Fowler v. U.S. Bank, National Ass'n
Fowler v. U.S. Bank, National Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
Plaintiffs Timothy and Connie Fowler (“Plaintiffs”) brought this action against defendants U.S. Bank, National Association, Successor Trustee to Bank of America, N.A., as Successor Trustee to LaSalle Bank, N.A. as Trustee for the Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Mortgage Loan Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-FF1 (“U.S. Bank”), Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank of America”) (collectively, “Defendants”), First Franklin Financial Corporation (“First Franklin”), and KH Financial LP (“KH”) in the 234th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas, where it was filed under Cause No. 2013-65260. Defendants U.S. Bank and Bank of America removed the action to this court.
I. Factual and Procedural Background
On November 1, 2006, Plaintiffs executed a promissory note and deed of trust in favor of First Franklin to finance the purchase of a home.
Plaintiffs filed their Original Petition in the 234th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas, on October 29, 2013.
II. Applicable Law
A motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim for which relief may be granted tests the formal sufficiency of the pleadings and is “appropriate when a defendant attacks the complaint because it fails to state a legally cognizable claim.” Ramming v. United States, 281 F.3d 158, 161 (5th Cir. 2001). The court must accept the factual allegations of the complaint as true, view them in a light most favorable to
“When a federal court reviews the sufficiency of a complaint, before the reception of any evidence either by affidavit or admissions, its task is necessarily a limited one. The issue is not whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but whether the claimant is entitled to offer evidence to support the claims.”
Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 122 S.Ct. 992, 997, 152 L.Ed.2d 1 (2002) (quoting Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974)). To avoid dismissal a plaintiff must allege “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1974, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). Plausibility requires “more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is hable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. “Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely consistent with a defendant’s liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief.” Id. (quoting Twombly, 127 S.Ct. at 1966) (internal quotation marks omitted). The court will “ ‘not accept as true conclu-sory allegations, unwarranted factual inferences, or legal conclusions.’ ” Ferrer v. Chevron Corp., 484 F.3d 776, 780 (5th Cir. 2007) (quoting Plotkin v. IP Axess Inc., 407 F.3d 690, 696 (5th Cir. 2005)). “[D]is-missal is proper if the complaint lacks an allegation regarding a required element necessary to obtain relief.” Torch Liquidating Trust ex rel. Bridge Assocs. L.L.C. v. Stockstill, 561 F.3d 377, 384 (5th Cir. 2009).
When considering a motion to dismiss courts are generally “limited to the complaint, any documents attached to the complaint, and any documents attached to the motion to dismiss that are central to the claim and referenced by the complaint.” Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 594 F.3d 383, 387 (5th Cir. 2010) (citing Collins v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 224 F.3d 496, 498-99 (5th Cir. 2000)). In addition, “it is clearly proper in deciding a 12(b)(6) motion to take judicial notice of matters of public record.” Norris v. Hearst Trust, 500 F.3d 454, 461 n. 9 (5th Cir. 2007) (citing Cinel v. Connick, 15 F.3d 1338, 1343 n. 6 (5th Cir. 1994)). When a party presents “matters outside the pleadings” with a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the court has “complete discretion” to either accept or exclude the evidence for purposes of the motion to dismiss. Isquith ex rel. Isquith v. Middle South Utilities, Inc., 847 F.2d 186, 194 n. 3 (5th Cir. 1988). However, “[i]f ... matters outside the pleadings are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion must be treated as one for summary judgment under Rule 56” and “all parties must be given a reasonable opportunity to present all the material that is pertinent to the motion.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(d).
Plaintiffs have attached copies of the Note, Deed of Trust, and other documents to their Original Petition. “A written document that is attached to a complaint as an exhibit is considered part of the complaint and may be considered in a 12(b)(6) dismissal proceeding.” Ferrer v. Chevron Corp., 484 F.3d at 780. Accordingly, the court may consider these documents without converting the motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment.
Attached to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is a copy of an Assignment of Deed of Trust recorded in the Official Public Records of Real Property of Harris County,
III. Analysis
Plaintiffs allege fifteen substantive causes of action in their Original Petition in addition to seeking declaratory and in-junctive relief.
Defendants argue in their Reply that “Plaintiffs’ Response fails to assert any opposition to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss” with regard to several claims and request that the court “grant Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss those claims as unopposed.”
