Javaheri v. JPMorgan Chase finally !!

From ChaseChase.org:

Federal District Court

Javaheri v. JPMorgan Chase, Case No. CV10-8185 ODW

Otis D. Wright II, Judge, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles
Douglas Gillies, attorney for Daryoush Javaheri

Plaintiff sued to halt a foreclosure initiated by JPMorgan Chase and California Reconveyance Co. Chase responded with a Motion to Dismiss. Two times the court granted Chase’s motion with leave to amend. Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint and Chase again moved to dismiss.

In opposing the motion, Plaintiff requested that the court take judicial notice of:

(1) the Congressional Oversight Panel November Oversight Report (COP Report) released on November 16, 2010 – http://cop.senate.gov/documents/cop-111610-report.pdf

(2) Federal Reserve System Consent Order in the Matter of JPMORGAN CHASE & CO., Docket No. 11-023-B-HC and 11- 023-B-DEO, dated April 13, 2011 – www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/enforcement/enf20110413a5.pdf

Judge Wright denied Chase’s motion to dismiss five causes of action – wrongful foreclosure, quiet title, violation of Cal Civ. Code Sec. 2923.5, quasi contract, and declaratory relief.

Beware of foreclosure scams currently under investigation by the District Atorney

Each day I get calls from desperate people hoping against hope the there is a magic document that can be filed or recorded the will magically give them their home free and clear without recourse. I tell them if it sounds to good to be true it probably is. That’s not to say that I don’t agree with the position that the documents that now exist as to these securitized loans are not defective. I do believe that the real party in interest is not the one foreclosing. I also believe that the party who is out the money or the true lender has been paid with insurance (one such insurer was AIG), or is being paid under the pooling and servicing agreement, or has a guarantee from a bailout program. They are going to get paid and they are going to take the house based upon forged documents.

The homeowner is being told he doesn’t qualify for a principal reduction. That although they qualified for a $4,000.00 monthly payment when they got the loan now they do not qualify for a $2,400.00 payment.

The world is crazy right now. Take a look at what the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is investigating now.

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Responses to Preventing Foreclosures
and Foreclosure Rescue Fraud

1. Types of Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Cases Being Investigated
• Home Equity Sales Contract Fraud: Suspects convince homeowners to grant title of the property to them and pay them rent. Suspects usually promise to return property back to the victims in a year or two when their credit is improved. Suspects either take out loans against the property or sell the property and pocket the equity.
•Mortgage Foreclosure Consultant Fraud: Suspect contacts homeowner whose home is in foreclosure and claims to be able to assist in delaying or preventing foreclosure by obtaining new financing. Suspect instructs homeowner to transfer title of property to an individual (suspect or suspect’s accomplice) who can qualify for new financing. Suspect obtains new loan including all equity. Usually within months, the homeowner receives a notice of default in the mail and the suspect has already absconded with sales proceeds.
•Bankruptcy Fraud: Suspects file fraudulent bankruptcy cases using a fictitious business and/or trust using fractionalized deeds. Homeowners pay a monthly fee to the suspects while foreclosure is being delayed because of the bankruptcy proceedings. When a fraudulent bankruptcy case is dismissed, suspects file another fraudulent bankruptcy case.
•Loan Modification Fraud: Suspects charge an upfront fee and/or monthly fees to negotiate with lenders on the behalf of the homeowners. Typically, they provide no service or minimal service and just take the money.
•Forged Reconveyance Fraud: Suspects file a forged reconveyance on a property, making it appear that the property is owned free and clear. Suspects encumber the property with a new loan and run off with the new loan proceeds.
•Rent Skimming: Trespassing on vacant property and renting to unsuspecting tenants.
2. How Are We Addressing the Crisis
•Cases are investigated where there are a significant number of victims and losses. Consideration to investigate a case is also based on the facts of a complaint submitted to our office for review.
• The Los Angeles County Real Estate Fraud Task Force meets monthly and shares
information on current trends and cases being investigated. The task force has
been in existence for approximately ten years. The task force is comprised of the
following agencies: Department of Real Estate, County Department of Consumer
Affairs, County Registrar Recorder, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department and County Assessor. Other law
enforcement/county agencies also attend the task force meetings.
• We coordinate with outside agencies to investigate cases that have multiple
victims in various jurisdictions.
3. Type of Scams
• Phony counseling: Scam artists convince homeowners that they can negotiate a
deal with lenders. Once they collect the fee, they take off.
• Rent-To-Buy Scam/Rent Skimming: Suspects convince homeowners to grant title
of the property to them and pay them rent. Suspects usually promise to return the
property back to the victims in a year or two when their credit is improved.
Suspects either take out loans against the property or sell the property and pocket
the equity. Suspects benefit from rent money and the equity they stole.
• Bankruptcy Foreclosure: Suspects file fraudulent bankruptcy cases using a
fictitious business and/or trust using fractionalized deeds. Sometimes scam artists
file bankruptcy in homeowners’ names – sometimes without their knowledge.
Often attorneys are involved in this scam.
4. Challenges
• Thousands of complaints are received throughout the county annually and due to
limited personnel (e.g. detectives, prosecutors, etc.) many cases are often not
investigated.
• Cases investigated are often complex and labor intensive.
• Many of the companies have gone out of business that have the records to prove
the crime (e.g. Title Company, Escrow Company, financial institution, etc.).
5. Tools or Resources Needed
•Additional investigators and prosecutors.
•Continue Community Outreach Programs to educate the public on what government programs are available to assist them.
•Enhance current statutes with greater punishment (longer prison sentences) and reconvey clear title through the criminal process thus returning the property to the original owner.
•Greater regulatory oversight and accountability over all of the players involved in all real estate transactions (e.g. Appraisers, loan brokers, title companies, etc.) .
•Improve the manner/verification in which records for recordation are accepted.
•Restrict access to real estate records by the general public (Need-to-Know/ Right-to-Know).

What’s an Allonge anyway ??? thanks Jake

Do We Have a Fraud Problem? The Case of the Mysteriously Appearing Allonge posted by Adam Levitin I have generally been willing to give mortgage servicers, servicer support shops (like LPS), and foreclosure attorneys the benefit of the doubt when it comes to documentation irregularities (to put it mildly) in foreclosures. My working assumption up to this point has been that the documentation problems have been a function of corner cutting with securitization based on the assumptions that (1) the loans would perform better than they did and (2) those that defaulted would result in default judgments in foreclosure, so no one would ever notice the problems. I’ve also assumed that lack of capacity has played a critical role in problems in the default management chain–the system is held together by Scotch tape at this point. In other words, the problems in the system weren’t caused by malice.

I got some grief about this from people down in the trenches when I posted a comment about this a couple of weeks ago. And I was tempted to write it off as a function of litigants being too close to their cases. But a document I read today is making me rethink these assumptions. Here is an order from a Florida court that makes me start to wonder if we might have a serious fraud problem going on with blank endorsements and allonges.

To be sure, one data point isn’t an epidemic, but servicing is an industry where things tend to happen en masse. As Obi-Wan Kenobi

explains:

Obi-Wan: “A fighter that size couldn’t get this deep into space on its own.”

Luke: “Yeah, he must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something.”

Han: “Well, he ain’t going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us.”

Luke: “Look at him. He’s headed for that small moon.”

Han: “I think I can get him before he gets there. He’s almost in range.”

Obi-Wan: “That’s no moon. It’s a space station.”

Han: “It’s too big to be a space station.”

Luke: “I have a very bad feeling about this.”

Obi-Wan: “Turn the ship around.”

Han: “Yeah, I think your right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power.”

To start with, let me explain endorsements and allonges. And endorsement (or indorsement) is a signature on an instrument for the purpose of transferring rights in the instrument. (See UCC 3-204 for more details.) They work the same with notes as with checks and are governed by the same law. There are three types of endorsements. There are endorsements in blank–just your signature, nothing more (e.g., Adam J. Levitin), and special endorsements (Adam J. Levitin to Katherine Porter), and restrictive endorsements (Adam J. Levitin, for deposit only in Safe’n’Sound Bank).

A blank endorsement (by the instrument’s payee, of course) turns the instrument into bearer paper. That means it’s like cash. Whoever physically possesses the note, including a theif, can enforce it against the maker. And as a recent 9th Circuit BAP opinion, In re Veal (about which I hope to blog more) noted (fn 25), bearer paper has long had lots of nefarious associations (I would add Godfather III to the bearer bonds movie list in that note). In contrast, a special endorsement limits who can enforce the note; only the specially noted endorsee has rights in that note and can enforce it (they could transfer it to someone else, but that’s another matter).

Now allonges.  An allonge isn’t a delicious throat-soothing lozenge from Switzerland. It’s a piece of paper that goes a-long with the note. The allonge is basically an overflow sheet for extra endorsements. Frankly, no one should ever be using an allonge if there is room for an endorsement on the original note. Yes, it’s easier to print on the allonge, but allonges create evidentiary problems, namely that it can be difficult to tell when the endorsement on the allonge was done or if the allonge is even meant to go with that particular note. And I’m not sure what the evidentiary weight of an affidavit or testimony on this point could possibly be. Unless the affiant or witness has some basis for knowing that this particular allonge goes with this particular note (“I distinctly remember the peculiar coffee stain on both pieces of paper–it looked like Karl Malden’s nose”), then there’s little probative value from the affidavit or testimony.

The law on allonges is not particularly well-developed. The 1951 version of the UCC, in force in NY and South Carolina (I think), covers them in section 3-202, but the current version does not. The old version of the UCC required that allonges be “firmly attached.”

That requirement seems to have been fulfilled via pasting or gluing and maybe stapling. Query whether paper clip or rubber band or simply in the same folder will suffice. I’m not sure why any of them would.

None of these methods answers the question of when the allonge was created. I can paste or rubberband the day of trial. There’s a smidgen of state law on this, but it hasn’t been a major issue previously.

Which brings us to BONY v. Faulk. In this case, the foreclosure filing included a 3 page note. The note lacked endorsements connecting the originator to BONY as trustee for the foreclosing securitziation trust. This set up a motion to dismiss on the grounds that BONY didn’t have any right to do anything–it had no connection with the note.

But wait!  Suddenly BONY’s attorney tells the court that she is in possession of the fourth page of the note, which includes a blank endorsement. Puhlease…  What a ridiculous deus ex machina ending.

Are we do believe that this attorney filed 3 pages of the note, but not the 4th? If so, I sure hope she’s not billing for that screw up.

But here’s what perplexes me. Suppose that an allonge is produced. How are we going to know when that allonge was created or that it even relates to the note in question? (Just so everyone’s clear–if the endorsement were created later, then BONY as trustee for CWABS 2006-13 trust had no standing at the time the action was filed because the trust didn’t own the note at that time.) How do we know that this attorney isn’t engaged in fraud on the court (and a host of other violations of state and federal law)?

And this isn’t even getting into the question of whether the PSA at issue requires specific endorsements, not endorsements in blank. As it turns out that’s a problem in this particular case. Here’s the PSA for CWABS 2006-13 trust.  Section 2.01(g)(1) provides that the Depositor deliver to the trustee:

the original Mortgage Note, endorsed by manual of facsimile signature in blank in the following form: “Pay to the order of _______ without recourse”, with all intervening endorsements that show a complete chain of endorsement from the originator to the Person endorsing the Mortgage Note…

As an aside, let me point out that “endorsement…in blank” does not mean endorsed in blank in the UCC sense. In the UCC sense, endorsed in blank simply means the endorser’s signature, just as you might put on the back of a check before depositing it. Here, it means endorsed with a blank for the endorsee’s name.  Critically, this PSA requires a complete chain of endorsement with all intervening endorsements. A single endorsement in blank ain’t gonna do it if this PSA means anything. And there were a lot of MBS investors who assumed that it was going to be followed.

I think this PSA just puts the attorney in an even worse place. The only way there should be a separate blank endorsement page is if there was non-compliance with the PSA. Are we really to believe that happened? (Well, yes, but the attorney can’t really argue that BONY generally doesn’t comply with its duties as trustee, now can she?)

We’ve already seen pretty shocking evidence of documentation fraud in foreclosures.  Remember that the robosigning scandal was the by-product of depositions that aimed to show backdating of assignments to trusts. The shame of the robosigning press coverage was that it focused on some shmucks signing 10,000 assignments in a month–which didn’t necessarily produce any harm itself, just carpal tunnel syndrome–and overlooked the really quite serious criminal problem of the backdating of assignments. The depositions showed pretty clearly that there was backdating–the notarizations were by notaries who didn’t have their commissions until a couple of years subsequent or were done on Christmas Day, etc.

Document fraud in the mortgage industry is nothing new. It’s appeared in all flavors and sizes for centuries. The laws of negotiability are first and foremost evidentiary laws meant to protect against fraud.

Negotiable instruments are reified obligations–the instrument itself is the right to payment (UCC 3-203, cmt. 1).  That means that one can sue on either the instrument or on the underlying contract (but Statute of Frauds might require some writing for enforceability). I hope that courts will recognize that real serious potential for fraud that exists when one combines endorsements in blank with allonges and start demanding (1) that the complete note be filed with the original filing and (2) that anyone using an allonge prove that the allonge goes with the note in question. I think we’ve passed the point were there can be any assumptions of good faith and fair dealing.

I’d be curious to hear if any foreclosure defense attorneys have been pushing on the evidentiary status of allonges–namely what proof beyond a staple or the like is there that an allonge goes with a particular mortgage and wasn’t just photocopied from another one.

And yes, this sort of evidentiary scrutiny adds huge costs to the system. But it would be pretty easily avoided if PSAs had been followed in the first place–there was a reason that they required complete, unbroken chains of endorsement.

June 16, 2011 at 8:43 PM in Mortgage Debt & Home Equity

Adam J. Levitin

Associate Professor of Law

A.B. Harvard; A.M., M.Phil. Columbia; J.D. Harvard

Address:

600 New Jersey Avenue N.W.

Washington, DC 20001-2075

Office Location:  Hotung 6022

Office Phone:  202.662.9234

Office Fax:  202.662.4030

e-mail (preferred contact method): adam.levitin<at>law.georgetown.edu

(replace the <at> with the @ sign in the e-mail)

Assistant:  Terican Gross

Phone:  202.662.9485

Blog:  http://www.creditslips.org

*Please note that I do not provide personal legal advice, including on credit card and mortgage foreclosure issues.*

Biography

Professor Levitin specializes in bankruptcy, commercial law, and financial regulation.  His research focuses on consumer and housing finance, payments, and debt restructuring.

Before joining the Georgetown faculty, Professor Levitin practiced in the Business Finance & Restructuring Department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in New York and served as law clerk to the Honorable Jane Richards Roth on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  While at Georgetown, he has served as Special Counsel to the Congressional Oversight Panel and as the Robert Zinman Scholar in Residence at the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Professor Levitin holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.Phil and an A.M. from Columbia University, and an A.B. from Harvard College, all with honors.

Jake Naumer

Resolution Advisors

3187 Morgan Ford

St Louis Missouri 63116

314 961 7600

Fax Voice Mail 314 754 9086

2924 unconstitutional ???

2924 unconstitutional  Check out this pro per complaint they raise some interesting issues.

PJATSI+Supplemental+Complaint+March+25+2011

current rulings on wrongful foreclosure

20.  TIME:  9:00   CASE#: MSC11-00162

 CASE NAME: CHRISTINA PENNES  vs.  PNC MORTGAGE

 HEARING ON DEMURRER TO COMPLAINT of PENNES

 FILED BY PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

* TENTATIVE RULING: *

 

 

Defendant PNC Bank, N.A.’s Demurrer to each cause of action within the Complaint is sustained with leave to amend in part and without leave to amend in part. (Cal. Code Civ. Proc., section 430.10, subd. (e).)

 

1st cause of action for Cancellation of Instruments (Assignment of Deed of Trust), 2nd cause of action for Cancellation of Instruments (Notice of Default), and  3rd cause of action for Cancellation of Instruments (Notice of Default), sustained with leave to amend. Actions to remove a cloud on title, under Civil Code section 3412, are equitable in nature, and differ from actions to quiet title in that they are aimed at a particular instrument or piece of evidence. Reiner v. Danial (1989) 211 Cal. App. 3d 682, 689.  To state a cause of action to remove a cloud, instead of pleading in general terms that the defendant claims an adverse interest, the plaintiff must allege, inter alia, facts showing actual invalidity of the apparently valid instrument or piece of evidence. (5 Witkin, Cal. Procedure (5th ed. 2008) Pleading, sections 671-674, pp. 97-99.) Plaintiffs have not met this burden. See Complaint par 20, Ex D. See also, Gomes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (2011) 192 Cal. App. 4th 1149 1154-55 [under Civ C  section 2924(a)(1), a trustee, mortgagee, or beneficiary, or any of their authorized agents, may initiate the foreclosure process. Nowhere, however, does the statute provide for a judicial action to determine whether the person initiating the foreclosure process is indeed authorized, and the court saw no ground for implying such an action, which would have been inconsistent with the policy behind nonjudicial foreclosure of providing a quick, inexpensive and efficient remedy.]

 

4th cause of action for wrongful foreclosure, sustained with leave to amend. The elements of a common-law cause of action for damages for wrongful foreclosure are:  (1) Trustee or mortgagee caused an illegal, fraudulent or willfully oppressive sale of real property; (2) pursuant to a power of sale contained in a mortgage or deed of trust; and (3) the Trustor or mortgagor sustained damages. (Munger v. Moore (1970) 11 Cal. App. 3d 1, 7; see 4 Witkin, Sum. Of Cal. Law (10th ed. 2005) Secured Transactions in Real Property, §168.)

The Plaintiffs  do not allege that the foreclosure sale has taken place. Thus, Plaintiffs fail to plead a necessary element of this cause of action.

 

5th cause of action for violation of UCL,  and 8th caused of action for violation of Rosenthal Debt Collection Practices Act [Civ C section 1788], sustained without leave to amend. California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) prohibits any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business practice. (B&P Code section 17200.)  The broad scope of the statute encompasses both anti-competitive business practices and practices injurious to consumers. (Cel‑Tech Communications, Inc. v. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co. (1999) 20 Cal.4th 163, 180.)

This cause of action is based in part upon the 8th cause of action for violation of the Rosenthal Debt Collection Practices Act [Civ C § 1788.]

The Rosenthal Debt Collection Practices Act [RDCPA] prohibits debt collectors from engaging in abusive, deceptive and unfair practices in the collection of consumer debts.  (Civ. Code  section 1788, et. Seq.)  Consumer debt is statutorily defined as money, property or the equivalent owed by reason of a consumer credit transaction, which in turn is defined as a transaction in which property, etc. is acquired on credit for personal, family or household purposes. Cal. Civ. Code  section 1788.2(b), (e)-(f), (h).  There are no California State Court opinions to date applying this statute to the enforcement of deeds of trust or to foreclosure proceedings.

 

6th cause of action for quiet title, sustained with leave to amend:

To state a claim for quiet title,  the complaint shall be verified. CCP section 761.020.  The Complaint is not verified.  Additionally, in order to quiet title, plaintiff  must tender the entire outstanding principal.  See, e.g., Aguilar v. Bocci (1974) 39 Cal.App.3d 475, 477 [Plaintiff cannot quiet title without discharging his debt; the cloud upon his title persists until the debt is paid.]

 

7th cause of action for rescission, sustained without leave to amend. To state a claim for contract rescission, plaintiff must allege some grounds for rescission-fraud, mistake, coercion, etc. (Civ. Code, § 1689, subd. (b).) plaintiffs do not meet hits pleading burden.

Plaintiffs Opposition does not address this cause of action, therefore, they concede that it has no merit.

 

9th cause of action for  violation of Civ C § 2923.5, sustained with leave to amend:

Actual contact is not required. See, Civil Code section 2923.59(g). Additionally, the only remedy for a Section 2923.5 violation is a postponement of the foreclosure sale to enable the defendants to comply with the requirements of the statute — not a claim for damages. (Mabry v. Superior Court (2010) 185 Cal. App. 4th 208, 235.)

The Plaintiffs do not allege that a foreclosure sale date has been noticed.

Defendant’s Request for Judicial Notice is granted. (Evid. Code, section 452(c)[public records].

 

In light of the ruling on the general demurrer, the special demurrer is moot. (Cal. Code Civ. Proc., section 430.10, subd. (f).)

 
 21.  TIME:  9:00   CASE#: MSC11-00162

 CASE NAME: CHRISTINA PENNES  vs.  PNC MORTGAGE

 HEARING ON MOTION TO STRIKE PORTIONS OF PLAINTIFFS’ COMPLAINT

 FILED BY PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

* TENTATIVE RULING: *

 

In llight of the ruling on the general demurrer, the Motion to Strike is moot.

 

Paragraph 22 in ALL Deeds of Trust lenders don’t follow the contract

BOMBSHELL- ANOTHER 2ND DCA SMACKDOWN- KONSULIAN! June 1st, 2011 Paragraph 22 of almost every mortgage contains a provision that requires the plaintiff to provide notice and an opportunity to cure the default prior to foreclosure. The principle behind this paragraph and the right to cure is not just a helpful little piece for the defendant, the default and cure provisions recited are an essential element of the entire legal process of foreclosure, deeply rooted in our American Jurisprudence. This is a subject that is discussed in some length in the recent Cardozo Law Review Article on Foreclosures. (attached) That’s all some deep stuff, but here’s where the rubber behind all that hits the road…in an opinion just released today….. Under Florida law, contracts are construed in accordance with their plain language, as bargained for by the parties. Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. Anderson, 756 So. 2d 29, 34 (Fla. 2000). Further, Busey did not refute Konsulian’s defenses nor did it establish that Konsulian’s defenses were legally insufficient. Because Busey did not prove that it met the conditions precedent to filing for foreclosure, it failed to meet its burden, and it is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law. In addition to being prematurely filed, Konsulian claims that the acceleration letter failed to state the default as required by the mortgage terms. We agree and reverse. Now there are default letters floating all around in Foreclosureland, but I doubt that many of them comply with the express terms of the contract the banks created…..

Wrongful foreclosure and California Judge Firmat

Orange County (Cali) Superior Court Judge Firmat posted these notes on
the law and motion calendar to assist attorneys pleading various
theories in wrongful foreclosure cases etc.  Some interesting
points….

FOOTNOTES TO DEPT. C-15 LAW AND MOTION CALENDARS

Note 1 – Cause of Action Under CCC § 2923.5, Post Trustee’s Sale –
There is no private right of action under Section 2923.5 once the
trustee’s sale has occurred.  The “only remedy available under the
Section is a postponement of the sale before it happens.”  Mabry v.
Superior  Court, 185 Cal. App. 4th 208, 235 (2010).

Note 2 – Cause of Action Under CCC § 2923.6 – There is no private
right of action under Section 2923.6, and it does not operate
substantively.  Mabry v. Superior Court, 185 Cal. App. 4th 208,
222-223 (2010).  “Section 2923.6 merely expresses the hope that
lenders will offer loan modifications on certain terms.”  Id. at 222.

Note 3 – Cause of Action for Violation of CCC §§ 2923.52 and / or
2923.53 – There is no private right of action.  Vuki v. Superior
Court, 189 Cal. App. 4th 791, 795 (2010).

Note 4 –  Cause of Action for Fraud, Requirement of Specificity – “To
establish a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation, the plaintiff must
prove: (1) the defendant represented to the plaintiff that an
important fact was true; (2) that representation was false; (3) the
defendant knew that the representation was false when the defendant
made it, or the defendant made the representation recklessly and
without regard for its truth; (4) the defendant intended that the
plaintiff rely on the representation; (5) the plaintiff reasonably
relied on the representation; (6) the plaintiff was harmed; and, (7)
the plaintiff’s reliance on the defendant’s representation was a
substantial factor in causing that harm to the plaintiff. Each element
in a cause of action for fraud must be factually and specifically
alleged. In a fraud claim against a corporation, a plaintiff must
allege the names of the persons who made the misrepresentations, their
authority to speak for the corporation, to whom they spoke, what they
said or wrote, and when it was said or written.”  Perlas v. GMAC
Mortg., LLC, 187 Cal. App. 4th 429, 434 (2010) (citations and
quotations omitted).

Note 5 –Fraud – Statute of Limitations- The statute of limitations for
fraud is three years.  CCP § 338(d).  To the extent Plaintiff wishes
to rely on the delayed discovery rule, Plaintiff must plead the
specific facts showing (1) the time and manner of discovery and (2)
the inability to have made earlier discovery despite reasonable
diligence.”  Fox v. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., 35 Cal. 4th 797, 808
(2005).

Note 6 – Cause of Action for Negligent Misrepresentation – “The
elements of negligent misrepresentation are (1) the misrepresentation
of a past or existing material fact, (2) without reasonable ground for
believing it to be true, (3) with intent to induce another’s reliance
on the fact misrepresented, (4) justifiable reliance on the
misrepresentation, and (5) resulting damage.  While there is some
conflict in the case law discussing the precise degree of
particularity required in the pleading of a claim for negligent
misrepresentation, there is a consensus that the causal elements,
particularly the allegations of reliance, must be specifically
pleaded.”  National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v. Cambridge
Integrated Services Group, Inc., 171 Cal. App. 4th 35, 50 (2009)
(citations and quotations omitted).

Note 7 – Cause of Action for Breach of Fiduciary Duty by Lender –
“Absent special circumstances a loan transaction is at arm’s length
and there is no fiduciary relationship between the borrower and
lender. A commercial lender pursues its own economic interests in
lending money. A lender owes no duty of care to the borrowers in
approving their loan. A lender is under no duty to determine the
borrower’s ability to repay the loan. The lender’s efforts to
determine the creditworthiness and ability to repay by a borrower are
for the lender’s protection, not the borrower’s.”  Perlas v. GMAC
Mortg., LLC, 187 Cal. App. 4th 429, 436 (2010) (citations and
quotations omitted).

Note 8 – Cause of Action for Constructive Fraud – “A relationship need
not be a fiduciary one in order to give rise to constructive fraud.
Constructive fraud also applies to nonfiduciary “confidential
relationships.” Such a confidential relationship may exist whenever a
person with justification places trust and confidence in the integrity
and fidelity of another. A confidential relation exists between two
persons when one has gained the confidence of the other and purports
to act or advise with the other’s interest in mind. A confidential
relation may exist although there is no fiduciary relation ….”
Tyler v. Children’s  Home Society, 29 Cal. App. 4th 511, 549 (1994)
(citations and quotations omitted).

Note 9 – Cause of Action for an Accounting – Generally, there is no
fiduciary duty between a lender and borrower.  Perlas v. GMAC Mortg.,
LLC, 187 Cal. App. 4th 429, 436 (2010).  Further, Plaintiff (borrower)
has not alleged any facts showing that a balance would be due from the
Defendant lender to Plaintiff.  St. James Church of Christ Holiness v.
Superior Court, 135 Cal. App. 2d 352, 359 (1955).  Any other duty to
provide an accounting only arises when a written request for one is
made prior to the NTS being recorded.  CCC § 2943(c).

Note 10 – Cause of Action for Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good
Faith and Fair Dealing – “[W]ith the exception of bad faith insurance
cases, a breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing permits
a recovery solely in contract.  Spinks v. Equity Residential Briarwood
Apartments, 171 Cal. App. 4th 1004, 1054 (2009).  In order to state a
cause of action for Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and
Fair Dealing, a valid contract between the parties must be alleged.
The implied covenant cannot be extended to create obligations not
contemplated by the contract.  Racine & Laramie v. Department of Parks
and Recreation, 11 Cal. App. 4th 1026, 1031-32 (1992).

Note 11 – Cause of Action for Breach of Contract – “A cause of action
for damages for breach of contract is comprised of the following
elements: (1) the contract, (2) plaintiff’s performance or excuse for
nonperformance, (3) defendant’s breach, and (4) the resulting damages
to plaintiff. It is elementary that one party to a contract cannot
compel another to perform while he himself is in default. While the
performance of an allegation can be satisfied by allegations in
general terms, excuses must be pleaded specifically.”  Durell v. Sharp
Healthcare, 183 Cal. App. 4th 1350, 1367 (2010) (citations and
quotations omitted).

Note 12 – Cause of Action for Injunctive Relief – Injunctive relief is
a remedy and not a cause of action.  Guessous v. Chrome Hearts, LLC,
179 Cal. App. 4th 1177, 1187 (2009).

Note 13 – Cause of Action for Negligence – “Under the common law,
banks ordinarily have limited duties to borrowers. Absent special
circumstances, a loan does not establish a fiduciary relationship
between a commercial bank and its debtor. Moreover, for purposes of a
negligence claim, as a general rule, a financial institution owes no
duty of care to a borrower when the institution’s involvement in the
loan transaction does not exceed the scope of its conventional role as
a mere lender of money. As explained in Sierra-Bay Fed. Land Bank
Assn. v. Superior Court (1991) 227 Cal.App.3d 318, 334, 277 Cal.Rptr.
753, “[a] commercial lender is not to be regarded as the guarantor of
a borrower’s success and is not liable for the hardships which may
befall a borrower. It is simply not tortious for a commercial lender
to lend money, take collateral, or to foreclose on collateral when a
debt is not paid. And in this state a commercial lender is privileged
to pursue its own economic interests and may properly assert its
contractual rights.”  Das v. Bank of America, N.A., 186 Cal. App. 4th
727, 740-741 (2010) (citations and quotations omitted).

Note 14 – Cause of Action to Quiet Title – To assert a cause of action
to quiet title, the complaint must be verified and meet the other
pleading requirements set forth in CCP § 761.020.

Note 15 – Causes of Action for Slander of Title – The recordation of
the Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee’s Sale are privileged
under CCC § 47, pursuant to CCC § 2924(d)(1), and the recordation of
them cannot support a cause of action for slander of title against the
trustee.  Moreover, “[i]n performing acts required by [the article
governing non-judicial foreclosures], the trustee shall incur no
liability for any good faith error resulting from reliance on
information provided in good faith by the beneficiary regarding the
nature and the amount of the default under the secured obligation,
deed of trust, or mortgage. In performing the acts required by [the
article governing nonjudicial foreclosures], a trustee shall not be
subject to [the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act].”  CCC §
2924(b).

Note 16 – Cause of Action for Violation of Civil Code § 1632 – Section
1632, by its terms, does not apply to loans secured by real property.
CCC § 1632(b).

Note 17 – Possession of the original promissory note – “Under Civil
Code section 2924, no party needs to physically possess the promissory
note.” Sicairos v. NDEX West, LLC, 2009 WL 385855 (S.D. Cal. 2009)
(citing CCC § 2924(a)(1); see also Lomboy v. SCME Mortgage Bankers,
2009 WL 1457738 * 12-13 (N.D. Cal. 2009) (“Under California law, a
trustee need not possess a note in order to initiate foreclosure under
a deed of trust.”).

Note 18 – Statute of Frauds, Modification of Loan Documents – An
agreement to modify a note secured by a deed of trust must be in
writing signed by the party to be charged, or it is barred by the
statute of frauds.  Secrest v. Security Nat. Mortg. Loan Trust 2002-2,
167 Cal. App. 4th 544, 552-553 (2008).

Note 19 – Statute of Frauds, Forebearance Agreement – An agreement to
forebear from foreclosing on real property under a deed of trust must
be in writing and signed by the party to be charged or it is barred by
the statute of frauds.  Secrest v. Security Nat. Mortg. Loan Trust
2002-2, 167 Cal. App. 4th 544, 552-553 (2008).

Note 20 – Tender – A borrower attacking a voidable sale must do equity
by tendering the amount owing under the loan.  The tender rule applies
to all causes of action implicitly integrated with the sale.  Arnolds
Management Corp. v. Eischen, 158 Cal. App. 3d 575, 579 (1984).

Note 21 – Cause of Action for Violation of Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 –
“The UCL does not proscribe specific activities, but broadly prohibits
any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and
unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising. The UCL governs
anti-competitive business practices as well as injuries to consumers,
and has as a major purpose the preservation of fair business
competition. By proscribing “any unlawful business practice,” section
17200 “borrows” violations of other laws and treats them as unlawful
practices that the unfair competition law makes independently
actionable.  Because section 17200 is written in the disjunctive, it
establishes three varieties of unfair competition-acts or practices
which are unlawful, or unfair, or fraudulent. In other words, a
practice is prohibited as “unfair” or “deceptive” even if not
“unlawful” and vice versa.”  Puentes v. Wells Fargo Home Mortg., Inc.,
160 Cal. App. 4th 638, 643-644 (2008) (citations and quotations
omitted).

“Unfair” Prong

[A]ny finding of unfairness to competitors under section 17200 [must]
be tethered to some legislatively declared policy or proof of some
actual or threatened impact on competition. We thus adopt the
following test: When a plaintiff who claims to have suffered injury
from a direct competitor’s “unfair” act or practice invokes section
17200, the word “unfair” in that section means conduct that threatens
an incipient violation of an antitrust law, or violates the policy or
spirit of one of those laws because its effects are comparable to or
the same as a violation of the law, or otherwise significantly
threatens or harms competition.

Cel-Tech Communications, Inc. v. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co.,
20 Cal. 4th 163, 186-187 (1999).

“Fraudulent” Prong

The term “fraudulent” as used in section 17200 does not refer to the
common law tort of fraud but only requires a showing members of the
public are likely to be deceived. Unless the challenged conduct
targets a particular disadvantaged or vulnerable group, it is judged
by the effect it would have on a reasonable consumer.

Puentes, 160 Cal. App. 4th at 645 (citations and quotations
omitted).

“Unlawful” Prong

By proscribing “any unlawful” business practice, Business and
Professions Code section 17200 “borrows” violations of other laws and
treats them as unlawful practices that the UCL makes independently
actionable. An unlawful business practice under Business and
Professions Code section 17200 is an act or practice, committed
pursuant to business activity, that is at the same time forbidden by
law. Virtually any law -federal, state or local – can serve as a
predicate for an action under Business and Professions Code section
17200.

Hale v. Sharp Healthcare, 183 Cal. App. 4th 1373, 1382-1383 (2010)
(citations and quotations omitted).

“A plaintiff alleging unfair business practices under these statutes
must state with reasonable particularity the facts supporting the
statutory elements of the violation.”  Khoury v. Maly’s of California,
Inc., 14 Cal. App. 4th 612, 619 (1993) (citations and quotations
omitted).

Note 22 – Cause of Action for Intentional Infliction of Emotional
Distress –  Collection of amounts due under a loan or restructuring a
loan in a way that remains difficult for the borrower to repay is not
“outrageous” conduct.  Price v. Wells Fargo Bank, 213 Cal. App. 3d
465, 486 (1989).

Note 23 – Cause of Action for Negligent Infliction of Emotional
Distress – Emotional distress damages are not recoverable where the
emotional distress arises solely from property damage or economic
injury to the plaintiff.  Butler-Rupp v. Lourdeaux, 134 Cal. App. 4th
1220, 1229 (2005).

Note 24 – Cause of Action for Conspiracy – There is no stand-alone
claim for conspiracy.  Applied Equipment Corp. v. Litton Saudi Arabia
Ltd., 7 Cal. 4th 503, 510-511 (1994).

Note 25 – Cause of Action for Declaratory Relief – A claim for
declaratory relief is not “proper” since the dispute has crystallized
into COA under other theories asserted in other causes of actions in
the complaint.  Cardellini v. Casey, 181 Cal. App. 3d 389, 397-398
(1986).

Note 26 – Cause of Action for Violation of the Fair Debt Collection
Practices Acts – Foreclosure activities are not considered “debt
collection” activities.  Gamboa v. Trustee Corps, 2009 WL 656285, at
*4 (N.D. Cal. March 12, 2009).

Note 27 – Duties of the Foreclosure Trustee – The foreclosure
trustee’s rights, powers and duties regarding the notice of default
and sale are strictly defined and limited by the deed of trust and
governing statutes.  The duties cannot be expanded by the Courts and
no other common law duties exist.  Diediker v. Peelle Financial Corp.,
60 Cal. App. 4th 288, 295 (1997).

Note 28 – Unopposed Demurrer – The Demurrer is sustained [w/ or w/o]
leave to amend [and the RJN granted].  Service was timely and good and
no opposition was filed.
Failure to oppose the Demurrer may be construed as having abandoned
the claims.  See, Herzberg v. County of Plumas, 133 Cal. App. 4th 1,
20 (2005) (“Plaintiffs did not oppose the County’s demurrer to this
portion of their seventh cause of action and have submitted no
argument on the issue in their briefs on appeal.  Accordingly, we deem
plaintiffs to have abandoned the issue.”).

Note 29 – Responding on the Merits Waives Any Service Defect – “It is
well settled that the appearance of a party at the hearing of a motion
and his or her opposition to the motion on its merits is a waiver of
any defects or irregularities in the notice of the motion.”  Tate v.
Superior Court, 45 Cal. App. 3d 925, 930 (1975) (citations omitted).

Note 30 – Unargued Points – “Contentions are waived when a party fails
to support them with reasoned argument and citations to authority.”
Moulton Niguel Water Dist. v. Colombo, 111 Cal. App. 4th 1210, 1215
(2003).

Note 31 – Promissory Estoppel – “The doctrine of promissory estoppel
makes a promise binding under certain circumstances, without
consideration in the usual sense of something bargained for and given
in exchange. Under this doctrine a promisor is bound when he should
reasonably expect a substantial change of position, either by act or
forbearance, in reliance on his promise, if injustice can be avoided
only by its enforcement. The vital principle is that he who by his
language or conduct leads another to do what he would not otherwise
have done shall not subject such person to loss or injury by
disappointing the expectations upon which he acted. In such a case,
although no consideration or benefit accrues to the person making the
promise, he is the author or promoter of the very condition of affairs
which stands in his way; and when this plainly appears, it is most
equitable that the court should say that they shall so stand.”  Garcia
v. World Sav., FSB, 183 Cal. App. 4th 1031, 1039-1041 (2010)
(citations quotations and footnotes omitted).

Note 32 – Res Judicata Effect of Prior UD Action – Issues of title are
very rarely tried in an unlawful detainer action and moving party has
failed to meet the burden of demonstrating that the title issue was
fully and fairly adjudicated in the underlying unlawful detainer.
Vella v. Hudgins, 20 Cal. 3d 251, 257 (1977).  The burden of proving
the elements of res judicata is on the party asserting it.  Id. The
Malkoskie case is distinguishable because, there, the unlimited
jurisdiction judge was convinced that the title issue was somehow
fully resolved by the stipulated judgment entered in the unlawful
detainer court.  Malkoskie v. Option One Mortg. Corp., 188 Cal. App.
4th 968, 972 (2010).

Note 33 – Applicability of US Bank v. Ibanez – The Ibanez case, 458
Mass. 637 (January 7, 2011), does not appear to assist Plaintiff in
this action.  First, the Court notes that this case was decided by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court, such that it is persuasive authority, and
not binding authority.  Second, the procedural posture in this case is
different than that found in a case challenging a non-judicial
foreclosure in California.  In Ibanez, the lender brought suit in the
trial court to quiet title to the property after the foreclosure sale,
with the intent of having its title recognized (essentially validating
the trustee’s sale).  As the plaintiff, the lender was required to
show it had the power and authority to foreclose, which is
established, in part, by showing that it was the holder of the
promissory note.  In this action, where the homeowner is in the role
of the plaintiff challenging the non-judicial foreclosure, the lender
need not establish that it holds the note.

Note 34 – Statutes of Limitations for TILA and RESPA Claims – For TILA
claims, the statute of limitations for actions for damages runs one
year after the loan origination.  15 U.S.C. § 1640(e).  For actions
seeking rescission, the statute of limitations is three years from
loan origination.  15 U.S.C. § 1635(f).  For RESPA, actions brought
for lack of notice of change of loan servicer have a statute of
limitation of three years from the date of the occurrence, and actions
brought for payment of kickbacks for real estate settlement services,
or the conditioning of the sale on selection of certain title services
have a statute of limitations of one year from the date of the
occurrence.  12 U.S.C. § 2614.

