. 111)
SFR argues that it is entitled to summary judgment on BANA's claim for quiet title/declaratory relief and its counterclaim and crossclaim seeking the same because the HOA Sale extinguished the DOT. (ECF No. 111 at 8.) The Court agrees. SFR is entitled to summary judgment because a valid HOA sale extinguishes the DOT. See SFR Invs. Pool 1 v. U.S. Bank ,
VI. CONCLUSION
The Court notes that the parties made several arguments and cited to several cases not discussed above. The Court has reviewed these arguments and cases and determines that they do not warrant discussion as they do not affect the outcome of the motions before the Court.
It is therefore ordered that SFR's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 111) is granted. The Court declares that the HOA Sale extinguished the DOT. The Court also orders that the lis pendens on the Property located at 3144 Monet Sunrise Ave., Henderson, NV 89044 be expunged.
It is further ordered that BANA's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 110) is denied.
It is further ordered that the HOA's motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 109) is denied as moot.
It is further ordered that the Clerk of Court enter judgment in favor of SFR on BANA's quiet title/declaratory relief claim as well as SFR's counterclaim and crossclaim for quiet title in accordance with this order and close this case.
Bank of Am., N.A. v. Thomas Jessup, LLC Series VII , --- Nev. ----,
The Property is located at 3144 Monet Sunrise Ave., Henderson, NV 89044. (ECF No. 110-1 at 4.)
BANA also argues that SFR is not a bona fide purchaser (ECF No. 110 at 19-20), but this argument is moot in light of the Court's analysis.
SFR disputes whether BANA's letter even constituted an offer to pay the superpriority amount (ECF No. 118 at 4), but the Court need not resolve this issue given that BANA was not excused from tendering the superpriority amount.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Successor by Merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, f/k/a Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP v. INSPIRADA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION SFR Investments Pool 1, LLC Leach Johnson Song & Gruchow, Ltd.
- Status
- Published