A. Claims that Fail for Factual Insufficiency
A majority of Plaintiffs’ claims consist of allegations involving KH’s conduct as broker in securing Plaintiffs’ mortgage.
Plaintiffs also fail to make any factual allegations against Bank of America with regard to their claims for common-law fraud, fraud by non-disclosure, and statutory fraud under § 27.01 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ fraud claims against Bank of America will be dismissed.
Although Plaintiffs do not make any factual allegations against U.S. Bank with regard to their fraud claims, they argue that U.S. Bank is liable for First Franklin’s conduct during the original loan transaction as First Franklin’s “alleged successor-in-interest.”
B. Remaining Claims
The remaining substantive causes of action in the “Causes of Action” section of Plaintiffs’ Original Petition are: (1) a claim for violations of § 17.46(b)(12) of the DTPA; (2) claims under the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) for violations of 15 U.S.C. §§ 1639b(c) and 1641(g); (3) con
1. Plaintiffs’ Claims Under § 1746(b) (12) of the DTPA
Plaintiffs argue that Defendants violated § 17.46(b)(12) of the DTPA by representing that they had the right to receive payments under the Note and the power to foreclose under the Deed of Trust without proving that either the Note or Deed of Trust was ever assigned to them.
“The elements of a DTPA claim are: ‘(1) the plaintiff is a consumer, (2) the defendant engaged in false, misleading, or deceptive acts, and (3) these acts constituted a producing cause of the consumer’s damages.’ ” Felchak v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. H-12-2847, 2013 WL 1966972, at *3 (S.D.Tex. May 10, 2013) (quoting Doe v. Boys Clubs of Greater Dallas, Inc., 907 S.W.2d 472, 478 (Tex. 1995)). “To be a ‘consumer’ under the DTPA, a person ‘must seek or acquire goods or services by lease or purchase’ and ‘the goods or services sought or acquired must form the basis of [that person’s] complaint.’ ” Id. (quoting Fix v. Flagstar Bank, FSB, 242 S.W.3d 147, 159 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2007, pet. denied)). “Usually a loan transaction cannot be challenged under the DTPA because the plaintiff sought or acquired money, which is not a good or a service.” Whittier v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, No. H-12-3095, 2013 WL 5425294, at *7 (S.D.Tex. Sept. 25, 2013). “A mortgage loan is not within the DTPA when the loan, rather than the property sought to be purchased, is the basis of the plaintiff’s complaint.” Id. (citing Miller v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P., 726 F.3d 717, 725-26 (5th Cir. 2013)).
Plaintiffs argue that they are consumers under the DTPA “based on goods” because their mortgage was a “purchase-money home mortgage loan” rather than a home equity loan.
Because the basis of Plaintiffs’ claim is subsequent loan servicing and foreclosure activities, rather than the goods or services acquired in the original loan transaction, Plaintiffs are not consumers under the DTPA with regard to this claim. See id. (“The transactions that are the focus of Plaintiffs’ complaint are not transactions in which Plaintiffs sought to acquire goods; those goods (the real estate) were previously acquired in the origi
Plaintiffs also argue that they are consumers under the DTPA “based on services” because they “acquired mortgage loan services the moment [they] began making payments; and the mortgage ser-vicer was compensated with a portion of every payment [they] made.”
2. Plaintiffs’ Claims Under TILA
Plaintiffs allege two causes of action under TILA. The first under 15 U.S.C. § 1639b(c) relates to the payment of a Yield Spread Premium (“YSP”) from First Franklin to KH in connection with the origination of Plaintiffs’ mortgage loan. The second under 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g) involves Defendants’ alleged failure to notify Plaintiffs when the mortgage was assigned to U.S. Bank.
(a) Plaintiffs’ Claims Under 15 U.S.C. § 1639b(c)
Plaintiffs allege that “Broker and Original Lender’s conduct in connection with the YSP violates 15 USC § 1639b(c) because such conduct amounts to a steering incentive for which this statute was designed to prohibit.”
Under § 1640(e) “[a]ny action ... with respect to any violation of [§ 1639b] may be brought in any United States district court, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, before the end of the 3-year period beginning on the date of the occurrence of the violation.” However, § 1640(k)(l) provides an exception to the three-year statute of limitations for claims brought in the context of a foreclosure:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a creditor, assignee, or other holder of a residential mortgage loan or anyone acting on behalf of such creditor, assignee, or holder, initiates a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure of the residential mortgage loan, or any other action to collect the debt in connection with such loan, a consumer may assert a violation by a creditor of paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1639b(c) of this title ... as a matter of defense by recoupment or set off without regard for the time limit on a private action for damages under subsection (e).