Yau v. Deutsche FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT

Yau_-_complaint_First_Amended_Pleading.78103044

FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Yau v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas
Request for IMMEDIATE RELIEF:

Lenore L. Albert, Esq. SBN 210876
LAW OFFICES OF LENORE ALBERT
7755 Center Avenue, Suite #1100
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Telephone (714) 372-2264
Facsimile (419) 831-3376
Email: lenorealbert@msn.com
Attorney for Plaintiffs and the Class
EDDIE YAU, GLORIA YAU,
ROBERT H. RHOADES, NICOLE
RHOADES, STEVE BURKE, CHEN
PI AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND AS
TRUSTEE FOR THE PI TRUST
DATED MAY 17, 2004, SALIM
BENSRHIR, KIMBERLY
CHRISTENSEN, ALICE MBAABU,
CARMEN ARBALLO, ANGELA
BROWN, ANTHONY JOHNSON,
OTIS BANKS, RICHARD
APOSTOLOS, REGAN OWEN,
JENNIFER OWEN, JOANNE
ANDERSON, JEREMY JOHN DALE,
DOUGLAS L. EDMAN, and
DOUGLAS L. EDMAN and ERIC
EDMAN as trustees of the HIGH
DESERT ENTERPRISES TRUST,
on behalf of themselves and all others
similarly situated,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL
TRUST COMPANY, DEUTSCHE
1. Breach/Unjust Enrichment
2. HAMP Breach/Unjust Enrichment
3. Breach of Contract – Third Party Ben.
4. Declaratory Relief/Default Cured
5. Declaratory Relief/Unsecured Creditor
6. Declaratory Relief/Fees and Costs
7. Fraud
8. Injunctive Relief
9. Accounting
10.Unlawful/Unfair Acts §17200
11.Fraud
12.Declaratory Relief/Injunction
[ ]
***
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
CASE NO. SACV11-0006-JVS (RNBx)
Assigned for all purposes to the honorable:
James V. Selna
FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION
COMPLAINT
Demand for Jury Trial
FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Yau v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER and
INJUNCTION filed Concurrently herewith

BANK TRUST COMPANY
AMERICAS and AURORA LOAN
SERVICES, LLC, Inclusive,
Defendants.
***
FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Yau v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas
Plaintiffs, by and through their attorney, bring this action on behalf of themselves
and all others similarly situated against Deutsche Bank National Trust Company
(“DBNT” or “Defendant”). Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA” or
“Defendant”) and Aurora Loan Services, LLC. (“Aurora” or “Defendant”). Plaintiffs
allege the following on information and belief, except as to those allegations which
pertain to the named Plaintiffs:
1. Plaintiffs bring this action to challenge the defendants’ manipulation and use of
the federal and state programs surrounding the mortgage crisis, such as HAMP and other
foreclosure prevention services.
2. The defendants defaulted the plaintiffs and those similarly situated then offered
them federal and state home retention programs such as Home Affordability
Modification Program agreements (HAMP).
3. After the Plaintiffs made their post default payments as requested, the
defendants never-the-less denied the permanent modification, did not cure the default or
reinstate the plaintiffs’ loans on the grounds they couldn’t get the loan to work.
4. The program guidelines state that if the Net Present Value (“NPV”) of the loan
modification is greater than the NPV at foreclosure, then the lenders modify the
loan.
1. Introduction
5. Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that the defendants were
already made whole upon the loans because these loans were securitized with credit
default swaps (“CDS”) and other security interests, and the CDS were factored into the
NPV and not merely the amount that the defendants may receive on a foreclosure sale.
6. The securitization of their loans with CDS was never revealed to the plaintiffs
and the Class prior to their default.
7. The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action under 28 USC § 1331
wherein the action arises under the Constitution, laws or treaties of the United States.
8. The Court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants in this action by the
fact that the Defendants are corporations conducting business in the state of California.
9. Venue is proper in this Court pursuant to 28 USC § 1392 because the action
involves real property located in both the Central and Southern District of California; and
pursuant to 28 USC § 1391(b) inasmuch as defendant DBNT and DBTCA reside in the
Central District of California, and a substantial part of the events or omissions on which
the claims are based occurred in this District.
10.Plaintiffs Eddie Yau and Gloria Yau (the “Yaus,” “plaintiff,” “plaintiffs” or
“borrowers”) are a married couple residing in Vista, California. Plaintiff is now, and at
all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real property
2. Jurisdiction and Venue
3. The Parties
commonly known as 1307 Summer Court, Vista, California 92084 (“subject property”).
Douglas L. Edman was the borrower on the loan.
11.Plaintiffs Robert Rhoades and Nicole Rhoades (the “Rhoades,” “plaintiff,” or
“borrowers”) are a married couple residing in Chino, California. Plaintiff is now, and at
all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real property
commonly known as 7746 Holland Park, Chino, California 92401 (“subject property”).
Robert Rhoades was the borrower on the loan.
12.Plaintiff Steve Burke is an adult residing in Paradise, California. Plaintiff is
now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real
property commonly known as 5871 Pine Circle, Paradise, California 95969 (“subject
property”). Steve Burke was the borrower on the loan.
13.Plaintiff Chen Pi, acting on her own behalf and as trustee for the Pi Trust dated
May 17, 2004 resides in La Puente California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times
mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real property commonly
known as17116 Samgerry Dr., La Puente, California (“subject property”). Chen Pi was
the borrower on the loan.
14.Plaintiff Otis Banks is an individual residing in Inglewood, California. Plaintiff
is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real
property commonly known as 5408-5408 ½ 8TH Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90045
(“subject property”). Otis Banks was the borrower on the loan.

15.Plaintiff Salim Bensrhir and Kimberly Christensen are a married couple
residing in Los Angeles, California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein
relevant to this complaint was the owner of real property commonly known as 842 N
Dillon Street, Los Angeles, California 90026 (“subject property”). Salim Bensrhir and
Kimberly Christensen were the borrowers on the loan.
16.Plaintiff Alice Mbaabu is an individual residing in Fontana, California.
Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the
owner of real property commonly known as 13536 Whipple Street, Fontana, California
92336 (“subject property”). Alice Mbaabu was the borrower on the loan.
17.Plaintiff Carmen Arballo is an individual residing in Chino, California.
Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the
owner of real property commonly known as 6952 Gloria Street, Chino, California 91710
(“subject property”). Carmen Arballo was the borrower on the loan.
18.Plaintiff Angela Brown is an individual residing in Stockton, California.
Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the
owner of real property commonly known as 4516 Abruzzi Circle, Stockton, California
95206 (“subject property”). Angela Brown was the borrower on the loan.
19.Plaintiff Anthony Johnson is an individual is an individual residing in Corona,
California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint
was the owner of real property commonly known as 382 Minaret Street, Corona, CA
92881 (“subject property”). Anthony R. Johnson was the borrower on the loan.
20.Plaintiff Richard Apostolos is an individual residing in Perris, California.
Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the
owner of real property commonly known as 21200 Mountain Ave., Perris, California
92570 (“subject property”). Richard Apostolos was the borrower on the loan.
21.Regan Owen and Jennifer Owen are a married couple residing in Chula Vista,
California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint
was the owner of real property commonly known as 2872 Ranch Gate Rd., Chula Vista,
California (“subject property”). Regan Owen was the borrower on the loan.
22.Plaintiff Joanne Anderson is an individual residing in Laguna Niguel,
California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint
was the owner of real property commonly known as 24291 Park Pl Dr, Laguna Niguel,
CA 92677 (“subject property”). Joanne Anderson was the borrower on the loan.
23. Jeremy John Dale is an individual residing in Paynes Creek, California.
Plaintiff is now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the
owner of real property commonly known as 30510 HWY 36 East, Paynes Creek,
California 96075 (“subject property”). Jeremy John Dale was the borrower on the loan.
24.Douglas L. Edman is an individual residing in Malibu, California. Plaintiff is
now, and at all times mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real
property commonly known as 612 Thrift Road, Malibu, California 90265 (“subject
property”). Douglas L. Edman was the borrower on the loan.
25.Douglas L. Edman and Eric Edman as trustees of the HIGH DESERT
ENTERPRISES TRUST reside in Malibu, California. Plaintiff is now, and at all times
mentioned herein relevant to this complaint was the owner of real property commonly
known as 612 Thrift Road, Malibu, California 90265 (“subject property”). Douglas L.
Edman was the borrower on the loan. Then after the loan was made, the property was
transferred by Douglas L. Edman to Douglas L. Edman, Trustee of the High Desert
Enterprises Trust.
26.Defendant DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY (“DBNT”
or “Custodian”) has its principal place of business at 1761 Saint Andrews Place, Santa
Ana, CA 92705.
27.Defendant DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
(“DBTCA”) has its principal place of business at 1761 Saint Andrews Place, Santa Ana,
CA 92705. When DBNT and DBTCA are mentioned together in this complaint they
may be referred to as “Deutsche Bank.”
28.Defendant AURORA LOAN SERVICES, LLC (“Aurora” or “loan servicer”) is
headquartered in Littleton, Colorado and regularly conducts business in the state of
California.

29. Plaintiffs are informed and believe and allege thereon that their loans are in
securitized trusts where the defendants are either the Servicer, Custodian, or Trustee of
that trust.
30.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that DBNTC and
DBTCA act as board members and are referred to as the Company each with different
duties in the trusts.
31.DBNTC and DBTCA are both subsidiaries created by nonparty Deutsche Bank
Company (“DBC”) which has its principal place of business in Germany. Plaintiff is
informed and believes and alleges thereon DBNTC and DBTCA were either acting in
concert, instructing, adopting, ratifying, assisting DBC’s conduct as alleged in this
complaint through an agency or contractual relationship. As such, the actions or failure
to act are the actions or failure to act of each other.
32.Nonparty FANNIE MAE/FREDDIE MAC (“Fannie Mae”) entered into an
agreement with defendant Aurora of which the plaintiffs and the Class were intended
beneficiaries.
33.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that each defendant is
responsible in some manner for the occurrences alleged in this complaint, and that
plaintiff’s damages were proximately caused by the defendants and at all times
mentioned in this complaint, were the agents, servants, representatives, and/or employees
of their co-defendants, and in doing the things hereinafter alleged were acting in the
scope of their authority as agents, servants, representatives, family members and/or
employees, and with the permission and consent of their co-defendants.
34.Additionally, plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that each
defendant assisted, aided and abetted, adopted, ratified, approved, or condoned the
actions of every other defendant and that each corporate defendant, if any, was acting as
the alter ego of the other in the acts alleged herein.
35.On March 4, 2009 President Obama signed into law the Making Home
Affordable Plan as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It is in
two parts: the Home Affordable Refinance program (“HARP”) and the Home Affordable
Modification program (“HAMP”).
36.Under these programs, the U.S. Department of the Treasury directed the large
national bank servicers to take corrective action by providing loan modifications that
produced more sustainable loan payments.
37.On March 4, 2009 the U.S. Department of the Treasury explained,
38.With the information now available, servicers can begin immediately to modify
eligible mortgages under the Modification program so that at-risk borrowers can better
afford their payments.
39.Aurora entered into a Servicer Participation Agreement for the HAMP program
with Fannie Mae; the latter acted as Financial Agent of the United States. ( ).
3. Statutory and Regulatory Scheme
Exhibit 1

40.However, Aurora failed and refused to put Mr. Yau immediately into a
modification program until they first defaulted and gave Notice of Sale of Mr. Yau’s
home. Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that defendant Aurora first
caused Notices of Default and Notice of Foreclosure Sale to be served on the Class prior
to placing the Class into a temporary HAMP also.
41.By March 2010, the White House fortified the HAMP program because only
borrowers out of the it was aimed at were placed in a
more affordable home loan.
42.Thereafter, the contract between Aurora and Fannie Mae was amended and
restated on or about September 1, 2010. The Amended and restated contract is attached
hereto and fully incorporated herein as .
43.The United States Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of Currency (hereinafter
the “OCC”) regulates the banking industry such as defendant Deutsche Bank. The OCC
mandated that the largest banks institute HAMP programs.
44.The Office of Thrift Supervision (hereinafter the “OTS”) regulates loan
services such as defendant Aurora.
45.According to the Aurora Loan Services – Issuer Profile dated June 24, 2008 by
Analyst Kathleen Tillwitz, Aurora Loan Services was a wholly owned subsidiary of
Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB, servicing 20,000 to 110,380 (or 21.4% of their loans) in
170,000 3 to 4 million borrowers
Exhibit 2
California. As of February 29, 2008 Aurora serviced 514,831 mortgage loans totaling
$113.2 billion dollars.
46.On 11/19/10 the OCC supplied the following written testimony:
47.HAMP guidelines now preclude the servicer from initiating a foreclosure
action until the borrower has been determined to be ineligible for a HAMP modification.
48.Aurora actions in working with the borrowers on the loans at issue in this
complaint violated and continue to violate these directives.
49.Under the contract, the Servicer of the loan must perform a Net Present Value
(NPV) Test to compare the value of the money that it would receive if the loan were
modified with the value it could expect from foreclosure.
50. If the servicer and owner of the loan can expect a greater return from modifying
the loan, the loan is considered NPV positive and the servicer and owner then
modify the loan. ( )
51. In plaintiff’s case, plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that the
defendants as the servicer and owner of the loan could have expected no more than onethird
of what the plaintiff would have paid under the HAMP loan modification which
would have been anywhere from $934,560.00 to over $1 million dollars.
52.As servicer of the loan, Aurora must modify the loan unless the contractual
agreement it has with the actual holder of the loan prohibits modification. In that case,
must
Exhibit 4
the servicer is required to use reasonable efforts to obtain waivers or approval of a
modification from the owner and/or investor
53.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that Aurora failed to
disclose to Fannie Mae that loans like the Yau’s which appear to nicely fit under the
program’s protected class, were actually the loans that would never become permanently
modified because these loans were backed by CDS and such. Signing up as a servicer of
the HAMP program, was a carrot to lure distressed homeowners into default.
54.The defendants signed up for exemptions with the California Commissioner for
the same reason, motive or to assist in effectuating this plan.
55.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon defendant failed to make
these material disclosures to Fannie Mae and the California Commissioner, so the
defendants could use the guise of being able to offer these “Programs” to maximize their
own profit by luring homeowners into default, dragging out the process and obtaining
more money from the defaulted homeowner than otherwise would likely occur if the
homeowner did not have hope they may qualify for one of the foreclosure alternatives,
such as HAMP.
56. In the Yau’s case, who were initially only behind by $5,000.00, if they had
known and understood the truth to this scheme, they would have had an incentive to find
a short term loan or other capital to cure the late payment prior to default instead of
relying on their lender to place them in a foreclosure alternative program; they most
$3.86 Trillion dollars.
likely would have never entered into the mortgage in the first place; and surely would
have never paid a dime to the defendants after they gave notice of default and
foreclosure.
57.The impact of Aurora’s practice of defaulting before processing a foreclosure
alternative request by a homeowner, then dragging out the process while the homeowner
is making monthly payments and denying blocks of HAMP modifications after obtaining
a temporary modification is nothing more than a financial “Death Spiral” for the
homeowner.
58.At all times herein mentioned, plaintiff and the Class believed that they were
eligible for HAMP.
59.Although the plaintiffs and the Class complied with the terms of the post
default program agreements, Defendants refused to cure the default, offer such a
permanent modification under the program or to take corrective action by providing loan
modifications that produced more sustainable loan payments to plaintiff.
60.The market size for credit default swaps by 2008 in the United States was
estimated to be Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Critics assert that naked CDS should be banned, comparing them to
buying fire insurance on your neighbor’s house, which creates a huge
incentive for arson.1 [emphasis added]
61. In essence the defendants bet against the borrower from the beginning then
used the Federal Government through the federal HAMP program to take even more
money from the defaulting homeowner in this class knowing that they would never grant
this class of homeowners a permanent loan modification or any other type of relief. The
defendants never fully disclosed or adequately explained this to Fannie Mae/Freddie
Mac. The entire program failed to the assist the very class of homeowners it was
intended to protect.
62.On or about February 2, 2011 the Securities and Exchange Commission started
accepting comment on creating an exchange called “Swap Execution Facilities” under
the in order to create
greater transparency with Credit Default Swaps which the SEC refers to as “Security
Based Swaps.”
63.The plaintiffs and the Class in this Complaint are the class of homeowners
these federal and state programs, including the HAMP program were intended to protect.
64.The plaintiffs and the Class were led to believe that they would have the
opportunity to cure their default and be reinstated, but no matter how much they paid the
defendants each month or what they signed, it never happened and they were kept in
constant foreclosure status the entire time while doling out money and their private
financial information to the defendants.
65.Plaintiff alleges defendants intended to, did and still continue to use these
Programs to manipulate more money from the Plaintiffs and the Class.
66.After obtaining the agreements with Fannie Mae and the California
Commissioner, the defendants used the guise of offering these “Programs” to lure
homeowners into default, drag out the process and confuse the homeowners on the type
of alternative temporary program they were placing the homeowner in just to get them to
shell out more money to the defendants after a Notice of Default and Notice of Sale was
filed and served.
67.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that defendant Aurora
knew or had reason to know that defendant Deutsche Bank bought credit default swaps
or other types investment security/insurance that were either worth more than making the
loan modifications permanent prior to default on these blocks of homes when entering to
the contract with Fannie Mae or defendants failed to properly calculate the Net Present
Value (“NPV”) on these loan modifications. But Aurora never disclosed these facts to
Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
68.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that these CD swaps and
other financial arrangements and the NPV calculations as applied to these asset-backed
loans were material facts and as such Defendants had a duty to disclose these material
facts under the agreement with Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac or comply with the terms with
regard to NPV calculations.
69.Even if such material facts were disclosed to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, these
material facts were never disclosed to the intended beneficiaries of the agreements
between Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and Aurora, the plaintiffs and the Class.
70. If it is later interpreted that the facts were disclosed to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac
but the defendants were forbidden from using the gains they could expect to receive from
the CDS by defaulting the homeowners, then the plaintiffs allege that the defendants
breached that covenant to the injury of the plaintiffs.
71.As intended beneficiaries of the agreements between Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac
and Aurora, the Plaintiffs and the Class were injured due to the failure to disclose these
material facts and/or comply with the terms of the agreement.
72. The impact of defendants’ practice and/or scheme as more fully described
below was nothing more than a financial “Death Spiral” to the borrower resulting in
making extortion like payments after giving a complete disclosure of their remaining
financial assets, and allowing their credit to be decimated or face foreclosure sale.
73.And even if these borrowers had the ability to reinstate their loans, under this
scheme the proceeds the defendants received on default would not be applied to the loan
but become a windfall to the defendants, still leaving the homeowner’s credit and
financial health badly battered, making the entire scheme outrageous, despicable and
deserving of punitive or exemplary damages.
74.The plaintiffs each received a written agreement such as a temporary HAMP
agreement after default appearing to give the plaintiffs an opportunity to save their home
if they made the requested payments.
75.Plaintiffs and those similarly situated made all payments, however the
defendants did not cure the default, reinstate the loan or permanently modify the loan.
76.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that at all times
mentioned in this complaint, the defendants knew California was not a deficiency
judgment state and understood their actions of collecting payment after default without
cure or reinstatement was unlawful.
77.Yet, the defendants collected money from the plaintiffs before satisfying the
debt with the security.
78.Mr. Burke has paid the defendants approximately $20,279.00 since the Notice
of Default dated 9/16/08 originally for $6,312.74.
79.Plaintiff, Mr. Apostolos has paid $27,928.00 after his Notice of Default dated
6/7/10 in the amount of $33,014.53 and turned over approximately $7,000.00 payments
to his attorney to be held in trust for payments on his home.
4. General Factual Allegations
80.Plaintiff Ms. Brown has paid the defendants approximately $24,728.00 after
her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also placed
additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
81.Plaintiff Mr. Salem Benshir and Kimberly Christensen has paid the defendants
approximately $51,991.25 after their Notice of Default dated 11/16/08 in the amount of
$10,495.23.
82.Plaintiff Regan Owens and Jennifer Owens paid the defendants approximately
$38,059.00 after their Notice of Default dated 3/10/09 in the amount of $27,371.99.
83.Plaintiff Ms. Chen Pi has paid the defendants approximately $24,728.00 after
her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also placed
additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
84.Plaintiff Ms. Alice Mbaabu has paid the defendants approximately $24,728.00
after her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also placed
additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
85.Plaintiff Ms. Carmen Arballo has paid the defendants approximately
$24,728.00 after her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also
placed additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
86.Plaintiff Mr. Anthony Johnson has paid the defendants approximately
$24,728.00 after her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also
placed additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
87.Plaintiff Mr. Otis Banks has paid the defendants approximately $24,728.00
after her Notice of Default dated 2/14/09 in the amount of $5,899.60 and also placed
additional payments in trust with her attorney and/or deposited with the court.
88. In fact, each of the named plaintiffs and those similarly situated have entered
into agreements with the defendants after default and tendered payments as requested.
89. In 2009, 632,573 California properties had some type of foreclosure filed on its
property record.2
90.According to a California Consumer Banking article dated December 13, 2010,
the outlook for 2011 is worse.
91.The number of foreclosures is expected to increase in 2011 as more mortgage
defaults work their way through the pipeline. Rick Sharga, a senior vice president for
RealtyTrac, said there were approximately 1.2 million bank repossessions in 2010,
900,000 in 2009, and “We expect we will top both of those numbers in 2011,” he said.3
92.Quality Loan Service Corporation, agent of defendant Aurora Loan Services,
LLC recorded over foreclosure type filings in in 2010
alone.
93.Recently, the Attorney General of Arizona was quoted by Business Week as
stating
What I’m most angry about is the simultaneous modifications and
foreclosures… We need to look for a stipulated judgment in all 50 states,
that if someone is in modification, they can’t be foreclosed.
(www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-28/arizona-seeks-changes-tobanks-
home-loan-modification-process.html).
94.The plaintiffs and the Class were led to believe that they would have an
opportunity to cure their default, receive a modification and have their loan reinstated,
but no matter how much they paid the defendants each month or what they signed, it
never happened. Attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as is a true and
correct copy of the Yaus’ Temporary HAMP Agreement.
95.Some plaintiffs signed temporary modification agreements, others were
actually placed in limited modification Special Forbearance agreements, and some were
placed in both after notice of default.
96. Defendant Aurora contracted with Fannie Mae to provide foreclosure
prevention services intending to benefit homeowners with affordable loan modifications.
In return Aurora would be compensated over in taxpayer funds as
incentive to do so. Attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as is a true
and correct copy of the original Agreement between Aurora and Fannie Mae.
Exhibit 3
$2.873 Billion dollars
Exhibit 1
97.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that Aurora Loan
Services made and/or is making more money on defaults and/or foreclosures than on the
loan modifications and knew it would do so when entering into the contract with Fannie
Mae.
98.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that defendant Aurora
knew or had reason to know that defendant Deutsche Bank bought credit default swaps
or other types investment security/insurance that were either worth more than making the
loan modifications permanent prior to default on these blocks of homes when entering to
the contract with Fannie Mae or they failed to report the way they were calculating NPV
under the agreement. But Aurora never disclosed these facts to Fannie Mae.
99.Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that these CDS and other
financial arrangements were material facts and as such Defendants had a duty to disclose
these material facts under the agreement or the NPV calculations violated the terms of
the agreement with Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Attached hereto and fully incorporated
herein as is a true and correct copy of the March 4, 2009 Home Affordable
Modification Program Guidelines including the NPV calculations.
100. But defendants never disclosed or adequately explained these material facts.
101. Assistant Treasury Secretary Herbert M. Allison admitted that modifying
mortgages has been more difficult than administration officials had anticipated.”
Exhibit 4
FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Yau v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas

“Certainly we’ve seen a lot of frustration with this program since its
inception,” he told lawmakers. “We did not fully envision the
challenges we would encounter.” (http://rismedia.com/2010-03-
28/white-house-to-adjust-troubled-mortgage-modification-program/)
102. Section 5 of the Servicer agreement between Aurora and Fannie Mae
contains the representations, warranties and covenants which state in part:
(b) Servicer is in compliance with, and covenants that all
Services will be performed in compliance with all applicable
Federal, state and local law, regulations, regulatory guidance,
statutes, ordinances, codes and requirements, including, but not
limited to, the Truth in Lending Act, 15 USC 1601 et seq., the
home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, 15 USC 1639, the
Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 USC 41 et seq., the Equal
Credit Opportunity Act, 15 USC 701 et seq., the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., the fair Housing Act and
other Federal and state laws designed to prevent unfair,
discriminatory or predatory lending practices and all applicable
laws governing tenant rights…Servicer is not aware of any
other legal or financial impediments to performing its
obligations under the Program in which Servicer participates or
the Agreement and shall promptly notify Fannie Mae of any
financial and/or operational impediments which may impair its
ability to perform its obligations under such Programs or the
Agreement…
(c) Servicer covenants that:…all data …that is relied upon by
Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in calculating the Purchase Price or
in performing any compliance review will be true, complete and
accurate in all material respects, and consistent with all relevant
business records, as and when provided.
(d) Servicer covenants that it will(i) perform the Services
required under the Program Documentation and the Agreement
in accordance with the practices, high professional standards of
care, and degree of attention used in a well-managed
operation…

(f) Servicer acknowledges that the provision of false or
misleading information to Fannie Mae or Freddie mac in
connection with any of the Programs or pursuant to the
Agreement may constitute a violation of: (a) Federal criminal
law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity
violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code; or (b) the
civil False Claims Act (31 USC § 3729-3733). Servicer
covenants to disclose to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac any
credible evidence, in connection with the Servicers, that a
management official, employee, or contractor of Servicer has
committed, or may have committed, a violation of the
referenced statutes.
(g) Servicer covenants to disclose to Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac any other facts or information that the Treasury, Fannie
Mae or Freddie Mac should reasonably expect to know about
Servicer and its contractors to help protect the reputational
interests of the Treasury, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in
managing and monitoring the Programs in which Servicer
participates.” ( page A-2 to A-4 ; Exhibit 2 page B-3
to B-4)
103. Plaintiff alleges that defendants breached these covenents.
104. Defendants used the offering of the federal HAMP Program as an incentive
to get the homeowners to default on their loans which would trigger payment on the CDS
without any care about placing the homeowners at risk of a foreclosure sale and then
have the homeowners like the plaintiffs in this case continue to make monthly payments
on them while in default facing a foreclosure sale all to the defendants’ financial benefit.
105. On July 7, 2007 plaintiff Eddie Yau borrowed $608,000.00 from
Homecomings Financial, LLC on a 30 year negative adjustable rate note to purchase his
Exhibit 1
8. Factual Allegations of the Yaus Repesenting the HAMP Subclass
home where he lives with his wife. His payments were supposed to be fixed at $2,402.34
per month for the first five years of the loan.
106. Mr. Yau, a retired military veteran and mechanic, has no mortgage or home
lending financial experience beyond basic financial matters.
107. Plaintiff, as trustor, executed and delivered a deed of trust, conveying the
real property described herein to secure payment of the principal sum and interest as
provided in the note and as part of the same transaction to Homecomings Financial, LLC
which was then later assigned, sold or transferred by the lender to either DBNT or
DBTCA as beneficiary and serviced by defendant Aurora.
108. Mr. Yau missed his July 2008 payment and telephoned defendant Aurora
Loan Services and explained he was experiencing financial difficulties due to a decrease
in his income and inquired as to alternatives to foreclosure.
109. On or about September 24, 2008 defendant Aurora Loan Services sent a
letter explaining the following programs it offered and that by entering into the programs
the borrower “will avoid the loss of your home through foreclosure or further impairment
on your credit.”
“Repayment Plan: If you recently experienced a temporary reduction
in income or an increase in living expenses, a repayment plan will
allow you to repay the past due amount over a specified period of
time.
Forbearance Plan: You may be able to suspend or reduce your
mortgage payments for a short period of time. Thereafter, we would
review your current financial situation and determine what home
retention option would best assist you in bringing your loan current.
Loan Modification: A loan modification may offer you the ability to
change on or more of the terms of your mortgage. This may assist
you with providing an affordable payment and avoiding foreclosure.
Again, we would need to review your financial situation and ability to
pay. If your loan is current and you anticipate that you may have
difficulty in making the increased monthly payment, we may be able
to assist you with a loan modification that will provide you with an
affordable payment based on your current financial information.
110. Then on December 02, 2008 defendant Aurora Loan Services wrote Mr.
Yau which stated:
“Based upon the information that you provided during your telephone
conversation with Aurora, your loan may qualify for a loan
modification….You must provide documentation to support your
inability to reinstate the mortgage loan in one lump sum…under some
circumstances,
111. Then on December 19, 2008 Aurora Loan Services sent Mr. Yau a letter
noting Mr. Yau’s was in default in the amount of $4,828.68 and that
“If you do not bring your loan current within thirty (30) days of the
date of this letter, Aurora Loan Services may demand the entire
balance outstanding under the terms of your Mortgage/Deed of Trust.”
112. Aurora then followed up with the same letter of September 24, 2008 again
on December 24, 2008 and January 20, 2009.
113. Instead of sending Mr. Yau a loan modification plan, defendant Aurora
Loan Services sent him a Repayment Agreement expecting him to pay an additional
$802.78 per month ($3,207.12 per month for 6 months) which equaled a 33% increase in
you may be expected to pay a loan modification fee.”
[Emphasis added]
his monthly mortgage payment. This payment plan did not create a “more sustainable
payment plan.”
114. In 2009 the Yau’s financial situation became worse as their investments
were depleted from what was later characterized as a “Ponzi scheme.”
115. From that time up to June 2009, plaintiff would telephone defendant Aurora
seeking a modification and Aurora would take down information representing the
defendants would start the process, but the process was never started.
116. Mrs. Yau spoke to a person at Aurora Loan Services named Steve who
promised that someone from Aurora Loan Services would call them back no later than
June 1st about the Making Home Affordable Loan Program.
117. On June 16, 2009 defendant caused to be served and recorded a purported
Notice of Default and Election to Sell under Deed of Trust (NOD) alleging (a) that a
breach of the obligation secured by the deed of trust had occurred, consisting of Mr.
Yau’s failure to pay $12,655.67 as of 6/15/09, and (b) that the defendant, as beneficiary,
elected to sell, or to cause to be sold, the property to satisfy that obligation.4
4 However, that Notice of Default was outside the chain of title because Lawyers Title Company, as
the original trustee and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as the nominee did not
assign this right until June 24, 2009. Attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as is a
true and correct copy of the Assignment to Quality Loan Service which was not notarized until
6/24/09.
Exhibit 8

118. A few months later defendant Aurora Loan Services faxed a “customized
Home Affordable Modification Trial Period Plan (“Trial Period Plan”)” under HAMP
wherein Mr. Yau was supposed to make payments of $1,943.70 on 10/01/09, 11/01/09,
and 12/01/09.
119. The temporary HAMP agreement which is incorporated herein stated in part
“If I comply with the requirements in Section 2 and my
representations in Section 1 continue to be true in all material
respects, the Lender will send me a Modification Agreement for my
signature which will modify my Loan Documents as necessary to
reflect this new payment amount and waive any unpaid late charges
accrued to date.”
120. Aurora promised:
“If you qualify under the federal government’s Home Affordable
Modification program and comply with the terms of the Trial Period
Plan, we will modify your mortgage loan and you can avoid
foreclosure.”
121. These terms are boilerplate in all such agreements received by the coplaintiffs
and the class.
122. Mr. Yau believed he was eligible for HAMP and made the payments as laid
out in the agreement under Section 2, provided the necessary documents and his
representations in Section 1 continued to be true in all material respects, yet defendant
Aurora Loan Services failed and refused to send the Modification Agreement for him to
sign, or to cure the default and reinstate the loan.
123. On or about March 6, 2010 defendant Aurora Loan Services sent a letter to
Mr. Yau explaining,
“Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a Home Affordable
Modification for the following reasons: Excessive Forbearance. We
are unable to offer you a Home Affordable Modification because we
are unable to create an affordable payment equal to 31% of your
reported monthly gross income without changing the terms loan
beyond the requirements of the program.”
124. Defendant’s representation in that letter was false. According to Aurora
Loan Service’s Customer Account Activity Statement the principal balance on the loan
was at $643,178.83 when he entered the temporary payment plan.
125. The contract required Aurora to place the Yaus into a permanent
modification if the NPV was greater under modification than a foreclosure sale. Plaintiffs
allege the defendants breached by failing to place them in the permanent modification.
126. Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that Plaintiff’s home
at foreclosure would not have resulted in a sale in excess of the NPV of the modification.
127. Plaintiff through counsel, demanded defendant’s calculations used to deny
plaintiff’s modification and NPV. To date, defendant failed to provide plaintiff with a
HAMP-compliant modification or any documentation showing its calculations to justify
why a permanent modification was not offered to Plaintiff.
128. Mr. Yau’s loan accelerated from $643,178.83 to $649,482.15 during the
interim.
129. Along with the notice that Mr. Yau did not qualify for the loan modification,
defendant Aurora stated that Mr. Yau may qualify for other foreclosure alternatives such
as “Repayment Plan: allows you to repay the past due amount over a
specified period of time.
Forbearance Plan: allows you to suspend or reduce your mortgage
payments for a short period of time until a long term solution is
available.
Loan Modification: allows us to modify one or more of your original
mortgage terms which will provide you with an affordable payment
based on your current financial information.
Pre-foreclosure Sale (short sale): allows you to sell your property,
pay off your mortgage for an amount less than total pay off to avoid
foreclosure and minimize damage to your credit rating.
Deed in lieu of foreclosure: allows you to voluntarily deed your
property to Aurora Loan Services to payoff your mortgage. Taking
this action may not save your home, but it may help your ability to
qualify for another mortgage in the future.”
130. The Yaus telephoned Aurora and were assured that the defendants would
work with the Yaus and that they could cure their default by having the lender
temporarily forebear the terms of the agreement so that the Yaus could catch up.
131. Consequently, Mr. Yau continued making monthly payments on his home
and entered into a Special Forbearance Plan with defendant Aurora when they sent him
the application to sign.
132. On or about April 7. 2010 Defendant Aurora sent Plaintiffs a letter stating it
had enclosed a “Special Forbearance Agreement which has been prepared on your
behalf.” On page 2 of the agreement it stated “WHEREAS, customer has requested and
Lender has agreed to allow Customer to repay the Arrearage pursuant to a loan work-out
arrangement on the terms set forth herein.”
133. However, there was no real consideration and the agreement was illusory
because the Lender had been given the right to proceed with a foreclosure sale during the
term of the agreement at its discretion and the terms never gave the Yaus an opportunity
to repay the arrearage.
134. The Plan was not the same as advertised in its prior letters to Mr. Yau or as
represented on the telephone. The forbearance Plan did not allow Mr. Yau to suspend or
reduce his mortgage payments for a short period of time until a long term solution was
available.
135. Mr. Yau made the required $4,804.72 initial payment and monthly
payments of $2,875.00 but he was only getting further in debt.
136. The true facts were that his payments were increased to $2,875.00 per
month and no other terms of his loan were modified or suspended during the forbearance
period. He was still in default and the foreclosure sales were still pending.
137. Furthermore, the terms of the Agreement violated California law.
138. Mr.Yau continued to make the $2,875.00 monthly payments until this action
was filed.
139. Instead of putting Mr. Yau into a temporary modification, they delayed
processing, requesting the same documents they already had over and over again.
140. As a result of defendants’ unlawful practices, unfair acts and failure to place
Mr. Yau into a permanent HAMP loan modification on December 1, 2009, his loan as of
October 10, 2010 approached the HAMP cap.
Total Unpaid principal $664,711.59
Interest from 12/1/09 to 10/10/10 47,916.49
Escrow/Impound Overdraft 12,983.09
Corporate advance 3,652.84
Unpaid Late Charges 120.12
Recording Fee 37.00
Suspense Balance -2,345.75
Total: $727,075.38
141. On November 5, 2010 defendant Aurora sent notice that it intended on
increasing Mr. Yau’s monthly loan payment to $5,466.57 on 3/01/11.
142. Defendant then notified Mr. Yau it intended to sell his home on 12/13/10.
143. From September 2008 when Mr. Yau was behind by approximately
$5,000.00 through present plaintiff has paid defendants approximately $54,293.08. This
is very close to the amount he would have paid the defendants if he had never defaulted
on the loan in the first place ($2402.34*24 months = $57,656.16).
144. Plaintiff further alleges the defendants were deceptive and unlawful in their
handling of the loans and business practices. Examples in the Yaus’ case, include but are
not limited to the fact that defendant has not rescinded the Notice of Default or Notice of
foreclosure sale although the Notice was filed before Quality Loan Services received
assignment and as such is outside the chain of title. Failing to send the plaintiffs a loan
modification application until after they filed a Notice of Default. Additionally, flood
hazard insurance was not required on the Yaus loan but the defendants charged Mr. Yau
$1592.00 for flood hazard insurance after the loan went into default in addition to other
fees and charges for allegedly driving by the home and such. Also, Defendant obtained
an exemption to allow defendant Aurora to offer modifications and other programs in
excess of 38% of the borrower’s income from the California Commissioner but
defendant never notified plaintiff of that fact as required under California law and never
took the foreclosure off of the home when it was notified of this failure to notify.
Defendants failed and refused to request partition even after being notified only Mr. Yau
was on the Note and Mrs. Yau at most was a trustee and was given no consideration for
her name to be placed on their filed recordings as a “co-borrower” for non-judicial
foreclosure purposes.
5. Factual Allegations of Mr. Edman representing the Forebearance Class
145. Mr. Edman obtained a loan to build a home on his land in Malibu,
California.
146. On or about 12/07/06, for valuable consideration, plaintiff, as borrower
made, executed and delivered to his original lender a written promissory note in the
amount of $850,000.00, a true and correct copy of which is attached as and
incorporated by reference herein.
147. According to the terms of the Note, Mr. Edman was required to pay
$3,141.77 per month for the first five (5) years.
148. Plaintiff, as trustor, executed and delivered a deed of trust, conveying the
real property described herein to secure payment of the principal sum and interest as
provided in the note and as part of the same transaction which was then transferred to
defendant, as beneficiary.
149. Said deed of trust was recorded against the subject property in the Official
Records in Los Angeles County, California, a true and correct copy of which is attached
as and incorporated by reference herein.
150. On or about 1/14/09, defendant caused to be recorded a notice of default
and election to sell in the Official Records in Los Angeles, County, California alleging
(a) that a breach of the obligation secured by the deed of trust had occurred, consisting
of plaintiff’s alleged failure to pay $14,267.35 as of 1/13/09, and (b) that the defendant,
as beneficiary, elected to sell, or to cause to be sold, the trust property to satisfy that
Exhibit 10
Exhibit B

obligation, a true and correct copy of which is attached as and incorporated
by reference herein.
151. A week later on or about 1/23/09, defendants delivered a document to Mr.
Edman which represented a “Special Forbearance Agreement [] has been prepared on
your behalf.”
“WHEREAS, customer has requested and Lender has agreed to allow Customer to
repay the Arrearage pursuant to a loan work-out arrangement on the terms set forth
herein…NOW, THEREFORE…Lender shall forbear from exercising any or all of its
rights and remedies..” [pg 2]
“The amount of each Plan payment specified above includes both (1) the regularly
scheduled monthly payment, plus (2) the portion of the Arrearage specified above…
in the event Customer cures the Arrearage by making all Plan payments on or before
the Expiration Date, and is current with the payments then due, and no default then
exists under the Loan Documents and Agreement, Lender shall consider the Note
and Security Instrument to be current and in effect according to their original terms
and conditions.” Attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as is a
true and correct copy of the Special Forbearance Agreement entered into postdefault.
152. Consequently, Mr. Edman made the monthly payments on his home and
entered into a Special Forbearance Plan with defendant Aurora.
Exhibit 11
Exhibit 12

concert therewith after default, but whose default was not cured and loan was not
reinstated by defendants after plaintiff tendered the requested payments.
California homeowners who were denied permanent HAMP loan
agreements after entering in a temporary HAMP agreement with
defendant Aurora whose loans are held by DBNT as Custodian, and
making their payments as requested under the temporary HAMP
agreement.
California homeowners who were denied permanent HAMP loan
agreements after entering in a temporary limited modification Special
Forbearance agreement with defendant Aurora whose loans are held
by DBNT as Custodian, and making their payments as requested
under the temporary HAMP agreement.
159. Excluded from the Class are governmental entities, defendants, and their
affiliates, subsidiaries, current or former employees, officers, directors, agents,
representatives, their family members, the members of this Court and its staff.
160. Defendants subjected plaintiffs and each of their respective Classes to the
same unfair, unlawful and deceptive practices and harmed them in the same manner.
Now plaintiffs and each of their respective Classes seek to enforce the same rights and
remedies under the same substantive law.
161. Plaintiffs do not know the exact size or identities of the members of the
proposed class, since such information is in the exclusive control of the Defendants.
Plaintiffs believe that the Class encompasses over 41 individuals California homeowners
HAMP Subclass:
Forbearance Subclass:

which could reach into the thousands whose identities can be readily ascertained from
Defendant’s books and records. Defendants filed over 4,000 foreclosure documents with
the Orange County Recorder’s office in 2010 alone. Therefore, the proposed Class are so
numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable.
162. Based on the market value of these homes in foreclosure and the size of the
payments made by the Class members under the temporary HAMP agreements and
thereafter, plaintiffs believe the amount in controversy could range anywhere from
$1,250,000 for the first 25 members to over $2 billion dollars for the entire anticipated
class.
163. All members of the Class have been subject to and affected by the same
conduct. The claims are based on wrongfully forcing the Class into default before
implementing a written foreclosure alternative program then wrongfully failing to cure
the default, reinstate the loan or permanently modifying the loan under HAMP and other
government programs after the Class made the payments as requested.
164. There are questions of law and fact that are common to the Class, and
predominate over any questions affecting only individual members of the Class. These
questions include, but are not limited to the following:
a. The validity of the contracts at issue in this case (
(5th Cir 1985) 759 F2d 466, 471);
See, Black Gold Marine,
Inc. v Jackson Marine Co.
b. The nature, scope and operation of defendants’ obligations to the borrowers
under the Servicer Participation Agreements entered into between Aurora
and Fannie Mae ( . (2nd Cir
1986) 799 F.2d 851, 856);
c. Whether the defendants must now be reclassified as unsecured creditors.
d. Whether the plaintiffs have cured their defaults and are entitled to
reconveyance upon payments of subsequent sums due and owing, if any.
e. Whether plaintiffs are entitled to reconveyance of their deeds.
f. The defendants’ obligations to the borrowers when the borrower holds a
CDS or some similar type of security/insurance against default on the
borrower’s loan;
g. Whether the existence of a CDS or similar type of security/insurance to a
borrower should be disclosed at the time the borrower signs the promissory
note and mortgage or as soon as the lender obtains a CDS contract that
could cover the loan.
h. Whether the failure to disclose the existence of a CDS or similar type of
security/insurance to a borrower before default is a breach of good faith and
fair dealing;
See, Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. v Fleer Corp
i. The Class’ right to terminate and rescind the contracts at issue in this action
( . (2nd
Cir. 1994) 17 F3d 38, 39-40).
j. The nature, scope and operation of defendants’ obligations to the borrowers
under the temporary HAMP agreements;
k. Whether the temporary HAMP agreements created any legally binding
obligation on the defendants;
l. Whether the agreements entered into by the borrowers after they were
denied a permanent HAMP agreement were void ab initio for failure or
partial failure of consideration;
m. Whether the agreements entered into by the borrowers after they were
denied a permanent HAMP agreement were illusory;
n. Whether the promissory note and mortgage agreements entered into by the
borrowers after the owner purchased a CDS or similar security/insurance
were void ab initio for failure to disclose this adverse interest or partial
failure of consideration;
o. Whether defendants actions failed to take corrective action by providing
loan modifications that produced more sustainable loan payments;
p. Whether the plaintiffs and the Class (“borrowers’”) payments after the
Notice of Default were the result of fraud of duress;
See, Leisure Time Productions, B.V. v Columbia Pictures Indus. Inc

q. Whether Aurora violated California law by using false, deceptive, and
misleading statements and omission in connection their collection of
Plaintiffs’ and the Class’s mortgage debt;
r. Whether defendants actions or failure to act constituted a breach of their
obligation of good faith and fair dealing;
s. Whether contracts implied in fact were created when Aurora required the
borrowers to continue to make payments after the temporary HAMP
agreement expired;
t. Whether Aurora was required to rescind or otherwise nullify the pending
foreclosure proceedings for all borrowers who were still being considered
for a HAMP modification after the OCC stated “HAMP guidelines now
preclude a servicer from initiating a foreclosure action until the borrower
has been deemed ineligible for a HAMP modification.”
u. Whether the disclosure of the credit default swaps or other types of
investment security/insurance were “material” under federal law;
v. Whether the plaintiff and the Class members are intended beneficiaries of
the agreement between defendant Aurora and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac;
w. Whether defendant Aurora breached its agreement with Fannie Mae/Freddie
Mac;
x. Whether defendant Aurora failed to disclose a material fact to Fannie
Mae/Freddie Mac as required under its contract with them to the detriment
of its intended beneficiaries;
y. Whether defendants conduct as described in this Complaint constituted
fraud or duress;
z. Whether defendants were unjustly enriched;
aa.Whether defendants acts and practices described herein constitute unfair or
deceptive business practices under California Unfair Competition Law
(“UCL”)
bb.Whether injunctive relief is appropriate
cc.Whether specific performance is appropriate
dd.Whether punitive or exemplary damages are appropriate
165. The claims of the individual named Plaintiffs are typical of the claims of the
Class and do not conflict with the interests of any other members of the Class in that both
the Plaintiffs and the other members of the Class’ loans were all securitized in vehicles
that had default and other types of swaps placed on them, they were subjected to the
same conduct, the same terms, and tendered payments to the defendants after being
served with a Notice of Default pursuant to a post default foreclosure alternative
program.
166. The individually named Plaintiffs will fairly and adequately protect the
interests of the Class. They are committed to the vigorous prosecution of the Class’
claims and have retained attorneys who are qualified to pursue this litigation.
167. A class action is superior to other methods for the fast and efficient
adjudication of this controversy. A class action regarding the issues in this case does not
create any problems of manageability.
168. The putative class action meets the requirements of Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure 23(b)(2) and 23(b)(3).
169. The nature of notice to the proposed class required and/or contemplated is
the best practicable method possible and contemplated the defendant’s list when
disclosed would most likely be mailing to the property addresses affected by the filed
foreclosures and internet and other general notices are contemplated to ensure notice.
170. Defendants have acted or refused to act on grounds that apply generally to
the Class so that final injunctive relief or corresponding declaratory relief is appropriate
respecting the Class as a whole.
7. Claims for Relief
FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
Breach of Contract/Unjust Enrichment
(All Plaintiffs and Classes against All Defendants)
171. Plaintiff incorporates the allegations in paragraphs 1 through 170 in this
cause of action as though fully set forth herein.
172. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
173. Defendant represented to plaintiff that by entering into the Special
Forbearance Agreement, the temporary HAMP agreement, or other written post-default
agreement, plaintiff would be able to save his home in that defendant would not sell
plaintiff’s home, and plaintiff would be able to either cure their default or receive a
permanent loan modification.
174. In reliance on defendants’ representations, plaintiff paid the defendants
after Notice of Default was served and recorded.
175. All of the terms in the forbearance agreements, temporary HAMP
agreements or other post-default agreements were drafted by the defendant, and not
negotiable.
176. Plaintiff had no bargaining power in negotiating the terms of these
agreements or the amounts of payments requested.
177. Defendants took the money then elected to sell the property through
foreclosure.
178. Plaintiff alleges said conduct constituted a breach of good faith and fair
dealing, was unconscionable, unjust and/or coercive.