15 U.S.C. § 1640(k)(l). Because Defendants initiated a nonjudicial foreclosure of Plaintiffs’ mortgage loan, Plaintiffs would be entitled to assert their claims under § 1639b(e) notwithstanding the three-year statute of limitations. However, Plaintiffs’ claims fail because § 1639b(c) is not applicable to their 2006 mortgage loan transaction.
Section 1639b(c) was enacted in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), Pub. L. No. 111-203, § 1403, 124 Stat. 1376, 2139-40 (2010). Section 1403 of the Dodd-Frank Act amended § 129B of TILA, which is codified at 15 U.S.C. § 1639b. Dodd-Frank Act § 1403, 124 Stat. at 2139. The Dodd-Frank Act provided that the effective date for § 1639b would be established by the rules implementing the act. Dodd-Frank Act § 1400, 124 Stat. at 2136 (“[A] section, or provision thereof, of this title shall take effect on the date on which the final regulations implementing such section, or provision, take effect.”).
“Historically, Regulation Z of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), 12 CFR part 226, has implemented TILA.” Truth in Lending (Regulation Z), 76 Fed.Reg. 79768, 79768 (Dec. 22, 2011). The Board published a final rule on loan originator compensation in 2010. Truth in Lending, 75 Fed.Reg. 58509 (Sept. 24, 2010) (codified at 12 C.F.R. § 226.36). Although the Board did not rely on § 1639b for authority to issue the rule, it found the rule to be “consistent with” it. Id. at 58509. The rule had an effective date of April 1, 2011, and applied to “loan originator compensation transactions subject to [12 C.F.R.] § 226.36(d) and (e) for which creditors receive applications on or after April 1, 2011.” Id. at 58530. Furthermore, “[c]ompliance with the provisions of the final rule [was] not required before the effective date.” Id.
“[T]he Dodd-Frank Act transferred rulemaking authority for TILA to the [CFPB], effective July 21, 2011.” Truth in Lending (Regulation Z), 76 Fed.Reg. at 79768; see also Dodd-Frank Act, §§ 1062-63, 124 Stat. at 20396-39; Designated Transfer Date, 75 Fed.Reg. 57252 (Sept. 20, 2010). The CFPB published interim final rules on December 22, 2011, that essentially recodified the Board’s loan originator rules from 12 C.F.R. § 226.36 to 12 C.F.R. § 1026.36. Truth in Lending
The CFPB proposed rules to implement § 1639b in 2012. Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z); Loan Originator Compensation, 77 Fed.Reg. 55272 (Sept. 7, 2012). The final rules were issued on January 20, 2013,
Thus, the effective date of 15 U.S.C. § 1639b(c) was January 10, 2014, although the conduct complained of by Plaintiffs was also prohibited under 12 C.F.R. § 226.36 as early as April 1, 2011. Plaintiffs cite no authority, and the court is not aware of any, to suggest that 15 U.S.C. § 1639b(c) or the CFPB’s implementing regulations were intended to apply retroactively to their 2006 mortgage loan. “The operative presumption, after all, is that Congress intends its laws to govern prospectively only.” Vartelas v. Holder, — U.S. -, 132 S.Ct. 1479, 1491, 182 L.Ed.2d 473 (2012); see also Carranza-De Salinas v. Holder, 700 F.3d 768, 772 (5th Cir. 2012) (“ ‘[T]he presumption against retroactive legislation is deeply rooted in our jurisprudence, and embodies a legal doctrine centuries older than our Republic.’ ” (quoting Landgraf v. USI Film Products, 511 U.S. 244, 114 S.Ct. 1483, 1497, 128 L.Ed.2d 229 (1994))). “ ‘Elementary considerations of fairness dictate that individuals should have an opportunity to know what the law is and to conform their conduct accordingly’” and thus “‘the legal effect of conduct should ordinarily be assessed under the law that existed when the conduct took place.’ ” Carranzar-De Salinas, 700 F.3d at 772 (quoting Landgraf, 114 S.Ct. at 1497). “‘[T]he essential inquiry’ in determining whether a statute applies retroactively, ‘is whether the new provision attaches new legal consequences to events completed before its enactment.’ ” Id. at 773 (quoting Varíelas, 132 S.Ct. at 1491). Here, the alleged violation occurred when the YSP was paid at the loan closing on November 1, 2006.