179. As a result of defendant’s conduct, plaintiff was damaged financially.
180. Plaintiff seeks damages according to proof and reserves the right to seek
equitable remedies of unjust enrichment and disgorgement of profit made on the
Plaintiff under guise of performance of this agreement.
181. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 180 as though set forth in full herein.
182. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and the Subclass described above.
183. Defendant Aurora and the Plaintiffs and Class entered into a Temporary
HAMP agreement as alleged above, a true and correct copy of the Mr. Yau’s agreement
is attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as
184. Defendant Aurora agreed to permanently modify plaintiff and each
members of the Class’s loan if plaintiffs and the Class complied with the terms of the
temporary modification.
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
Unjust Enrichment/Breach of Temporary HAMP Agreement
(Plaintiffs, Eddie Yau, Gloria Yau, Rob Rhoades, Nicole Rhoades, Steve Burke,
Otis Banks, Richard Apostolos, Joanne Anderson and the HAMP Class against
all Defendants)
Exhibit 3.

185. Plaintiff and the Class complied with the terms of the temporary
modification, except for those terms and conditions that were excused or waived.
186. Defendant unjustifiably and inexcusably breached the contract by failing to
perform its obligations thereunder as described above.
187. As a result of defendant’s breach, plaintiff’s loan was not permanently
modified causing injury to the plaintiff and Class.
188. As a result of Defendants’ unjust enrichment, Plaintiffs and the Class have
sustained damages in an amount to be determined at trial (which include legal and other
fees in excess of the principal and interest due on their loans) and seek full
disgorgement and restitution of Defendants’ enrichments, benefits, and ill-gotten gains
acquired as a result of the wrongful conduct alleged above. Alternatively, Plaintiffs and
the Class seek specific performance or if specific performance cannot be granted,
reformation of the contract from temporary to permanent under the same monthly
payment terms for a term of 30 years or if reformation of the contract cannot be granted,
damages according to proof and reserve the right to seek equitable remedies to rescind
the payments made to defendants under guise of performance of this contract and
disgorgement of profits made on the Plaintiffs and the Class loans above reasonable
rental value of their homes from the time the loans originated.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION
Breach of Written Contracts – Third Party Beneficiary
(All Plaintiffs and Classes against all Defendants)
Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
189. Plaintiffs repeat and re-allege every allegation in paragraphs 1 through 188
as though set forth in full herein.
190. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
191. Plaintiffs and the Class members are third party beneficiaries to the
contract attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as and to the Amended
and Restated contract attached hereto and fully incorporated herein as .
192. Plaintiff and the Class are intended beneficiaries under the contracts.
193. Defendants Aurora and DBTCA and DBNTC, jointly and severally,
unjustifiably and inexcusably breached the Contract by failing to perform their
obligations thereunder as described above.
194. Defendants’ breach of the contract resulted in harm to plaintiff.
195. Pursuant to California Civil Code §1559 and/or federal law, plaintiff may
enforce the contract’s provisions.
196. Plaintiffs and the Class seek specific performance or if specific
performance cannot be granted, reformation of the contract from temporary to
permanent under the same monthly payment terms for a term of 30 years or if
reformation of the contract cannot be granted, damages according to proof and reserve
the right to seek equitable remedies to rescind the payments made to defendants under
phs 1 through 196 as though fully set forth herein.
198. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
199. An actual controversy exists between plaintiff and defendant concerning
their respective rights and duties pertaining to the subject property and described
transactions because plaintiff alleges there was a cure and reinstatement by mutual
consent.
200. As a result, plaintiff desires a judicial determination and declaration that
the default was cured, plaintiff is entitled to reconveyance upon payment of subsequent
sums and the defendant has no ability to foreclose on plaintiff’s home.
201. Such a declaration is appropriate at this time so that plaintiff may
determine his or her rights and duties before the subject property is sold at a foreclosure
sale.
FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Declaratory Relief – Cure and Reinstatement by Mutual Consent
(All plaintiffs and classes against all defendants)
FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Declaratory Relief – One Action Rule
(All plaintiffs and classes against all defendants)
202. Plaintiff incorporated in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 201 and the allegations in the Second cause of action as though
fully set forth herein.
203. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
204. An actual controversy exists between plaintiff and defendant concerning
their respective rights and duties pertaining to the subject property and described
transactions because plaintiff alleges the defendant violated the One Action Rule so
defendant is reduced to the status of unsecured creditor, entitling plaintiff to injunctive
relief, attorney fees and costs of suit.
205. As a result, plaintiff desires a judicial determination and declaration the
defendants are reduced to the status of unsecured creditor(s), the defendants have no
ability to foreclose on plaintiff’s home as unsecured creditors, and plaintiff is entitled to
reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of suit.
206. Such a declaration is appropriate at this time so that plaintiff may
determine his or her rights and duties before the subject property is sold at a foreclosure
sale.
SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Declaratory Relief
Improper Application and/or Calculation of Payments, Fees and Costs
(All plaintiffs and classes against all defendants)
207. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 206 as though fully set forth herein.
208. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
209. An actual controversy exists between plaintiff and defendant concerning
their respective rights and duties pertaining to the subject property and described
transactions because plaintiff alleges a breach of the obligation for which the deed of
trust is security has not occurred or is excused because the beneficiary improperly
applied and/or calculated plaintiff’s payments, costs, fees, insurance, taxes and other
charges prior to, during, and/or after default.
210. As a result, plaintiff desires a judicial determination and declaration of
plaintiff’s and defendant’s respective rights and duties; specifically that plaintiff did not
breach his or her obligations and as such the Notice of default and election to sell was
null and void.
211. Such a declaration is appropriate at this time so that plaintiff may
determine his or her rights and duties before the subject property is sold at a foreclosure
sale.
212. Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations in paragraphs 1 through
211 as though fully set out herein.
213. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
214. Consent to the special forbearance was not real or free in that it was
obtained solely through fraud and misrepresentations as herein alleged.
215. Plaintiffs thus seek to rescind the agreements under California Civil Code
section 1689(b)(1). Plaintiffs have retained no consideration provided by defendants
Aurora or Deutsche Bank that can be tendered back to Aurora or Deutsche Bank prior to
rescission.
216. Aurora led plaintiff to believe that it wanted to help Plaintiff maintain
ownership of their homes.
217. Aurora represented it wanted to help Plaintiff maintain ownership of his
home through the language of the special forbearance agreement which states
SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
(Fraud/Misrepresentation of Material Fact)
[By all plaintiffs and classes against all defendants)
“WHEREAS, Customer has requested and Lender has agreed to allow Customer to
repay the Arrearage pursuant to a loan work-out arrangement on the terms set forth
herein.” Aurora led Plaintiff to believe that their arrearage in payments that led to
default would be repaid if they made the payments under the special forbearance
agreement.
218. Plaintiff reasonably relied on defendant’s representations which led
Plaintiff to believe that the default on his home would be cured and his loan would
eventually be reinstated under the agreement.
219. At the time that Aurora made these representations, Aurora know or should
have known that they were not true.
220. Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that Aurora would
ensure that the requested payments were never enough to repay the arrearage due to the
way the payments were applied.
221. Plaintiff is informed and believes and further alleges thereon that the notice
of default was on file before the special forbearance was offered so that Aurora could
execute the Trustee’s sale and foreclose after obtaining the payments knowing that the
arrearage would not be repaid.
222. Aurora made these representations with the purpose of persuading Plaintiff
to enter into the Special Forbearance agreements and to continue to make payments of
thousands of dollars.
223. Plaintiff reasonably relied on these representations.
224. Plaintiff would not have entered into the special forbearance agreement and
paid thousands of dollars to defendants Aurora and Deutsch Bank after default had he
known that he would not have had a genuine opportunity to save his home.
225. As a proximate result of defendant’s conduct plaintiff has been financially
injured in an amount to be proven at trial and his credit has been damaged.
226. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 225 as though fully set forth herein.
227. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
228. Defendants beneficiary and trustee intend to sell and unless restrained will
sell or cause to be sold, the subject property, all to plaintiff’s great and irreparable injury
in that defendant has given notice that the trustee sale of the property will take place on
March 11, 2011 or anytime thereafter, and if the sales take place as scheduled, plaintiff
will forfeit it.
229. The scheduled sales should be enjoined by virtue of the facts alleged that
said sale is wrongful.
EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Injunctive Relief
(All Plaintiffs and Classes against all Defendants)
230. Plaintiff has no other plain, speedy, or adequate remedy, and the injunction
relief prayed for below is necessary and appropriate at this time to prevent irreparable
loss to plaintiff’s interests.
231. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 230 as though fully set forth herein.
232. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
233. The amount of money defendant owes to plaintiff or vice versa is unknown
and cannot be determined without an accounting.
234. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 233 as though set forth in full herein.
235. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
NINTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Accounting
(All Plaintiffs and Classes against all Defendants)
TENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Unfair and Unlawful Practices
(All plaintiffs and Classes against All Defendants)
236. California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) defines unfair competition to
include any “unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent” business act or practice. Cal Bus & Prof
Code 17200 et seq.
237. By its terms, the statute is broad in scope. “It governs „anti-competitive
business practices? as well as injuries to consumers, and has as a major purpose “the
preservation of fair business competition.” [Citations.]” (
(1999) 20 Cal.4th 163, 180.) “By defining
unfair competition to include any „ . . . business act or practice? [citation], the
UCL permits violations of other laws to be treated as unfair competition that is
independently actionable. [Citation.]” ( (2002) 27 Cal.4th 939, 949.)
In addition, under the UCL, “„a practice may be deemed unfair even if not specifically
proscribed by some other law.? [Citation.]” (
(2003) 29 Cal.4th 1134, 1143.) The remedies available under the UCL are
“cumulative . . . to the remedies or penalties available under all other laws of this state.”
(Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17205.) (2010)
238. Defendants have violated Cal Bus & Prof Code §17200 et seq with the
conduct as alleged above.
239. Such acts include but are not limited to:
a. Defendants have a pattern and practice of refusing to provide permanent
loan modifications to those borrowers who loans were placed in temporary
Cel-Tech Communications,
Inc. v. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co.
unlawful
Kasky v. Nike, Inc.
Korea Supply Co. v. Lockheed Martin
Corp.
Arce v Kaiser Foundations Health Plan, Inc.
HAMP plans but were covered by CDS or other securities/insurance, and
this refusal to provide permanent loan modifications constitutes an
unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice in violation of UCL,
and/or
b. Defendant Aurora engaged in “fraudulent” business practices under the
UCL because its temporary HAMP Agreements and post temporary HAMP
Agreements were intended and likely to mislead the public into believing
that if they made the additional payments that Aurora required they would
have an opportunity to cure their loan defaults with a permanent HAMP
modification or similar type of agreement prior to foreclosure. A true
opportunity to cure their defaults was “material” to Plaintiffs and the Class
within the meaning of , (2009) 46 Cal 4th 298, 325,
and/or
c. Aurora engaged in “unlawful” business practices under the UCL based on
its violations of the Security First Rule, Cal Code Civ Pro 726 which states
in pertinent part:
(a) There can be but one form of action for the recovery of any debt or
the enforcement of any right secured by mortgage upon real property
or an estate for years therein, which action shall be in accordance with
the provisions of this chapter. n the action the court may, by its
judgment, direct the sale of the encumbered real property or estate for
years therein (or so much of the real property or estate for years as
may be necessary), and the application of the proceeds of the sale to
In re Tobacco II Cases
the payment of the costs of court, the expenses of levy and sale, and
the amount due plaintiff, including, where the mortgage provides for
the payment of attorney’s fees, the sum for attorney’s fees as the court
shall find reasonable, not exceeding the amount named in the
mortgage.
(b) The decree for the foreclosure of a mortgage or deed of trust
secured by real property or estate for years therein shall declare the
amount of the indebtedness or right so secured and, unless judgment
for any deficiency there may be between the sale price and the amount
due with costs is waived by the judgment creditor or a deficiency
judgment is prohibited by Section 580b, shall determine the personal
liability of any defendant for the payment of the debt secured by the
mortgage or deed of trust and shall name the defendants against whom
a deficiency judgment may be ordered following the proceedings
prescribed in this section….
d. Aurora engaged in “unfair” business practices under the UCL because it
violated the laws and underlying legislative policies concerning: (1)
foreclosure prevention; (2) the unavailability of deficiency judgments after
a lender exercised its election to sell under non-judicial foreclosure; and (3)
the rights of contracting parties to enjoy the benefits of their agreements
after having paid valuable consideration for such benefits.
240. As a proximate result of defendant Aurora’s conduct, plaintiff was injured
financially and/or to his property rights. Aurora’s conduct as set forth herein resulted in
loss of money or property to Plaintiff.
241. Plaintiff seeks damages, disgorgement of profits on the CD Swaps,
injunctive relief in the form of correction of his/her, their damaged credit, cure of
default and reconveyance of the deed, and any other equitable relief that the court deems
appropriate.
242. Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations in paragraphs 1 through
241 as though fully set out herein.
243. Plaintiffs bring this claim on their own behalf and on behalf of each
member of the Class and Subclass described above.
244. As more fully described above defendants concealed the following material
facts that they had a duty disclose:
e. Defendants Deutsche Bank and Aurora concealed the material fact that
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas as trustee was the
owner of the note and mortgage loan until after the plaintiffs and Class
were thrown into default on their loans.
f. Defendant Deutsche Bank concealed the material fact that the plaintiffs and
Class’s loans were covered with CDS or other similar security/insurance
after the defendant defaulted the plaintiffs and Class’s loans.
g. Defendant Aurora concealed a material fact that the way the contract was
written between Fannie Mae and Aurora, there was a substantial amount of
ELEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
(Fraud/Concealment of Material Fact)
(All Plaintiffs and Classes against All Defendants)
loans aimed at receiving a more sustainable and affordable mortgage under
HAMP that would not pass the NPV test because the lenders such as
defendant Deutsche Bank had purchased credit default swaps or other types
of investment security/insurance against these mortgages.
245. In plain language, the very types of mortgages the federal HAMP program
was designed to protect were the very types of mortgages that were not being protected
by the terms of the agreement between Aurora and Fannie Mae. The lenders like
defendant Deutsche Bank knew it. The servicers such like defendant Aurora knew or
should have known it and the plaintiffs and the Class in this action didn’t have a clue.
246. Aurora was under a duty by the terms of the contract with Fannie Mae to
disclose this material fact to Fannie Mae when it entered into this Agreement or when it
learned of this material fact from defendant Deutsche Bank. The defendants were under
a duty to disclose the owner of the loan.
247. The suppression of this fact was likely to mislead and did mislead Fannie
Mae, the plaintiffs and the Class.
248. The representations and failure to disclose information and suppression of
the information herein alleged to have been made by defendant were made with the
intent to induce plaintiffs and the Class to act in the manner herein alleged in reliance
thereon.
249. In reliance upon the representation that defendants were qualified to offer
the HAMP program to plaintiffs and the Class and without knowing that their loans
were asset-backed pass-through securities held by Deutsche Bank who bought credit
default swaps or other types of investment security/insurance or what that really meant,
the plaintiffs and the members of the Class continued to make payments on their
mortgage after they were in default and entered into the temporary HAMP agreements
as described above believing if they continued to make their payments they would be
accepted into a permanent HAMP modification.
250. Plaintiffs and the members of the Class, at the time these failures to
disclose and suppressions of facts occurred, and at the time plaintiff took the actions
herein alleged, was ignorant of the existence of the facts which defendant suppressed
and failed to disclose. If plaintiff had been aware of the existence of the facts not
disclosed by defendant, plaintiff would not have paid these additional amounts to the
defendants after default; may not have even signed the note or mortgage loan; and most
likely would not have relied on defendant Aurora’s representations which lulled them
into default without looking beyond the servicer for an alternate solution.
251. As a proximate result of Defendants’ fraudulent conduct as herein alleged,
plaintiffs and the Class were induced to disclose all of their private financial information
and pay Aurora additional monies without any real consideration by reason of which
plaintiffs and the Class have been damaged in the sum of their payments so made.
252. Plaintiffs and the Class seek specific performance or if specific
performance cannot be granted, reformation or if reformation cannot be granted, offset,
equitable remedies to rescind the payments made to defendants under guise of
performance of this contract and disgorgement of profits made on the Plaintiffs and the
Class loans above reasonable rental value of their homes from the time the loans
originated.
253. The aforementioned conduct of defendant(s) was an intentional
misrepresentation, deceit, or concealment of a material fact known to the defendant(s)
with the intention on the part of the defendant(s) of thereby depriving plaintiff of
property or legal rights or otherwise causing injury, and was despicable conduct that
subjected plaintiff to a cruel and unjust hardship in conscious disregard of plaintiff’s
rights, so as to justify an award of exemplary and punitive damages.
254. Plaintiffs and the Class seek specific performance of the temporary HAMP
agreement by converting it to a permanent modification on the same terms and if
specific performance cannot be granted; rescission of all of the agreements as a result of
these failures of consideration. Plaintiffs have no other adequate remedy at law and will
suffer irreparable harm if the agreements are not rescinded and if the fees paid (which
included legal and other fees not required to be paid under their notes) are not returned.
TWELFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Declaratory Relief/Injunction
FIRST AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Yau v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Americas
(As between plaintiff Gloria Yau and all those similarly situated and all
defendants)
8. PRAYER FOR RELIEF
255. Plaintiff incorporates in this cause of action all of the allegations in
paragraphs 1 through 254 as though set forth in full herein.
256. Plaintiff Gloria Yau and all those similarly situated always held title in the
home described in the complaint and in the Notice of Default and Foreclosure Sale
attached hereto as exhibits.
257. Plaintiff Gloria Yau was not a signer on the Note and was not a coborrower
on the loan, in fact.
258. Defendants contend that they have the right to non-judicially foreclose on
plaintiff Gloria Yau’s home, and conduct a trustee’s sale relative to that property and
evict her.
259. Plaintiff contends that Defendants do not have a right to foreclose on her
portion of the home.
260. An actual controversy presently exists between Plaintiff Gloria Yau and
Defendants as to the existence of the ability or right to foreclose on her home and evict
her. A judicial decision is necessary and appropriate at this time so that Plaintiff Gloria
Yau and Defendants may ascertain their respective rights relative to Plaintiffs and the
Class’s homes and the appropriate injunction issued.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs pray for judgment
against defendants, Aurora Loan
Services, LLC, DBNTC, DBTCA and each of them, jointly and severally, as
follows:
A judicial determination and decree that:
the plaintiffs have cured their default and plaintiff is entitled to
reconveyance upon payment of subsequent sums;
the defendants, and each of them, have no legal right or authority to
foreclose on plaintiff’s home,
that the defendant is reduced to the status of an unsecured creditor,
that defendant improperly applied and/or calculated plaintiff’s payments
requiring a full accounting;
B. An accounting;
C. A permanent or final injunction to force defendants to request immediate
removal of default or foreclosure status and all other derogatory/negative
information from the Plaintiff’s credit reports and to refrain such derogatory
reporting in the future;
A permanent or final injunction, to effect full and fair relief consistent with the
law, including but not limited to forcing defendants to reconvey the deed of the
trust to the plaintiffs and Class and refrain from holding the debt out as
“secured” to any other creditors. Such injunctive relief could include, case
dismissals, rescissions of sales, reconveyance of deeds, cures of defaults,
reinstatement of loans at the principal and rate consistent with the rest of the
relief afforded by way of this Complaint.
Restitution to the Plaintiffs and the Class in amounts to be proven at trial;
Statutory damages and civil penalties;
Disgorgement of profits;
Costs of this action, including the fees and costs of experts;
Attorneys’ fees;
Prejudgment interest at the statutory rate;
Post-judgment interest;
Exemplary and Punitive Damages; and
Grant plaintiffs and the class such other and further relief as this Court finds
necessary and proper.
Plaintiffs hereby demand a jury trial.
Dated: March 11, 2011 LAW OFFICES OF LENORE ALBERT
By _______________
LENORE ALBERT, ESQ.
Attorney for the Plaintiffs and the Class

Yau_-_complaint_First_Amended_Pleading.78103044

Wrongfull foreclosure lawsuit vallejo

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CA Class Action gets a TRO; Credit Default Swaps addressed; HAMP’s bogus nature addressed

CA Class Action gets a TRO; Credit Default Swaps addressed; HAMP’s bogus nature addressed

This complaint from California is remarkable in its treatment of HAMP as well as Credit Default Swaps (CDS) and the rest of the securitization scam.  For research buffs, the complaint can be found here.The federal government is either utterly stupid or in cahoots with the rip-offs on Wall Street.  I tend to believe it is the latter.  Too many “mistakes” lately, especially those related to the “bail-outs.”  The complaint sets forth a clear demonstration of how all the players in the chain (primarily the Servicer and the Securitization Trustee) are incentivized NOT to modify loans, but to foreclose.  To add insult to injury, these rip-offs collect homeowners’ last money, collect the money from the government for MERELY making an ILLUSORY promise of a modification, and collect their own “insurance” (CDSs) on the loans designed to fail (“Subprime”/”Alt-A”).

As the complaint rightly points out, CDSs are line fire insurance on a neighbor’s house: the incentive for arson is too great.

Most of the claim are CA-specific because, apparently, in that state foreclosers need not re-notice a sale once it’s been postponed for pretend-loan-mod efforts, and can sell the property without further notice, notwithstanding apparent loan mod “review.”

This again goes to show: don’t rely on any loan mod promises; instead — modify, but also nullify.

linda green robo signer notary fraud complaint

If Linda Green or any of the other docx companies signed any of your assignments or substitution of trustee this might be your complaint:

mccandlessrobosignercomplaintlindagreenrobo signer

Timothy L. McCandless, Esq. SBN 147715

LAW OFFICES OF TIMOTHY L. MCCANDLESS

1881 Business Center Drive, Ste. 9A

San Bernardino, CA 92392

Tel:  909/890-9192

Fax: 909/382-9956

Attorney for Plaintiffs

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

 

COUNTY OF ____________

___________________________________,

And ROES 1 through 5,000,

Plaintiff,

v.

SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION; AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC.; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2; DOCX, LLC; and PREMIER TRUST DEED SERVICES and all persons unknown claiming any legal or  equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest  in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiff’s title, or any cloud on Plaintiff’s  title thereto, Does 1 through 10, Inclusive,

Defendants.

CASE NO:

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

FOR QUIET TITLE, DECLARATORY RELIEF, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, PRELIMINARY INJUNTION AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION, CANCELATION OF INSTRUMENT AND FOR DAMAGES ARISING FROM:

SLANDER OF TITLE; TORTUOUS

VIOLATION OF STATUTE [Penal

Code § 470(b) – (d); NOTARY FRAUD;

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Plaintiffs ___________________________ allege herein as follows:

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS

            1.         Plaintiffs ___________ (hereinafter individually and collectively referred to as “___________”), were and at all times herein mentioned are,  residents of the County of _________, State of California and the lawful owner of a parcel of real property commonly known as: _________________, California _______ and the legal description is:

Parcel No. 1:

A.P.N. No. _________ (hereinafter “Subject Property”).

2.         At all times herein mentioned, SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION (hereinafter SAND CANYON”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of California and claims an interest adverse to the right, title and interests of Plaintiff in the Subject Property.

3.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC. (hereinafter “AMERICAN”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, and at all times herein mentioned was conducting ongoing business in the State of California.

4.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2 (hereinafter referred to as “WELLS FARGO”), is and was, a member of the National Banking Association and makes an adverse claim to the Plaintiff MADRIDS’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

5.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant DOCX, L.L.C. (hereinafter “DOCX”), is and was, a limited liability company existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Georgia, and a subsidiary of Lender Processing Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

6.         At all times herein mentioned, __________________, was a company existing by virtue of its relationship as a subsidiary of __________________.

7.         Plaintiffs are ignorant of the true names and capacities of Defendants sued herein as DOES I through 10, inclusive, and therefore sues these Defendants by such fictitious names and all persons unknown claiming any legal or equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiffs’ title, or any cloud on Plaintiffs’ title thereto. Plaintiffs will amend this complaint as required to allege said Doe Defendants’ true names and capacities when such have been fully ascertained. Plaintiffs further allege that Plaintiffs designated as ROES 1 through 5,000, are Plaintiffs who share a commonality with the same Defendants, and as the Plaintiffs listed herein.

8.         Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereon allege that at all times herein mentioned, Defendants, and each of them, were the agent and employee of each of the remaining Defendants.

9.         Plaintiffs allege that each and every defendants, and each of them, allege herein ratified the conduct of each and every other Defendant.

10.       Plaintiffs allege that at all times said Defendants, and each of them, were acting within the purpose and scope of such agency and employment.

11.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa July 2004, DOCX was formed with the specific intent of manufacturing fraudulent documents in order create the false impression that various entities obtained valid, recordable interests in real

properties, when in fact they actually maintained no lawful interest in said properties.

12.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that as a regular and ongoing part of the business of Defendant DOCX was to have persons sitting around a table signing names as quickly as possible, so that each person executing documents would sign approximately 2,500 documents per day. Although the persons signing the documents claimed to be a vice president of a particular bank of that document, in fact, the party signing the name was not the person named on the document, as such the signature was a forgery, that the name of the person claiming to be a vice president of a particular financial institution was not a “vice president”, did not have any prior training in finance, never worked for the company they allegedly purported to be a vice president of, and were alleged to be a vice president simultaneously with as many as twenty different banks and/or lending institutions.

13.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the actual signatories of the instruments set forth in Paragraph 12 herein, were intended to and were fraudulently notarized by a variety of notaries in the offices of DOCX in Alpharetta, GA.

14.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that for all purposes the intent of Defendant DOCX was to intentionally create fraudulent documents, with forged signatures, so that said documents could be recorded in the Offices of County Recorders through the United States of America, knowing that such documents would forgeries, contained false information, and that the recordation of such documents would affect an interest in real property in violation of law.

15.       Plaintiffs allege that on or about, ____________, that they conveyed a first deed of  trust (hereinafter “DEED”) in favor of Option One Mortgage, Inc. with an interest of

approximately $_________________.

16.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that Option One Mortgage sold interest in the aforementioned DEED to unknown parties as a derivative security, who then repeatedly resold their respective interests, if any, in said DEED on at least six different occasions.

17.       Plaintiffs allege that pursuant to California Civil Code section 2932.5, an assignee may effectuate the power of sale provided the assignment is properly acknowledged and recorded. Plaintiffs further allege that due to acts and/or omissions of Defendants, and each of them, that none of the named Defendants herein are holders in due course and do not maintain an interest in the Subject Property, including but, not limited to: there are no lawful records connecting Defendants to this property other that Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation, and the interest of Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation was long ago sold-off to unrelated third parties for which there is no proper “paper trail” to establish the true holder in due course. Plaintiffs allege that as will be seen hereinafter that Defendants, and each of them, resorted to forged instruments in an attempt to create the appearance that Defendant Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2.

18.       Plaintiffs allege that due to certain acts and/or omissions once the DEED was “assigned” to various parties the DEED was detrimentally affected in a number ways, including but, not limited to: that the power of sale inherent in the DEED was severed, because the subsequent parties were no longer holders in due course as a matter of law.

19.       On April 3, 2011, on the national program “60 Minutes”, two former employees of DOCX made admissions which entirely support the allegations set forth in Paragraphs 12 and 13, herein. During said program, former employee, Chris Pendley [sic] stated that he personally drafted the name of “Linda Green” on thousands and thousands of assignments, although he was not Linda Green, that he was signing in excess of 2,500 documents per day, and that he was paid the sum of ten ($10.00) per hour to forge the name of “Linda Green” and that he made no inspection of any documents to determine whether the execution of the assignment was lawful, had no training to make an inspection of documents to determine if the assignment was lawful, and was told by his superiors that his execution of the name Linda Green was lawful.

20.       On April 3, 2011, Linda Green, a former employee of DOCX, appeared on the aforementioned “60 Minutes” program and stated that she worked in the mailroom of DOCX and

eventually signed some documents, that although she was listed as a vice president of several

companies, that she had no connection with those companies, and that she was aware that her signature was being used by several other persons on assignments because her name was short and easy to spell.

21.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that Linda Green, acting in her capacity as an employee of DOCX allowed her name to forged upon literally thousands of purported assignments, although Linda Green never executed those assignments, never inspected those assignments, and that DOCX simply listed that Linda Green was a vice president at various

Banks and lending institutions, however, Linda Green was not lawfully a vice president, and the assertion that Linda Green was a vice president was an artifice. Plaintiffs further allege that Linda Green’s name fraudulent appeared on documents for the following institutions: 11-11-2004 & 06-22-2006 Vice President, Loan Documentation, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., successor by merger to Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc.; 08-11-2008 & 08-14-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 08-27-2008 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation; 09-19-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 09-30-2008;

Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home

Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 09-30-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 10-08-2009 Vice President & Asst. Secretary, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as servicer for Ameriquest Mortgage Corporation; 10-16-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 10-17-2008, 11-20-2008

Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American

Brokers Conduit; 11-20-2008 Vice President, Option One Mortgage Corporation; 12-08-2008

Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 12-15-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for HLB Mortgage; 12-24-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 12-26-2008 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc.; 01-13-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Family Lending Services, Inc.; 01-15-2009

Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for

American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 02-03-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 02-05-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for

American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 02-24-2009 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc. as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation;

02-25-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 02-27-2009 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation;

03-02-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage; 03-04-2009 Vice President, Argent Mortgage Company, LLC by Citi Residential Lending Inc., attorney-in-fact; 03-06-2009 & 03-20-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home

Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 04-15-2009, 04-17-2009, 04-20-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 05-11-2009, 07-06-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 07-14-2009 Vice

President, Bank of America, N.A.; 07-15-2009 Vice President & Asst. Secretary, American

Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as servicer for Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee for, Ameriquest Mortgage Securities, Inc. asset-backed pass through certificates, series 2004-R7, under the pooling and servicing agreement dated July 1, 2004; 07-30-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home

Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 08-12-2009 Vice President, Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation; 08-28-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 09-03-2009

Asst. Vice President, Sand Canyon Corporation formerly known as Option One Mortgage

Corporation; 09-03-2009 Asst. Secretary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage; 09-04-2009 Asst. Secretary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage;

09-08-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 09-21-2009 & 09-22-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc. Plaintiffs further allege that Linda Green was never lawfully the vice president of any entity, more particularly the foregoing listed entities.

22.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that Defendant DOCX was a continuing criminal enterprise whose sole function was to create and forge fraudulent assignments which would purport to convey interests in real property and the entities listed in Paragraph 21 hereinabove, were complicate in Defendants’ fraud.

23.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe from beginning circa 2007 and continuing until sometime in 2010, DOCX produced thousands upon thousands of false and fraudulent assignments which were recorded in the Offices of the County Recorders of the State of

California, and several other States in the United States of America as well.

24.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that during the “60 Minutes” program on April 3, 2011, another former DOCX employee, Savonna Krite [sic] acted as a notary public and notarized that the signatures of Linda Green and others, were valid, however, she admitted that the notarizations were not that of Linda Green. Savonna Krite [sic] further admitted that she was told by officers of DOCX that it was “alright” for her to notarize signatures as being valid. Savonna Krite [sic] also admitted as of the program that she now understands that her notarizations of said assignments were “not alright.”

25.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that because the entire company structure of DOCX was to manufacture forged assignments by the thousands per day, without any consideration whatsoever that the information contained on those assignments was valid, and that the notarizations were in fact fraudulent, that no reasonable expectation can be made that any of the assignments executed by DOCX employees were or are valid.

26.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa _______,

Defendants, and each of them, utilized the services of DOCX in order to manufacture a fraudulent assignment from Defendant AMERICAN to WELLS FARGO, because WELLS FARGO could not find documents which would demonstrate that it owned an interest in the Plaintiffs’ subject property.

27.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that WELLS FARGO never had a lawful interest in the Plaintiffs’ subject property, either in its own capacity or as that as Trustee for the SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2.

28.       Plaintiffs allege that they fully tendered all mortgage payments which were

lawfully due under the DEED, and that they are not in default of their payments, having lawfully

tendered all amounts due and owing.

29.       Plaintiffs allege that WELLS FARGO made demands for payment as against the DEED, however, Plaintiffs allege that WELLS FARGO was not a lawful holder in due course, that SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2 was not a lawful holder in due course, and that neither party had any lawful right, title and interest in the DEED.

30.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that on or about, _______________, Defendant DOCX at the request of Defendants, and each of them, forged an instrument (hereinafter “FORGED ASSIGNMENT”) with the name “Linda Green” which was notarized by

“Ellis Simmons.”

31.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that on or about, _______________, an unknown employee of DOCX, in the course and scope of their employment, signed the name “Linda Green” and that such document had a notary stamp placed upon the FORGED ASSIGNMENT which purported to be lawfully notarized by “Ellis Simmons.”

32.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the FORGED

ASSIGNMENT was then sent by DOCX through the United States Postal Service or transmitted by facsimile over the telephone and telegraph wires of the United States of America to Defendants, and each of them, in order that such FORGED ASSIGNMENT would be recorded in the Office of the County Recorder of the County of _______________.

32.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that on or about _______________, that Defendants, and each of them, their employees and/or agents, caused the FORGED ASSIGNMENT which unlawfully affected Plaintiffs’ subject property to be recorded in the Office of the Country Recorder of the County of _______________ as Instrument No. _______________. A true and correct copy of the assignment set forth in Paragraphs 30 – 31, is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and is incorporated by this reference.

33.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the sole claim of Defendants, and each of them, as to their right, title and/or interest in the Plaintiffs’ Subject Property is the  FORGED ASSIGNMENT.

34.       Plaintiffs allege that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT as a matter of law is void and that it did not constitute a conveyance of an interest to Defendants, or to anyone at all, and that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT is a legal nullity.

35.       Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, and each of them, are presently relying upon the FORGED ASSIGNMENT and are knowingly and intentionally prosecuting a non-judicial foreclosure based solely upon the recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, necessitating the instant action.

FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF

(Slander of Title As Against All Defendants)

            36.       Plaintiffs incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 35 of the General Allegations as though such have been fully set forth herein.

37.       Plaintiffs allege that on or about, _______________, Defendants, and each of them, in some measure actively, directly, indirectly, openly and secretly contributed to the preparation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT and the recordation of said Instrument in the Official Records of the Office of the County Recorder of _______________ County.

38.       Plaintiffs allege that the recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, by Defendants and each of them, rendered Plaintiffs’ title to the Subject Property as unmarketable.

39.       Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, and each of them, recorded the FORGED

ASSIGNMENT without privilege, knowledge and/or consent of Plaintiffs, the information contained in said FORGED ASSIGNMENT is false in that no lawful conveyance ever existed between the parties thereto, and said FORGED ASSIGNMENT when recorded published the information therein which disparaged Plaintiffs’ title as would lead a reasonable man to falsely assume that Defendants, and each of them, in some measure actually maintained some right, title and interest in Plaintiffs’ Subject Property, whereas, some of the information contained in the FORGED ASSIGNMENT is false. A true and correct copy of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT  is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and is incorporated by this reference.

40.       Plaintiffs allege that they actually and proximately suffered damages due to the planning, preparation and recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT in an amount the totality of which has not been fully ascertained, but in no event less than the jurisdictional limitations of this court.

41.       Plaintiffs allege that the slander of the Subject Properties title was intentional,

fraudulent, malicious, oppressive and burdensome and deserving the imposition of punitive

damages in an amount sufficient that such conduct will not be repeated.

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

(Tortuous Violation of Statute Penal Code §§ 470(b), 470(d)

As Against Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation;

American Home Mortgage Services, Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Trustee

for Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2; DOCX, LLC)

42.       Plaintiffs re-allege and incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 35 of the General Allegations and Paragraphs 36 through 41 of the First Cause of Action as though such have been fully set forth herein.

43.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa July 2004, Defendants, and each of them, contrived a scheme to replace missing documents which purported to assert interests in real properties through-out the United States of America.

44.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that by August 2008, Defendants, and each of them, had in some measure participated in the request for production of forged instruments from DOCX, as well as other document forgery mills, the purpose of which was to effect title to real properties through-out the United States of America.

45.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that on or about, August 8, 2008, the agents and/or employees of Defendants and each of them, knowingly and intentionally with the intent to defraud Plaintiffs’ interest in the Subject Property, prepared the FORGED ASSIGNMENT and caused said FORGED ASSIGNMENT to be recorded in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder of the County of _______________ as Instrument No. _______________. A true and correct copy of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and is incorporated by this reference.

46.       Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, and each of them, tortuously forged the

signature of Linda Green, on the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, with the intent to defraud Plaintiffs, and such forgery directly affected Plaintiffs’ interest in the Subject Property in tortuous violation of California Penal Code sections 470(b) and 470(d).

47.       Plaintiffs allege that they actually and proximately suffered damages due to the planning, preparation and recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT in an amount the totality of which has not been fully ascertained, but in no event less than the jurisdictional limitations of this court.

48.       Plaintiffs allege that the tortuous violation of Penal Code sections 470(b) and 470(d), by and through the preparation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, and subsequent recordation thereof was in willful disregard for Plaintiffs’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property,  intentional, fraudulent, malicious, oppressive and burdensome and deserving the imposition of punitive damages in an amount sufficient that such conduct will not be repeated.

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

(Notary Fraud  As Against DOCX, LLC and Defendants 1 through 10, Inclusive)

49.       Plaintiffs re-allege and incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 35 of the General Allegations, Paragraphs 35 through 41 and Paragraphs 42 through 48 of  the First and Second Causes of Action as though such have been fully set forth herein.