Plaintiffs allege that “U.S. Bank failed to give [them] proper notice of its ownership as a new creditor within 30 days” in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g).
Defendants argue that Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim under § 1641(g) because of their allegations that “U.S. Bank and Bank of America are not the assignees of [their] mortgage loan.”
Contrary to Defendants’ arguments,. the allegations in Plaintiffs’ Original Petition do not foreclose the inference that the Note was assigned to U.S. Bank.
The pleadings indicate that Plaintiffs sought to determine whether U.S. Bank was assigned the Note but were unable to do so. Accordingly, Plaintiffs pleaded their claims in the alternative. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(d) (“A party may set out 2 or more statements of a claim or defense alternatively or hypothetically, either in a single count or defense or in separate ones. If a party makes alternative statements, the pleading is sufficient if any one of them is sufficient.”); Vasquez v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 325 F.3d 665, 674 (5th Cir. 2003) (“Plaintiffs are permitted to plead in the alternative.”); Camp v. RCW & Co., Inc., No. H-05-3580, 2007 WL 1306841, at *8 (S.D.Tex. May 3, 2007) (“A plaintiff may plead in the alternative with regard to closely interrelated Defendants whose specific conduct and responsibility may not be known or knowable when a plaintiff files suit, and pretrial discovery enables the exact facts to be revealed. This is sufficient notice pleading that precludes dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6).”), aff'd, 342 Fed.Appx. 980 (5th Cir. 2009). “Alternative pleadings may be inconsistent.” Parra v. Mountain States Life Ins. Co. of Am., 52 F.3d 1066 (5th Cir. 1995); see also Wells Fargo Bank,
Plaintiffs seek statutory damages under 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a)(2)(A) for Defendants’ alleged violations of § 1641(g).
(i) in the case of an individual action twice the amount of any finance charge in connection with the transaction, (ii) in the case of an individual action relating to a consumer lease under part E of this subchapter, 25 per centum of the total amount of monthly payments under the lease, except that the liability under this subparagraph shall not be less than $200 nor greater than $2,000, (iii) in the case of an individual action relating to an open end consumer credit plan that is not secured by real property or a dwelling, twice the amount of any finance charge in connection with the transaction, with a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $5,000, or such higher amount as may be appropriate in the case of an established pattern or practice of such failures; or (iv) in the case of an individual action relating to a credit transaction not under an open end credit plan that is secured by real property or a dwelling, not less than $400 or greater than $4,000.
In Koons Buick Pontiac GMC, Inc. v. Nigh, 543 U.S. 50, 125 S.Ct. 460, 160 L.Ed.2d 389 (2004), the Supreme Court made clear that the $200 floor and $2,000 ceiling on recovery in clause (ii) applies to the general measure of statutory damages as defined in clause (i). Id. at 468. In addition, the court held that “[c]lause [ (iv) ]
Defendants argue in their Reply that Plaintiffs have not alleged any finance charge in connection with the assignment to U.S. Bank.
Because Plaintiffs may be entitled to statutory damages under § 1640(a)(2)(A), their failure to plead any finance charge in connection with the assignment does not require dismissal of their complaint for failure to state a claim. See Brown, 817 F.Supp.2d at 1333-36 (rejecting the argument “that statutory damages are unavailable under TILA in the absence of related finance charges” and denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss on that basis); see also Foley v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 849 F.Supp.2d 1345, 1350-52 (S.D.Fla. 2012) (adopting the Brown court’s reasoning to reject the argument that a claim under § 1641(g) “must be dismissed for failure to allege sufficient facts showing actual damages, or to plead any finance charges associated with statutory damages”); cf. Eby v. Reb Realty, Inc., 495 F.2d 646, 651 (9th Cir. 1974) (“By providing a minimum recovery of $100 regardless of the presence of a finance charge or its de minimis amount, Congress indicated that the finance charge was to be no more than a convenient measure for damages and not a remedial trigger upon which liability was to depend.”); Kleiner v. First Nat. Bank of Atlanta, 97 F.R.D. 683, 698 (N.D.Ga. 1983) (“The damages provision is a ‘civil penalty’ which depends not on the finance charge incurred but on the lender’s failure to make
3. Conversion
Plaintiffs allege that Bank of America has converted money they paid under the Note by forwarding it to “the putative note owner” and refusing to return it upon Plaintiffs’ demand.