50.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa July 2004, Defendants, and each of them, contrived a scheme to replace missing documents which purported to assert interests in real properties through-out the United States of America.

51.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that by August 2008, Defendants, and each of them, had in some measure participated in the request for production of forged instruments from DOCX, as well as other document forgery mills, the purpose of which

was to effect title to real properties through-out the United States of America.

52.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that on or about, _____________, the agents and/or employees of Defendants and each of them, knowingly and

intentionally with the intent to defraud Plaintiffs’ interest in the Subject Property, prepared the FORGED ASSIGNMENT and caused said FORGED ASSIGNMENT to be recorded in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder of the County of _______________ as Instrument No. _______________. A true and correct copy of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and is incorporated by this reference.

53.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT contained knowingly false statements including, but not limited to: that Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Trustee for Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2, that Linda Green was a vice president of American Home Mortgage Services, Inc., and that Ellis Simmons lawfully notarized the FORGED ASSIGNMENT.

54.       Plaintiffs allege that they actually and proximately suffered damages due to the planning, preparation and recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT in an amount the totality of which has not been fully ascertained, but in no event less than the jurisdictional limitations of this court.

55.       Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, and each of them, committed notary fraud by and through the preparation and notarization of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, and subsequent recordation thereof was in willful disregard for Plaintiffs’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property, intentional, fraudulent, malicious, oppressive and burdensome and deserving the imposition of punitive damages in an amount sufficient that such conduct will not be repeated.

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION

(Cancellation of Instrument As Against Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Trustee for

  Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2 and Defendants 1 through 10, Inclusive)

56.       Plaintiffs re-allege and incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 35 of the General

Allegations, Paragraphs 35 through 41 and Paragraphs 42 through 48 and Paragraphs 49 through 55 of  the First, Second and Third Causes of Action as though such have been fully set forth herein.

57.       Plaintiffs allege that a FORGED ASSIGNMENT was recorded in the Official

Records of the Office of the County Recorder for the County of _______________ as Instrument No. _______________.

58.       Plaintiffs seek an Order of the above-entitled court cancelling Instrument No. _______________, in as much as said document contains false information and affects Plaintiffs’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION

(Quiet Title As Against All Defendants)

59.       Plaintiffs re-allege and incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 35 of the General Allegations, Paragraphs 35 through 41 and Paragraphs 42 through 48 and Paragraphs 49 through 55 of  the First, Second and Third Causes of Action as though such have been fully set forth herein.

60.       For all the facts alleged herein, Plaintiffs seek an Order quieting title as of

_______________.

SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION

(Declaratory Relief As Against All Defendants)

61.       An actual controversy has arisen.

62.       The parties desire a judicial determine that they may ascertain their respective

right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

63.       A judicial determination is necessary that the parties may  right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

64.       Plaintiffs allege that as a regular and ongoing part of the business of Defendant

DOCX was to have persons sitting around a table signing names as quickly as possible, so that

each person executing documents would sign approximately 2,500 documents per day. Although the persons signing the documents claimed to be a vice president of a particular bank of that document, in fact, the party signing the name was not the person named on the document, as such the signature was a forgery, that the name of the person claiming to be a vice president of a particular financial institution was not a “vice president”, did not have any prior training in finance, never worked for the company they allegedly purported to be a vice president of, and were alleged to be a vice president simultaneously with as many as twenty different banks and/or lending institutions, that the actual signatories of the instruments set forth in Paragraph 12 herein, were intended to and were fraudulently notarized by a variety of notaries in the offices of DOCX in Alpharetta, Georgia,  that for all purposes the intent of Defendant DOCX was to intentionally create fraudulent documents, with forged signatures, so that said documents could be recorded in the Offices of County Recorders through the United States of America, knowing that such documents would forgeries, contained false information, and that the recordation of such documents would affect an interest in real property in violation of law, that on or about, May 7, 2007, that they conveyed a first deed of trust (hereinafter “DEED”) in favor of Option One Mortgage, Inc. with an interest of approximately $815,000, that Option One Mortgage sold interest in the aforementioned DEED to unknown parties as a derivative security, who then repeatedly resold their respective interests, if any, in said DEED on at least six different occasions, that pursuant to California Civil Code section 2932.5, an assignee may effectuate the power of sale provided the assignment is properly acknowledged and recorded. Plaintiffs further allege that due to acts and/or omissions of Defendants, and each of them, that none of the named Defendants herein are holders in due course and do not maintain an interest in the Subject Property, including but, not limited to: there are no lawful records connecting Defendants to this property other that Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation, and the interest of Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation was long ago sold-off to unrelated third parties for which there is no proper “paper trail” to establish the true holder in due course. Plaintiffs allege that as will be seen hereinafter that Defendants, and each of them, resorted to forged instruments in an attempt to create the appearance that Defendant Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2, that due to certain acts and/or omissions once the DEED was “assigned” to various parties the DEED was detrimentally affected in a number ways, including but, not limited to: that the power of sale inherent in the DEED was severed, because the subsequent parties were no longer holders in due course as a matter of law,  that on April 3, 2011, on the national program “60 Minutes”, two former employees of DOCX made admissions which entirely support the allegations set forth in Paragraphs 12 and 13, herein. During said program, former employee, Chris Pendley [sic] stated that he personally drafted the name of “Linda Green” on thousands and thousands of assignments, although he was not Linda Green, that he was signing in excess of 2,500 documents per day, and that he was paid the sum of ten ($10.00) per hour to forge the name of “Linda Green” and that he made no inspection of any documents to determine whether the execution of the assignment was lawful, had no training to make an inspection of documents to determine if the assignment was lawful, and was told by his superiors that his execution of the name Linda Green was lawful, on April 3, 2011, Linda Green, a former employee of DOCX, appeared on the aforementioned “60 Minutes” program and stated that she worked in the mailroom of DOCX and eventually signed some documents, that although she was listed as a vice president of several companies, that she had no connection with those companies, and that she was aware that her signature was being used by several other persons on assignments because her name was short and easy to spell, that Linda Green, acting in her capacity as an employee of DOCX allowed her name to forged upon literally thousands of purported assignments, although Linda Green never executed those assignments, never inspected those assignments, and that DOCX simply listed that Linda Green was a vice president at various Banks and lending institutions, however, Linda Green was not lawfully a vice president, and the assertion that Linda Green was a vice president was an artifice. Plaintiffs further allege that Linda Green’s name fraudulent appeared on documents for the following institutions: 11-11-2004 & 06-22-2006 Vice President, Loan Documentation, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., successor by merger to Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc.; 08-11-2008 & 08-14-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 08-27-2008 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation; 09-19-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 09-30-2008; Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 09-30-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 10-08-2009 Vice President & Asst. Secretary, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as servicer for Ameriquest Mortgage Corporation; 10-16-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 10-17-2008, 11-20-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 11-20-2008 Vice President, Option One Mortgage Corporation; 12-08-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 12-15-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for HLB Mortgage; 12-24-2008 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 12-26-2008 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc.; 01-13-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Family Lending Services, Inc.; 01-15-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 02-03-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Brokers Conduit; 02-05-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for

American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 02-24-2009 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc. as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation;

02-25-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 02-27-2009 Vice President, American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as successor-in-interest to Option One Mortgage Corporation;

03-02-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage; 03-04-2009 Vice President, Argent Mortgage Company, LLC by Citi Residential Lending Inc., attorney-in-fact; 03-06-2009 & 03-20-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home

Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 04-15-2009, 04-17-2009, 04-20-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 05-11-2009, 07-06-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 07-14-2009 Vice

President, Bank of America, N.A.; 07-15-2009 Vice President & Asst. Secretary, American

Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., as servicer for Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee for, Ameriquest Mortgage Securities, Inc. asset-backed pass through certificates, series 2004-R7, under the pooling and servicing agreement dated July 1, 2004; 07-30-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home

Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 08-12-2009 Vice President, Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation; 08-28-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc.; 09-03-2009

Asst. Vice President, Sand Canyon Corporation formerly known as Option One Mortgage

Corporation; 09-03-2009 Asst. Secretary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage; 09-04-2009 Asst. Secretary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., acting solely as nominee for American Home Mortgage;

09-08-2009 Vice President, Bank of America, N.A.; 09-21-2009 & 09-22-2009 Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for American Home Mortgage Acceptance, Inc. Plaintiffs further allege that Linda Green was never lawfully the vice president of any entity, more particularly the foregoing listed entities, that Defendant DOCX was a continuing criminal enterprise whose sole function was to create and forge fraudulent assignments which would purport to convey interests in real property and the entities listed in Paragraph 21 hereinabove, were complicate in Defendants’ fraud, that beginning circa 2007 and continuing until sometime in 2010, DOCX produced thousands upon thousands of false and fraudulent assignments which were recorded in the Offices of the County Recorders of the State of California, and several other States in the United States of America as well, allege that during the “60 Minutes” program on April 3, 2011, another former DOCX employee, Savonna Krite [sic] acted as a notary public and notarized that the signatures of Linda Green and others, were valid, however, she admitted that the notarizations were not that of Linda Green. Savonna Krite [sic] further admitted that she was told by officers of DOCX that it was “alright” for her to notarize signatures as being valid. Savonna Krite [sic] also admitted as of the program that she now understands that her notarizations of said assignments were “not alright,” that because the entire company structure of DOCX was to manufacture forged assignments by the thousands per day, without any consideration whatsoever that the information contained on those assignments was valid, and that the notarizations were in fact fraudulent, that no reasonable expectation can be made that any of the assignments executed by DOCX employees were or are valid, that circa July 2008, Defendants, and each of them, utilized the services of DOCX in order to manufacture a fraudulent assignment from Defendant AMERICAN to WELLS FARGO, because WELLS FARGO could not find documents which would demonstrate that it owned an interest in the Plaintiffs’ subject property, that WELLS FARGO never had a lawful interest in the Plaintiffs’ subject property, either in its own capacity or as that as Trustee for the SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2, that they fully tendered all mortgage payments which were

lawfully due under the DEED, and that they are not in default of their payments, having lawfully

tendered all amounts due and owing, that WELLS FARGO made demands for payment as against the DEED, however, Plaintiffs allege that WELLS FARGO was not a lawful holder in due course, that SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2 was not a lawful holder in due course, and that neither party had any lawful right, title and interest in the DEED, that on or about, _______________, Defendant DOCX at the request of Defendants, and each of them, forged an instrument (hereinafter “FORGED ASSIGNMENT”) with the name “Linda Green” which was notarized by “Ellis Simmons,” that on or about, _______________, an unknown employee of DOCX, in the course and scope of their employment, signed the name “Linda Green” and that such document had a notary stamp placed upon the FORGED ASSIGNMENT which purported to be lawfully notarized by “Ellis Simmons,” that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT was then sent by DOCX through the United States Postal Service or transmitted by facsimile over the telephone and telegraph wires of the United States of America to Defendants, and each of them, in order that such FORGED ASSIGNMENT would be recorded in the Office of the County Recorder of the County of _______________, that on or about _______________, that Defendants, and each of them, their employees and/or agents, caused the FORGED ASSIGNMENT which unlawfully affected Plaintiffs’ subject property to be recorded in the Office of the Country Recorder of the County of _______________ as Instrument No. _______________. A true and correct copy of the assignment set forth in Paragraphs 30 – 31, is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and is incorporated by this reference, that the sole claim of Defendants, and each of them, as to their right, title and/or interest in the Plaintiffs’ Subject Property is the  FORGED ASSIGNMENT, that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT as a matter of law is void and that it did not constitute a conveyance of an interest to Defendants, or to anyone at all, and that the FORGED ASSIGNMENT is a legal nullity, that Defendants, and each of them, are presently relying upon the FORGED ASSIGNMENT and are knowingly and intentionally prosecuting a non-judicial foreclosure based solely upon the recordation of the FORGED ASSIGNMENT, necessitating the instant action, and as such, the Defendants set forth herein have no right, title and interest in the Subject Property, whereas, Defendants contend that all of their acts and/or omissions were lawful and that Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Trustee of the Soundview Home Loan Trust 2007-OPT2.

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs Manuel A Madrid and Virginia J. Madrid pray for Judgment as follows:

FOR THE FIRST AND THIRD CAUSES OF ACTION:

1.         For an Order, restraining Defendants, and their agents, employees, officers, attorneys, and representatives from engaging in or performing any of the following acts: (i) proceeding with the non-judicial foreclosure without an Order of this court, (ii) offering, or advertising this property for sale and (ii) attempting to transfer title to this property and or (iii) holding any auction therefore;

2.         For general damages subject to proof at time of trial;

3.         For special damages subject to proof at time of trial;

4.         For punitive damages subject to proof at time of trial;

5.         For costs of suit herein;

6.         For reasonable attorney’s fees provided by contract or statute; and

7.         For such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

FOR THE SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION:

1.         For general damages according to proof at time of trial;

2.         For special damages according to proof at time of trial;

3.         For costs of suit incurred herein;

4.         For reasonable attorney’s fees provided by contract or statute; and

5.         For such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

FOR THE FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION:

1.         For an Order cancelling Instrument No. _______________, which was recorded on August in the

Office of the Country Recorder of the County of _______________;

2.         For costs of suit incurred herein;

3.         For reasonable attorney’s fees as provided by contract or statute; and

4.         For such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

FOR THE FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION:

1.         For an Order quieting title to the Subject Property from _______________;

2.         For costs of suit incurred herein;

3.         For reasonable attorney’s fees subject to proof at time of trial; and

4.         For such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

FOR THE SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION:

1.         For a declaration that Defendants do not have a right, title and interest in the Subject Property;

2.         For costs of suit incurred herein;

3.         For reasonable attorney’s fees subject to proof at time of trial; and

4.         For such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.

Dated:  _______, 2011                                                LAW OFFICES OF

                                                                                    TIMOTHY L. MCCANDLESS

 

 

 

                                                                                    __________________________________

                                                                                          Timothy L. McCandless, Esq.,

Attorney for Plaintiffs

VERIFICATION

I, Timothy L. McCandless am the attorney of record for Plaintiffs in the above-entitled action. The Plaintiffs are either absent from the County of Los Angeles where my office is located, or is otherwise unable to verify this complaint, or the facts are within the knowledge of the undersigned. For this reason, I am making this verification.

I have read the foregoing Complaint and know of its contents. I am informed and believe the matters therein to be true, and on that ground, allege that the matters stated in it are true.  I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct and that this declaration was executed at San Bernardino, California

DATED: __________, 2011

         ____________________________

                         Timothy L. McCandless, Esq.

THE GREAT SECURITIZATION SCAM AND THE GREAT RECESSION

By Neil Garfield

 

            Both the class action lawyers and the AG offices are looking for settlements that will cure the “foreclosure” problem. This is based upon the perceived benefit of getting the foreclosures either litigated or settled, SO THE “MARKET” CAN RESUME “FORWARD” MOTION. But what if the basic transaction was so defective as to be incapable of understanding, much less enforcement?  We ignore the fact that the basic transaction was a lie, that lies are not enforceable and while they could be modified by agreement into enforceable written instruments (completely absent from the current landscape) the inescapable fact is that in order to do so, you will need the signature of borrowers on loans that are based upon fair market values, reality and set-off for the damages inflicted on the homeowners by the Great Securitization Scam.

 

            So we start with the myth that there was a valid legal contract at origination, an assumption that upon examination by a paralegal, much less a first-year law student, is patently untrue.  Thus we proceed with the following ten (10) lies that form the foundation of our impotent financial and economic policies in the Great Recession triggered by the housing crisis:

  1. 1.       VALID MORTGAGE TRANSACTION: There was a loan of money, but not by either the payee, the mortgagee, the trustee or anyone else that is mentioned in the closing papers or the foreclosure papers filed anywhere. That is why the pretenders would rather play with the word “holder” than “creditor.”
  1. 2.       LEGAL MORTGAGE TRANSACTION: Even if the right parties were at the table, the transaction was illegal because of appraisal fraud, underwriting fraud, Securities Fraud and Servicing Fraud.
  1. 3.       LEGAL LOAN: Even if the right parties were at two different tables, the transaction was illegal because of ratings fraud, securities fraud, common law fraud, predatory loan practices and servicing fraud.
  1. 4.       KNOWN CREDITOR: Neither the investor who was the source of funds, nor the investment banker who only committed SOME of those funds to loan transactions, nor the borrower (homeowner) even knew of the existence of each other. After the “reconstituted” bogus mortgage pools that never existed in the first place, payments by insurance, credit de fault swaps, and federal  bailouts, it is at the very least a question of fact to determine the identity of the creditor at any given point in time — i.e., to whom is an obligation owed and how many parties have liability to pay on that transaction either as borrower, guarantors, insurers, or anything else? The dart board approach currently used in foreclosures and mortgage modifications, prepayments and refinancing has generally been frowned upon by the Courts.
  1. 5.       KNOWN OBLIGATION AMOUNT: The amount advanced by the Lender (investor in bogus mortgage bonds) was far in excess of that amount used by intermediaries to fund mortgages — the rest was used to create synthetic derivative trading devices and charge fees every step of the way. Part of the difference between the funding of the residential loans and the amount advanced by the lender (investor) is easily computed by applying the same formula used to compute a yield spread premium that was paid to mortgage brokers under the table. By obscuring the real nature of the loans in the mix that offered (sold forward without ownership by the investment bank with the intent of acquiring he mortgages later) a 6% return promised to an investor could result in a yield spread premium of perhaps 12% if the loan was toxic waste and the nominal rate was 18%. Thus a $900,000 investment was converted into a $300,000 loan with no hope of repayment based upon a wildly inflated appraisal. Payments by servicers, counterparties, guarantors, insurers and bailout agencies were neither credited to the investor nor to the obligation owed to that investor. Since there was no obligor other than the homeowner according to the documents creating the securitization scam infrastructure, the borrower was part of a transaction where he “borrowed” $900,000 but only received $300,000. Third party payments made under expressly and carefully written waivers of subrogation were not applied to the amount owed to the investor and therefore not applied to the amount owed by the borrower. The absence of this information makes the servicer “accounting” a farce.
  1. VALID ACCOUNTING BY ALL PARTIES: Continuing with the facts illuminated in the preceding paragraph, both mortgage closing documents and foreclosure documents are devoid of any reference to the dozens of transactions carried out in the name of, or under agency of, or as constructive trustee of the investor who as lender is obliged to account for the balance due after third party payments.

How To Handle Bank of America Loan Modification Denials

April 30, 2011 by Filed under Loan modification advice Leave a comment One of the most tough financial institutions to deal with, it seems, when it comes to Loan Modification is Bank of America, here is the experience of successful mortgage owners when dealing with Bank of America: “For the last year I have been working with a good friend of mine in order to get her Bank of America first mortgage modified. And they finally approved the modification. Payments are going from around $1800 to $1300. To make a long story short, your income, how much you owe and other factors doesn’t determine whether you get a modification or not. Persistance is key with dealing with these people. Another thing key is putting pressure on the bank, through complaints, repeated phone calls and letters. You have to realize that Bank of America really doesn’t want to approve any modificiations, at least in California and most of the ones they do approve are completely inadequate. So it requires a lot in order to get them to approve an adequate one.” Here is Another advice: “You are going to have to play very hard ball with Bank of America. Be prepared for to call them at least twice a week for some months. The loan modification for my friend took a year. Never take no for an answer from B of A. Continue to pressure the bank and you will achieve victory. Start by calling the office of the CEO. The phone number is 704-386-5687 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 704-386-5687 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. If that number is busy, you can call the numbers for Bank of America headquarters. The number is 704-386-5972 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 704-386-5972 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. When you get the operator, you ask for the office of the CEO. When you get someone on the phone, explain that you need someone to help you modify the mortgage and nobody else was willing to work with you. You have been a customer with the bank for a long time and really want to work with them, but in all honesty, you are facing financial issues and you don’t want to be forced to file for bankruptcy. You also have to explain that you want to stay in your home but you need a heavy reduction in the payment, at least 50%. I know that they most likely aren’t going to give that to you, but you have to propose something. They will transfer you to a manager who should start the ball rolling. However, even with a manager helping you, it is best, at the same time to reach out to government officials and agencies so that they can apply pressure on Bank of America. You should start by reaching out to your senator and congressperson about this situation. Write them letters and request assistance. Also file a complaint on Bank of America with the OCC, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency which is the regulator of Bank of America. One tactic which I used while helping my friend is in addition to filling a complaint myself, I reached out to one of the aide’s to her congressman. I got that person to complain to the OCC about Bank of America and our situation. Drumming up external pressure on this bank is KEY. As I said before, they do not want to help you or any homeowner but if you generate enough pressure through complaints they will eventually act. But be prepared for a battle.” For those who are finding hard to get loan modification from Bank of America, try to implement these strategies, and best of luck.

20 MILLION DOLLAR JUDGEMENT wrongful foreclosure

Coldwell Banker Mortgage messes with the wrong Soldier and gets SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES WITH 20 MILLION DOLLAR JUDGEMENT.

OUCH – BANKS MESSES WITH SOLDIER AND LOSES AT TRIAL!  CAN’T A SOLDIER GET A LITTLE RESPECT HERE?

THE CASE IS 4:09-CV-00146-CDL, FILED IN UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IN GEORGIA.  ATTORNEY (WINNER) IS CHARLIE GOWER.  CASE FILED 12/1/09.

FINAL VERDICT: 1,000,000 IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS DAMAGES / $350,000 IN ATTORNEY FEES / $20,000,000 IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES (WOW).

CAUSES OF ACTION ALLEGED (AND SUCCESSFULLY PROVEN): 1. RESPA 2. BREACH OF CONTRACT AND 3. NEGLIGENCE

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Military.com reports a 20 million dollar SHOT TO THE HEART of PHH Mortgage for imporperly messing with Soldier’s Credit Report.

Another amazing tale of lender arrogance and failure to follow the law.  This time, the culprit is PHH Mortgage (DBA Coldwell Banker Mortgage).  The story is old, common, typical and simple to understand.  Soldier buys a house and gets hooked up on automatic payment system.  Payments are kept current.  Later, lender claims payments are late, and soldier is forced to clear up his name and to try to contact the servicer to fix the error.  Of course, there is little help offered and lots of hold time with customer servicer.  Eventually, negative credit is reported against the soldier.  Amazing?  Yeah.

So after several go-rounds to fix the problem, the guy gets tired of it, hires a lawyer, and files a lawsuit.  Lender of course is arrogant, denies all wrongdoing and takes the case to jury trial.  End result – Verdict for Plaintiff, and 20 million dollar punitive damage award against Coldwell Banker.  When will these companies get it right and start treating people like human beings?

Just another tale from the foreclosure pit.

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Foreclosure Trustee duties and obligations

Because of the significant increase in defaults and foreclosures, mortgage servicers need to understand the duties and liabilities the law imposes upon foreclosure trustees.

Litigation based upon trustee error can slow, stop or invalidate foreclosures and impair the servicer’s ability to dispose of properties following foreclosure. When borrowers refinance or pay off during foreclosure, trustees are often responsible for the payoffs and reconveyances. After foreclosure, the trustee is responsible for distribution of surplus funds – the funds in excess of the debt due under the foreclosed deed of trust. All these responsibilities are sources of claims against trustees.

Foreclosure litigation plaintiffs often name and seek to hold lenders and servicers responsible for trustee errors on the theory that the trustee is the agent of the lender and servicer. According to Miller & Starr’s “California Real Estate,” this claim is particularly easy to make when the lender or servicer uses an in-house trustee and especially when the trustee acquires the property by credit bid for the lender or servicer at its own foreclosure sale. This article examines a trustee’s liability for damages under California law for conduct of the foreclosure sale, payoffs, reconveyances and distribution of surplus funds. The scope of a trustee’s duties differs for each of these services, and a breach of one of these duties can subject the trustee, lender and servicer to substantial compensatory damages, punitive damages and even criminal sanctions. Foreclosure sales In the I.E. Associates v. Safeco case, the California Supreme Court limited the scope of the trustee’s duties in conducting foreclosure sales. The issue in that case was whether a trustee breached its duty to a trustor by failing to ascertain the current address of the trustor where the current address was different from the address of record. The trustee did not have actual knowledge of the current address, but through reasonable diligence could have discovered it. The Supreme Court held that the trustee did not have a duty to find the current address. The court found that a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee, such as a trustee of a person or a trustee under a trust agreement. Instead, a foreclosure trustee is merely “a middleman” between the beneficiary and the trustor who only carries out the specific duties that the deed of trust and foreclosure law specifically impose upon it.

The deed of trust and the statute are the exclusive source of the rights, duties and liabilities governing notice of nonjudicial foreclosure sales. Because neither the deed of trust nor the statute required the trustee to search for an address it did not have, the court held that the trustee had no duty to do so. The Stephens v. Hollis case reiterated the rule that a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee: “Just as a panda is not an ordinary bear, a trustee of a deed of trust is not an ordinary trustee. ‘A trustee under a deed of trust has neither the powers nor the obligations of a strict trustee. He serves as a kind of common agent for the parties.’”

It is critical to recognize, however, that these rules of limited duty only apply to the trustee’s duty to provide proper notice of the sale. The trustee also has a broad common law duty to conduct a sale that is fair in all respects. In Hatch v. Collins, the court noted that “A trustee has a general duty to conduct the sale ‘fairly, openly, reasonably and with due diligence,’ exercising sound discretion to protect the rights of the mortgagor and others…A breach of the trustee’s duty to conduct an open, fair and honest sale may give rise to a cause of action for professional negligence, breach of an obligation created by statute, or fraud.” Examples of such a breach could be conspiring to “chill the bidding” by overstating the debt, thereby dissuading others from appearing and bidding at the sale. California Civil Code Section 2924h(g) states that it is “unlawful for any person, acting alone or in concert with others, (1) to offer to accept or accept from another any consideration of any type not to bid, or (2) to fix or restrain bidding in any manner at a sale of property conducted pursuant to a power of sale in a deed of trust or mortgage.” The code continues: “In addition to any other remedies, any person committing any act declared unlawful by this subdivision or any act which would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any beneficiary, trustor or junior [lien holder] shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one year, or be punished by both that fine and imprisonment.” In addition to imposing criminal penalties, this section also imposes civil liability upon the trustee.

The courts will review foreclosure sale proceedings to make sure they have been fair in all respects. A trustee who violates its contractual duties under the deed of trust or its statutory or common law duties is liable to the trustor or to an affected junior lien holder for such person’s lost equity in the property. This is measured by the difference between the fair market value of the property and the liens senior to the affected person’s interest at the time of the sale. In addition, pursuant to Civil Code Section 3333, the trustee has liability for all other damages proximately caused by its wrongful conduct, whether those damages were foreseeable or not. A willful violation of these duties can subject the trustee to punitive damages under Civil Code Section 3294. Payoffs and reconveyances Civil Code Section 2943(c) requires a beneficiary or its representative, which is frequently the trustee, to provide a payoff statement to an “entitled person” within 21 days after a written request for a payoff demand. An “entitled person” means the trustor, a junior lien holder, their successors or assigns, or an escrow. Failure to provide a timely payoff demand makes the beneficiary or its representative liable to the entitled person for all actual damages such a person may sustain due to a failure to provide a timely payoff demand, plus $300 in statutory damages. Failure to provide an accurate payoff demand can have dire consequences. If the entitled person closes a sale or refinance in reliance upon a payoff demand that understates the payoff, the beneficiary must reconvey its lien. The beneficiary is then left with only an unsecured claim against the entitled person. A trustee who is responsible for such an error could have substantial liability to its beneficiary. After the note and deed of trust are paid off, Civil Code Section 2941 requires the beneficiary to deliver the original note, the deed of trust and a request for reconveyance to the trustee. Within 21 days thereafter, the trustee must record the reconveyance and deliver the original note to the trustor. If the reconveyance has not been recorded within 60 days after the payoff, upon the trustee’s written request, the beneficiary must substitute himself as trustee and record the reconveyance. If the reconveyance is not recorded within 75 days after payoff, any title company may prepare and record a release of the obligation. A person who violates any of these provisions is liable for $500 in statutory damages and all actual damages caused by the violation. These can include damages for emotional distress. A willful violation of these requirements is a misdemeanor which can subject the violator to a $400 fine, plus six months’ imprisonment in the county jail. Surplus funds Civil Code Sections 2924j and 2924k impose upon the trustee a duty to distribute surplus funds that the trustee receives at a sale to lien holders and trustors whose interests are junior to the foreclosed deed of trust. Surplus funds are defined as funds in excess of the debt due to the holder of the foreclosed lien and the costs of the foreclosure sale. As previously referenced in the I. E. Associates and Stephens cases, those courts held that with respect to the conduct of the foreclosure sale, a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee – only a middleman. Further, in Hatch v. Collins, the court held that a breach of the trustee’s duties in the conduct of the sale does not constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty. While no case holds that a trustee is a fiduciary with respect to surplus funds, a trustee’s surplus funds duties closely resemble those of a fiduciary – a fiduciary is one who holds and manages property for the benefit of another. Fiduciaries are held to a higher standard of care than others in discharging their duties. If a trustee has a fiduciary duty in handling surplus funds, a trustee may have a duty to do more than simply follow the statute with respect to giving notice of and distributing the surplus funds. For instance, a trustee may have a duty to take reasonable steps to find an interested party whose address is unknown to the trustee if the trustee has reason to believe such an address can be found. This is particularly so because the trustee can pay for the expense of the investigation from the surplus funds. Also, a trustee as a fiduciary may face greater exposure to punitive damages, which can be awarded for breach of fiduciary duty when coupled with fraud, malice or oppression. Servicers Using In-House Foreclosure Trustees Must Beware in Mortgage Servicing > Foreclosure by John Clark Brown Jr. on Tuesday 19 June 2007 email the content item print the content item comments: 0 Servicing Management, June 2007. Because of the significant increase in defaults and foreclosures, mortgage servicers need to understand the duties and liabilities the law imposes upon foreclosure trustees. Litigation based upon trustee error can slow, stop or invalidate foreclosures and impair the servicer’s ability to dispose of properties following foreclosure. When borrowers refinance or pay off during foreclosure, trustees are often responsible for the payoffs and reconveyances. After foreclosure, the trustee is responsible for distribution of surplus funds – the funds in excess of the debt due under the foreclosed deed of trust. All these responsibilities are sources of claims against trustees. Foreclosure litigation plaintiffs often name and seek to hold lenders and servicers responsible for trustee errors on the theory that the trustee is the agent of the lender and servicer. According to Miller & Starr’s “California Real Estate,” this claim is particularly easy to make when the lender or servicer uses an in-house trustee and especially when the trustee acquires the property by credit bid for the lender or servicer at its own foreclosure sale. This article examines a trustee’s liability for damages under California law for conduct of the foreclosure sale, payoffs, reconveyances and distribution of surplus funds. The scope of a trustee’s duties differs for each of these services, and a breach of one of these duties can subject the trustee, lender and servicer to substantial compensatory damages, punitive damages and even criminal sanctions. Foreclosure sales In the I.E. Associates v. Safeco case, the California Supreme Court limited the scope of the trustee’s duties in conducting foreclosure sales. The issue in that case was whether a trustee breached its duty to a trustor by failing to ascertain the current address of the trustor where the current address was different from the address of record. The trustee did not have actual knowledge of the current address, but through reasonable diligence could have discovered it. The Supreme Court held that the trustee did not have a duty to find the current address. The court found that a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee, such as a trustee of a person or a trustee under a trust agreement. Instead, a foreclosure trustee is merely “a middleman” between the beneficiary and the trustor who only carries out the specific duties that the deed of trust and foreclosure law specifically impose upon it. The deed of trust and the statute are the exclusive source of the rights, duties and liabilities governing notice of nonjudicial foreclosure sales. Because neither the deed of trust nor the statute required the trustee to search for an address it did not have, the court held that the trustee had no duty to do so. The Stephens v. Hollis case reiterated the rule that a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee: “Just as a panda is not an ordinary bear, a trustee of a deed of trust is not an ordinary trustee. ‘A trustee under a deed of trust has neither the powers nor the obligations of a strict trustee. He serves as a kind of common agent for the parties.’” It is critical to recognize, however, that these rules of limited duty only apply to the trustee’s duty to provide proper notice of the sale. The trustee also has a broad common law duty to conduct a sale that is fair in all respects. In Hatch v. Collins, the court noted that “A trustee has a general duty to conduct the sale ‘fairly, openly, reasonably and with due diligence,’ exercising sound discretion to protect the rights of the mortgagor and others…A breach of the trustee’s duty to conduct an open, fair and honest sale may give rise to a cause of action for professional negligence, breach of an obligation created by statute, or fraud.” Examples of such a breach could be conspiring to “chill the bidding” by overstating the debt, thereby dissuading others from appearing and bidding at the sale. California Civil Code Section 2924h(g) states that it is “unlawful for any person, acting alone or in concert with others, (1) to offer to accept or accept from another any consideration of any type not to bid, or (2) to fix or restrain bidding in any manner at a sale of property conducted pursuant to a power of sale in a deed of trust or mortgage.” The code continues: “In addition to any other remedies, any person committing any act declared unlawful by this subdivision or any act which would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any beneficiary, trustor or junior [lien holder] shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one year, or be punished by both that fine and imprisonment.” In addition to imposing criminal penalties, this section also imposes civil liability upon the trustee. The courts will review foreclosure sale proceedings to make sure they have been fair in all respects. A trustee who violates its contractual duties under the deed of trust or its statutory or common law duties is liable to the trustor or to an affected junior lien holder for such person’s lost equity in the property. This is measured by the difference between the fair market value of the property and the liens senior to the affected person’s interest at the time of the sale. In addition, pursuant to Civil Code Section 3333, the trustee has liability for all other damages proximately caused by its wrongful conduct, whether those damages were foreseeable or not. A willful violation of these duties can subject the trustee to punitive damages under Civil Code Section 3294. Payoffs and reconveyances Civil Code Section 2943(c) requires a beneficiary or its representative, which is frequently the trustee, to provide a payoff statement to an “entitled person” within 21 days after a written request for a payoff demand. An “entitled person” means the trustor, a junior lien holder, their successors or assigns, or an escrow. Failure to provide a timely payoff demand makes the beneficiary or its representative liable to the entitled person for all actual damages such a person may sustain due to a failure to provide a timely payoff demand, plus $300 in statutory damages. Failure to provide an accurate payoff demand can have dire consequences. If the entitled person closes a sale or refinance in reliance upon a payoff demand that understates the payoff, the beneficiary must reconvey its lien. The beneficiary is then left with only an unsecured claim against the entitled person. A trustee who is responsible for such an error could have substantial liability to its beneficiary. After the note and deed of trust are paid off, Civil Code Section 2941 requires the beneficiary to deliver the original note, the deed of trust and a request for reconveyance to the trustee. Within 21 days thereafter, the trustee must record the reconveyance and deliver the original note to the trustor. If the reconveyance has not been recorded within 60 days after the payoff, upon the trustee’s written request, the beneficiary must substitute himself as trustee and record the reconveyance. If the reconveyance is not recorded within 75 days after payoff, any title company may prepare and record a release of the obligation. A person who violates any of these provisions is liable for $500 in statutory damages and all actual damages caused by the violation. These can include damages for emotional distress. A willful violation of these requirements is a misdemeanor which can subject the violator to a $400 fine, plus six months’ imprisonment in the county jail. Surplus funds Civil Code Sections 2924j and 2924k impose upon the trustee a duty to distribute surplus funds that the trustee receives at a sale to lien holders and trustors whose interests are junior to the foreclosed deed of trust. Surplus funds are defined as funds in excess of the debt due to the holder of the foreclosed lien and the costs of the foreclosure sale. As previously referenced in the I. E. Associates and Stephens cases, those courts held that with respect to the conduct of the foreclosure sale, a foreclosure trustee is not a true trustee – only a middleman. Further, in Hatch v. Collins, the court held that a breach of the trustee’s duties in the conduct of the sale does not constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty. While no case holds that a trustee is a fiduciary with respect to surplus funds, a trustee’s surplus funds duties closely resemble those of a fiduciary – a fiduciary is one who holds and manages property for the benefit of another. Fiduciaries are held to a higher standard of care than others in discharging their duties. If a trustee has a fiduciary duty in handling surplus funds, a trustee may have a duty to do more than simply follow the statute with respect to giving notice of and distributing the surplus funds. For instance, a trustee may have a duty to take reasonable steps to find an interested party whose address is unknown to the trustee if the trustee has reason to believe such an address can be found. This is particularly so because the trustee can pay for the expense of the investigation from the surplus funds. Also, a trustee as a fiduciary may face greater exposure to punitive damages, which can be awarded for breach of fiduciary duty when coupled with fraud, malice or oppression.

Recording false documents ? and getting the house, the insurence, the tarp, the fdic guarentee, and whatever else the American taxpayer will give the pretender lender

Recently, many California Courts have been dismissing lawsuits filed to stop non-judicial foreclosures, ruling that the non-judicial foreclosure statutes occupy the field and are exclusive as long as they are complied with.  Thus, in the case where a notice of default is recorded and a lawsuit then filed in response to stop the foreclosure since the foreclosing party does not possess the underlying note, all too often the Court will simply dismiss the case and claim “2924 has no requirement to produce the note.”

Thus, these Courts view the statutes that regulate non-judicial foreclosures as all inclusive of all the requirements and remedies in foreclosure proceedings.  Indeed, California Civil Code sections 2924 through 2924k provide a comprehensive framework for the regulation of a nonjudicial foreclosure sale pursuant to a power of sale contained in a deed of trust. This comprehensive statutory scheme has three purposes: ‘“(1) to provide the creditor/beneficiary with a quick, inexpensive and efficient remedy against a defaulting debtor/trustor; (2) to protect the debtor/trustor from wrongful loss of the property; and (3) to ensure that a properly conducted sale is final between the parties and conclusive as to a bona fide purchaser.” [Citations.]’ [Citation.]” (Melendrez v. D & I Investment, Inc. (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 1238, 1249–1250 [26 Cal. Rptr. 3d 413].)

Notwithstanding, the foreclosure statutes are not exclusive.  If someone commits murder during an auction taking place under Civil Code 2924, that does not automatically mean they are immune from criminal and civil liability.  Perhaps this is where some of these courts are “missing the boat.”

For example, in Alliance Mortgage Co. v. Rothwell (1995) 10 Cal. 4th 1226, 1231 [44 Cal. Rptr. 2d 352, 900 P.2d 601], the California Supreme Court concluded that a lender who obtained the property with a full credit bid at a foreclosure sale was not precluded from suing a third party who had fraudulently induced it to make the loan. The court concluded that “ ‘the antideficiency laws were not intended to immunize wrongdoers from the consequences of their fraudulent acts’ ” and that, if the court applies a proper measure of damages, “ ‘fraud suits do not frustrate the antideficiency policies because there should be no double recovery for the beneficiary.’ ” (Id. at p. 1238.)

Likewise, in South Bay Building Enterprises, Inc. v. Riviera Lend-Lease, Inc. [*1071]  (1999) 72 Cal.App.4th 1111, 1121 [85 Cal. Rptr. 2d 647], the court held that a junior lienor retains the right to recover damages from the trustee and the beneficiary of the foreclosing lien if there have been material irregularities in the conduct of the foreclosure sale. (See also Melendrez v. D & I Investment, Inc., supra, 127 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1257–1258; Lo v. Jensen (2001) 88 Cal.App.4th 1093, 1095 [106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 443] [a trustee’s sale tainted by fraud may be set aside].)

In looking past the comprehensive statutory framework, these other Courts also considered the policies advanced by the statutory scheme, and whether those policies would be frustrated by other laws.  Recently, in the case of California Golf, L.L.C. v. Cooper, 163 Cal. App. 4th 1053, 78 Cal. Rptr. 3d 153, 2008 Cal. App. LEXIS 850 (Cal. App. 2d Dist. 2008), the Appellate Court held that the remedies of 2924h were not exclusive.  Of greater importance is that the Appellate Court reversed the lower court and specifically held that provisions in UCC Article 3 were allowed in the foreclosure context:

Considering the policy interests advanced by the statutory scheme governing nonjudicial foreclosure sales, and the policy interests advanced by Commercial Code section 3312, it is clear that allowing a remedy under the latter does not undermine the former. Indeed, the two remedies are complementary and advance the same goals. The first two goals of the nonjudicial foreclosure statutes: (1) to provide the creditor/beneficiary with a quick, inexpensive and efficient remedy against a defaulting debtor/trustor and (2) to protect the debtor/trustor from a wrongful loss of the property, are not impacted by the decision that we reach. This case most certainly, however, involves the third policy interest: to ensure that a properly conducted sale is final between the parties and conclusive as to a bona fide purchaser.

This is very significant since it provides further support to lawsuits brought against foreclosing parties lacking the ability toenforce the underlying note, since those laws also arise under Article 3.  Under California Commercial Code 3301, a note may only be enforced if one has actual possession of the note as a holder, or has possession of the note not as a non-holder but with holder rights.

Just like in California Golf, enforcing 3301 operates to protect the debtor/trustor from a wrongful loss of the property.  To the extent that a foreclosing party might argue that such lawsuits disrupt a quick, inexpensive, and efficient remedy against a defaulting debtor/trustor, the response is that “since there is no enforceable obligation,  the foreclosing entity is not a party/creditor/beneficiary entitled to a quick, inexpensive, and efficient remedy,” but simply a declarant that recorded false documents.

This is primarily because being entitled to foreclose non-judicially under 2924 can only take place “after a breach of the obligation for which that mortgage or transfer is a security.”   Thus, 2924 by its own terms, looks outside of the statute to the actual obligation to see if there was a breach, and if the note is unenforceable under Article 3, there can simply be no breach.  End of story.

Accordingly, if there is no possession of the note or possession was not obtained until after the notice of sale was recorded, it is impossible to trigger 2924, and simple compliance with the notice requirements in 2924 does not suddenly bless the felony of grand theft of the unknown foreclosing entity.  To hold otherwise would create absurd results since it would allow any person or company the right to take another persons’ home by simply recording a false notice of default and notice of sale.

Indeed, such absurdity would allow you to foreclose on your own home again to get it back should you simply record the same false documents.  Thus it is obvious that these courts improperly assume the allegations contained in the notice of default and notice of sale are truthful.   Perhaps these courts simply cannot or choose not to believe such frauds are taking place due to the magnitude and volume of foreclosures in this Country at this time.  One can only image the chaos that would ensue in America if the truth is known that millions of foreclosures took place unlawfully and millions more are now on hold as a result of not having the ability to enforce the underlying obligation pursuant to Article 3.

So if you are in litigation to stop a foreclosure, you can probably expect the Court will want to immediately dismiss your case.  These Courts just cannot understand how the law would allow someone to stay in a home without paying.  Notwithstanding, laws cannot be broken, and Courts are not allowed to join with the foreclosing parties in breaking laws simply because “not paying doesn’t seem right.”

Accordingly, at least for appeal purposes, be sure to argue that 2924 was never triggered since there was never any “breach of the obligation” and that Appellate Courts throughout California have routinely held that other laws do in fact apply in the non-judicial foreclosure process since the policies advanced by the statutory non-judicial foreclosure scheme are not frustrated by these other laws. The recent exposure and discovery of Robosigners and notary fraud has added another dimension to the “exclusive 2924 argument as seen in the 22/20 special aired April 3, 2011.

Scott Pelley reports how problems with mortgage documents are prompting lawsuits and could slow down the weak housing market

  • Play CBS Video Video The next housing shockAs more and more Americans face mortgage foreclosure, banks’ crucial ownership documents for the properties are often unclear and are sometimes even bogus, a condition that’s causing lawsuits and hampering an already weak housing market. Scott Pelley reports.
  • Video Extra: Eviction reprieveFlorida residents AJ and Brenda Boyd spent more than a year trying to renegotiate their mortgage and save their home. At the last moment, questions about who owns their mortgage saved them from eviction.
  • Video Extra: “Save the Dream” eventsBruce Marks, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America talks to Scott Pelley about his “Save the Dream” events and how foreclosures are causing a crisis in America.
(CBS News)If there was a question about whether we’re headed for a second housing shock, that was settled last week with news that home prices have fallen a sixth consecutive month. Values are nearly back to levels of the Great Recession. One thing weighing on the economy is the huge number of foreclosed houses.Many are stuck on the market for a reason you wouldn’t expect: banks can’t find the ownership documents.Who really owns your mortgage?
Scott Pelley explains a bizarre aftershock of the U.S. financial collapse: An epidemic of forged and missing mortgage documents.It’s bizarre but, it turns out, Wall Street cut corners when it created those mortgage-backed investments that triggered the financial collapse. Now that banks want to evict people, they’re unwinding these exotic investments to find, that often, the legal documents behind the mortgages aren’t there. Caught in a jam of their own making, some companies appear to be resorting to forgery and phony paperwork to throw people – down on their luck – out of their homes.In the 1930s we had breadlines; venture out before dawn in America today and you’ll find mortgage lines. This past January in Los Angeles, 37,000 homeowners facing foreclosure showed up to an event to beg their bank for lower payments on their mortgage. Some people even slept on the sidewalk to get in line.So many in the country are desperate now that they have to meet in convention centers coast to coast.In February in Miami, 12,000 people showed up to a similar event. The line went down the block and doubled back twice.

Video: The next housing shock
Extra: Eviction reprieve
Extra: “Save the Dream” events

Dale DeFreitas lost her job and now fears her home is next. “It’s very emotional because I just think about it. I don’t wanna lose my home. I really don’t,” she told “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley.

“It’s your American dream,” he remarked.

“It was. And still is,” she replied.

These convention center events are put on by the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which helps people figure what they can afford, and then walks them across the hall to bank representatives to ask for lower payments. More than half will get their mortgages adjusted, but the rest discover that they just can’t keep their home.

For many that’s when the real surprise comes in: these same banks have fouled up all of their own paperwork to a historic degree.

“In my mind this is an absolute, intentional fraud,” Lynn Szymoniak, who is fighting foreclosure, told Pelley.

While trying to save her house, she discovered something we did not know: back when Wall Street was using algorithms and computers to engineer those disastrous mortgage-backed securities, it appears they didn’t want old fashioned paperwork slowing down the profits.

“This was back when it was a white hot fevered pitch to move as many of these as possible,” Pelley remarked.

“Exactly. When you could make a whole lotta money through securitization. And every other aspect of it could be done electronically, you know, key strokes. This was the only piece where somebody was supposed to actually go get documents, transfer the documents from one entity to the other. And it looks very much like they just eliminated that stuff all together,” Szymoniak said.

Szymoniak’s mortgage had been bundled with thousands of others into one of those Wall Street securities traded from investor to investor. When the bank took her to court, it first said it had lost her documents, including the critical assignment of mortgage which transfers ownership. But then, there was a courthouse surprise.

“They found all of your paperwork more than a year after they initially said that they had lost it?” Pelley asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

Asked if that seemed suspicious to her, Szymoniak said, “Yes, absolutely. What do you imagine? It fell behind the file cabinet? Where was all of this? ‘We had it, we own it, we lost it.’ And then more recently, everyone is coming in saying, ‘Hey we found it. Isn’t that wonderful?'”

But what the bank may not have known is that Szymoniak is a lawyer and fraud investigator with a specialty in forged documents. She has trained FBI agents.

She told Pelley she asked for copies of those documents.

Asked what she found, Szymoniak told Pelley, “When I looked at the assignment of my mortgage, and this is the assignment: it looked that even the date they put in, which was 10/17/08, was several months after they sued me for foreclosure. So, what they were saying to the court was, ‘We sued her in July of 2008 and we acquired this mortgage in October of 2008.’ It made absolutely no sense.”

Produced by Robert Anderson and Daniel Ruetenik

Now for the pleading

Timothy L. McCandless, Esq. SBN 147715

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San Bernardino, CA 92392

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Fax: 909/382-9956

Attorney for Plaintiffs

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

 

COUNTY OF ____________

___________________________________,

And ROES 1 through 5,000,

Plaintiff,

v.

SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION; AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC.; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2; DOCX, LLC; and PREMIER TRUST DEED SERVICES and all persons unknown claiming any legal or  equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest  in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiff’s title, or any cloud on Plaintiff’s  title thereto, Does 1 through 10, Inclusive,

Defendants.CASE NO:

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

FOR QUIET TITLE, DECLARATORY RELIEF, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, PRELIMINARY INJUNTION AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION, CANCELATION OF INSTRUMENT AND FOR DAMAGES ARISING FROM:

SLANDER OF TITLE; TORTUOUS

VIOLATION OF STATUTE [Penal

Code § 470(b) – (d); NOTARY FRAUD;

///

///

///

///

Plaintiffs ___________________________ allege herein as follows:

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS

            1.         Plaintiffs ___________ (hereinafter individually and collectively referred to as “___________”), were and at all times herein mentioned are,  residents of the County of _________, State of California and the lawful owner of a parcel of real property commonly known as: _________________, California _______ and the legal description is:

Parcel No. 1:

A.P.N. No. _________ (hereinafter “Subject Property”).

2.         At all times herein mentioned, SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION (hereinafter SAND CANYON”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of California and claims an interest adverse to the right, title and interests of Plaintiff in the Subject Property.

3.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC. (hereinafter “AMERICAN”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, and at all times herein mentioned was conducting ongoing business in the State of California.

4.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2 (hereinafter referred to as “WELLS FARGO”), is and was, a member of the National Banking Association and makes an adverse claim to the Plaintiff MADRIDS’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

5.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant DOCX, L.L.C. (hereinafter “DOCX”), is and was, a limited liability company existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Georgia, and a subsidiary of Lender Processing Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

6.         At all times herein mentioned, __________________, was a company existing by virtue of its relationship as a subsidiary of __________________.

7.         Plaintiffs are ignorant of the true names and capacities of Defendants sued herein as DOES I through 10, inclusive, and therefore sues these Defendants by such fictitious names and all persons unknown claiming any legal or equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiffs’ title, or any cloud on Plaintiffs’ title thereto. Plaintiffs will amend this complaint as required to allege said Doe Defendants’ true names and capacities when such have been fully ascertained. Plaintiffs further allege that Plaintiffs designated as ROES 1 through 5,000, are Plaintiffs who share a commonality with the same Defendants, and as the Plaintiffs listed herein.

8.         Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereon allege that at all times herein mentioned, Defendants, and each of them, were the agent and employee of each of the remaining Defendants.

9.         Plaintiffs allege that each and every defendants, and each of them, allege herein ratified the conduct of each and every other Defendant.

10.       Plaintiffs allege that at all times said Defendants, and each of them, were acting within the purpose and scope of such agency and employment.

11.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa July 2004, DOCX was formed with the specific intent of manufacturing fraudulent documents in order create the false impression that various entities obtained valid, recordable interests in real

properties, when in fact they actually maintained no lawful interest in said properties.

12.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that as a regular and ongoing part of the business of Defendant DOCX was to have persons sitting around a table signing names as quickly as possible, so that each person executing documents would sign approximately 2,500 documents per day. Although the persons signing the documents claimed to be a vice president of a particular bank of that document, in fact, the party signing the name was not the person named on the document, as such the signature was a forgery, that the name of the person claiming to be a vice president of a particular financial institution was not a “vice president”, did not have any prior training in finance, never worked for the company they allegedly purported to be a vice president of, and were alleged to be a vice president simultaneously with as many as twenty different banks and/or lending institutions.

13.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the actual signatories of the instruments set forth in Paragraph 12 herein, were intended to and were fraudulently notarized by a variety of notaries in the offices of DOCX in Alpharetta, GA.

14.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that for all purposes the intent of Defendant DOCX was to intentionally create fraudulent documents, with forged signatures, so that said documents could be recorded in the Offices of County Recorders through the United States of America, knowing that such documents would forgeries, contained false information, and that the recordation of such documents would affect an interest in real property in violation of law.

15.       Plaintiffs allege that on or about, ____________, that they conveyed a first deed of  trust (hereinafter “DEED”) in favor of Option One Mortgage, Inc. with an interest of

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Pooling and servicing agreements PSA how it works in Judicial foreclosure states like Florida

THE ROOT OF FORECLOSURE DEFENSE The Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA) is the document that actually creates a residential mortgage backed securitized trust and establishes the obligations and authority of the Master Servicer and the Primary Servicer. The PSA is the heart and root of all securitized based foreclosure action defenses. The PSA establishes that mandatory rules and procedures for the sales and transfers of the mortgages and mortgage notes from the originators to the Trust. It is this unbroken chain of assignments and negotiations that creates what is called “The Alphabet Problem.” In order to understand the “Alphabet Problem,” you must keep in mind that the primary purpose of securitization is to make sure the assets (e.g., mortgage notes) are both FDIC and Bankruptcy “remote” from the originator. As a result, the common structures seek to create at least two “true sales” between the originator and the Trust. One of the defenses used by the famous Foreclosure Defender, April Charney is the following: PLAINTIFF FAILED TO COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT LOAN SERVICING REQUIREMENTS: Plaintiff failed to provide separate Defendants with legitimate and non predatory access to the debt management and relief that must be made available to borrowers, including this Defendant pursuant to and in accordance with the Pooling and Servicing Agreement filed by the plaintiff with the Securities and Exchange Commission that controls and applies to the subject mortgage loan. Plaintiff’s non-compliance with the conditions precedent to foreclosure imposed on the plaintiff pursuant to the applicable pooling and servicing agreement is an actionable event that makes the filing of this foreclosure premature based on a failure of a contractual and/or equitable condition precedent to foreclosure which denies Plaintiff’s ability to carry out this foreclosure. You therefore have in the most basic securitized structure the originator, the sponsor, the depositor and the Trust. I refer to these parties as the A (originator), B (sponsor), C (depositor) and D (Trust) alphabet players. The other primary but non-designated player in my alphabet game is the Master Document Custodian for the Trust. The MDC is entrusted with the physical custody of all of the “original” notes and mortgages and the assignment, sales and purchase agreements. The MDC must also execute representations and attestations that all of the transfers really and truly occurred “on time” and in the required “order” and that “true sales” occurred at each link in the chain. Section 2.01 of most PSAs includes the mandatory conveyancing rules for the Trust and the representations and warranties. The basic terms of this Section of the standard PSA is set-forth below: 2.01 Conveyance of Mortgage Loans. (a) The Depositor, concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, hereby sells, transfers, assigns, sets over and otherwise conveys to the Trustee for the benefit of the Certificateholders, without recourse, all the right, title and interest of the Depositor in and to the Trust Fund, and the Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, hereby accepts the Trust Fund. (b) In connection with the transfer and assignment of each Mortgage Loan, the Depositor has delivered or caused to be delivered to the Trustee for the benefit of the Certificateholders the following documents or instruments with respect to each Mortgage Loan so assigned: (i) the original Mortgage Note (except for no more than up to 0.02% of the mortgage Notes for which there is a lost note affidavit and the copy of the Mortgage Note) bearing all intervening endorsements showing a complete chain of endorsement from the originator to the last endorsee, endorsed “Pay to the order of _____________, without recourse” and signed in the name of the last endorsee. To the extent that there is no room on the face of any Mortgage Note for an endorsement, the endorsement may be contained on an allonge, unless state law does not so allow and the Trustee is advised by the Responsible Party that state law does not so allow. If the Mortgage Loan was acquired by the Responsible Party in a merger, the endorsement must be by “[last endorsee], successor by merger to [name of predecessor]“. If the Mortgage Loan was acquired or originated by the last endorsee while doing business under another name, the endorsement must be by “[last endorsee], formerly known as [previous name]“; A review of all of the recent “standing” and “real party in interest” cases decided by the bankruptcy courts and the state courts in judicial foreclosure states all arise out of the inability of the mortgage servicer or the Trust to “prove up” an unbroken chain of “assignments and transfers” of the mortgage notes and the mortgages from the originators to the sponsors to the depositors to the trust and to the master document custodian for the trust. As stated in the referenced PSA, the parties have represented and warranted that there is “a complete chain of endorsements from the originator to the last endorsee” for the note. And, the Master Document Custodian must file verified reports that it in fact holds such documents with all “intervening” documents that confirm true sales at each link in the chain. The complete inability of the mortgage servicers and the Trusts to produce such unbroken chains of proof along with the original documents is the genesis for all of the recent court rulings. One would think that a simple request to the Master Document Custodian would solve these problems. However, a review of the cases reveals a massive volume of transfers and assignments executed long after the “closing date” for the Trust from the “originator” directly to the “trust.” I refer to these documents as “A to D” transfers and assignments. There are some serious problems with the A to D documents. First, at the time these documents are executed the A party has nothing to sell or transfer since the PSA provides such a sale and transfer occurred years ago. Second, the documents completely circumvent the primary objective of securitization by ignoring the “true sales” to the Sponsor (the B party) and the Depositor (the C party). In a true securitization, you would never have any direct transfers (A to D) from the originator to the trust. Third, these A to D transfers are totally inconsistent with the representations and warranties made in the PSA to the Securities and Exchange Commission and to the holders of the bonds (the “Certificateholders”) issued by the Trust. Fourth, in many cases the A to D documents are executed by parties who are not employed by the originator but who claim to have “signing authority” or some type of “agency authority” from the originator. Finally, in many of these A to D document cases the originator is legally defunct at the time the document is in fact signed or the document is signed with a current date but then states that it has an “effective date” that was one or two years earlier. Hence, we have what I call the Alphabet Problem.

AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES AND COUNTRCLAIMS RELATED TO POOLING & SERVICING AGREEMENTS 1. Plaintiff failed to comply with the foreclosure prevention loan servicing requirement imposed on Plaintiff pursuant to the National Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. 1701x(c)(5) which requires all private lenders servicing non-federally insured home loans, including the Plaintiff, to advise borrowers, including this separate Defendant, of any home ownership counseling Plaintiff offers together with information about counseling offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2. Plaintiff cannot legally pursue foreclosure unless and until Plaintiff demonstrates compliance with 12 U.S.C. 1701x(c)(5). 3. Plaintiff failed to provide separate Defendants with legitimate and non predatory access to the debt management and relief that must be made available to borrowers, including this Defendant pursuant to and in accordance with the Pooling and Servicing Agreement filed by the plaintiff with the Securities and Exchange Commission that controls and applies to the subject mortgage loan. 4. Plaintiff’s non-compliance with the conditions precedent to foreclosure imposed on the plaintiff pursuant to the applicable pooling and servicing agreement is an actionable event that makes the filing of this foreclosure premature based on a failure of a contractual and/or equitable condition precedent to foreclosure which denies Plaintiff’s ability to carry out this foreclosure. 5. The special default loan servicing requirements contained in the subject pooling and servicing agreement are incorporated into the terms of the mortgage contract between the parties as if written therein word for word and the defendants are entitled to rely upon the servicing terms set out in that agreement. 6. Defendants are third party beneficiaries of the Plaintiff’s pooling and servicing agreement and entitled to enforce the special default servicing obligations of the plaintiff specified therein. 7. Plaintiff cannot legally pursue foreclosure unless and until Plaintiff demonstrates compliance with the foreclosure prevention servicing imposed by the subject pooling and servicing agreement under which the plaintiff owns the subject mortgage loan. 8. The section of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA) is a public document on file and online at http://www.secinfo.com and the entire pooling and servicing agreement is incorporated herein. 9. The Plaintiff failed, refused or neglected to comply, prior to the commencement of this action, with the servicing obligations specifically imposed on the plaintiff by the PSA in many particulars, including, but not limited to: a. Plaintiff failed to service and administer the subject mortgage loan in compliance with all applicable federal state and local laws. b. Plaintiff failed to service and administer the subject loan in accordance with the customary an usual standards of practice of mortgage lenders and servicers. c. Plaintiff failed to extend to defendants the opportunity and failed to permit a modification, waiver, forbearance or amendment of the terms of the subject loan or to in any way exercise the requisite judgment as is reasonably required pursuant to the PSA. 10. The Plaintiff has no right to pursue this foreclosure because the Plaintiff has failed to provide servicing of this residential mortgage loan in accordance with the controlling servicing requirements prior to filing this foreclosure action. 11. Defendants have a right to receive foreclosure prevention loan servicing from the Plaintiff before the commencement or initiation of this foreclosure action. 12. Defendants are in doubt regarding their rights and status as borrowers under the National Housing Act and also under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement filed by the plaintiff with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Defendants are now subject to this foreclosure action by reason of the above described illegal acts and omissions of the Plaintiff. 13. Defendants are being denied and deprived by Plaintiff of their right to access the required troubled mortgage loan servicing imposed on the plaintiff and applicable to the subject mortgage loan by the National Housing Act and also under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement filed by the plaintiff with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 14. Defendants are being illegally subjected by the Plaintiff to this foreclosure action, being forced to defend the same and they are being charged illegal predatory court costs and related fees, and attorney fees. Defendants are having their credit slandered and negatively affected, all of which constitutes irreparable harm to Defendants for the purpose of injunctive relief. 15. As a proximate result of the Plaintiff’s unlawful actions set forth herein, Defendants continue to suffer the irreparable harm described above for which monetary compensation is inadequate. 18. Defendants have a right to access the foreclosure prevention servicing prescribed by the National Housing Act and under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement filed by the plaintiff with the Securities and Exchange Commission which right is being denied to them by the Plaintiff. 16. These acts were wrongful and predatory acts by the plaintiff, through its predecessor in interest, and were intentional and deceptive. 17. There is a substantial likelihood that Defendants will prevail on the merits of the case.

Fraud in the Making lawsuit attached

Mortgage paperwork mess: Next housing shock?

Scott Pelley reports how problems with mortgage documents are prompting lawsuits and could slow down the weak housing market

  • Play CBS Video Video The next housing shockAs more and more Americans face mortgage foreclosure, banks’ crucial ownership documents for the properties are often unclear and are sometimes even bogus, a condition that’s causing lawsuits and hampering an already weak housing market. Scott Pelley reports.
  • Video Extra: Eviction reprieveFlorida residents AJ and Brenda Boyd spent more than a year trying to renegotiate their mortgage and save their home. At the last moment, questions about who owns their mortgage saved them from eviction.
  • Video Extra: “Save the Dream” eventsBruce Marks, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America talks to Scott Pelley about his “Save the Dream” events and how foreclosures are causing a crisis in America.
(CBS News)If there was a question about whether we’re headed for a second housing shock, that was settled last week with news that home prices have fallen a sixth consecutive month. Values are nearly back to levels of the Great Recession. One thing weighing on the economy is the huge number of foreclosed houses.Many are stuck on the market for a reason you wouldn’t expect: banks can’t find the ownership documents.

Who really owns your mortgage?
Scott Pelley explains a bizarre aftershock of the U.S. financial collapse: An epidemic of forged and missing mortgage documents.

It’s bizarre but, it turns out, Wall Street cut corners when it created those mortgage-backed investments that triggered the financial collapse. Now that banks want to evict people, they’re unwinding these exotic investments to find, that often, the legal documents behind the mortgages aren’t there. Caught in a jam of their own making, some companies appear to be resorting to forgery and phony paperwork to throw people – down on their luck – out of their homes.

In the 1930s we had breadlines; venture out before dawn in America today and you’ll find mortgage lines. This past January in Los Angeles, 37,000 homeowners facing foreclosure showed up to an event to beg their bank for lower payments on their mortgage. Some people even slept on the sidewalk to get in line.

So many in the country are desperate now that they have to meet in convention centers coast to coast.

In February in Miami, 12,000 people showed up to a similar event. The line went down the block and doubled back twice.

Video: The next housing shock
Extra: Eviction reprieve
Extra: “Save the Dream” events

Dale DeFreitas lost her job and now fears her home is next. “It’s very emotional because I just think about it. I don’t wanna lose my home. I really don’t,” she told “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley.

“It’s your American dream,” he remarked.

“It was. And still is,” she replied.

These convention center events are put on by the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which helps people figure what they can afford, and then walks them across the hall to bank representatives to ask for lower payments. More than half will get their mortgages adjusted, but the rest discover that they just can’t keep their home.

For many that’s when the real surprise comes in: these same banks have fouled up all of their own paperwork to a historic degree.

“In my mind this is an absolute, intentional fraud,” Lynn Szymoniak, who is fighting foreclosure, told Pelley.

While trying to save her house, she discovered something we did not know: back when Wall Street was using algorithms and computers to engineer those disastrous mortgage-backed securities, it appears they didn’t want old fashioned paperwork slowing down the profits.

“This was back when it was a white hot fevered pitch to move as many of these as possible,” Pelley remarked.

“Exactly. When you could make a whole lotta money through securitization. And every other aspect of it could be done electronically, you know, key strokes. This was the only piece where somebody was supposed to actually go get documents, transfer the documents from one entity to the other. And it looks very much like they just eliminated that stuff all together,” Szymoniak said.

Szymoniak’s mortgage had been bundled with thousands of others into one of those Wall Street securities traded from investor to investor. When the bank took her to court, it first said it had lost her documents, including the critical assignment of mortgage which transfers ownership. But then, there was a courthouse surprise.

“They found all of your paperwork more than a year after they initially said that they had lost it?” Pelley asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

Asked if that seemed suspicious to her, Szymoniak said, “Yes, absolutely. What do you imagine? It fell behind the file cabinet? Where was all of this? ‘We had it, we own it, we lost it.’ And then more recently, everyone is coming in saying, ‘Hey we found it. Isn’t that wonderful?'”

But what the bank may not have known is that Szymoniak is a lawyer and fraud investigator with a specialty in forged documents. She has trained FBI agents.

She told Pelley she asked for copies of those documents.

Asked what she found, Szymoniak told Pelley, “When I looked at the assignment of my mortgage, and this is the assignment: it looked that even the date they put in, which was 10/17/08, was several months after they sued me for foreclosure. So, what they were saying to the court was, ‘We sued her in July of 2008 and we acquired this mortgage in October of 2008.’ It made absolutely no sense.”

Produced by Robert Anderson and Daniel Ruetenik

Now for the pleading

Timothy L. McCandless, Esq. SBN 147715

LAW OFFICES OF TIMOTHY L. MCCANDLESS

1881 Business Center Drive, Ste. 9A

San Bernardino, CA 92392

Tel:  909/890-9192

Fax: 909/382-9956

Attorney for Plaintiffs

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

 

COUNTY OF ____________

___________________________________,

And ROES 1 through 5,000,

Plaintiff,

v.

SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION; AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC.; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2; DOCX, LLC; and PREMIER TRUST DEED SERVICES and all persons unknown claiming any legal or  equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest  in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiff’s title, or any cloud on Plaintiff’s  title thereto, Does 1 through 10, Inclusive,

Defendants.

CASE NO:

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

FOR QUIET TITLE, DECLARATORY RELIEF, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, PRELIMINARY INJUNTION AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION, CANCELATION OF INSTRUMENT AND FOR DAMAGES ARISING FROM:

SLANDER OF TITLE; TORTUOUS

VIOLATION OF STATUTE [Penal

Code § 470(b) – (d); NOTARY FRAUD;

///

///

///

///

Plaintiffs ___________________________ allege herein as follows:

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS

            1.         Plaintiffs ___________ (hereinafter individually and collectively referred to as “___________”), were and at all times herein mentioned are,  residents of the County of _________, State of California and the lawful owner of a parcel of real property commonly known as: _________________, California _______ and the legal description is:

Parcel No. 1:

A.P.N. No. _________ (hereinafter “Subject Property”).

2.         At all times herein mentioned, SAND CANYON CORPORATION f/k/a OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION (hereinafter SAND CANYON”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of California and claims an interest adverse to the right, title and interests of Plaintiff in the Subject Property.

3.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC. (hereinafter “AMERICAN”), is and was, a corporation existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, and at all times herein mentioned was conducting ongoing business in the State of California.

4.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Trustee for SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT2 (hereinafter referred to as “WELLS FARGO”), is and was, a member of the National Banking Association and makes an adverse claim to the Plaintiff MADRIDS’ right, title and interest in the Subject Property.

5.         At all times herein mentioned, Defendant DOCX, L.L.C. (hereinafter “DOCX”), is and was, a limited liability company existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Georgia, and a subsidiary of Lender Processing Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

6.         At all times herein mentioned, __________________, was a company existing by virtue of its relationship as a subsidiary of __________________.

7.         Plaintiffs are ignorant of the true names and capacities of Defendants sued herein as DOES I through 10, inclusive, and therefore sues these Defendants by such fictitious names and all persons unknown claiming any legal or equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest in the property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiffs’ title, or any cloud on Plaintiffs’ title thereto. Plaintiffs will amend this complaint as required to allege said Doe Defendants’ true names and capacities when such have been fully ascertained. Plaintiffs further allege that Plaintiffs designated as ROES 1 through 5,000, are Plaintiffs who share a commonality with the same Defendants, and as the Plaintiffs listed herein.

8.         Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereon allege that at all times herein mentioned, Defendants, and each of them, were the agent and employee of each of the remaining Defendants.

9.         Plaintiffs allege that each and every defendants, and each of them, allege herein ratified the conduct of each and every other Defendant.

10.       Plaintiffs allege that at all times said Defendants, and each of them, were acting within the purpose and scope of such agency and employment.

11.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that circa July 2004, DOCX was formed with the specific intent of manufacturing fraudulent documents in order create the false impression that various entities obtained valid, recordable interests in real

properties, when in fact they actually maintained no lawful interest in said properties.

12.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that as a regular and ongoing part of the business of Defendant DOCX was to have persons sitting around a table signing names as quickly as possible, so that each person executing documents would sign approximately 2,500 documents per day. Although the persons signing the documents claimed to be a vice president of a particular bank of that document, in fact, the party signing the name was not the person named on the document, as such the signature was a forgery, that the name of the person claiming to be a vice president of a particular financial institution was not a “vice president”, did not have any prior training in finance, never worked for the company they allegedly purported to be a vice president of, and were alleged to be a vice president simultaneously with as many as twenty different banks and/or lending institutions.

13.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that the actual signatories of the instruments set forth in Paragraph 12 herein, were intended to and were fraudulently notarized by a variety of notaries in the offices of DOCX in Alpharetta, GA.

14.       Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon allege that for all purposes the intent of Defendant DOCX was to intentionally create fraudulent documents, with forged signatures, so that said documents could be recorded in the Offices of County Recorders through the United States of America, knowing that such documents would forgeries, contained false information, and that the recordation of such documents would affect an interest in real property in violation of law.

15.       Plaintiffs allege that on or about, ____________, that they conveyed a first deed of  trust (hereinafter “DEED”) in favor of Option One Mortgage, Inc. with an interest of

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** CONSUMER ALERT ** FRAUD WARNING REGARDING LAWSUIT MARKETERS REQUESTING UPFRONT FEES FOR SO-CALLED “MASS JOINDER” OR CLASS LITIGATION PROMISING EXTRAORDINARY HOME MORTGAGE RELIEF

The California Department of Real Estate has issued the following
“CONSUMER ALERT” warning consumers about claims being made by marketers
of “Mass Joinder” Lawsuits. I have provided two links to the California
Department’s Website containing the text of the “Alert,” but have also
re-posted it in its entirety to help broaden the distribution of the
document. Mandelman

California Department of Real Estate ** CONSUMER ALERT **
FRAUD WARNING REGARDING LAWSUIT MARKETERS REQUESTING UPFRONT FEES FOR
SO-CALLED “MASS JOINDER” OR CLASS LITIGATION PROMISING EXTRAORDINARY
HOME MORTGAGE RELIEF
By Wayne S. Bell, Chief Counsel, California Department of Real Estate
I. HOME MORTGAGE RELIEF THROUGH LITIGATION (and “Too Good to Be True”
Claims Regarding Its Use to Avoid and/or Stop Foreclosure, Obtain Loan
Principal Reduction, and to Let You Have Your Home “Free and Clear” of
Any Mortgage).
This alert is written to warn consumers about marketing companies,
unlicensed entities, lawyers, and so-called attorney-backed,
attorney-affiliated, and lawyer referral entities that offer and sell
false hope and request the payment of upfront fees for so-called “mass
joinder” or class litigation that will supposedly result in
extraordinary home mortgage relief.
The California Department of Real Estate (“DRE” or “Department”)
previously issued a consumer alert and fraud warning on loan
modification and foreclosure rescue scams in California. That alert was
followed by warnings and alerts regarding forensic loan audit fraud,
scams in connection with short sale transactions, false and misleading
designations and claims of special expertise, certifications and
credentials in connection with home loan relief services, and other real
estate and home loan relief scams.

The Department continues to administratively prosecute those who engage
in such fraud and to work in collaboration with the California State
Bar, the Federal Trade Commission, and federal, State and local criminal
law enforcement authorities to bring such frauds to justice.
On October 11, 2009, Senate Bill 94 was signed into law in California,
and it became effective that day. It prohibited any person, including
real estate licensees and attorneys, from charging, claiming, demanding,
collecting or receiving an upfront fee from a homeowner borrower in
connection with a promise to modify the borrower’s residential loan or
some other form of mortgage loan forbearance.
Senate Bill 94’s prohibitions seem to have significantly impacted the
rampant fraud that was occurring and escalating with respect to the
payment of upfront fees for loan modification work.
Also, forensic loan auditors must now register with the California
Department of Justice and cannot accept payments in advance for their
services under California law once a Notice of Default has been
recorded. There are certain exceptions for lawyers and real estate
brokers.
On January 31, 2011, an important and broad advance fee ban issued by
the Federal Trade Commission became effective and outlaws providers of
mortgage assistance relief services from requesting or collecting
advance fees from a homeowner.
Discussions about Senate Bill 94, the Federal advance fee ban, and the
Consumer Alerts of the DRE, are available on the DRE’s website at
www.dre.ca.gov.
Lawyer Exemption from the Federal Advance Fee Ban –
The advance fee ban issued by the Federal Trade Commission includes a
narrow and conditional carve out for attorneys.
If lawyers meet the following four conditions, they are generally exempt
from the rule:
1. They are engaged in the practice of law, and mortgage assistance
relief is part of their practice.
2. They are licensed in the State where the consumer or the
dwelling is located.
3. They are complying with State laws and regulations governing the
“same type of conduct the [FTC] rule requires”.
4. They place any advance fees they collect in a client trust
account and comply with State laws and regulations covering such
accounts. This requires that client funds be kept separate from the
lawyers’ personal and/or business funds until such time as the funds
have been earned.
It is important to note that the exemption for lawyers discussed above
does not allow lawyers to collect money upfront for loan modifications
or loan forbearance services, which advance fees are banned by the more
restrictive California Senate Bill 94.
But those who continue to prey on and victimize vulnerable homeowners
have not given up. They just change their tactics and modify their
sales pitches to keep taking advantage of those who are desperate to
save their homes. And some of the frauds seeking to rip off desperate
homeowners are trying to use the lawyer exemption above to collect
advance fees for mortgage assistance relief litigation.
This alert and warning is issued to call to your attention the often
overblown and exaggerated “sales pitch(es)” regarding the supposed value
of questionable “Mass Joinder” or Class Action Litigation.
Whether they call themselves Foreclosure Defense Experts, Mortgage Loan
Litigators, Living Free and Clear experts, or some other official,
important or impressive sounding title(s), individuals and companies are
marketing their services in the State of California and on the Internet.
They are making a wide variety of claims and sales pitches, and offering
impressive sounding legal and litigation services, with quite
extraordinary remedies promised, with the goal of taking and getting
some of your money.
While there are lawyers and law firms which are legitimate and
qualified to handle complex class action or joinder litigation, you must
be cautious and BEWARE. And certainly check out the lawyers on the
State Bar website and via other means, as discussed below in Section
III. II.
QUESTIONABLE AND/OR FALSE CLAIMS OF THE SO-CALLED MORTGAGE LOAN DEFENSE
OR “MASS JOINDER” AND CLASS LITIGATORS.
A. What are the Claims/Sales Pitches? They are many and varied, and
include:
1. You can join in a mass joinder or class action lawsuit already
filed against your lender and stay in your home. You can stop paying
your lender.
2. The mortgage loans can be stripped entirely from your home.
3. Your payment obligation and foreclosure against your home can be
stopped when the lawsuit is filed.
4. The litigation will take the power away from your lender.
5. A jury will side with you and against your lender.
6. The lawsuit will give you the leverage you need to stay in your
home.
7. The lawsuit may give you the right to rescind your home loan,
or to reduce your principal.
8. The lawsuit will help you modify your home loan. It will give
you a step up in the loan modification process.
9. The litigation will be performed through “powerful” litigation
attorney representation.
10. Litigation attorneys are “turning the tables on lenders and
getting cash settlements for homeowners”. In one Internet advertisement,
the marketing materials say, “the damages sought in your behalf are
nothing less than a full lien strip or in otherwords [sic] a free and
clear house if the bank can’t produce the documents they own the note on
your home. Or at the very least, damages could be awarded that would
reduce the principal balance of the note on your home to 80% of market
value, and give you a 2% interest rate for the life of the loan”.
B. Discussion.
Please don’t be fooled by slick come-ons by scammers who just want your
money. Some of the claims above might be true in a particular case,
based on the facts and evidence presented before a Court or a jury, or
have a ring or hint of truth, but you must carefully examine and analyze
each and every one of them to determine if filing a lawsuit against your
lender or joining a class or mass joinder lawsuit will have any value
for you and your situation. Be particularly skeptical of all such
claims, since agreeing to participate in 4 such litigation may require
you to pay for legal or other services, often before any legal work is
performed (e.g., a significant upfront retainer fee is required).
The reality is that litigation is time-consuming (with formal discovery
such as depositions, interrogatories, requests for documents, requests
for admissions, motions, and the like), expensive, and usually
vigorously defended. There can be no guarantees or assurances with
respect to the outcome of a lawsuit.
Even if a lender or loan owner defendant were to lose at trial, it can
appeal, and the entire process can take years. Also, there is no
statistical or other competent data that supports the claims that a mass
joinder and class action lawsuit, even if performed by a licensed,
legitimate and trained lawyer(s), will provide the remedies that the
marketers promise.
There are two other important points to be made here:
First, even assuming that the lawyers can identify fraud or other legal
violations performed by your lender in the loan origination process,
your loan may be owned by an investor – that is, someone other than your
lender. The investor will most assuredly argue that your claims against
your originating lender do not apply against the investor (the purchaser
of your loan). And even if your lender still owns the loan, they are not
legally required, absent a court judgment or order, to modify your loan
or to halt the foreclosure process if you are behind in your payments.
If they happen to lose the lawsuit, they can appeal, as noted above.
Also, the violations discovered may be minor or inconsequential, which
will not provide for any helpful remedies.
Second, and very importantly, loan modifications and other types of
foreclosure relief are simply not possible for every homeowner, and the
“success rate” is currently very low in California. This is where the
lawsuit marketing scammers come in and try to convince you that they
offer you “a leg up”. They falsely claim or suggest that they can
guarantee to stop a foreclosure in its tracks, leave you with a home
“free and clear” of any mortgage loan(s), make lofty sounding but
hollow promises, exaggerate or make bold statements regarding their
litigation successes, charge you for a retainer, and leave you with less
money.
III. THE KEY HERE IS FOR YOU TO BE ON GUARD AND CHECK THE LAWYERS OUT
(Know Who You Are or May Be Dealing With) – Do Your Own Homework (Avoid
The Traps Set by the Litigation Marketing Frauds).
Before entering into an attorney-client relationship, or paying for
“legal” or litigation services, ascertain the name of the lawyer or
lawyers who will be providing the services. Then check them out on the
State Bar’s website, at www.calbar.ca.gov. Make certain that they are
licensed by the State Bar of California. If they are licensed, see if
they have been disciplined.
Check them out through the Better Business Bureau to see if the Bureau
has received any complaints about the lawyer, law firm or marketing firm
offering the services (and remember that only lawyers can provide legal
services). And please understand that this is just another resource for
you to check, as the litigation services provider might be so new that
the Better Business Bureau may have little or nothing on them (or
something positive because of insufficient public input).
Check them out through a Google or related search on the Internet. You
may be amazed at what you can and will find out doing such a search.
Often consumers who have been scammed will post their experiences,
insights, and warnings long
before any criminal, civil or administrative action has been brought
against the scammers.
Also, ask them lots of specific, detailed questions about their
litigation experience, clients and successful results. For example, you
should ask them how many mortgage-related joinder or class lawsuits they
have filed and handled through settlement or trial. Ask them for
pleadings they have filed and news stories about their so-called
successes. Ask them for a list of current and past “satisfied” clients.
If they provide you with a list, call those people and ask those former
clients if they would use the lawyer or law firm again.
Ask the lawyers if they are class action or joinder litigation
specialists and ask them what specialist qualifications they have. Then
ask what they will actually do for you (what specific services they will
be providing and for what fees and costs). Get that in writing, and take
the time to fully understand what the attorney-client contract says and
what the end result will be before proceeding with the services.
Remember to always ask for and demand copies of all documents that you
sign.
IV. CONCLUSION.
Mortgage rescue frauds are extremely good at selling false hope to
consumers in trouble with regard to home loans. The scammers continue
to adapt and to modify their schemes as soon as their last ones became
ineffective. Promises of successes through mass joinder or class
litigation are now being marketed. Please be careful, do your own
diligence to protect yourself, and be highly suspect if anyone asks you
for money up front before doing any service on your behalf. Most
importantly, DON’T LET FRAUDS TAKE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.
###########
Here’s another link to the California Department of Real Estate’s page
containing this fraud warning:
FRAUD WARNING REGARDING LAWSUIT MARKETERS REQUESTING UPFRONT FEES FOR
SO-CALLED “MASS JOINDER” OR CLASS LITIGATION PROMISING EXTRAORDINARY
HOME MORTGAGE RELIEF

From the Dark side on Wrongful foreclosure

Defending Wrongful Foreclosure Actions in California

Nearly all foreclosure professionals and loan servicers are familiar with the process for a non-judicial foreclosure action in California. A notice of intent to foreclose is followed by a notice of default which is followed by a notice of trustee’s sale. The last step, the actual non-judicial foreclosure sale, usually occurs within approximately 120 days from the filing of the notice of default. For the vast majority of loans, the California non-judicial foreclosure process is an effective and relatively inexpensive method for a servicer to obtain its security. In most non-judicial foreclosures, the only court time and court costs involved are those for the usually uncontested municipal court unlawful detainer which is initiated by the servicer in order to obtain possession from former borrowers who refuse to vacate their former homes.

For a small but seemingly growing number of loans, the non-judicial foreclosure process has become rather judicial. To borrowers who choose to allocate their resources away from debt payment towards fighting a loan servicer’s right to its payments and its security, the nonjudicial foreclosure process is a war of attrition which ranges from the bankruptcy court, to superior court to municipal court. While serial bankruptcy filings are often a frustrating delay to a servicer obtaining possession of its security, the wrongful foreclosure action filed in superior court is potentially the most time consuming weapon in the arsenal of the litigious borrower.

What is a Wrongful Foreclosure Action?

A wrongful foreclosure action is an action filed in superior court by the borrower against the servicer, the holder of the note, and usually the foreclosing trustee. The complaint usually alleges that there was an “illegal, fraudulent or willfully oppressive sale of property under a power of sale contained in a mortgage or deed of trust.” Munger v. Moore (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d. 1. The wrongful foreclosure action is often brought prior to the non-judicial foreclosure sale in order to delay the sale, but the action may also be brought after the non-judicial foreclosure sale. In most cases, a wrongful foreclosure action alleges that the amount stated as due and owing in the notice of default is incorrect for one or more of the following reasons: an incorrect interest rate adjustment, incorrect tax impound accounts, misapplied payments, a forbearance agreement which was not adhered to by the servicer, unnecessary forced place insurance, improper accounting for a confirmed chapter 11 or chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. Wrongful foreclosure actions are also brought when the servicers accept partial payments after initiation of the wrongful foreclosure process, then continue with the foreclosure. Companion allegations for emotional distress and punitive damages usually accompany any wrongful foreclosure action.