Texas jurisprudence holds that money can be the subject of conversion, but only when it is in the form of specific chattel, such as old coins, or when “the money is delivered to another party for safekeeping, the keeper claims no title, and the money is required and intended to be segregated, either substantially in the form in which it was received or as an intact fund.”
Mitchell Energy, 80 F.3d at 984 (quoting Dixon v. State, 808 S.W.2d 721, 723 (Tex.App.-Austin 1991, writ dism’d w.o.j.)). “An obligation to pay money generally, however, is treated differently under Texas law. ‘Where money is involved, it is subject to conversion only when it can be described or identified as a specific chattel, but not where an indebtedness may be discharged by the payment of money generally.’ ” Id. (quoting Crenshaw v. Swenson, 611 S.W.2d 886, 891 (Tex.Civ.App.-Austin 1980, writ ref d n.r.e.)).
Here, Plaintiffs allege that Bank of America converted their Note payments by remitting them “to a third party, the putative note owner.”
These provisions make clear that Plaintiffs’ obligations under the Note entailed delivering their payments to the location designated by the Lender. Neither party contends that Plaintiffs’ payments to Bank of America failed to satisfy these provisions. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ payments were “deemed received by [the] Lender” when received by their loan servicer at the designated location in accordance with the Note and Deed of Trust. Because this is a situation where “an indebtedness may be discharged by the payment of money generally,” Plaintiffs cannot state a claim for conversion under Texas law. See id. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ claims for conversion will be dismissed.
4. Plaintiffs’ Claims for Money Had and Received
Plaintiffs argue that Defendants “have received money which belongs to Plaintiffs” and that they “need this money back in order to pay the true Note Holder.”
Plaintiffs’ claim for money had and received arises from their allegation that U.S. Bank may not be entitled to payments due under the Note and Deed of Trust.
5. Suit to Remove Cloud and Quiet Title
A suit to quiet title under Texas law requires a plaintiff to prove: (1) a valid equitable interest in a specific property, (2) title to the property is affected by a claim by the defendant, and (3) although facially valid, defendant’s claim is invalid or unenforceable. Bryant v. Bank of America, N.A., No. 4:11-CV-448, 2012 WL 2681361, at *16 (E.D.Tex. June 6, 2012) (citing Sadler v. Duvall, 815 S.W.2d 285, 293 n. 2 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 1991, pet. denied)). A plaintiff in a suit to quiet title “must prove and recover on the strength of his own title, not the weakness of his adversary’s title.” Fricks v. Hancock, 45 S.W.3d 322, 327 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 2001, no pet.). “The effect of a suit to quiet title is to declare invalid or ineffective the defendant’s claim to title.” Gordon v. West Houston Trees, Ltd., 352 S.W.3d 32, 42 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, no pet.).
Plaintiffs allege that “U.S. Bank has clouded Plaintiffs’ title by claiming that [it] has a lien for security purposes on Plaintiffs’ Property and that Defendant has the power to foreclose on said property.”
Defendants have produced a copy of an Assignment of Deed of Trust recorded in the Official Public Records of Real Property of Harris County, Texas, on December 18, 2012.
6. Consent Judgment Violation
Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment regarding Bank of America’s compliance with a consent judgment entered into between Bank of America and the United States on April 4, 2012, in United States v. Bank of America, No. 1:12-cv-00361-RMC, at Docket Entry No. 11 (D.D.C. Apr. 4, 2012).
Courts confronted with the same consent judgment have held that homeowners like Plaintiffs do not have standing to bring a claim for its violation. See, e.g., McCain v. Bank of Am., — F.Supp.3d -, No. 13-1418, 2014 WL 334196, at *6 (D.D.C. Jan. 30, 2014) (“The Unrelated Consent Judgment, however, simply does not create a private right of action allowing third parties, such as the plaintiff, to bring claims for alleged violations of the Judgments.... ”); Bagala v. Bank of Am., No. H-13-0160, 2013 WL 4523562, at *2 (S.D.Tex. Aug. 27, 2013) (“Courts that have addressed this claim have held that ‘mortgagors like Plaintiffs do not have standing to enforce a consent decree that banks have entered into with the government.’ Additionally, there is nothing in the Consent Decree that indicates an intent to confer standing on non-parties.” (citations omitted) (quoting Reynolds v. Bank of Am., N.A., No. 3:12-CV-1420-L, 2013 WL 1904090, at *10 (N.D.Tex. May 8, 2013))); Choe v. Bank of Am., N.A., No. 3:13-CV-0120-D, 2013 WL 3196571, at *4 (N.D.Tex. June 25, 2013) (“It is well settled that ‘a consent decree is not enforceable directly or in collateral proceedings by those who are not parties to it even though they were intended to be benefited by it.’ ” (quoting Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug Stores, 421 U.S. 723, 95 S.Ct. 1917, 1932, 44 L.Ed.2d 539 (1975))). Furthermore, Plaintiffs have not provided the court with a copy of the consent judgment that they seek to enforce. See Reynolds, 2013 WL 1904090, at *10. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ claims against Bank of America for violation of the consent judgment will be dismissed.