The causes of action alleged in a wrongful foreclosure action filed in California may include the following: breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, violation of Business and Professions Code Section 17200 (Unfair Business Practices), quiet title, wrongful foreclosure (violation of Civil Code Section 2924), accounting and/or promissory estoppel.

The reciprocal nature of attorney fees provisions in all real property notes and deeds of trust dictate that any wrongful foreclosure action be taken seriously. Damages available to a borrower in a wrongful foreclosure action are an amount sufficient to compensate for all detriment proximately caused by the servicer or trustee’s wrongful conduct. Civil Code Section 3333. Damages are usually measured by value of the property at the time of the sale in excess of the mortgage and lien against the property. Munger v. Moore (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d. 1. Additionally, the borrower may also obtain damages for emotional distress in a wrongful foreclosure action. Young v. Bank of America (1983) 141 Cal.App.3d 108; Anderson v. Heart Federal Savings & Loan Assn. (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d. 202. Further, if the borrower can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the servicer or trustee was guilty of fraud, oppression or malice in its wrongful conduct, punitive damages may be awarded.

How Can a Wrongful Foreclosure Action Delay Recovery of the Security?

A wrongful foreclosure suit filed in superior court will not necessarily delay a servicer’s recovery of its security. The companion filings to such a suit (notice of pending action, injunction and/or motion to consolidate) however can delay a servicer’s ultimate recovery. Delay caused by a wrongful foreclosure action can be anywhere from forty-five days to two years.

A notice of pending action (“lis pendens”) is the most common companion to a wrongful foreclosure action. A lis pendens is recorded in the county in which the real property security is located at the time the wrongful foreclosure action is filed. The only requirement for a lis pendens to be recorded is an attorney’s signature that the action which is being noticed actually involves a real property claim. The purpose of the lis pendens is to put all third parties on notice that the borrower and the servicer are litigating over the real property security. Once a lis pendens is recorded, no title insurance company will issue a title insurance policy unless and until the lis pendens is removed. Although the servicer may “bond around” the lis pendens without title insurance, the real property security is virtually inalienable.

A summary procedure for removing a lis pendens is provided in the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 405.3 et seq. This section allows a “mini trial” on the merits of the borrower’s claim. At the “mini trial”, the borrower must establish the probable validity of his/her claim by a preponderance of the evidence. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 405.32. If the borrower cannot establish his or her claim by a preponderance of evidence, the lis pendens is expunged. The penalty for the borrower who wrongfully records a notice of pending action is that, in most cases, the court directs such a borrower to pay the servicer’s attorneys’ fees. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 405.38.

While a lis pendens can be filed at any time in the foreclosure process, a borrower applies for an injunction prior to the foreclosure sale with the intent of keeping the foreclosure sale at bay until issues in the lawsuit are resolved. The lawsuit can take anywhere from ten to twenty-four months. Generally, an injunction will only be issued if it appears to the court that: (1) the borrower is entitled to the injunction; and (2) that if the injunction is not granted, the borrower will be subject to irreparable harm. Like an action to expunge a lis pendens, a borrower’s application for an injunction is essentially a “mini-trial” on the merits. California Civil Code of Civil Procedure Section 526 et seq.

The issue at stake in nearly all injunctive relief action applications is the amount due and owing on the note and deed of trust. For the injunction hearing, it is imperative that the servicer provide a detailed analysis of the amount it contends is due and owing on the note and deed of trust at issue. If for some reason the servicer is unable to provide a breakdown of the amounts due and owing on the note and deed of trust at issue, or at least provide sufficient information to refute the borrower’s allegations, it is likely the injunction will be issued. In most cases, the injunction will be conditioned upon the borrower’s filing a significant bond and making timely debt payments. Upon occasion, judges who are not particularly enamoured with servicers and who are provided a heart wrenching tale in the borrower’s injunction application will issue minimal bonds and little or no debt service requirements. This worst case scenario translates into a servicer being unable to sell the security and receiving no payments on the underlying debt during the life of the lawsuit. Technically, modifications of injunctions are allowed for a change in law, a change in circumstances, or to prevent injustice. California Civil Code § 533. In reality, judges are loath to modify an injunction after it is issued and prior to a decision on the merits. Once an injunction with little or no debt service or bond is in place, the wrongful foreclosure suit will be a long and expensive process because the borrower has lost all incentive for a quick resolution of the action.

Another way borrowers delay a servicer’s recovery of its security through a wrongful foreclosure action is by consolidating their wrongful foreclosure action with their unlawful detainer action. Asuncion v. Superior Court (1980) 108 Cal. App. 3d 141. The Asuncion case which is usually relied upon by borrowers for consolidation contains an egregious fact scenario including clear fraud in the inducement of the loan. Judges however, do not limit the application of Asuncion to cases where fraud is alleged by the borrower. In applying Asuncion, a court can allow the unlawful detainer suit to be consolidated with the wrongful foreclosure action if there is a mere similarity of issues in the cases.

If the superior court allows consolidation, a servicer’s right to possession of the real property security will be stayed until a verdict for the servicer is obtained in the wrongful foreclosure action. Courts generally will condition such consolidation on borrower debt service payments. Again, though, the real property security will not be recovered until a final decision on the merits in the wrongful foreclosure action is reached. As discussed above, this can be anywhere from ten months to two years.

SELF-EXAMINATION: What to do when sued for a wrongful foreclosure?

The most important words in defending a wrongful foreclosure action are “critical self-examination”. Before determining strategy for the upcoming (possibly lengthy) lawsuit, it is critical to know if any of the borrower’s allegations of the servicers breach of duty are correct. If the borrower’s allegations are correct and the borrower wins the lawsuit, the servicer will have to unwind (or be precluded from conducting) the foreclosure sale, and pay the borrowers legal bill. Accordingly, the self-examination must be critical and comprehensive.

The necessary self-examination is much more than: Did we apply the payments correctly?… Yes… next question. In addition to reviewing proper payment application, the servicer should review all facets of servicing the loan in question. If we imposed force place insurance, did we have a right to do so? Did we inadvertently charge the escrow account (for excessive amount of taxes, for example)? Did we improperly account for a debtor with a confirmed bankruptcy plan? Did we adjust the interest rate correctly? Did we enter into a forbearance agreement to which we did not adhere? These are the types of questions a servicer needs to ask itself in preparing for a defense of a wrongful foreclosure action.

If, after a careful analysis of the borrower’s complaint, the servicer determines that an error was made, and given that the servicer may be required to pay for the borrower’s attorney, the question then becomes, what is the quickest way out of this lawsuit? For example, can the servicer rescind the sale, clarify negative credit information and get the borrower to dismiss the action? If the borrower appears intransigent and trial is likely, the servicer’s first concern should be to counter the “shifting” of attorney’s fees under the note.

“Offers in compromise” can counteract the shifting of the claims provided for in the note and deed of trust. Cal Code Civ. Proc. Section 998. An offer in compromise is a procedure which allows a servicer to determine the borrower’s likely damages and offer that sum to a borrower to settle the action. If the borrower refuses to settle and ultimately is awarded less than the servicer’s offer in compromise, the borrower will not recover his/her post-offer attorney fees and will be required to pay the servicer’s post-offer attorney fees. California Code Civil Procedure Section 998.

An offer in compromise is only appropriate if the borrower is “in it for the long haul,” is represented by an attorney and is likely to obtain a judgment in its favor. If the borrower is self-represented, an aggressive defense of significant discovery and early dispositive motions may be appropriate. Other areas of weakness in a borrower’s case may be lack of damages and lack of standing. As Munson v. Moore, supra indicates if there is no equity at the time of the alleged wrongful foreclosure sale, the borrower may not have suffered recoverable damages. The borrower’s standing to bring the action may be successfully attacked if the borrower has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection to delay eviction or if the borrower can be declared a vexatious litigant. If a review of the borrower’s origination file uncovers material misrepresentations of fact, a counter-suit for mortgage fraud may be appropriate. The best strategy for defending a wrongful foreclosure action is never delay for delay’s sake.

If the servicer, after an exhaustive self-examination, determines that the borrower’s lawsuit is not justified, the goal shifts from control of damages to obtaining possession and clean title as soon as possible. Usually, the best method for this is the motion to expunge lis pendens. This procedure, as discussed above, is usually a mini-trial on the merits. Oftentimes, after the lis pendens is expunged and the real property security is sold, the borrower’s motivation to litigate is lost. The strategies previously discussed are also available when the borrower’s suit is likely non-meritorious, but they are usually not necessary. If no lis pendens was recorded by the borrower, early aggressive discovery followed by an early summary judgment motion is often the best route available to the servicer for the early resolution of the action.

Conclusion: Can wrongful foreclosure actions be avoided?

All of the preventive actions that an army of lawyers could recommend will not dissuade the borrower who feels wronged by his bank and wants the bank “to pay” from filing a wrongful foreclosure action. Many marginal wrongful foreclosure actions can be avoided, however, if the servicer reviews every communication sent to a borrower, (note adjustment letter, bankruptcy coupon letter, partial payment acceptance letter, etc.); with the following critical question: can this communication be misunderstood by the borrower or can its meaning be twisted by a clever debtor’s lawyer? If the answer to this question is yes, can this letter be written in a manner which more completely protects the servicer’s interest? Additionally, the servicer must truly understand the numbers which comprise the amount due stated on the notice of default and be certain of their accuracy.

California law provides many unique procedural remedies which may be employed in battling a wrongful foreclosure action. Judicious use of these procedures by counsel and close coordination between counsel and client can lessen the pain of defending a wrongful foreclosure action

Find Your Home’s Pooling And Servicing Agreement

Critical Information: How to Find Your Home’s Pooling And Servicing Agreement

February 28th, 2011 • Foreclosure

The pooling and servicing agreement (PSA) is a contract that should govern the terms under which trillions of dollars-worth of equity in the land of the United States of America was flung around the world. These contracts should govern how disputes over ownership and interest in the land that was the United States of America should be resolved. Pretty simple stuff, right? I mean if I’m a millionaire big shot New York Lawyer working for big shot billionaire Wall Street Investors and banks, then I’d do my job as a lawyer to make sure the contract was right and that all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed right?

But that’s not at all what’s happened. In our scraggly street level offices, far below the big fancy marble encased towers of American law and finance, simple dirt lawyers defending homeowners started actually reading these contracts. We ask lots of questions about just what all those fancy words in their big shot contracts mean. Invariably, the big shot lawyers and the foreclosure mills tell us, “Don’t you worry about all them words you scraggly, simple dirt lawyer. Those words aren’t important to you.”

But increasingly judges recognize that the words really do mean something. Take note of the following statements from the recent Ibanez Ruling:

I concur fully in the opinion of the court, and write separately only to underscore that what is surprising about these cases is not the statement of principles articulated by the court regarding title law and the law of foreclosure in Massachusetts, but rather the utter carelessness with which the plaintiff banks documented the titles to their assets.

The type of sophisticated transactions leading up to the accumulation of the notes and mortgages in question in these cases and their securitization, and, ultimately the sale of mortgaged-backed securities, are not barred nor even burdened by the requirements of Massachusetts law. The plaintiff banks, who brought these cases to clear the titles that they acquired at their own foreclosure sales, have simply failed to prove that the under-lying assignments of the mortgages that they allege (and would have) entitled them to foreclose ever existed in any legally cognizable form before they exercised the power of sale that accompanies those assignments.

The Ibanez decision underscores the fact that it is important for all of us to know and understand how the pooling and servicing agreements directly impact what is occurring in the courtroom. And for assistance with understanding the PSA and how to find it, more commentary from Michael Olenick at Legalprise:

Overview of PSA’s

Securitized loans are built into securities, which happen to look and function virtually identically to bonds but are categorized and called securities because of some legal restrictions on bonds that nobody seems to know about.

The securities start with one or more investment banks, called the Underwriter (should be called the Undertaker), that seems to disappear right after cashing in lots of fees. They create a prospectus that has different parts of the security that they are proposing. Each of these parts is called a tranche. There are anywhere from a half-dozen to a couple dozen tranches. Each one is considered riskier.

Each tranche is actually a separate sub-security, that can and is traded differently, but governed by the same PSA, listed in the Prospectus. Similar tranches from multiple loans were often bundled together into something called a Collateralized Debt Obligation, or CDO. So besides the MBS there might also be one or more CDO’s made up of, say, one middle tranche of each MBS. Each tranche is considered riskier, usually based a combination of the credit-scores of the people in the tranche and the type of loans (ex: full/partial/no doc, traditional/interest-only/neg am, first or secondary lien, etc…).

CDO’s were eligible for a type of “insurance” in case their price went down called a Credit Default Swap, or CDS (also known as “synthetic CDO’s”). There was actually no need to own the CDO to buy the
insurance and many companies purchased the insurance, that paid out handsomely. [That’s what the AIG bailout was for, because they didn’t keep adequate reserves to pay out the insurance policies.]

Later, investors could also purchase securities made up of multiple CDO’s, much the same way that CDO’s were made up of tranches of multiple MBS’s. These were called “CDO’s squared.” Not surprisingly,
there were also a few “CDO’s cubed,” CDO’s of CDO’s squared. CDO’s were virtually all written offshore so little is known about who owns them, except that they were premised on the idea that since there was
collateralized mortgage debt at their base they could not collapse. Their purpose was to spread the various of risks of mortgages which, back then, meant prepayment of high interest debt and default.

Investors were actually way more obsessed with prepayment because they thought the whole country could not default; to make sure of that MBS’s and all their gobbly gook were spread around the country; you
can see where in the prospectus. They were almost more concerned with geographic dispersion than credit dispersion.

After that it’s the servicers/trustee/document custodian scheme we’re all familiar with. OK .. with that too-strange-to-make-up explanation means let’s dive into how to find one’s loan:

1. Find the security name: it will be a year (usually the year of origination), a dash, two letters, then a number. It will be somewhere in one of your filings. For this we’ll use a random First Franklin loan, 2005-FF1. [Note; they would just sequentially number them, so the first security First Franklin floated in 2005 would be FF1, then FF2, etc…]
2. Go to the SEC’s new search engine: http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html
3. Click the first link, Company or fund name…
4. Choose the radio button marked “contains” and type in the ticker; that is 2005-FF1
5. There will be multiple filings but one of them will be marked 424B5. Click that, it’s the prospectus.

If you really want to have fun, and want to know what happened after 2008 when these all disappeared, type the ticker (again, 2005-FF1) into the full text link from the first search page. There you’ll see lots and lots of filings as pieces and parts of the security are blasted everywhere. To track yours you have to find which tranche you ended up in. Sometimes it’s in the filing but, if not, you can usually figure it out from the prospectus if you know basic origination info (credit-score, type of loan, where the house is, etc…); some even list loan amounts.

One warning on those secondary filings, servicers and trusts both break them out as assets. How one loan can be reported as an asset in two places is a mystery, but considering this doesn’t even cover the CDO’s and CDS’s dual reporting doesn’t seem to strange. You’ll see your loan keep wandering through the financial system, with one exception (next paragraph), right up to the present day. You can even see how much the investment banks thinks that its worth over time since they report out both original amount and fair market value.

The exception — when your loan really does disappear — is when it was eaten up by the Federal Reserve’s Toxic Loan Asset Facility, TALF. But you can look that up to and see how the government purchased your
loan for full-price, when investors on the open market were only willing to pay a few cents on the dollar. If your loan went to TALF you can find it in the spreadsheet here: http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/reform_talf.htm Your loan will be in the top spreadsheet and the genuine lender in the bottom.

Now they have to admit it they violated the law and will be liable for Billions

BofA, Wells, Citi see foreclosure probe fines

By Joe Rauch and Clare Baldwin
CHARLOTTE, N.C./NEW YORK | Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:20pm EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C./NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo — three of the biggest banks in the United States — said they could face fines from a regulatory probe into the industry’s foreclosure practices.
The statements, made in regulatory filings on Friday, are the most direct admission yet from major banks that they could have to pay significant amounts of money to settle probes and lawsuits alleging that they improperly foreclosed on homes.
Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), the largest U.S. bank by assets, said the probe could lead to “material fines” and “significant” legal expenses in 2011.
Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N), the largest U.S. mortgage lender, said it is likely to face fines or sanctions, such as a foreclosure moratorium or suspension, imposed by federal or state regulators. It said some government agency enforcement action was likely and could include civil money penalties.
Citigroup Inc (C.N) said it could pay fines or set up principal reduction programs.
The biggest U.S. mortgage lenders are being investigated by 50 state attorneys general and U.S. regulators for foreclosing on homes without having proper paperwork in place or without having properly reviewed paperwork before signing it.
The bad documentation threatens to slow down the foreclosure process and invalidate some repossessions.
Sources familiar with discussions among federal authorities have said they could seek as much as $20 billion in total from lenders to settle the foreclosure probe, which began last fall.
Analysts said the acknowledgment of potential foreclosure liabilities highlights the continuing struggles of the largest U.S. banks after the world financial crisis.
“Are they trying? Sure, but this is not an easy fix and these kinds of problems are going to hang around the banks for years,” said Matt McCormick, a portfolio manager with Cincinnati-based Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel.
McCormick said he has sold nearly all of his U.S. bank holdings because of concerns over foreclosures and other losses.
Beyond direct fines due to regulators, banks may also end up paying government-controlled mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for the foreclosure delays.
Bank of America said it recorded $230 million in compensatory fees in the fourth quarter that it expects to owe the government mortgage companies.
The bank said its projected costs for settlements for all legal matters it is facing, including mortgage issues, could be $145 million to $1.5 billion beyond what it has already reserved.
Wells Fargo said that in the worst-case scenario, as of the end of 2010, it could have to pay $1.2 billion more than it has set aside to cover legal matters.
Citigroup said it could face up to about $4 billion more in losses from all sorts of lawsuits, including but not limited to those relating to mortgages and foreclosures.
Wells Fargo said in October that it plans to amend 55,000 foreclosure filings nationwide, amid signs that documentation for some foreclosures was incomplete or incorrect. Other banks made similar moves.
Other banks echoed the concern over foreclosures in a wave of annual report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Atlanta-based SunTrust said it expects regulators may issue a consent order, which will require the largest mortgage lenders to fix problems with their foreclosure processes, and potentially levy fines.
Wells Fargo shares closed 3.1 percent higher at $32.40 on the New York Stock Exchange. Bank of America shares closed 1.6 percent higher at $14.20 and Citi shares closed 0.2 percent higher at $4.70, also on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Joe Rauch, Clare Baldwin and Maria Aspan; Editing by Gary Hill)

Litigation with HUD and FHA Insured Mortgage Loans and Foreclosure


When a mortgage is insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an agency overseen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), servicing companies must follow HUD servicing guidelines. Some of these regulations involve the foreclosure process on a such a property, and failure to follow the guidelines may be used by homeowners to defend their foreclosure in court.

The following is a list and brief description of some of the court cases that have involved HUD and FHA loans that were improperly serviced, ones that were decided in favor of homeowners, and ones in which borrowers facing foreclosure were denied claims. Knowing some of the background of these cases may help homeowners decide if their loan is being properly serviced, or if it is worth their time to apply for an FHA loan.

One of the requirements to foreclose on a HUD loan is that the servicer must attempt to hold a face-to-face meeting with the homeowners before three payments have been missed. In Banker’s Life v. Denton, homeowners raised the failure to hold the meeting as a defense against foreclosure. Also, the servicer did not send the request for the meeting via certified mail or attempt to visit the borrowers at the property. The court found for the owners in this case.

Notices of default must also be sent to delinquent borrowers in accordance with the HUD regulations. In Federal National Mortgage Ass’n v. Moore, homeowners raised the argument that the lender had not sent out a notice of default that was in compliance with HUD’s regulations. The notice sent, according to the borrowers, was not valid because it was on a form that was not “approved by the Secretary” of HUD and was not sent in a timely manner as the regulations require.

Since these two cases had been decided, HUD’s regulations have changed, but the language of the preforeclosure servicing, including notice requirements and review guidelines, have remained the same. In fact, another court case, Mellon Mortgage Co. v. Larios, decided that the requirements are the same now as they were before the statue was revised. Lenders failing to comply with these guidelines can still be used as a defense against foreclosure.

The face-to-face meeting with homeowners is also an important aspect of foreclosing on a mortgage backed by HUD. The minimum requirement to comply with this regulation is visiting the borrowers at home and sending at least one letter via certified mail. The issue came up in Washington Mutual Bank v. Mahaffey, and the lender was denied summary judgment because it had not sent the letter, even though someone had been sent to the property to visit the homeowners.

Of course, this is not to imply that every homeowner will win a case and successfully defend against foreclosure. Courts have also ruled against borrowers who raised issues regarding servicing. In Miller v. G.E. Capital Mortgage Servs., Inc., the court ruled that private citizens have no right to sue for violations of HUD’s loss mitigation provisions. The law, according to the court, is meant to focus on regulation of lenders — not creating rights for borrowers facing foreclosure.

Also, courts have found that the language included in deeds of trust insured by the FHA are not negotiated contractual terms. Instead, they are imposed by the FHA on both the borrowers and lenders, and the borrowers may not raise defenses in relation to breach of contract if lenders fail to follow the FHA guidelines. This case was decided in Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc. v. Neal. If the homeowners and mortgage company can not bargain for that aspect of the contract, there can be no breach of the contract.

Homeowners, their loss mitigation professionals, and their foreclosure attorneys should become aware of some of the issues involved with HUD loans if they have a mortgage insured by the FHA or are considering taking advantage of the new government programs. While some protections may be offered to borrowers, others seem to be taken away by the courts if there is a question about a foreclosure. Knowing the issues through previously-decided court cases can help educate borrowers.

The FHA Short Refinance Option—Help For Non-FHA Borrowers

Starting September 7, 2010, the FHA offers help to qualifying non-FHA borrowers who are “underwater” on their home loans. The FHA Short Refinance option is open to those who are current on their existing mortgage—but the lender must agree to forgive at least 10% of the unpaid principal on the original note to bring the combined loan-to-value ratio to a maximum 115%. The new FHA-guaranteed loan must have a loan-to-value ratio of no more than 97.75%.

Non-FHA borrowers who meet these guidelines and additional credit qualifications (see below) are allowed to apply to refinance into new FHA-insured home loan. The program is not open-ended—the original FHA press release announcing the start date of the FHA Short Refinance option says the program is expected to help as many as four million homeowners through the end of 2012.

The FHA press release says the FHA Short Refinance program is voluntary and “requires the cooperation of all lien holders”. This program is not automatically open to any homeowner who is underwater on a conventional home loan; as stated previously, there is a requirement that the borrower be current on all mortgage payments. They must also qualify for the FHA Short Refinance program by having a credit score of 500 or better and meet other typical FHA loan
prerequisites.

FHA Short Refinancing is only for borrowers who are underwater on properties that are considered the borrower’s primary residence, and is intended only for those with non-FHA guaranteed home loans. A borrower said to be “underwater” on a conventional home loan is basically stuck with a property that isn’t worth as much as the amount owed on the note—usually because of declining property values.

Agard MERS a nominee is not an agent

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
—————————————————————–x
In re:
Case No. 810-77338-reg
FERREL L. AGARD,
Chapter 7
Debtor.
—————————————————————–x
MEMORANDUM DECISION
Before the Court is a motion (the “Motion”) seeking relief from the automatic stay
pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1) and (2), to foreclose on a secured interest in the Debtor’s real
property located in Westbury, New York (the “Property”). The movant is Select Portfolio
Servicing, Inc. (“Select Portfolio” or “Movant”), as servicer for U.S. Bank National Association,
as Trustee for First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-FF12, Mortgage Pass-Through
Certificates, Series 2006-FF12 (“U.S. Bank”). The Debtor filed limited opposition to the Motion
contesting the Movant’s standing to seek relief from stay. The Debtor argues that the only
interest U.S. Bank holds in the underlying mortgage was received by way of an assignment from
the Mortgage Electronic Registration System a/k/a MERS, as a “nominee” for the original
lender. The Debtor’s argument raises a fundamental question as to whether MERS had the legal
authority to assign a valid and enforceable interest in the subject mortgage. Because U.S. Bank’s
rights can be no greater than the rights as transferred by its assignor – MERS – the Debtor argues
that the Movant, acting on behalf of U.S. Bank, has failed to establish that it holds an
enforceable
Case 8-10-77338-reg Doc 41 Filed 02/10/11 Entered 02/10/11 14:13:10
right against the Property.1 The Movant’s initial response to the Debtor’s opposition was that
MERS’s authority to assign the mortgage to U.S. Bank is derived from the mortgage itself which
allegedly grants to MERS its status as both “nominee” of the mortgagee and “mortgagee of
record.” The Movant later supplemented its papers taking the position that U.S. Bank is a
creditor with standing to seek relief from stay by virtue of a judgment of foreclosure and sale
entered in its favor by the state court prior to the filing of the bankruptcy. The Movant argues
that the judgment of foreclosure is a final adjudication as to U.S. Bank’s status as a secured
creditor and therefore the Rooker-Feldman doctrine prohibits this Court from looking behind the
judgment and questioning whether U.S. Bank has proper standing before this Court by virtue of a
valid assignment of the mortgage from MERS.
The Court received extensive briefing and oral argument from MERS, as an intervenor in
these proceedings which go beyond the arguments presented by the Movant. In addition to the
rights created by the mortgage documents themselves, MERS argues that the terms of its
membership agreement with the original lender and its successors in interest, as well as New
York state agency laws, give MERS the authority to assign the mortgage. MERS argues that it
holds legal title to mortgages for its member/lenders as both “nominee” and “mortgagee of
1 The Debtor also questions whether Select Portfolio has the authority and the standing to
seek relief from the automatic stay. The Movant argues that Select Portfolio has standing
to bring the Motion based upon its status as “servicer” of the Mortgage, and attaches an
affidavit of a vice president of Select Portfolio attesting to that servicing relationship.
Caselaw has established that a mortgage servicer has standing to seek relief from the
automatic stay as a party in interest. See, e.g., Greer v. O’Dell, 305 F.3d 1297
(11th Cir. 2002); In re Woodberry, 383 B.R. 373 (Bankr. D.S.C. 2008). This presumes,
however, that the lender for whom the servicer acts validly holds the subject note and
mortgage. Thus, this Decision will focus on whether U.S. Bank validly holds the subject
note and mortgage.
Page 2 of 37
Case 8-10-77338-reg Doc 41 Filed 02/10/11 Entered 02/10/11 14:13:10
record.” As such, it argues that any member/lender which holds a note secured by real property,
that assigns that note to another member by way of entry into the MERS database, need not also
assign the mortgage because legal title to the mortgage remains in the name of MERS, as agent
for any member/lender which holds the corresponding note. MERS’s position is that if a MERS
member directs it to provide a written assignment of the mortgage, MERS has the legal
authority, as an agent for each of its members, to assign mortgages to the member/lender
currently holding the note as reflected in the MERS database.
For the reasons that follow, the Debtor’s objection to the Motion is overruled and the
Motion is granted. The Debtor’s objection is overruled by application of either the Rooker-
Feldman doctrine, or res judicata. Under those doctrines, this Court must accept the state court
judgment of foreclosure as evidence of U.S. Bank’s status as a creditor secured by the Property.
Such status is sufficient to establish the Movant’s standing to seek relief from the automatic stay.
The Motion is granted on the merits because the Movant has shown, and the Debtor has not
disputed, sufficient basis to lift the stay under Section 362(d).
Although the Court is constrained in this case to give full force and effect to the state
court judgment of foreclosure, there are numerous other cases before this Court which present
identical issues with respect to MERS and in which there have been no prior dispositive state
court decisions. This Court has deferred rulings on dozens of other motions for relief from stay
pending the resolution of the issue of whether an entity which acquires its interests in a mortgage
by way of assignment from MERS, as nominee, is a valid secured creditor with standing to seek
relief from the automatic stay. It is for this reason that the Court’s decision in this matter will
address the issue of whether the Movant has established standing in this case notwithstanding the
Page 3 of 37
Case 8-10-77338-reg Doc 41 Filed 02/10/11 Entered 02/10/11 14:13:10
existence of the foreclosure judgment. The Court believes this analysis is necessary for the
precedential effect it will have on other cases pending before this Court.
The Court recognizes that an adverse ruling regarding MERS’s authority to assign
mortgages or act on behalf of its member/lenders could have a significant impact on MERS and
upon the lenders which do business with MERS throughout the United States. However, the
Court must resolve the instant matter by applying the laws as they exist today. It is up to the
legislative branch, if it chooses, to amend the current statutes to confer upon MERS the requisite
authority to assign mortgages under its current business practices. MERS and its partners made
the decision to create and operate under a business model that was designed in large part to avoid
the requirements of the traditional mortgage recording process. This Court does not accept the
argument that because MERS may be involved with 50% of all residential mortgages in the
country, that is reason enough for this Court to turn a blind eye to the fact that this process does
not comply with the law.
Facts
Procedural Background
On September 20, 2010, the Debtor filed for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy
Code. In Schedule A to the petition, the Debtor lists a joint ownership interest in the Property
described as follows:
A “[s]ingle family home owned with son, deed in son’s name since 2007; used as
primary residence . . .. Debtor was on original deed and is liable on the mortgage,
therefore has equitable title. Debtor is in default of the mortgage with a principal
balance of over $450,000.00. The house is worth approximately $350,000. A
Page 4 of 37
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foreclosure sale was scheduled 9/21/10.”
According to Schedule D, the Property is valued at $350,000 and is encumbered by a mortgage
in the amount of $536,920.67 held by “SPS Select Portfolio Servicing.”
On October 14, 2010, the Movant filed the Motion seeking relief from the automatic stay
pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §362(d) to foreclose on the Property. The Motion does not state that a
foreclosure proceeding had been commenced or that a judgment of foreclosure was granted prior
to the filing of the bankruptcy petition. Nor does it mention that the Debtor holds only equitable
title and does not hold legal title to the Property. Instead, Movant alleges that U.S. Bank is the
“holder” of the Mortgage; that the last mortgage payment it received from the Debtor was
applied to the July, 2008 payment; and that the Debtor has failed to make any post-petition
payments to the Movant. Movant also asserts that as of September 24, 2010, the total
indebtedness on the Note and Mortgage was $542,902.33 and the Debtor lists the value of the
Property at $350,000 in its schedules. On that basis, Movant seeks entry of an order vacating the
stay pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(d)(1) and (d)(2).
Annexed to the Motion are copies of the following documents:
• Adjustable Rate Note, dated June 9, 2006, executed by the Debtor as borrower and listing
First Franklin a Division of Na. City Bank of In. (“First Franklin”) as the lender
(“Note”);
• Balloon Note Addendum to the Note, dated June 9, 2006;
• Mortgage, dated June 9, 2006 executed by the Debtor and listing First Franklin as lender,
and MERS as nominee for First Franklin and First Franklin’s successors and assigns
(“Mortgage”);
• Adjustable Rate and Balloon Rider, dated June 9, 2006;
• Addendum to Promissory Note and Security Agreement executed by the Debtor; and
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• Assignment of Mortgage, dated February 1, 2008, listing MERS as nominee for First
Franklin as assignor, and the Movant, U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for
First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust 2006- FF12, Mortgage Pass-through Certificates,
Series 2006-FF12, as assignee (“Assignment of Mortgage”).
The Arguments of the Parties
On October 27, 2010, the Debtor filed “limited opposition” to the Motion, alleging that
the Movant lacks standing to seek the relief requested because MERS, the purported assignor to
the Movant, did not have authority to assign the Mortgage and therefore the Movant cannot
establish that it is a bona fide holder of a valid secured interest in the Property.
The Movant responded to the Debtor’s limited opposition regarding MERS’s authority to
assign by referring to the provisions of the Mortgage which purport to create a “nominee”
relationship between MERS and First Franklin. In conclusory fashion, the Movant states that it
therefore follows that MERS’s standing to assign is based upon its nominee status.
On November 15, 2010, a hearing was held and the Court gave both the Debtor and
Movant the opportunity to file supplemental briefs on the issues raised by the Debtor’s limited
opposition.
On December 8, 2010, the Movant filed a memorandum of law in support of the Motion
arguing that this Court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the issue of whether MERS had authority
to assign the Mortgage, and even assuming the Court did have jurisdiction to decide this issue,
under New York law the MERS assignment was valid. In support of its jurisdictional argument,
the Movant advises the Court (for the first time) that a Judgement of Foreclosure and Sale
(“Judgment of Foreclosure”) was entered by the state court in favor of the Movant on November
24, 2008, and any judicial review of the Judgment of Foreclosure is barred by the doctrines of
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res judicata, Rooker-Feldman, and judicial estoppel.2 The Movant argues that the Debtor had a
full and fair opportunity to litigate these issues in state court, but chose to default, and cannot
now challenge the state court’s adjudication as to the Movant’s status as a secured creditor or
holder of the Note and Mortgage, or its standing to seek relief from the automatic stay in this
Court. The Movant also notes that the Debtor admits in her petition and schedules that she is
liable on the Mortgage, that it was in default and the subject of a foreclosure sale, and thus
judicial estoppel bars her arguments to the contrary.
In addition to its preclusion arguments, on the underlying merits of its position the
Movant cites to caselaw holding that MERS assignments similar to the assignment in this case,
are valid and enforceable. See U.S. Bank, N.A. v. Flynn, 897 N.Y.S. 2d 855, 858 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.
2010); Kiah v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121252, at *1 (D. Mass. Nov.
16, 2010); Perry v. Nat’l Default Servicing Corp., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92907, at *1 (Dist.
N.D. Cal. Aug. 20, 2010). It is the Movant’s position that the provisions of the Mortgage grant
to MERS the right to assign the Mortgage as “nominee,” or agent, on behalf of the lender, First
Franklin. Specifically, Movant relies on the recitations of the Mortgage pursuant to which the
“Borrower” acknowledges that MERS holds bare legal title to the Mortgage, but has the right
“(A) to exercise any or all those rights, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and
2
The Judgment of Foreclosure names the Debtor and an individual, Shelly English, as
defendants. Shelly English is the Debtor’s daughter-in-law. At a hearing held on
December 13, 2010, the Debtor’s counsel stated that he “believed” the Debtor transferred
title to the Property to her son, Leroy English, in 2007. This is consistent with
information provided by the Debtor in her petition and schedules. Leroy English,
however, was not named in the foreclosure action. No one in this case has addressed the
issue of whether the proper parties were named in the foreclosure action. However,
absent an argument to the contrary, this Court can only presume that the Judgment of
Foreclosure is a binding final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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sell the Property; and (B) to take any action required of Lender including, but not limited to,
releasing and canceling [the Mortgage].” In addition, the Movant argues that MERS’s status as a
“mortgagee” and thus its authority to assign the Mortgage is supported by the New York Real
Property Actions and Proceedings Law (“RPAPL”) and New York Real Property Law (“RPL”).
Movant cites to RPAPL § 1921-a which allows a “mortgagee” to execute and deliver partial
releases of lien, and argues that MERS falls within the definition of “mortgagee” which includes
the “current holder of the mortgage of record . . . or . . . their . . . agents, successors or assigns.”
N.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law § 1921(9)(a) (McKinney 2011). Although the definition of
“mortgagee” cited to by the Movant only applies to RPAPL § 1921, Movant argues that it is a
“mortgagee” vested with the authority to execute and deliver a loan payoff statement; execute
and deliver a discharge of mortgage and assign a mortgage pursuant to RPL §§ 274 and 275.
In addition to its status as “mortgagee,” Movant also argues that the assignment is valid
because MERS is an “agent” of each of its member banks under the general laws of agency in
New York, see N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1501(1) (McKinney 2011),3 and public policy requires
the liberal interpretation and judicial recognition of the principal-agent relationship. See Arens v.
Shainswitt, 37 A.D.2d 274 (N.Y. App. Div. 1971), aff’d 29 N.Y.2d 663 (1971). In the instant
case, Movant argues, the Mortgage appoints MERS as “nominee,” read “agent,” for the original
3 Movant cites to New York General Obligations Law for the proposition that “an agency
agreement may take any form ‘desired by the parties concerned.’” The direct quote
“desired by the parties concerned” seems to be attributed to the General Obligations Law
citation, however, the Court could find no such language in the current version of § 5-
1501(1). That provision, rather, defines an agent as “a person granted authority to act as
attorney-in-fact for the principal under a power of attorney, and includes the original
agent and any co-agent or successor agent. Unless the context indicates otherwise, an
‘agent’ designated in a power of attorney shall mean ‘attorney-in-fact’ for the purposes of
this title. An agent acting under a power of attorney has a fiduciary relationship with the
principal.” N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1501(1) (McKinney 2011) (emphasis added).
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lender and the original lender’s successors and assigns. As nominee/agent for the lender, and as
mortgagee of record, Movant argues MERS had the authority to assign the Mortgage to the
Movant, U.S. Bank, “in accordance with the principal’s instruction to its nominee MERS, to
assign the mortgage lien to U.S. Bank . . . .”
Finally, Movant argues that even absent a legally enforceable assignment of the
Mortgage, it is entitled to enforce the lien because U.S. Bank holds the Note. The Movant
argues that if it can establish that U.S. Bank is the legal holder the Note, the Mortgage by
operation of law passes to the Movant because the Note and the Mortgage are deemed to be
inseparable. See In re Conde-Dedonato, 391 B.R. 247 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2008). The Movant
represents, but has not proven, that U.S. Bank is the rightful holder of the Note, and further
argues that the assignment of the Note has to this point not been contested in this proceeding.
MERS moved to intervene in this matter pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7024 because:
12. The Court’s determination of the MERS Issue directly affects the
business model of MERS. Additionally, approximately 50% of all consumer
mortgages in the United States are held in the name of MERS, as the mortgagee
of record.
13. The Court’s determination of the MERS Issue will have a
significant impact on MERS as well as the mortgage industry in New York and
the United States.
14. MERS has a direct financial stake in the outcome of this contested
matter, and any determination of the MERS Issue has a direct impact on MERS.
(Motion to Intervene, ¶¶12-14).
Permission to intervene was granted at a hearing held on December 13, 2010.
In addition to adopting the arguments asserted by the Movant, MERS strenuously
defends its authority to act as mortgagee pursuant to the procedures for processing this and other
mortgages under the MERS “system.” First, MERS points out that the Mortgage itself
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designates MERS as the “nominee” for the original lender, First Franklin, and its successors and
assigns. In addition, the lender designates, and the Debtor agrees to recognize, MERS “as the
mortgagee of record and as nominee for ‘Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns’” and as
such the Debtor “expressly agreed without qualification that MERS had the right to foreclose
upon the premises as well as exercise any and all rights as nominee for the Lender.” (MERS
Memorandum of Law at 7). These designations as “nominee,” and “mortgagee of record,” and
the Debtor’s recognition thereof, it argues, leads to the conclusion that MERS was authorized as
a matter of law to assign the Mortgage to U.S. Bank.
Although MERS believes that the mortgage documents alone provide it with authority to
effectuate the assignment at issue, they also urge the Court to broaden its analysis and read the
documents in the context of the overall “MERS System.” According to MERS, each
participating bank/lender agrees to be bound by the terms of a membership agreement pursuant
to which the member appoints MERS to act as its authorized agent with authority to, among
other things, hold legal title to mortgages and as a result, MERS is empowered to execute
assignments of mortgage on behalf of all its member banks. In this particular case, MERS
maintains that as a member of MERS and pursuant to the MERS membership agreement, the
loan originator in this case, First Franklin, appointed MERS “to act as its agent to hold the
Mortgage as nominee on First Franklin’s behalf, and on behalf of First Franklin’s successors and
assigns.” MERS explains that subsequent to the mortgage’s inception, First Franklin assigned
the Note to Aurora Bank FSB f/k/a Lehman Brothers Bank (“Aurora”), another MERS member.
According to MERS, note assignments among MERS members are tracked via self-effectuated
and self-monitored computer entries into the MERS database. As a MERS member, by
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operation of the MERS membership rules, Aurora is deemed to have appointed MERS to act as
its agent to hold the Mortgage as nominee. Aurora subsequently assigned the Note to U.S. Bank,
also a MERS member. By operation of the MERS membership agreement, U.S. Bank is deemed
to have appointed MERS to act as its agent to hold the Mortgage as nominee. Then, according to
MERS, “U.S. Bank, as the holder of the note, under the MERS Membership Rules, chose to
instruct MERS to assign the Mortgage to U.S. Bank prior to commencing the foreclosure
proceedings by U.S. Bank.” (Affirmation of William C. Hultman, ¶12).
MERS argues that the express terms of the mortgage coupled with the provisions of the
MERS membership agreement, is “more than sufficient to create an agency relationship between
MERS and lender and the lender’s successors in interest” under New York law and as a result
establish MERS’s authority to assign the Mortgage. (MERS Memorandum of Law at 7).
On December 20, 2010, the Debtor filed supplemental opposition to the Motion. The
Debtor argues that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine should not preclude judicial review in this case
because the Debtor’s objection to the Motion raises issues that could not have been raised in the
state court foreclosure action, namely the validity of the assignment and standing to lift the stay.
The Debtor also argues that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not apply because the Judgment
of Foreclosure was entered by default. Finally, she also argues that the bankruptcy court can
review matters “which are void or fraudulent on its face.” See In re Ward, 423 B.R. 22 (Bankr.
E.D.N.Y. 2010). The Debtor says that she is “alleging questionable, even possibly fraudulent
conduct by MERS in regards to transferring notes and lifting the stay.” (Debtor’s Supplemental
Opposition at 3).
The Movant filed supplemental papers on December 23, 2010 arguing that the Motion is
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moot because the Property is no longer an asset of the estate as a result of the Chapter 7
Trustee’s “report of no distribution,” and as such, the Section 362(a) automatic stay was
dissolved upon the entry of a discharge on December 14, 2010. See Brooks v. Bank of New York
Mellon, No. DKC 09-1408, 2009 WL 3379928, at *2 (D. Md. Oct. 16, 2009); Riggs Nat’l Bank
of Washington, D.C. v. Perry, 729 F.2d 982, 986 (4th Cir. 1984).
The Movant also maintains that Rooker-Feldman does apply to default judgments
because that doctrine does not require that the prior judgment be a judgment “on the merits.”
Charchenko v. City of Stillwater, 47 F.3d 981, 983 n.1 (8th Cir. 1995); see also Kafele v. Lerner,
Sampson & Rothfuss, L.P.A., No. 04-3659, 2005 WL 3528921, at *2-3 (6th Cir. Dec. 22, 2005);
In re Dahlgren, No. 09-18982, 2010 WL 5287400, at *1 (D.N.J. Dec. 17, 2010). The Movant
points out that the Debtor seems to be confusing the Rooker-Feldman doctrine with issue and
claim preclusion and that the Debtor has misapplied Chief Judge Craig’s ruling in In re Ward.
Discussion
As a threshold matter, this Court will address the Movant’s argument that this Motion has
been mooted by the entry of the discharge order.
Effect of the Chapter 7 discharge on the automatic stay
Section 362(c) provides that:
Except as provided in subsections (d), (e), (f), and (h) of this section–
(1) the stay of an act against property of the estate under subsection (a) of this
section continues until such property is no longer property of the estate;
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(2) the stay of any other act under subsection (a) of this section continues until the
earliest of–
(A) the time the case is closed;
(B) the time the case is dismissed; or
(C) if the case is a case under chapter 7 of this title concerning an individual or a case
under chapter 9, 11, 12, or 13 of this title, the time a discharge is granted or denied;
11 U.S.C. § 362(c) (emphasis added).
Pursuant to Section 362(c)(1), the automatic stay which protects “property of the estate,”
as opposed to property of the debtor, continues until the property is no longer property of the
estate regardless of the entry of the discharge. The provision of the statute relied upon by the
Movant for the proposition that the automatic stay terminates upon the entry of a discharge,
relates only to the stay of “any other act under subsection(a),”, i.e., an act against property that is
not property of the estate, i.e., is property “of the debtor.” The relationship between property of
the estate and property of the debtor is succinctly stated as follows:
Property of the estate consists of all property of the debtor as of the date of the
filing of the petition. 11 U.S.C. § 541. It remains property of the estate until it has
been exempted by the debtor under § 522, abandoned by the trustee under §
554(a), or sold by the trustee under § 363. If property of the estate is not claimed
exempt, sold, or abandoned by the trustee, it is abandoned to the debtor at the
time the case is closed if the property was scheduled under § 521(1). If the
property is not scheduled by the debtor and is not otherwise administered, it
remains property of the estate even after the case has been closed.
If the property in question is property of the estate, it remains subject to the
automatic stay until it becomes property of the debtor and until the earlier of the
time the case was closed, the case is dismissed, or a discharge is granted or denied
in a chapter 7 case.
In re Pullman, 319 B.R. 443, 445 (Bankr. E.D. Va. 2004).
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Movant’s position seems to be that the Chapter 7 Trustee’s filing of a “report of no
distribution,” otherwise known as a “no asset report,” effectuated an abandonment of the real
property at issue in this case, and therefore the Property has reverted back to the Debtor.
However, Movant fails to cite the relevant statute. Section 554(c) provides that “[u]nless the
court orders otherwise, any property scheduled under section 521(1) of this title not otherwise
administered at the time of the closing of a case is abandoned to the debtor and administered for
purposes of section 350 of this title.” 11 U.S.C. § 554(c) (emphasis added); Fed. R. Bankr. P.
6007. Cases interpreting Section 554(c) hold that the filing of a report of no distribution does
not effectuate an abandonment of estate property. See, e.g., In re Israel, 112 B.R. 481, 482 n.3
(Bankr. D. Conn. 1990) (“The filing of a no-asset report does not close a case and therefore does
not constitute an abandonment of property of the estate.”) (citing e.g., Zlogar v. Internal Revenue
Serv. (In re Zlogar), 101 B.R. 1, 3 n.3 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 1989); Schwaber v. Reed (In re Reed), 89
B.R. 100, 104 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 1988); 11 U.S.C. § 554(c)).
Because the real property at issue in this case has not been abandoned it remains property
of the estate subject to Section 362(a) unless and until relief is granted under Section 362(d).
Rooker-Feldman and res judicata4
The Movant argues that U.S. Bank’s status as a secured creditor, which is the basis for its
standing in this case, already has been determined by the state court and that determination
cannot be revisited here. The Movant relies on both the Rooker-Feldman doctrine and res
4 Because the Debtor’s objection is overruled under Rooker-Feldman and res judicata, the
Court will not address the merits of the Movant’s judicial estoppel arguments.
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judicata principles to support this position.
The Rooker-Feldman doctrine is derived from two Supreme Court cases, Rooker v.
Fidelity Trust Co., 263 U.S. 413 (1923), and D.C. Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462
(1983), which together stand for the proposition that lower federal courts lack subject matter
jurisdiction to sit in direct appellate review of state court judgments. The Rooker-Feldman
doctrine is a narrow jurisdictional doctrine which is distinct from federal preclusion doctrines.
See McKithen v. Brown, 481 F.3d 89, 96-97 (2d Cir. 2007) (citing Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Saudi
Basic Indus. Corp., 544 U.S. 280, 284 (2005), and Hoblock v. Albany County Board of Elections,
422 F.3d 77, 85 (2d Cir. 2005)). In essence, the doctrine bars “cases brought by state-court
losers complaining of injuries caused by state-court judgments rendered before the district court
proceedings commenced and inviting district court review and rejection of those judgments.
Rooker-Feldman does not otherwise override or supplant preclusion doctrine or augment the
circumscribed doctrines that allow federal courts to stay or dismiss proceedings in deference to
state-court actions.” Exxon Mobil, 544 U.S. at 283.
The Second Circuit has delineated four elements that must be satisfied in order for
Rooker-Feldman to apply:
First, the federal-court plaintiff must have lost in state court. Second, the plaintiff
must “complain [ ] of injuries caused by [a] state-court judgment[.]” Third, the
plaintiff must “invit[e] district court review and rejection of [that] judgment [ ].”
Fourth, the state-court judgment must have been “rendered before the district
court proceedings commenced”-i.e., Rooker-Feldman has no application to
federal-court suits proceeding in parallel with ongoing state-court litigation. The
first and fourth of these requirements may be loosely termed procedural; the
second and third may be termed substantive.
McKithen, 481 F.3d at 97 (internal citation omitted and alteration in original) (quoting Hoblock,
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422 F.3d at 85).
In a case with facts similar to the instant case, Chief Judge Craig applied the Rooker-
Feldman doctrine to overrule a debtor’s objection to a motion for relief from the automatic stay.
See In re Ward, 423 B.R. 22 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2010). In In re Ward, a foreclosure sale was
conducted prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition. When the successful purchaser sought
relief from stay in the bankruptcy case to proceed to evict the debtor, the debtor opposed the
motion. The debtor argued that the foreclosure judgment was flawed because “no original note
was produced”, “the mortgage was rescinded”, “the plaintiff in the action doesn’t exist” or “was
not a proper party to the foreclosure action”, and that “everything was done irregularly and
underneath [the] table.” In re Ward, 423 B.R. at 27. Chief Judge Craig overruled the debtor’s
opposition and found that each of the elements of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine were satisfied:
The Rooker-Feldman doctrine applies in this case because the Debtor lost in the
state court foreclosure action, the Foreclosure Judgment was rendered before the
Debtor commenced this case, and the Debtor seeks this Court’s review of the
Foreclosure Judgment in the context of her opposition to the Purchaser’s motion
for relief from the automatic stay. The injury complained of, i.e., the foreclosure
sale to the Purchaser, was “caused by” the Foreclosure Judgment because “the
foreclosure [sale] would not have occurred but-for” the Foreclosure Judgment.
Accordingly, the Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not permit this Court to
disregard the Foreclosure Judgment.
In re Ward, 423 B.R. at 28 (citations omitted and alteration in original).
In the instant case, the Debtor argues that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not apply
because the Judgment of Foreclosure was entered on default, not on the merits. She also argues
that Rooker-Feldman should not apply because she is alleging that the Judgment of Foreclosure
was procured by fraud in that the MERS system of mortgage assignments was fraudulent in
nature or void. However, this Court is not aware of any exception to the Rooker-Feldman
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doctrine for default judgments, or judgments procured by fraud and the Court will not read those
exceptions into the rule. See Salem v. Paroli, 260 B.R. 246, 254 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) (applying
Rooker-Feldman to preclude review of state court default judgment); see also Lombard v.
Lombard, No. 00-CIV-6703 (SAS), 2001 WL 548725, at *3-4 (S.D.N.Y. May 23, 2001)
(applying Rooker-Feldman to preclude review of stipulation of settlement executed in
connection with state court proceeding even though applicant argued that the stipulation should
be declared null and void because he was under duress at the time it was executed).
The Debtor also argues that Rooker-Feldman does not apply in this case because she is
not asking this Court to set aside the Judgment of Foreclosure, but rather is asking this Court to
make a determination as to the Movant’s standing to seek relief from stay. The Debtor argues
that notwithstanding the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, the bankruptcy court must have the ability to
determine the standing of the parties before it.
Although the Debtor says she is not seeking affirmative relief from this Court, the net
effect of upholding the Debtor’s jurisdictional objection in this case would be to deny U.S. Bank
rights that were lawfully granted to U.S. Bank by the state court. This would be tantamount to a
reversal which is prohibited by Rooker-Feldman.
Even if Rooker-Feldman were found not to apply to this determination, the Court still
would find that the Debtor is precluded from questioning U.S. Bank’s standing as a secured
creditor under the doctrine of res judicata. The state court already has determined that U.S.
Bank is a secured creditor with standing to foreclose and this Court cannot alter that
determination in order to deny U.S. Bank standing to seek relief from the automatic stay.
The doctrine of res judicata is grounded in the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United
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States Constitution. U.S. Const. art. IV, § 1. It prevents a party from re-litigating any issue or
defense that was decided by a court of competent jurisdiction and which could have been raised
or decided in the prior action. See Burgos v. Hopkins, 14 F.3d 787, 789 (2d Cir. 1994) (applying
New York preclusion rules); Swiatkowski v. Citibank, No. 10-CV-114, 2010 WL 3951212, at
*14 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 7, 2010) (citing Waldman v. Vill. of Kiryas Joel, 39 F.Supp.2d 370, 377
(S.D.N.Y. 1999)). Res judicata applies to judgments that were obtained by default, see Kelleran
v. Andrijevic, 825 F.2d 692, 694-95 (2d Cir. 1987), but it may not apply if the judgment was
obtained by extrinsic fraud or collusion. “Extrinsic fraud involves the parties’ ‘opportunity to
have a full and fair hearing,’ while intrinsic fraud, on the other hand, involves the ‘underlying
issue in the original lawsuit.’” In re Ward, 423 B.R. at 29. The Debtor’s assertions that the
MERS system of assignments may have been fraudulent is more appropriately deemed an
intrinsic fraud argument. The Debtor has not alleged any extrinsic fraud in the procurement of
the Judgment of Foreclosure which prevented a full and fair hearing before the state court.
As a result, the Court finds that the Judgment of Foreclosure alone is sufficient evidence
of the Movant’s status as a secured creditor and therefore its standing to seek relief from the
automatic stay. On that basis, and because the Movant has established grounds for relief from
stay under Section 362(d), the Motion will be granted.
MERS
Because of the broad applicability of the issues raised in this case the Court believes that
it is appropriate to set forth its analysis on the issue of whether the Movant, absent the Judgment
of Foreclosure, would have standing to bring the instant motion. Specifically MERS’s role in
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the ownership and transfer of real property notes and mortgages is at issue in dozens of cases
before this Court. As a result, the Court has deferred ruling on motions for relief from stay
where the movants’ standing may be affected by MERS’s participation in the transfer of the real
property notes and mortgages. In the instant case, the issues were resolved under the Rooker-
Feldman doctrine and the application of res judicata. Most, if not all, of the remainder of the
“MERS cases” before the Court cannot be resolved on the same basis. For that reason, and
because MERS has intervened in this proceeding arguing that the validity of MERS assignments
directly affects its business model and will have a significant impact on the national mortgage
industry, this Court will give a reasoned opinion as to the Movant’s standing to seek relief from
the stay and how that standing is affected by the fact that U.S. Bank acquired its rights in the
Mortgage by way of assignment from MERS.
Standing to seek relief from the automatic stay
The Debtor has challenged the Movant’s standing to seek relief from the automatic stay.
Standing is a threshold issue for a court to resolve. Section 362(d) states that relief from stay
may be granted “[o]n request of a party in interest and after notice and a hearing.” 11 U.S.C. §
362(d). The term “party in interest” is not defined in the Bankruptcy Code, however the Court
of Appeals for the Second Circuit has stated that “[g]enerally the ‘real party in interest’ is the
one who, under the applicable substantive law, has the legal right which is sought to be enforced
or is the party entitled to bring suit.” See Roslyn Savings Bank v. Comcoach (In re Comcoach),
698 F.2d 571, 573 (2d Cir. 1983). The legislative history of Section 362 “suggests that,
notwithstanding the use of the term ‘party in interest’, it is only creditors who may obtain relief
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from the automatic stay.” Id. at 573-74. (citing H.R. Rep. No. 95-595, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 175,
reprinted in 1978 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad. News 5787, 6136); see also Greg Restaurant Equip.
And Supplies v. Toar Train P’ship (In re Toar Train P’ship), 15 B.R. 401, 402 (Bankr. D.
Vt.1981) (finding that a judgment creditor of the debtor was not a “party in interest” because the
judgment creditor was not itself a direct creditor of the bankrupt).
Using the standard established by the Second Circuit, this Court must determine whether
the Movant is the “one who, under applicable substantive law, has the legal right” to enforce the
subject Note and Mortgage, and is therefore a “creditor” of this Debtor. See In re Toar, 15 B.R.
at 402; see also In re Mims, 438 B.R. 52, 55 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2010). The Bankruptcy Code
defines a “creditor” as an “entity that has a claim against the debtor that arose at the time of or
before the order for relief . . . .” 11 U.S.C. § 101(10). “Claim” is defined as the “right to
payment, whether or not such right is reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed,
contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured . . .
.” 11 U.S.C. § 101(5)(A). In the context of a lift stay motion where the movant is seeking to
commence or continue with an action to foreclose a mortgage against real property, the movant
must show that it is a “party in interest” by showing that it is a creditor with a security interest in
the subject real property. See Mims, 438 B.R. at 57 (finding that as movant “failed to prove it
owns the Note, it has failed to establish that it has standing to pursue its state law remedies with
regard to the Mortgage and Property”). Cf. Brown Bark I L.P. v. Ebersole (In re Ebersole), 440
B.R. 690, 694 (Bankr. W.D. Va. 2010) (finding that movant seeking relief from stay must prove
that it is the holder of the subject note in order to establish a ‘colorable claim’ which would
establish standing to seek relief from stay).
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Noteholder status
In the Motion, the Movant asserts U.S. Bank’s status as the “holder” of the Mortgage.
However, in order to have standing to seek relief from stay, Movant, which acts as the
representative of U.S. Bank, must show that U.S. Bank holds both the Mortgage and the Note.
Mims, 438 B.R. at 56. Although the Motion does not explicitly state that U.S. Bank is the holder
of the Note, it is implicit in the Motion and the arguments presented by the Movant at the
hearing. However, the record demonstrates that the Movant has produced no evidence,
documentary or otherwise, that U.S. Bank is the rightful holder of the Note. Movant’s reliance
on the fact that U.S. Bank’s noteholder status has not been challenged thus far does not alter or
diminish the Movant’s burden to show that it is the holder of the Note as well as the Mortgage.
Under New York law, Movant can prove that U.S. Bank is the holder of the Note by
providing the Court with proof of a written assignment of the Note, or by demonstrating that
U.S. Bank has physical possession of the Note endorsed over to it. See, eg., LaSalle Bank N.A. v.
Lamy, 824 N.Y.S.2d 769, 2006 WL 2251721, at *1 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 7, 2006). The only
written assignment presented to the Court is not an assignment of the Note but rather an
“Assignment of Mortgage” which contains a vague reference to the Note. Tagged to the end of
the provisions which purport to assign the Mortgage, there is language in the Assignment stating
“To Have and to Hold the said Mortgage and Note, and also the said property until the said
Assignee forever, subject to the terms contained in said Mortgage and Note.” (Assignment of
Mortgage (emphasis added)). Not only is the language vague and insufficient to prove an intent
to assign the Note, but MERS is not a party to the Note and the record is barren of any
representation that MERS, the purported assignee, had any authority to take any action with
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respect to the Note. Therefore, the Court finds that the Assignment of Mortgage is not sufficient
to establish an effective assignment of the Note.
By MERS’s own account, it took no part in the assignment of the Note in this case, but
merely provided a database which allowed its members to electronically self-report transfers of
the Note. MERS does not confirm that the Note was properly transferred or in fact whether
anyone including agents of MERS had or have physical possession of the Note. What remains
undisputed is that MERS did not have any rights with respect to the Note and other than as
described above, MERS played no role in the transfer of the Note.
Absent a showing of a valid assignment of the Note, Movant can demonstrate that U.S.
Bank is the holder of the Note if it can show that U.S. Bank has physical possession of the Note
endorsed to its name. See In re Mims, 423 B.R. at 56-57. According to the evidence presented
in this matter the manner in which the MERS system is structured provides that, “[w]hen the
beneficial interest in a loan is sold, the promissory note is [] transferred by an endorsement and
delivery from the buyer to the seller [sic], but MERS Members are obligated to update the
MERS® System to reflect the change in ownership of the promissory note. . . .” (MERS
Supplemental Memorandum of Law at 6). However, there is nothing in the record to prove that
the Note in this case was transferred according to the processes described above other than
MERS’s representation that its computer database reflects that the Note was transferred to U.S.
Bank. The Court has no evidentiary basis to find that the Note was endorsed to U.S. Bank or
that U.S. Bank has physical possession of the Note. Therefore, the Court finds that Movant has
not satisfied its burden of showing that U.S. Bank, the party on whose behalf Movant seeks relief
from stay, is the holder of the Note.
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Mortgagee status
The Movant’s failure to show that U.S. Bank holds the Note should be fatal to the
Movant’s standing. However, even if the Movant could show that U.S. Bank is the holder of the
Note, it still would have to establish that it holds the Mortgage in order to prove that it is a
secured creditor with standing to bring this Motion before this Court. The Movant urges the
Court to adhere to the adage that a mortgage necessarily follows the same path as the note for
which it stands as collateral. See Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Perry, 875 N.Y.S.2d 853, 856 (N.Y.
Sup. Ct. 2009). In simple terms the Movant relies on the argument that a note and mortgage are
inseparable. See Carpenter v. Longan, 83 U.S. 271, 274 (1872). While it is generally true that a
mortgage travels a parallel path with its corresponding debt obligation, the parties in this case
have adopted a process which by its very terms alters this practice where mortgages are held by
MERS as “mortgagee of record.” By MERS’s own account, the Note in this case was
transferred among its members, while the Mortgage remained in MERS’s name. MERS admits
that the very foundation of its business model as described herein requires that the Note and
Mortgage travel on divergent paths. Because the Note and Mortgage did not travel together,
Movant must prove not only that it is acting on behalf of a valid assignee of the Note, but also
that it is acting on behalf of the valid assignee of the Mortgage.5
5 MERS argues that notes and mortgages processed through the MERS System are never
“separated” because beneficial ownership of the notes and mortgages are always held by
the same entity. The Court will not address that issue in this Decision, but leaves open
the issue as to whether mortgages processed through the MERS system are properly
perfected and valid liens. See Carpenter v. Longan, 83 U.S. at 274 (finding that an
assignment of the mortgage without the note is a nullity); Landmark Nat’l Bank v. Kesler,
216 P.3d 158, 166-67 (Kan. 2009) (“[I]n the event that a mortgage loan somehow
separates interests of the note and the deed of trust, with the deed of trust lying with some
independent entity, the mortgage may become unenforceable”).
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MERS asserts that its right to assign the Mortgage to U.S. Bank in this case, and in what
it estimates to be literally millions of other cases, stems from three sources: the Mortgage
documents; the MERS membership agreement; and state law. In order to provide some context
to this discussion, the Court will begin its analysis with an overview of mortgage and loan
processing within the MERS network of lenders as set forth in the record of this case.
In the most common residential lending scenario, there are two parties to a real property
mortgage – a mortgagee, i.e., a lender, and a mortgagor, i.e., a borrower. With some nuances
and allowances for the needs of modern finance this model has been followed for hundreds of
years. The MERS business plan, as envisioned and implemented by lenders and others involved
in what has become known as the mortgage finance industry, is based in large part on amending
this traditional model and introducing a third party into the equation. MERS is, in fact, neither a
borrower nor a lender, but rather purports to be both “mortgagee of record” and a “nominee” for
the mortgagee. MERS was created to alleviate problems created by, what was determined by the
financial community to be, slow and burdensome recording processes adopted by virtually every
state and locality. In effect the MERS system was designed to circumvent these procedures.
MERS, as envisioned by its originators, operates as a replacement for our traditional system of
public recordation of mortgages.
Caselaw and commentary addressing MERS’s role in the mortgage recording and
foreclosure process abound. See Christopher L. Peterson, Foreclosure, Subprime Mortgage
Lending, and the Mortgage Electronic Registration System, 78 U. Cin. L. Rev. 1359 (2010). In a
2006 published opinion, the New York Court of Appeals described MERS system as follows:
In 1993, the MERS system was created by several large participants in the real
estate mortgage industry to track ownership interests in residential mortgages.
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Mortgage lenders and other entities, known as MERS members, subscribe to the
MERS system and pay annual fees for the electronic processing and tracking of
ownership and transfers of mortgages. Members contractually agree to appoint
MERS to act as their common agent on all mortgages they register in the MERS
system.
The initial MERS mortgage is recorded in the County Clerk’s office with
‘Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.’ named as the lender’s nominee
or mortgagee of record on the instrument. During the lifetime of the mortgage,
the beneficial ownership interest or servicing rights may be transferred among
MERS members (MERS assignments), but these assignments are not publicly
recorded; instead they are tracked electronically in MERS’s private system. In the
MERS system, the mortgagor is notified of transfers of servicing rights pursuant
to the Truth in Lending Act, but not necessarily of assignments of the beneficial
interest in the mortgage.
Merscorp, Inc., v. Romaine, 8 N.Y.3d 90 (N.Y. 2006) (footnotes omitted).
In the words of MERS’s legal counsel, “[t]he essence of MERS’ business is to hold legal
title to beneficial interests under mortgages and deeds of trust in the land records. The MERS®
System is designed to allow its members, which include originators, lenders, servicers, and
investors, to accurately and efficiently track transfers of servicing rights and beneficial
ownership.” (MERS Memorandum of Law at 5). The MERS® System “. . . eliminate[s] the
need for frequent, recorded assignments of subsequent transfers.” (MERS Supplemental
Memorandum of Law at 4). “Prior to MERS, every time a loan secured by a mortgage was sold,
the assignee would need to record the assignment to protect the security interest. If a servicing
company serviced the loan and the servicing rights were sold, – an event that could occur
multiple times during the life of a single mortgage loan – multiple assignments were recorded to
ensure that the proper servicer appeared in the land records in the County Clerk’s office.”
(MERS Supplemental Memorandum of Law at 4-5).
“When the beneficial interest in a loan is sold, the promissory note is still transferred by
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an endorsement and delivery from the buyer to the seller, but MERS Members are obligated to
update the MERS® System to reflect the change in ownership of the promissory note. . . . So
long as the sale of the note involves a MERS Member, MERS remains the named mortgagee of
record, and continues to act as the mortgagee, as the nominee for the new beneficial owner of the
note (and MERS’ Member). The seller of the note does not and need not assign the mortgage
because under the terms of that security instrument, MERS remains the holder of title to the
mortgage, that is, the mortgagee, as the nominee for the purchaser of the note, who is then the
lender’s successor and/or assign.” (MERS Supplemental Memorandum of Law at 6). “At all
times during this process, the original mortgage or an assignment of the mortgage to MERS
remains of record in the public land records where the security real estate is located, providing
notice of MERS’s disclosed role as the agent for the MERS Member lender and the lender’s
successors and assigns.” (Declaration of William C. Hultman, ¶9).
MERS asserts that it has authority to act as agent for each and every MERS member
which claims ownership of a note and mortgage registered in its system. This authority is based
not in the statutes or caselaw, but rather derives from the terms and conditions of a MERS
membership agreement. Those terms and conditions provide that “MERS shall serve as
mortgagee of record with respect to all such mortgage loans solely as a nominee, in an
administrative capacity, for the beneficial owner or owners thereof from time to time.”
(Declaration of William C. Hultman, ¶5). MERS “holds the legal title to the mortgage and acts
as the agent or nominee for the MERS Member lender, or owner of the mortgage loan.”
(Declaration of William C. Hultman, ¶6). According to MERS, it is the “intent of the parties . . .
for MERS to serve as the common nominee or agent for MERS Member lenders and their
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successors and assigns.” (MERS Supplemental Memorandum of Law at 19) (emphasis added by
the Court). “Because MERS holds the mortgage lien for the lender who may freely transfer its
interest in the note, without the need for a recorded assignment document in the land records,
MERS holds the mortgage lien for any intended transferee of the note.” (MERS Supplemental
Memorandum of Law at 15) (emphasis added by the Court). If a MERS member subsequently
assigns the note to a non-MERS member, or if the MERS member which holds the note decides
to foreclose, only then is an assignment of the mortgage from MERS to the noteholder
documented and recorded in the public land records where the property is located. (Declaration
of William C. Hultman, ¶12).
Before commenting on the legal effect of the MERS membership rules or the alleged
“common agency” agreement created among MERS members, the Court will review the relevant
portions of the documents presented in this case to evaluate whether the documentation, on its
face, is sufficient to prove a valid assignment of the Mortgage to U.S. Bank.
The Mortgage
First Franklin is the “Lender” named in the Mortgage. With reference to MERS’s role in
the transaction, the Mortgage states:
MERS is a separate corporation that is acting solely as a nominee for Lender and
Lender’s successors and assigns. MERS is organized and existing under the laws
of Delaware, and has an address and telephone number of P.O. Box 2026, Flint,
MI 48501-2026, tel. (888) 679 MERS. FOR PURPOSES OF RECORDING
THIS MORTGAGE, MERS IS THE MORTGAGEE OF RECORD.
(Mortgage at 1 (emphasis added by the Court)).
The Mortgage also purports to contain a transfer to MERS of the Borrower’s (i.e., the
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Debtor’s) rights in the subject Property as follows:
BORROWER’S TRANSFER TO LENDER OF RIGHTS IN THE PROPERTY
[The Borrower] mortgage[s], grant[s] and convey[s] the Property to MERS
(solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors in interest) and its
successors in interest subject to the terms of this Security Instrument. This means
that, by signing this Security Instrument, [the Borrower is] giving Lender those
rights that are stated in this Security Instrument and also those rights that
Applicable Law gives to lenders who hold mortgage on real property. [The
Borrower is] giving Lender these rights to protect Lender from possible losses
that might result if [the Borrower] fail[s] to [comply with certain obligations
under the Security Instrument and accompanying Note.]
[The Borrower] understand[s] and agree[s] that MERS holds only legal title to the
rights granted by [the Borrower] in this Security Instrument, but, if necessary to
comply with law or custom, MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lenders’s
successors and assigns) has the right: (A) to exercise any or all those rights,
including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and (B)
to take any action required of Lender including, but not limited to, releasing and
canceling this Security Instrument.
[The Borrower gives] MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s
successors in interest), rights in the Property . . .
(Mortgage at 3) (emphasis added).
The Assignment of Mortgage references the Mortgage and defines the “Assignor” as
“‘Mers’ Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., 2150 North First Street, San Jose,
California 95131, as nominee for First Franklin, a division of National City Bank of IN, 2150
North First Street San Jose, California 95153.” (Emphasis added by the Court). The “Assignee”
is U.S. Bank.
Premised on the foregoing documentation, MERS argues that it had full authority to
validly execute the Assignment of Mortgage to U.S. Bank on February 1, 2008, and that as of the
date the foreclosure proceeding was commenced U.S. Bank held both the Note and the
Mortgage. However, without more, this Court finds that MERS’s “nominee” status and the
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rights bestowed upon MERS within the Mortgage itself, are insufficient to empower MERS to
effectuate a valid assignment of mortgage.
There are several published New York state trial level decisions holding that the status of
“nominee” or “mortgagee of record” bestowed upon MERS in the mortgage documents, by
itself, does not empower MERS to effectuate an assignment of the mortgage. These cases hold
that MERS may not validly assign a mortgage based on its nominee status, absent some evidence
of specific authority to assign the mortgage. See Bank of New York v. Mulligan, No. 29399/07,
2010 WL 3339452, at *7 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 25, 2010); One West Bank, F.S.B. v. Drayton, 910
N.Y.S.2d 857, 871 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010); Bank of New York v. Alderazi, 900 N.Y.S.2d 821, 824
(N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010) (the “party who claims to be the agent of another bears the burden of
proving the agency relationship by a preponderance of the evidence”); HSBC Bank USA v.
Yeasmin, No. 34142/07, 2010 WL 2089273, at *3 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. May 24, 2010); HSBC Bank
USA v. Vasquez, No. 37410/07, 2009 WL 2581672, at *3 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 21, 2010); LaSalle
Bank N.A. v. Lamy, 824 N.Y.S.2d 769, 2006 WL 2251721, at *2 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 7, 2006)
(“A nominee of the owner of a note and mortgage may not effectively assign the note and
mortgage to another for want of an ownership interest in said note and mortgage by the
nominee.”). See also MERS v. Saunders, 2 A.3d 289, 295 (Me. 2010) (“MERS’s only right is to
record the mortgage. Its designation as the ‘mortgagee of record’ in the document does not
change or expand that right…”). But see US Bank, N.A. v. Flynn, 897 N.Y.S.2d 855 (N.Y. Sup.
Ct. 2010) (finding that MERS’s “nominee” status and the mortgage documents give MERS
authority to assign); Crum v. LaSalle Bank, N.A., No. 2080110, 2009 WL 2986655, at *3 (Ala.
Civ. App., Sept. 18, 2009) (finding MERS validly assigned its and the lender’s rights to
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assignee); Blau v. America’s Servicing Company, et al., No. CV-08-773-PHX-MHM, 2009 WL
3174823, at *8 (D. Ariz. Sept. 29, 2009) (finding that assignee of MERS had standing to
foreclose).
In LaSalle Bank, N.A. v. Bouloute, No. 41583/07, 2010 WL 3359552, at *2 (N.Y. Sup.
Aug. 26, 2010), the court analyzed the relationship between MERS and the original lender and
concluded that a nominee possesses few or no legally enforceable rights beyond those of a
principal whom the nominee serves. The court stated:
MERS . . . recorded the subject mortgage as “nominee” for FFFC. The word
“nominee” is defined as “[a] person designated to act in place of another, usu. in a
very limited way” or “[a] party who holds bare legal title for the benefit of
others.” (Black’s Law Dictionary 1076 [8th ed 2004] ). “This definition suggests
that a nominee possesses few or no legally enforceable rights beyond those of a
principal whom the nominee serves.” (Landmark National Bank v. Kesler, 289
Kan 528, 538 [2009] ). The Supreme Court of Kansas, in Landmark National
Bank, 289 Kan at 539, observed that:
The legal status of a nominee, then, depends on the context of the
relationship of the nominee to its principal. Various courts have
interpreted the relationship of MERS and the lender as an agency
relationship. See In re Sheridan, 2009 WL631355, at *4 (Bankr. D. Idaho,
March 12, 2009) (MERS “acts not on its own account. Its capacity is
representative.”); Mortgage Elec. Registrations Systems, Inc. v. Southwest,
2009 Ark. 152 —-, 301 SW3d 1, 2009 WL 723182 (March 19, 2009)
(“MERS, by the terms of the deed of trust, and its own stated purposes,
was the lender’s agent”); La Salle Nat. Bank v. Lamy, 12 Misc.3d 1191[A],
at *2 [Sup Ct, Suffolk County 2006] ) … (“A nominee of the owner of a
note and mortgage may not effectively assign the note and mortgage to
another for want of an ownership interest in said note and mortgage by the
nominee.”).
LaSalle Bank, N.A. v. Bouloute, No. 41583/07, 2010 WL 3359552, at *2; see also Bank of New
York v. Alderazi, 900 N.Y.S.2d 821, 823 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010) (nominee is “‘[a] person
designated to act in place of another, usually in a very limited way.’”) (quoting Black’s Law
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Dictionary)).
In LaSalle Bank, N.A. v. Bouloute the court concluded that MERS must have some
evidence of authority to assign the mortgage in order for an assignment of a mortgage by MERS
to be effective. Evidence of MERS’s authority to assign could be by way of a power of attorney
or some other document executed by the original lender. See Bouloute, 2010 WL 3359552, at
*1; Alderazi, 900 N.Y.S.2d at 823 (“‘To have a proper assignment of a mortgage by an
authorized agent, a power of attorney is necessary to demonstrate how the agent is vested with
the authority to assign the mortgage.’”) (quoting HSBC Bank USA, NA v. Yeasmin, 866 N.Y.S.2d
92 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2008)).
Other than naming MERS as “nominee”, the Mortgage also provides that the Borrower
transfers legal title to the subject property to MERS, as the Lender’s nominee, and acknowledges
MERS’s rights to exercise certain of the Lender’s rights under state law. This too, is insufficient
to bestow any authority upon MERS to assign the mortgage. In Bank of New York v. Alderazi,
the court found “[t]he fact that the borrower acknowledged and consented to MERS acting as
nominee of the lender has no bearing on what specific powers and authority the lender granted
MERS.” Alderazi, 900 N.Y.S.2d at 824. Even if it did bestow some authority upon MERS, the
court in Alderazi found that the mortgage did not convey the specific right to assign the
mortgage.
The Court agrees with the reasoning and the analysis in Bouloute and Alderazi, and the
other cases cited herein and finds that the Mortgage, by naming MERS a “nominee,” and/or
“mortgagee of record” did not bestow authority upon MERS to assign the Mortgage.
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The MERS membership rules
According to MERS, in addition to the alleged authority granted to it in the Mortgage
itself, the documentation of the Assignment of Mortgage comports with all the legal
requirements of agency when read in conjunction with the overall MERS System. MERS’s
argument requires that this Court disregard the specific words of the Assignment of Mortgage or,
at the very least, interpret the Assignment in light of the overall MERS System of tracking the
beneficial interests in mortgage securities. MERS urges the Court to look beyond the four
corners of the Mortgage and take into consideration the agency relationship created by the
agreements entered into by the lenders participating in the MERS System, including their
agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of membership.
MERS has asserted that each of its member/lenders agrees to appoint MERS to act as its
agent. In this particular case, the Treasurer of MERS, William C. Hultman, declared under
penalty of perjury that “pursuant to the MERS’s Rules of Membership, Rule 2, Section 5. . . First
Franklin appointed MERS to act as its agent to hold the Mortgage as nominee on First Franklin’s
behalf, and on behalf of First Franklin’s successors and assigns.” (Affirmation of William C.
Hultman, ¶7). However, Section 5 of Rule 2, which was attached to the Hultman Affirmation as
an exhibit, contains no explicit reference to the creation of an agency or nominee relationship.
Consistent with this failure to explicitly refer to the creation of an agency agreement, the rules of
membership do not grant any clear authority to MERS to take any action with respect to the
mortgages held by MERS members, including but not limited to executing assignments. The
rules of membership do require that MERS members name MERS as “mortgagee of record” and
that MERS appears in the public land records as such. Section 6 of Rule 2 states that “MERS
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shall at all times comply with the instructions of the holder of mortgage loan promissory notes,”
but this does not confer any specific power or authority to MERS.
State law
Under New York agency laws, an agency relationship can be created by a “manifestation
of consent by one person to another that the other shall act on his behalf and subject to his
control, and the consent by the other to act.” Meisel v. Grunberg, 651 F.Supp.2d 98, 110
(S.D.N.Y. 2009) (citing N.Y. Marine & Gen. Ins. Co. v. Tradeline, L.L.C., 266 F.3d 112, 122 (2d
Cir.2001)).
‘Such authority to act for a principal may be actual or apparent.’ . . . Actual
authority arises from a direct manifestation of consent from the principal to the
agent. . . . . The existence of actual authority ‘depends upon the actual interaction
between the putative principal and agent, not on any perception a third party may
have of the relationship.’
Meisel v. Grunberg, 651 F.Supp.2d at 110 (citations omitted).
Because MERS’s members, the beneficial noteholders, purported to bestow upon MERS
interests in real property sufficient to authorize the assignments of mortgage, the alleged agency
relationship must be committed to writing by application of the statute of frauds. Section 5-
703(2) of the New York General Obligations Law states that:
An estate or interest in real property, other than a lease for a term not exceeding
one year, or any trust or power, over or concerning real property, or in any
manner relating thereto, cannot be created, granted, assigned, surrendered or
declared, unless by act or operation of law, or by a deed or conveyance in writing,
subscribed by the person creating, granting, assigning, surrendering or declaring
the same, or by his lawful agent, thereunto authorized by writing.
See N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-703(1) (McKinney 2011); Republic of Benin v. Mezei, No. 06 Civ.
870 (JGK), 2010 WL 3564270, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 9, 2010); Urgo v. Patel, 746 N.Y.S.2d 733
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(N.Y. App. Div. 2002) (finding that unwritten apparent authority is insufficient to satisfy the
statute of frauds) (citing Diocese of Buffalo v. McCarthy, 91 A.D.2d 1210 (4th Dept. 1983)); see
also N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1501 (McKinney 2011) (“‘agent’ means a person granted
authority to act as attorney-in-fact for the principal under a power of attorney. . .”). MERS asks
this Court to liberally interpret the laws of agency and find that an agency agreement may take
any form “desired by the parties concerned.” However, this does not free MERS from the
constraints of applicable agency laws.
The Court finds that the record of this case is insufficient to prove that an agency
relationship exists under the laws of the state of New York between MERS and its members.
According to MERS, the principal/agent relationship among itself and its members is created by
the MERS rules of membership and terms and conditions, as well as the Mortgage itself.
However, none of the documents expressly creates an agency relationship or even mentions the
word “agency.” MERS would have this Court cobble together the documents and draw
inferences from the words contained in those documents. For example, MERS argues that its
agent status can be found in the Mortgage which states that MERS is a “nominee” and a
“mortgagee of record.” However, the fact that MERS is named “nominee” in the Mortgage is
not dispositive of the existence of an agency relationship and does not, in and of itself, give
MERS any “authority to act.” See Steinbeck v. Steinbeck Heritage Foundation, No. 09-18360cv,
2010 WL 3995982, at *2 (2d Cir. Oct. 13, 2010) (finding that use of the words “attorney in fact”
in documents can constitute evidence of agency but finding that such labels are not dispositive);
MERS v. Saunders, 2 A.3d 289, 295 (Me. 2010) (designation as the ‘mortgagee of record’ does
not qualify MERS as a “mortgagee”). MERS also relies on its rules of membership as evidence
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of the agency relationship. However, the rules lack any specific mention of an agency
relationship, and do not bestow upon MERS any authority to act. Rather, the rules are
ambiguous as to MERS’s authority to take affirmative actions with respect to mortgages
registered on its system.
In addition to casting itself as nominee/agent, MERS seems to argue that its role as
“mortgagee of record” gives it the rights of a mortgagee in its own right. MERS relies on the
definition of “mortgagee” in the New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section
1921 which states that a “mortgagee” when used in the context of Section 1921, means the
“current holder of the mortgage of record . . . or their agents, successors or assigns.” N.Y. Real
Prop. Acts. L. § 1921 (McKinney 2011). The provisions of Section 1921 relate solely to the
discharge of mortgages and the Court will not apply that definition beyond the provisions of that
section in order to find that MERS is a “mortgagee” with full authority to perform the duties of
mortgagee in its own right. Aside from the inappropriate reliance upon the statutory definition
of “mortgagee,” MERS’s position that it can be both the mortgagee and an agent of the
mortgagee is absurd, at best.
Adding to this absurdity, it is notable in this case that the Assignment of Mortgage was
by MERS, as nominee for First Franklin, the original lender. By the Movant’s and MERS’s
own admission, at the time the assignment was effectuated, First Franklin no longer held any
interest in the Note. Both the Movant and MERS have represented to the Court that subsequent
to the origination of the loan, the Note was assigned, through the MERS tracking system, from
First Franklin to Aurora, and then from Aurora to U.S. Bank. Accordingly, at the time that
MERS, as nominee of First Franklin, assigned the interest in the Mortgage to U.S. Bank, U.S.
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Bank allegedly already held the Note and it was at U.S. Bank’s direction, not First Franklin’s,
that the Mortgage was assigned to U.S. Bank. Said another way, when MERS assigned the
Mortgage to U.S. Bank on First Franklin’s behalf, it took its direction from U.S. Bank, not First
Franklin, to provide documentation of an assignment from an entity that no longer had any rights
to the Note or the Mortgage. The documentation provided to the Court in this case (and the
Court has no reason to believe that any further documentation exists), is stunningly inconsistent
with what the parties define as the facts of this case.
However, even if MERS had assigned the Mortgage acting on behalf of the entity which
held the Note at the time of the assignment, this Court finds that MERS did not have authority,
as “nominee” or agent, to assign the Mortgage absent a showing that it was given specific
written directions by its principal.
This Court finds that MERS’s theory that it can act as a “common agent” for undisclosed
principals is not support by the law. The relationship between MERS and its lenders and its
distortion of its alleged “nominee” status was appropriately described by the Supreme Court of
Kansas as follows: “The parties appear to have defined the word [nominee] in much the same
way that the blind men of Indian legend described an elephant – their description depended on
which part they were touching at any given time.” Landmark Nat’l Bank v. Kesler, 216 P.3d
158, 166-67 (Kan. 2010).
Conclusion
For all of the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that the Motion in this case should be
granted. However, in all future cases which involve MERS, the moving party must show that it
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validly holds both the mortgage and the underlying note in order to prove standing before this
Court.
Dated: Central Islip, New York
February 10, 2011 /s/ Robert E. Grossman
Hon. Robert E. Grossman
United States Bankruptcy Judge
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bad day for the MERS argument in California