7. Declaratory Judgment as to Procedural Defects
Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment regarding U.S. Bank’s compliance with the Deed of Trust provisions governing foreclosure of their property.
Plaintiffs also allege that they “were not given proper notice that the underlying Note was in default (and that Plaintiffs had an opportunity to cure said default).”
Plaintiffs argue that Defendants lost their right to foreclose under paragraph nineteen of the Deed of Trust when Plaintiffs made their first monthly payment under the Note.
In addition, Plaintiffs allege that “[t]he Substitute Trustee conducting the foreclosure sale on behalf of U.S. Bank was not appointed according to the terms of the Deed of Trust and no Notice of Substitute Trustee was provided to Plaintiffs.”
8. Declaratory Judgment as to Standing
Plaintiffs allege that U.S. Bank does not have standing to foreclose.
Plaintiffs request leave to amend their complaint “if the court determines that Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim.”
V. Conclusions and Order
For the reasons explained above, the court concludes that Plaintiffs have failed to state a plausible claim for relief against Bank of America under any theory of liability advanced in their Original Petition. All of Plaintiffs’ claims against Bank of America are therefore DISMISSED with prejudice.
For the reasons explained in § III.B.2(b) above, the court concludes that Plaintiffs state a plausible claim for relief against U.S. Bank under 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g). For the reasons explained in § III above, the court concludes that Plaintiffs have failed to state a plausible claim for relief against U.S. Bank under any other theory advanced in their Original Petition. Accordingly, with the exception of their claims under 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g), all of Plaintiffs’ claims against U.S. Bank are DISMISSED with prejudice.
Defendants U.S. Bank, National Association, Successor Trustee and Bank of America, N.A.’s Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (Docket Entry No. 6) is therefore GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.
For the reasons explained in § IV above, Plaintiffs’ request for leave to amend (Plaintiffs’ Response, Docket Entry No. 9, page 6) is DENIED.
Defendant First Franklin has not filed an answer. Plaintiffs will advise the court within fourteen days of the entry of this Memorandum Opinion and Order whether they intend to proceed against First Franklin and, if so, the status of service.
. Defendant First Franklin consented to the removal. Defendant First Franklin Financial Corporation’s Notice of Consent to Removal, Docket Entry No. 8. Defendants’ Amended Notice of Removal alleges that "Defendant KH Financial, LP is a now-defunct Illinois
. Original Petition, Application for Temporary Restraining Order, Temporary Injunction and Request for Disclosures (“Original Petition”), attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 10 ¶ 14; Adjustable Rate Note ("Note”), Exhibit A to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 2; Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 7.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 1, pp. 10-11 ¶ 17.
. Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 7.
. Assignment of Deed of Trust, Exhibit B-2 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 57.
. Notice of Foreclosure Sale, Exhibit C to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 22.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1.
. Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1; Amended Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 3.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6.
. Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants U.S. Bank, National Association, Successor Trustee and Bank of America, N.A.’s Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) ("Response”), Docket Entry No. 9.
. Defendants’ Reply to Plaintiffs’ Response to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss ("Reply”), Docket Entry No. 12.
. Assignment of Deed of Trust, Exhibit B-2 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 57.
. March 13, 2013, Correspondence from Bank of America to Timothy Fowler & Connie Fowler ("Notice of Default"), Exhibit A-l to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 27.
. Notice of Rescission of Acceleration of Loan Maturity, Exhibit B-3 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 60.
. See Original Petit ion, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 8 ¶ 2, p. 17 ¶ 35, p. 35 ¶ 112(d).
. See id. at 17-40 ¶¶ 40-129.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6.
. Response, Docket Entry No. 9, pp. 3-4 ¶ 12.
. Reply, Docket Entry No. 12, p. 2 ¶ 1.
. See Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 17-30 ¶¶ 40-94.
. Mat 21 1156.
. Id., at 24-25 ¶¶ 69-70.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, pp. 9-11 ¶¶ 14-17.
.Response, Docket Entry No. 9, pp. 5-6 ¶¶ 19-20.
. Id. at 5 ¶ 18; see also id. at 5-6 ¶ 19.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 28-29 ¶ 87.
.Id. at 29 ¶ 89. Assignees such as U.S. Bank are potentially liable for the TILA violations of assignors under 15 U.S.C. § 1641.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 12 ¶20.
. "This final rule is issued on January 20, 2013, in accordance with 12 CFR 1074.1.” Loan Originator Compensation Requirements Under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), 78 Fed.Reg. at 11291. Under 12 C.F.R. 1074.1 a final CFPB rule is deemed issued either when the rule is posted on the CFPB's website or when it is published in the federal register, whichever is earlier. The original issuing document is available on the CFPB’s website at http://files.consumerfinance.gov/17 20130Lcfpb_final-rule_loan-originator-compensation.pdf.
. The CFPB later revised the effective date for certain provisions of the rules to January 1, 2014. Amendments to the 2013 Mortgage Rules Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X), and the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), 78 Fed.Reg. 60382 (Oct. 1, 2013).
. See Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 11-12 ¶¶ 18-24, pp. 28-29 ¶¶ 86-90; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Settlement Statement, Exhibit D to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 24.
. Plaintiffs do not appear to argue that Bank of America is liable under § 1639b(c). They make no factual allegations concerning Bank of America and assert no theory of potential liability. The court has already concluded that § 1639b(c) does not apply to Plaintiffs’ 2006 mortgage loan transaction. According
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 29 ¶ 92. Unlike the transaction giving rise to Plaintiffs’ alleged § 1639b(c) violation, which occurred prior to enactment of the relevant statute, the assignment of Plaintiffs’ mortgage in 2012 occurred after enactment of § 1641(g) in 2009. See Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-22, § 404, 123 Stat. 1632, 1658 (2009). Section 1641(g) "became effective immediately upon enactment on May 20, 2009, and did not require the issuance of implementing regulations.” Regulation Z; Truth in Lending, 75 Fed.Reg. 58489, 58489 (Sept. 24, 2010).
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 11 ¶ 19.
. Id.
. Response, Docket Entry No. 9, p. 4 ¶ 13; see also id. ¶ 14 (“If Defendants are truly saying that Plaintiffs’ TILA claim under 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g) fails because Defendants are not the holder/owner of the Note, and Defendants are willing to stipulate to such, then Plaintiffs are happy to concede that no violation [of] 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g) []occurred. However, if Defendants were holders of the Note and Deed of Trust, then their failure to provide notice of assignment is a violation of TILA.”).
. Id. ¶ 16.
. Id. at 6.
.Id. at 4 ¶ 15.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 10 ¶ 14.
. Id. ¶ 16.
. Id. at 16 ¶ 33; Title Search, Exhibit J to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-3, p. 20.
. Request for Validation of Debt under TILA and FDCPA, Exhibit H to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-3, p. 15; see also Qualified Written Request, Exhibit I to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-3, p. 18 (“Per U.S.C. 12 § 2605(k) & U.S.C. 15 § 1641(g)(1) please provide the owner's name and contact information such as address and telephone number.”).
. Qualified Written Request, Exhibit I to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-3, p. 18.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 37-38 ¶¶ 120-21; see also id. at 16 ¶¶ 28-33.
. Id. at 16 ¶ 29.
. Id. at 29 ¶ 92.
. If a notice of assignment in compliance with § 1641(g) existed, it would have been easy for Defendants to produce it in the briefing on Defendants’ pending motion, having produced various other documents in support of the motion. Since the court has devoted substantial resources to this Memorandum Opinion and Order, it is not inclined to consider any further argument or evidence on this claim from Defendants in another pretrial motion. The court will therefore save this issue until trial.
. Plaintiffs do not allege any actual damages resulting from U.S. Bank’s alleged failure to provide proper notice of assignment under § 1641(g). See id. at 29 ¶¶ 91-93. Instead, "Plaintiffs seek the maximum statutory damages allowed by law.” Id. ¶ 93.
. At the time that Koons was decided, clause (iv) was codified in § 1640(a)(2)(A)(iii). See Koons, 125 S.Ct. at 465. The current clause (iii) was added by the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-24, § 107, 123 Stat. 1734, 1743 (2009).
. At the time that Koons was decided, the floor on statutory damages for closed-end mortgages was $200 and the ceiling was $2,000. See Koons, 125 S.Ct. at 465. These
.At the time that Koons was decided, the floor for recovery under clause (i) was $100 and the ceiling was $1,000. See Koons, 125 S.Ct. at 465. These amounts were increased to $200 and $2,000, respectively, in 2010. Dodd-Frank Act § 1416, 124 Stat. at 2153.
. Reply, Docket Entry No. 12, pp. 3-4 ¶¶ 5-6.
. At the time that Mourning was decided, the statutory minimum under § 1640 was $100. See Mourning, 93 S.Ct. at 1656; see also Koons, 125 S.Ct. at 464-65 (tracing the amendment history of § 1640(a)).
.Plaintiffs do not appear to argue that Bank of America is liable under § 1641(g). They make no factual allegations concerning Bank of America and assert no theory of potential liability. By its terms, § 1641(g) applies only to "the creditor that is the new owner or assignee of the debt.” 15 U.S.C. § 1641(g)(1); see Garcia v. Universal Mortgage Corp., No. 3; 12-CV-2460-L, 2013 WL 1858195, at *6 (N.D.Tex. May 3, 2013); cf. Justice v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, No. 2:13-CV-00165, 2014 WL 526143, at *9 (S.D.Ohio Feb. 7, 2014) (citing Marais v. Chase Home Fin. LLC, 736 F.3d 711, 716 (6th Cir. 2013)). Accordingly, the court concludes that to the extent that Plaintiffs attempt to state a cause of action against Bank of America under § 1641(g), they have failed to do so.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 30¶97.
. Id.
. Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 10 ¶ 1.
. Id. at 7.
. Note, Exhibit A to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 2.
. Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 16 ¶ 20 (emphasis added).
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 31 ¶99.
. Id. at 30-31 ¶¶ 97-99.
. Response, Docket Entry No. 9, p. 4 ¶ 16.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 14 ¶¶ 26-27.
. See Response, Docket Entry No. 9, pp. 4-6 ¶¶ 13-20.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 32 ¶ 102.
.Id. ¶ 103.
. Id. at 10 ¶ 14.
. Assignment of Deed of Trust, Exhibit B-2 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 57.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 12-15 ¶¶ 25-27; pp. 32-34 ¶¶ 105-111.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, pp. 6-7 ¶¶ 9-10.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 34-36 ¶ 112.
. Id. at 35 ¶ 112(c).
. Assignment of Deed of Trust, Exhibit B-2 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 57.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 35 ¶ 112(d).
. Notice of Default, Exhibit A-l to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 27.
. Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 15 ¶ 15.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 35-36 ¶ 112(e).
. Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 16 ¶ 19.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, p. 34 ¶ 112(a).
. Id. at 34-35 11112(b).
. Id.
. Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 18 ¶ 34.
. Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 36-39 ¶¶ 115-125.
. Id. at 38 ¶ 123.
. See Deed of Trust, Exhibit B to Original Petition, Docket Entry No. 1-2, p. 17 ¶ 22.
. Id. at 9.
. See Assignment of Deed of Trust, Exhibit B-2 to Motion to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 6, p. 57 (assigning all "right, title, and interest” to the Deed of Trust to U.S. Bank).
. Plaintiffs also seek a declaratory judgment that Defendants’ attorney's fees are not reasonable and necessary and a permanent injunction preventing Defendants from “charging Plaintiffs’ account for attorney's fees in connection with this action.” Original Petition, attached as Exhibit B-l to Notice of Removal, Docket Entry No. 1-1, pp. 39-40 ¶¶ 128-29. However, Plaintiffs have not alleged that Defendants have sought to recover
. Response, Docket Entry No. 9, p. 6.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Timothy FOWLER and Connie Fowler v. U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Successor Trustee to Bank of America, N.A., as Successor Trustee to Lasalle Bank, N.A. as Trustee for the Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Mortgage Loan Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-FF1 Bank of America, N.A. First Franklin, a Division of National City Bank and KH Financial, L.P.
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- 13 cases
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- Published