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION ONE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
NANCY G. JIMENEZ,
Plaintiff and Appellant,
v.
MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., et al.,
Defendants and Respondents.
D056325
(Super. Ct. No. 37-2009-00088881-CU-OR-CTL)
APPEAL from judgments of the Superior Court of San Diego County, William R. Nevitt, Jr., Judge. Affirmed.
Plaintiff Nancy Jimenez appeals from judgments of dismissal in favor of defendants Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) and California Reconveyance Company (CRC) on her complaint in which she alleged, inter alia, MERS, CRC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., (Chase) lacked authority to conduct a nonjudicial foreclosure on a deed of trust for her property, which identified MERS as the “nominee” for the lender and its successors and assigns as well as the beneficiary of the deed.
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Taking judicial notice of the “legal effect of” certain recorded documents, the trial court sustained the defendants’ demurrers to all but one cause of action and thereafter entered judgments of dismissal as to MERS and CRC. On appeal, Jimenez contends CRC lacked authority to foreclose on her property due to the void nature of the purported assignment of the deed by MERS; that as a result, CRC was not acting in the interest of the true holder of Jimenez’s note. She further contends the court erred by judicially noticing the legal effect of the documents submitted by defendants with their papers. Though we agree with Jimenez’s latter contention, we nevertheless affirm the judgments.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
In November 2006, Jimenez executed a promissory note in The Mortgage Store’s favor for a $232,000 loan secured by real property on Florida Street in San Diego, California. The deed of trust securing the note defines the lender as The Mortgage Store and the trustee as First American Title Company. The deed of trust identifies MERS as a “separate corporation that is acting solely as a nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns” and provides that MERS “is the beneficiary under this Security Instrument.”
After CRC recorded a notice of trustee’s sale notifying Jimenez of her default under the deed of trust and the possible sale of her property, Jimenez sued MERS, CRC and Chase for “wrongful initiation of foreclosure,” declaratory relief and quiet title. In
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her complaint, she also alleged a cause of action against Chase and CRC for violation of the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Rosenthal Act or Act, Civ. Code,1
§ 1788 et seq.), and causes of action against Chase alone for violations of section 2943 and the Unfair Competition Law (UCL; Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17200 et seq.).
Jimenez alleges on information and belief that at all times relevant, “MERS has existed only to maintain a database of mortgages registered by its member lenders and to serve as nominee beneficiary under their deeds of trust, sparing the true beneficiaries the trouble and expense of recording assignments of mortgages from the original lender to assigns as the notes are sold in the secondary mortgage market.” She alleges, “MERS does not own the promissory notes secured by the mortgages and has no right to payments made on the notes, nor does MERS service mortgage loans or make any decisions regarding them. MERS merely attempts to immobilize the mortgage lien while transfers of the promissory notes and servicing rights continue to occur.” According to Jimenez, The Mortgage Store acquired the note for resale and resold it into the secondary mortgage market, where it was sold and resold until it landed in a pool of mortgages that constituted the assets of a “special purpose entity” administered by a trustee, who held legal title to the assets. Jimenez alleges that at all times relevant, the “secondary mortgage market was marked by endemic failures to validly assign and properly document the assignments of mortgages, including mortgages in which MERS was the
1 All statutory references are to the Civil Code unless otherwise indicated.
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nominal beneficiary, so that the actual ownership of beneficial interests in many mortgages became, and remains, difficult or impossible to determine.”
Jimenez further alleges that in January 2009, she sought documents concerning her loan from Chase via Washington Mutual,2 including a copy of the note; documents reflecting the note’s sale, transfer or assignment; and a beneficiary statement and payoff demand statement under section 2943. Two days later, CRC recorded a notice of default and election to sell under Jimenez’s trust deed, stating she was in default and it could exercise the power of sale in the trust deed without further notice. Thereafter Jimenez sent several additional requests for the same documents to Chase but did not obtain all of them. Jimenez alleges she “does not know the identity of the Note’s beneficial owner, that is, the ‘beneficiary’ as that term is used in . . . the California Civil Code relating to mortgages and deeds of trust . . . .” but she is “informed and believes that a person purporting to be the rightful current beneficiary by virtue of a purported assignment from MERS authorized an agent to cause the above-mentioned Notices to be recorded.” Jimenez alleges that The Mortgage Store did not assign the note to MERS and did not authorize MERS or any other person to assign the note to anyone on its behalf; that “the person or entity who directed the initiation of the foreclosure process was not the rightful
2 Jimenez alleged that defendant JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. “does business in California as Chase and as of September 28, 2008, also as Washington Mutual . . . .”
5
owner of the Note and was acting without the rightful owner’s authority.”3 Jimenez sought a judicial declaration concerning the interpretation of section 2924 as well as a determination that her interest in the property was free of the lien of the deed of trust.
As to Chase and CRC, Jimenez alleges Chase identified itself to her as a debt collector in a March 2009 letter and that letter, together with CRC’s notice of default, constituted attempts to collect a debt in violation of the Rosenthal Act. As to Chase, Jimenez alleges it violated section 2943 by intentionally failing to respond to her requests for documents.
MERS generally demurred on grounds Jimenez’s complaint failed to state a cause of action. In part, MERS argued it was a duly appointed beneficiary under the trust deed and as a result had authority to assign the deed of trust in January 2007 to another entity,
3 Defendants criticize Jimenez’s allegations made on information and belief as “conclusory suppositions” and an “unarticulated guise” for pleading facts. But it is permissible for a pleader to allege on information and belief facts not within his or
her actual or presumed personal knowledge. (See Dey v. Continental Cent. Credit
(2008) 170 Cal.App.4th 721, 725, fn. 1; North v. Cecil B. DeMille Productions, Inc. (1934) 2 Cal.2d 55, 58; 4 Witkin, Cal. Procedure (5th ed. 2008) Pleading, §§ 398, 399, pp. 537-539.) We will, however, disregard as argument, contention or legal conclusions Jimenez’s allegations that MERS “spar[es] the true beneficiaries the trouble and expense of recording assignments of mortgages from the original lender to assigns . . . “; MERS “has no right to payments made on the notes”; the “secondary mortgage market was marked by endemic failures to validly assign and properly document the assignments of mortgages . . . so that the actual ownership of beneficial interests in many mortgages became, and remains, difficult or impossible to determine”; and MERS “was not the rightful owner of the Note and was acting without the rightful owner’s authority.” (E.g., Foerst v. Hobro (1932) 125 Cal.App. 476, 478; Spaulding v. Wesson (1890) 84 Cal. 141, 142; Metzenbaum v. Metzenbaum (1948) 86 Cal.App.2d 750, 754; 4 Witkin, Cal. Procedure, supra, § 384, pp. 521-522.)
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La Salle Bank,4 which in turn recorded a substitution of trustee naming CRC as the new trustee. It asked the court to take judicial notice of the grant deed, deed of trust, notice of default, and a January 27, 2009 assignment providing that MERS “grants, assigns and transfers . . . all beneficial interest under” the deed of trust to La Salle Bank “together with the note or notes therein described and secured thereby . . . .” It also asked the court to judicially notice a substitution of trustee recorded on January 27, 2009, in which La Salle Bank, identified as the trust deed’s beneficiary, purported to substitute CRC as the trustee. It argued foreclosure was lawfully initiated under sections 2924 to 2924i, permitting the “trustee, mortgagee or beneficiary or any of their authorized agents” to conduct the foreclosure process and allowing a substituted trustee or its agent to record the notice of default and notice of sale. MERS argued Jimenez’s quiet title cause of action failed for the absence of a verified complaint and the fact its allegations were contradicted by the judicially noticeable documents.
CRC and Chase generally demurred on the same grounds as MERS and requested that the court take judicial notice of the same documents. They additionally argued Jimenez’s Rosenthal Act cause of action failed because Chase, as the trust deed’s beneficiary, had the authority to instruct the foreclosure trustee to commence foreclosure and when the beneficial interest was assigned to CRC, CRC possessed the same authority.
4 The entity is alleged to be La Salle Bank, N.A., as trustee for Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass Through Certificates WMALT Series 2007-OC1Trust. We shall refer to that entity as La Salle Bank.
7
In opposition to the demurrers, Jimenez argued her case centered on the validity and effect of the assignment and substitution of trustee that were the subject of defendants’ requests for judicial notice. She maintained a key factual dispute was whether CRC in fact held a beneficial interest in the promissory note secured by the deed of trust, and the documents were not judicially noticeable official records or findings, but merely documents created by the defendants. She argued the court could not take judicial notice of the documents’ contents and absent anything to contradict her pleadings it was required to overrule the demurrers to all but the quiet title and section 2943 causes of action. Jimenez sought leave to amend to cure the lack of verification and to “add any such allegations as may be appropriate, if the court sustains the demurrer.”
Granting judicial notice “as to the legal effect of the recorded documents,” the court tentatively sustained the defendants’ demurrers to all but the UCL cause of action without leave to amend. As to those causes of action, it ruled the documents contradicted essential allegations of Jimenez’s complaint and Jimenez did not show she could cure the defects by further amendment. It granted Jimenez leave to amend her UCL cause of action. The court thereafter entered judgments of dismissal in favor of MERS and CRC. This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
I. Standard of Review
The applicable appellate review standards are settled: ” ‘A demurrer tests the sufficiency of a complaint as a matter of law.’ [Citation.] In reviewing the propriety of the sustaining of a demurrer, the ‘court gives the complaint a reasonable interpretation,
8
and treats the demurrer as admitting all material facts properly pleaded. [Citations.] The court does not, however, assume the truth of contentions, deductions or conclusions of law. [Citation.] The judgment must be affirmed “if any one of the several grounds of demurrer is well taken. [Citations.]” [Citation.] However, it is error for a trial court to sustain a demurrer when the plaintiff has stated a cause of action under any possible legal theory. [Citation.] And it is an abuse of discretion to sustain a demurrer without leave to amend if the plaintiff shows there is a reasonable possibility any defect identified by the defendant can be cured by amendment.’ ” (Dey v. Continental Cent. Credit, supra, 170 Cal.App.4th at pp. 725-726.) Plaintiffs bear the burden of proving a reasonable possibility any defects can be cured by amendment. (Zelig v. County of Los Angeles (2002) 27 Cal.4th 1112, 1126.) The reviewing court independently examines the complaint under this standard. (McCall v. PacificCare of California, Inc. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 412, 415; Dey, at p. 726.)
If judicially noticeable facts render an otherwise facially valid complaint defective, the complaint is subject to demurrer. (See Evans v. City of Berkeley (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1, 6.) This rule discourages plaintiffs from filing sham pleadings: “Under the doctrine of truthful pleading, the courts ‘will not close their eyes to situations where a complaint contains allegations of fact inconsistent with attached documents, or allegations contrary to facts that are judicially noticed.’ [Citation.] ‘False allegations of fact, inconsistent with annexed documentary exhibits [citation] or contrary to facts judicially noticed [citation], may be disregarded . . . .’ ” (Hoffman v. Smithwoods RV Park, LLC (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 390, 400; accord, C.R. v. Tenet Healthcare Corp.
9
(2009) 169 Cal.App.4th 1094, 1102 [allegations contrary to the law or to a fact of which judicial notice may be taken will be treated as a nullity].) However, our review should reflect no concern for whether Jimenez can prove the facts alleged in her complaint. (California Golf, LLC v. Cooper (2008) 163 Cal.App.4th 1053, 1064.) ” ‘The hearing on demurrer may not be turned into a contested evidentiary hearing through the guise of having the court take judicial notice of documents whose truthfulness or proper interpretation are disputable.’ ” (See Silguero v. Creteguard, Inc. (2010) 187 Cal.App.4th 60, 64.)
Jimenez makes lengthy arguments as to MERS’s role in non-judicial foreclosures without citation to the record. These arguments are unhelpful on our review of the sufficiency of her complaint, given our focus on Jimenez’s properly pleaded material facts and exhibits attached to her complaint. (Zelig v. County of Los Angeles, supra, 27 Cal.4th at p. 1126; Barnett v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 500, 505.).
II. Propriety of Taking Judicial Notice of the “Effect” of the Recorded Documents
We begin with Jimenez’s challenge to the propriety of taking judicial notice of the “effect” of MERS’s recorded assignment to La Salle Bank and La Salle Bank’s substitution of CRC as trustee. Defendants sought judicial notice under Evidence Code section 451, subdivision (f), mandating notice of “[f]acts and propositions of generalized knowledge that are so universally known that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute,” and subdivisions of Evidence Code section 452 permitting judicial notice of court records (Evid. Code, § 452, subd. (d)), facts and propositions of such common knowledge that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute (Evid. Code, § 452,
10
subd. (g)), and facts and propositions that are not reasonably subject to dispute and are capable of immediate and accurate determination “by resort to sources of reasonably indisputable accuracy.” (Evid. Code, § 452, subd. (h).)
” ‘ “Judicial notice is the recognition and acceptance by the court, for use by the trier of fact or by the court, of the existence of a matter of law or fact that is relevant to an issue in the action without requiring formal proof of the matter.” [Citation.]’ [Citation.]
‘ “Judicial notice may not be taken of any matter unless authorized or required by law.” (Evid. Code, § 450.) . . . A matter ordinarily is subject to judicial notice only if the matter is reasonably beyond dispute. [Citation.] Although the existence of a document may be judicially noticeable, the truth of statements contained in the document and its proper interpretation are not subject to judicial notice if those matters are reasonably disputable.’ ” (Unruh-Hazton v. Regents of University of California (2008) 162 Cal.App.4th 343, 364-365; accord, StorMedia Inc. v. Superior Court (1999) 20 Cal.4th 449, 457, fn. 9 [“When judicial notice is taken of a document . . . the truthfulness and proper interpretation of the document are disputable”]; C.R. v. Tenet Healthcare Corp., supra, 169 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1103-1104.)
Jimenez argues the statutes cited by defendants do not permit judicial notice of the assignment and trust deed; that none of the statutory grounds were present. We agree. The recorded documents are not court records (Evid. Code, § 452, subd. (d)), and the contents of the documents, purporting to evidence particular transactions, neither constitute nor include “facts and propositions” that would be the subject of Evidence Code sections 451, subdivision (f), and 452, subdivisions (g) or (h). (Compare with In re
11
Marriage of Tammen (1976) 63 Cal.App.3d 927, 931 [taking judicial notice, as a matter of common knowledge, of the proposition that deeds of trust are bought and sold in the course of ordinary business].)
Accordingly, we reject defendants’ assertion that judicial notice lies under section 452, subdivision (h), which involves facts that are “widely accepted as established by experts and specialists in the natural, physical, and social sciences which can be verified by reference to treatises, encyclopedias, almanacs and the like. . . . .” (Gould v. Maryland Sound Industries, Inc. (1995) 31 Cal.App.4th 1137, 1145.) Defendants argue the assignment from MERS to La Salle Bank and La Salle Bank’s substitution of trustee demonstrate facts that are not reasonably subject to dispute and capable of immediate and accurate determination by resort to sources of reasonably indisputable accuracy, so as to contradict allegations of Jimenez’s complaint, including her allegation that “as of April 30, 2009, no assignment of the Note and no Substitution of Trustee had been recorded and . . . none has been recorded since that time.” Defendants point also to Jimenez’s allegation that “CRC has not been duly appointed or duly substituted as trustee by the true beneficiary of the Deed of Trust and therefore has no authority to conduct a sale of the property.” They argue the recording of the documents accomplished that substitution, and the “facts may be considered as business records and an exception to the hearsay rule” that fall within the scope of the sort of facts and propositions included in Evidence Code section 452, subdivision h. Defendants cite no authority for the latter proposition.
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Jimenez concedes the propriety of taking judicial notice of the fact of recording. She maintains the court cannot, however, take judicial notice of the key issue here: whether the documents reflect a valid assignment of the promissory note from the original lender (The Mortgage Store) to any of the defendants, a claim that involves the truth of the documents’ contents. She argues recordation is not a substitute for evidentiary proof of the truth of the facts asserted in a recorded document. Specifically, she points to her allegation that there is no assignment of the promissory note from the original lender (The Mortgage Store) to any of the defendants, and to the fact that none of the recorded documents show any such assignment. Jimenez further argues the trial court’s taking of judicial notice was not harmless error, as these documents were the sole support for its ruling dismissing her causes of action. She emphasizes that our review in any event is de novo, and we are not bound by the trial court’s reasoning.
There is authority for the proposition that a court may take judicial notice of “recorded deeds.” (Evans v. California Trailer Court, Inc. (1994) 28 Cal.App.4th 540, 549, citing Maryland Casualty Co. v. Reeder (1990) 221 Cal.App.3d 961, 977 (Maryland Casualty) & Cal-American Income Property Fund II v. County of Los Angeles (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d 109, 112, fn. 2; Poseidon Development, Inc. v. Woodland Lane Estates, LLC (2007) 152 Cal.App.4th 1106 (Poseidon).) In Evans, the plaintiffs did not object to the request and further conceded the truth of the matters evidenced by the deed, and under those circumstances the appellate court upheld the trial court’s evidentiary ruling taking judicial notice of a trustee’s deed. (Evans, at p. 549.) In Maryland Casualty, this court, reviewing a summary judgment on an insurance company’s declaratory relief complaint,
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asked the parties to identify evidence of ownership and took judicial notice of recorded deeds purporting to establish a chain of title so as to decide whether certain entities held interests in property and were subject to an exclusion against insurance coverage. (Maryland Casualty, 221 Cal.App.3d at pp. 976-977.) There is no indication in that case that any party objected to the request or disputed the validity of the deeds. Maryland Casualty in turn relied on B & P Development Corp. v. City of Saratoga (1986) 185 Cal.App.3d 949, in which the appellate court took judicial notice under Evidence Code sections 459 and 452, subdivisions (g) and (h) only of the fact that the plaintiff had filed and recorded its final subdivision map. (Id. at p. 960.) The Court of Appeal in Cal-American Income Property Fund II granted the request to judicially notice the Los Angeles County Recorder’s recordation of trust deeds as official acts of the executive department under Evidence Code section 452, subdivision (c), a provision not relied upon by defendants here. (Cal-American Income Property Fund II, at p. 112, fn. 2.) The appellate court in Cal-American did so in view of the fact that the plaintiff, who opposed the request on grounds the documents were not introduced in the lower court, did not question the authenticity of the documents and the parties made reference to the trust deeds and foreclosure proceedings in the proceedings below. (Ibid.)
In Poseidon, the appellate court observed that under Maryland Casualty, judicial notice may be taken of recorded deeds, but cautioned that “the fact a court may take judicial notice of a recorded deed, or similar document, does not mean it may take judicial notice of factual matters stated therein. [Citation.] For example, the First Substitution [a substitution of trustee document recorded on July 16, 2004] recites that
14
Shanley ‘is the present holder of beneficial interest under said Deed of Trust.’ By taking judicial notice of the First Substitution, the court does not take judicial notice of this fact, because it is hearsay and it cannot be considered not reasonably subject to dispute.” (Poseidon, supra, 152 Cal.App.4th at p. 1117.) Poseidon involved plaintiff Poseidon Development, Inc.’s complaint for breach of a promissory note in which Poseidon sought to recover, inter alia, expenses associated with its initiation of a nonjudicial foreclosure proceeding. (Id. at p. 1109.) The trial court sustained the defendant’s demurrers without leave to amend, finding that certain documents, including assignments of the trust deed and note from Poseidon to another mortgage company, showed Poseidon was not entitled to recover fees incurred for the foreclosure because it had assigned the deed of trust and had no right to initiate foreclosure proceedings. (Id. at p. 1116.) On appeal, Poseidon challenged the trial court’s taking of judicial notice of the fact that the document transferred beneficial interest in the note and trust deed and argued that matter remained subject to dispute. (Id. at p. 1117.) The Court of Appeal rejected that argument, noting that the assignment contradicted Poseidon’s allegations that it ” ‘remained the true and rightful owner of the note with the power to foreclose on the deed of trust . . . .’ ” (Id. at p. 1118.) It held the “legal effect [of the assignment] could not be clearer” in that it was “not reasonably subject to dispute that, whatever else occurred, Poseidon gave up and no longer held the beneficial interest under the deed of trust” and thus no longer had the power to substitute the trustee of the deed of trust. (Ibid.) Importantly, the Court of Appeal observed that on appeal, Poseidon did not dispute the validity of the assignment, only its effect. (Ibid.) We take from Poseidon that had the plaintiff disputed the validity
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of the assignment, judicial notice as to whether Poseidon retained the beneficial interest would be a contested factual matter not subject to judicial notice.
Here, we may judicially notice the fact that on January 27, 2009, MERS recorded an assignment of the deed of trust and note to La Salle, which in turn recorded a substitution of trustee document stating it was substituting CRC as the trustee. This would contradict Jimenez’s allegation that no assignment of the deed of trust or substitution of trustee had been recorded as of April 30, 2009. However, unlike the plaintiff in Poseidon, the gravamen of Jimenez’s complaint — reasonably and liberally construing its allegations — challenges the validity of the assignments and substitutions. In opposition to the demurrer, she questioned whether CRC in fact held a beneficial interest in the deed of trust and pointed out her complaint challenged the validity of MERS’s purported assignment of the note based on factual allegations — which we must accept as true — that The Mortgage Store did not assign the note to MERS or authorize MERS to assign the note to anyone on its behalf, and that MERS is not the note’s holder. Because Jimenez disputes MERS’s status and its ability to assign the note and also CRC’s status as the legitimate trustee, we conclude it is not proper to judicially notice the validity or legal effect of the assignment to La Salle Bank and substitution of trustee to CRC. (Poseidon, 152 Cal.App.4th at p. 1117.)
III. The Complaint Fails to State a Cause of Action Even Assuming the Truth of Jimenez’s Allegation That MERS Does Not Hold the Promissory Note
Though we disregard the truth of the contents of the assignment and substitution of trustee submitted by defendants in support of their demurrer, we nevertheless conclude
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Jimenez cannot state causes of action for “wrongful initiation” of foreclosure, declaratory relief, and violations of the Rosenthal Act. Our conclusion mainly turns on the recitals in the deed of trust executed by Jimenez and attached to her complaint, which give precedence to any contrary factual allegations. (Qualcomm, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters At Lloyd’s, London (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 184, 191; Performance Plastering v. Richmond American Homes of California (2007) 153 Cal.App.4th 659, 665; Dodd v. Citizen’s Bank of Costa Mesa (1990) 222 Cal.App.3d 1624, 1627.)
A. Wrongful Initiation of Foreclosure
We have found no California state authority, and Jimenez cites none, identifying or describing the elements of a purported cause of action for “wrongful initiation” of foreclosure.5 Her allegations charge in a conclusory fashion that she does not know the note’s “beneficial owner”; that the person who directed initiation of the foreclosure is not the “rightful” owner of the note, that CRC is without authority to foreclose, and she has suffered damage “[a]s a result of defendant’s wrongful actions . . . .” Jimenez admits that the essence of her complaint is that under California law, “only the holder of a beneficial interest in a note can foreclose on the security for that note.”
We could reject Jimenez’s attempted cause of action merely by disregarding her conclusory pleading. But Jimenez’s assertions about the note are unavailing in any event.
5 Jimenez does not allege that her property was in fact sold at a foreclosure sale, and her cause of action does not seek to set aside such a sale. In Hulse v. Ocwen Federal Bank, FSB (D.Or. 2002) 195 F.Supp.2d 1188, the court suggested that without an actual foreclosure sale, the plaintiff in that case might have no remedy for an alleged initiation of the foreclosure process by the wrong entity. (Id. at p. 1204, fn. 5.)
17
In California, the regulation of nonjudicial foreclosures pursuant to a power of sale is governed by the ” ‘comprehensive framework’ ” of sections 2924 through 2924k. (Melendrez v. D&I Investment, Inc. (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 1238, quoting Moeller v. Lien (1994) 25 Cal.App.4th 822, 830; see also Ung v. Koehler (2005) 135 Cal.App.4th 186, 202 [exercise of power of sale in a deed of trust ” ‘is carefully circumscribed by statute’ “]; Knapp v. Doherty (2004) 123 Cal.App.4th 76, 86.) The statutory scheme is intended to be “exhaustive” and courts will not incorporate unrelated provisions into statutory nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings. (See Moeller, at p. 834.) Under the scheme, a “trustee, mortgagee or beneficiary or any of their authorized agents” may record the notice of default — the document that initiates the non-judicial foreclosure process. (§§ 2924, subd. (a)(1); see also 2924b(b)(4) [“A ‘person authorized to record the notice of default or notice of sale’ shall include an agent for the mortgagee or beneficiary, an agent of the named trustee, any person designated in an executed substitution of trustee, or an agent of that substituted trustee”].) There is abundant federal authority in accord. (Morgera v. Countrywide Home Loans (E.D.Cal. 2010) 2010 WL 160348, *7 [citing cases]; Linkhart v. US. Bank Nat. Assn. (S.D.Cal. 2010) 2010 WL 1996895; Perlas v. Mortgage Elec. Registration Systems, Inc. (N.D.Cal. 2010) 2010 WL 3079262 [“There is no requirement in California that the foreclosure be initiated by the lender itself”].) Jimenez points to nothing in the framework requiring that the person initiating non-judicial foreclosure proceedings possess a beneficial interest in the note, or be the lender or original note holder.
18
Jimenez attacks MERS’s ability to validly assign the note on grounds it is a nominal beneficiary only of the deed of trust, and is not the holder of the note.6 But that allegation is contradicted by the recorded deed of trust attached to her complaint, executed by Jimenez, in which Jimenez agreed that MERS, the designated beneficiary, was also broadly granted the right as the lender’s nominee to “exercise any or all of [the lender’s] interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and to take any action required of Lender . . . .”7 (Italics added.) This language empowers MERS to take any actions within the lender’s authority, including making assignments of the note (as well as the trust deed), contrary to Jimenez’s allegations. Because Jimenez’s cause of action is premised on MERS’s asserted lack of power or authority to assign the promissory note, it fails on grounds her assertion is
6 It is true, as Jimenez emphasizes, that a valid assignment requires more than just assignment of the deed; the note must also be assigned. (See Carpenter v. Longan (1872) 83 U.S. 271, 274 [“[t]he note and mortgage are inseparable; the former as essential, the latter as an incident”; “[a]n assignment of the note carries the mortgage with it, while an assignment of the latter alone is a nullity”]; Kelley v. Upshaw (1952) 39 Cal.2d 179, 192 [assignment of only the deed without a transfer of the promissory note is completely ineffective]; see also Restatement (3d) of Property (Mortgages) § 5.4 [“[a] mortgage may be enforced only by, or in behalf of, a person who is entitled to enforce the obligation that the mortgage secures,” italics added].) Here, the face of MERS’s assignment to La Salle Bank shows MERS identified not just the deed of trust, but also the promissory note.
7 More fully, the deed of trust provides: “Borrower understands and agrees that MERS holds only legal title to the interests granted by Borrower in this Security Instrument but, if necessary to comply with law or custom, MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) has the right: to exercise any or all of those interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and to take any action required of Lender including, but not limited to, releasing and canceling this Security Instrument.”
19
belied by the recitals in the deed of trust, which take precedence over the contrary factual allegations.
B. Declaratory Relief
Jimenez seeks a judicial declaration as to whether, “by necessary implication, [section] 2924[, subdivision] (a) allows a borrower, before his or her property is sold, to bring a civil action in order to test whether the person electing to sell the property is, or is duly authorized to do so by, the owner of a beneficial interest in it.” She specifically points to section 2924, subdivision (a)(1)(C), which requires, as part of a notice of default, “[a] statement setting forth the nature of each breach actually known to the beneficiary and of his or her election to sell or cause to be sold the property to satisfy that obligation and any other obligation secured by the deed of trust or mortgage that is in default.”
But this statute merely governs the contents of the notice of default for purposes of allowing a default to be cured and obtain reinstatement. (See Ung v. Koehler, supra, 135 Cal.App.4th 186, 202.) There are no ” ‘ “clear, understandable, unmistakable terms” ‘ ” within the statute that evidences legislative intent to create a private cause of action as Jimenez suggests. (See Lu v. Hawaiian Gardens Casino, Inc. (2010) 50 Cal.4th 592, 597.) We conclude Jimenez has not alleged an actual controversy to maintain a cause of action for her requested declaratory relief.
C. Violation of Rosenthal Act Cause of Action (as to CRC)
The Rosenthal Act protects consumers from unfair or deceptive debt collection acts and practices for “consumer debts,” created through transactions in which “property,
20
services or money is acquired on credit . . . primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.” (§§ 1788.1, 1788.2 subds. (e)-(f).) Under the Act, a “debt collector” is defined as “any person who, in the ordinary course of business, regularly, on behalf of himself or herself or others, engages in debt collection.” (§ 1788.2, subd. (c).)
In support of her Rosenthal Act cause of action, Jimenez alleges CRC and Chase are “debt collectors within the meaning of the [Act]” and that Chase’s March 31, 2009 letter and CRC’s Notice of Default were attempts to collect a debt in violation of section 1788.10, subdivision (e)8 “in that they constitute an implied threat to sell the property, which is not permitted by law because, on information and belief, defendants were not authorized by the Note’s rightful owner to foreclose on the property.” Jimenez alleges the violations were willful and knowing. In its demurrer, CRC argued Jimenez failed to allege any harassing or threatening conduct, obscenity, misleading or false communications or any communications to third parties such as employers. It argued Jimenez’s allegations as to the absence of CRC’s authority to foreclose were contrary to the documents it sought to judicially notice.
On appeal, Jimenez apparently rests her argument on the impropriety of taking judicial notice of CRC’s status as the beneficial holder of the promissory note. She does not otherwise describe the Rosenthal Act’s elements or explain how her allegations state a
8 Section 1788.10, subdivision (e) prohibits any debt collector from collecting or attempting to collect a consumer debt by means of the following conduct: “The threat to any person that nonpayment of the consumer debt may result in the arrest of the debtor or the seizure, garnishment, attachment or sale of any property or the garnishment or attachment of wages of the debtor, unless such action is in fact contemplated by the debt collector and permitted by law . . . .” (§ 1788.10, subd. (e).)
21
cause of action under the Act. For its part, CRC responds for the first time on appeal that foreclosure of a loan is not “debt collection” under the Act. It cites federal cases involving the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FFDCPA, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692).
Jimenez’s Rosenthal Act claim falls on the premise alleged in her complaint that MERS had no authority to assign the promissory note, which assertedly invalidated CRC’s beneficial interest and ability to initiate foreclosure proceedings. As we have held, that premise is contradicted by the deed of trust granting MERS broad powers. Because the absence of MERS’s authority is the underlying basis for her cause of action under the Act, we conclude she cannot state a cause of action under the Act as a matter of law.
DISPOSITION
The judgments are affirmed.
O’ROURKE, J.
WE CONCUR:
BENKE, Acting P. J.
AARON, J.

The law of capitalism

The Impact of Citizens United on Judicial Elections. Further why can’t I find a judge willing to follow the law. It is clear that the concerned citizen or dispossessed homeowner has no dog in the fight. The result is clear judges will support the banks the FDIC because there support and bias is now tied to the law of Capitalism. As can be seen in the sweetheart deal that One West Bank gets when they agree to buy Inymac Bank they get 90% buyback guarantee for paper they only pay a fraction of face value. Then we look to see who the major stockholders are and it becomes clear who benefits at the expense of the taxpayer. Oh whops i went to find the major stock holders where on yahoo only to find they are not publicly held that explains a lot.It’s privately held by a “consortium of private investors.” That means there’s no public stock, and presumably no stock symbol. This privacy is presumably why it gets away with being one of only four major mortgage companies who have not signed on to the “Making Home Affordable” Plan, as of 6/30/09.Read more: http://wiki.answers.com Q/OneWest_Bank_Group_LLC_stock_symbol#ixzz1E8b8GmYj
In enforcing its rights under the loans purchased from IndyMac, OneWest Bank has taken a much more aggressive approach to foreclosing on properties.

In Citizens United v. FEC,[1] the United States Supreme Court struck down the long-standing federal ban on corporate independent expenditures in elections.[ii] The transformational effect that unrestricted corporate and union spending will have on elections for legislative and executive offices has been widely denounced.[iii] But the most severe impact of Citizens United may be felt in state judicial elections.

Just last year, the Supreme Court ordered a West Virginia judge disqualified from hearing the case of a campaign supporter who had spent extravagantly to elect the judge. It did so after concluding that, by refusing to step aside from hearing his benefactor’s case, the judge had violated the opposing party’s constitutional right to a fair hearing before an impartial court.[iv] Yet, by opening the door to expanded corporate spending in judicial races, Citizens United is likely to make this type of conflict of interest more common, and to increase pressures on judges who seek to remain independent and impartial.

Equally important, heightened spending in judicial races will almost certainly exacerbate existing public concerns that justice is for sale to the highest bidder. As Justice John Paul Stevens noted in dissent, the Citizens United decision came at a time “when concerns about the conduct of judicial elections have reached a fever pitch.”[v] And after Citizens United, if retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s predictions are correct, “the problem of campaign contributions in judicial elections might get considerably worse and quite soon.”[vi]

This paper examines the damage that runaway spending in judicial elections is having on our state judiciaries, and offers several policy recommendations that states should consider in responding to the threat that outsized campaign spending poses to fair and independent courts. It first summarizes recent trends in judicial election spending and documents the impact that escalating spending is having on public confidence in the courts. Next, the paper highlights seven states in which Citizens United’s impact on judicial campaigns is likely to be significant, and explains why the decision is likely to spur increased special interest spending in judicial elections. The paper concludes with proposals for responding to our increasingly expensive judicial elections: public financing for judicial campaigns; enhanced disclosure and disqualification rules; and replacing judicial elections with merit selection systems in which bipartisan committees nominate the most qualified applicants, governors appoint judges from the nominees, and voters choose whether to retain the judges at the ballot box.
Introduction

Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor recently explained the risks that unlimited campaign spending poses to fair and independent courts — and the likelihood that Citizens United will intensify these risks:

If you’re a litigant appearing before a judge, it makes sense to invest in that judge’s campaign. No states can possibly benefit from having that much money injected into a political judicial campaign. The appearance of bias is high, and it destroys any credibility in the courts.

[After Citizens United], we can anticipate labor unions’ trial lawyers might have the means to win one kind of an election, and that a tobacco company or other corporation might win in another election. If both sides open up their spending, mutually assured destruction is probably the most likely outcome. It would end both judicial impartiality and public perception of impartiality.[vii]

The threat to our state courts is real — and serious. Thirty-nine states use elections to select some or all of their judges.[viii] According to the National Center on State Courts, nearly 9 in 10 — fully 87% — of all state judges run in elections, either to gain a seat on the bench in the first place, or to keep the seat once there.[ix] In a 2001 poll of state and local judges, more than 90% of all elected judges nationwide said they are under pressure to raise money in election years, and almost every elected judge on a state high court — 97% — said they were under a “great deal” or at least some pressure to raise money in the years they faced election.[x]

Corporations and special interests are already major spenders in judicial campaigns. As repeat players in high-stakes litigation, these groups have strong incentives to support judges they believe are likely to favor their interests. This is particularly true on state high courts, where electing a majority or a crucial swing vote can make the difference in litigation involving multi-million dollar claims. As a result, business interests and lawyers account for nearly two-thirds of all contributions to state supreme court candidates. Pro-business groups have a distinct advantage: in 2005-2006, for example, they were responsible for 44% of all contributions to supreme court candidates, compared with 21% for lawyers.[xi] In 2006, pro-business groups were responsible for more than 90% of all spending by interest groups on television advertising in supreme court campaigns.[xii]

This special interest spending has occurred in judicial elections despite the fact that approximately half the states previously banned or sharply restricted corporations from using treasury funds for campaign advocacy. None of these restrictions is permissible after Citizens United. The inevitable result will be increased corporate spending in judicial elections — and increased threats to independent and impartial courts.

Why Robo-Signatures Are Illegal in California and Other Non-Judicial Foreclosure States

With all of the press robo-signing has gotten, it is a bit surprising that everyone is having such a hard time concluding whether these practices effect California foreclosures. My assistant even said to me today, “but the banks say that it doesn’t matter because California is non judicial.”

Because the topic has not gotten the treatment it deserves, I will gladly do the job. The following are by no means a complete list, but are the most clear LEGAL reasons (setting aside pure moral questions and the U.S. Constitution) that the Robo-Signer Controversy will lead to massive litigation in California.

In short, Robo Signers are illegal in California because good title cannot be based on fraud, robo signed non judicial foreclosure sales are void as a matter of law, the documents are not able to be recorded in California if they are not notarized, which we know was often not done properly, and finally, because they robo signed forgeries ARE intended for judicial proceedings, including evictions and bankruptcy relief from stay motions.

1. Good Title Cannot Be Based on Fraud (Even as to a 3d Party).

In the case of a fraudulent transaction California law is settled. The Court in Trout v. Trout, (1934), 220 Cal. 652 at 656 made as much plain:

“Numerous authorities have established the rule that an instrument wholly void, such as an undelivered deed, a forged instrument, or a deed in blank, cannot be made the foundation of a good title, even under the equitable doctrine of bona fide purchase. Consequently, the fact that defendant Archer acted in good faith in dealing with persons who apparently held legal title, is not in itself sufficient basis for relief.” (Emphasis added, internal citations omitted).

This sentiment was clearly echoed in 6 Angels, Inc. v. Stuart-Wright Mortgage, Inc. (2001) 85 Cal.App.4th 1279 at 1286 where the Court stated:

“It is the general rule that courts have power to vacate a foreclosure sale where there has been fraud in the procurement of the foreclosure decree or where the sale has been improperly, unfairly or unlawfully conducted, or is tainted by fraud, or where there has been such a mistake that to allow it to stand would be inequitable to purchaser and parties.” (Emphasis added).

Hence, if forged Robo Signed signatures are used to obtain the foreclosure, it CERTAINLY makes a difference in California and other non-judicial foreclosure states.

2. Any apparent sale based on Robosigned documents is void – without any legal effect – like Monopoly Money.

In Bank of America v. LaJolla Group II, the California Court of Appeals held that if a trustee is not contractually empowered under the Deed of Trust to hold a sale, it is totally void. It has no legal effect whatsoever. Title does not transfer. No right to evict arises. The property is not sold.

In turn, California Civil COde 2934a requires that the beneficiary execute and notarize and record a substitution for a valid substitution of trustee to take effect. Thus, if the Assignment of Deed of Trust is robo-signed, the sale is void. If the substitution of trustee is robo-signed, the sale is void. If the Notice of Default is Robo-Signed, the sale is void.

3. These documents are not recordable without good notarization.

In California, the reason these documents are notarized in the first place is because otherwise they will not be accepted by the County recorder. Moreover, a notary who helps commit real estate fraud is liable for $25,000 per offense.

Once the document is recorded, however, it is entitled to a “presumption of validity”, which is what spurned the falsification trend in the first place. Civil Code section 2924.

Therefore, the notarization of a false signature not only constitutes fraud, but is every bit intended as part of a larger conspiracy to commit fraud on the court.

4. The documents are intended for court eviction proceedings.

A necessary purpose for these documents, AFTER the non judicial foreclosure, is the eviction of the rightful owners afterward. Even in California, eviction is a judicial process, albeit summary and often sloppily conducted by judges who don’t really believe they can say no to the pirates taking your house. However, as demonstrated below, once these documents make it into court, the bank officers and lawyers become guilty of FELONIES:

California Penal Code section 118 provides (a) Every person who, having taken an oath that he or she will testify, declare, depose, or certify truly before any competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any of the cases in which the oath may by law of the State of California be administered, willfully and contrary to the oath, states as true any material matter which he or she knows to be false, and every person who testifies, declares, deposes, or certifies under penalty of perjury in any of the cases in which the testimony, declarations, depositions, or certification is permitted by law of the State of California under penalty of perjury and willfully states as true any material matter which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of perjury. This subdivision is applicable whether the statement, or the testimony, declaration, deposition, or certification is made or subscribed within or without the State of California.

Penal Code section 132 provides: Every person who upon any trial, proceeding, inquiry, or investigation whatever, authorized or permitted by law, offers in evidence, as genuine or true, any book, paper, document, record, or other instrument in writing, knowing the same to have been forged or fraudulently altered or ante-dated, is guilty of felony.

The Doctrine of Unclean Hands provides: plaintiff’s “unclean hands” bar injunctive relief when the plaintiff’s misconduct arose from the transaction pleaded in the complaint. California Satellite Sys. v Nichols (1985) 170 CA3d 56, 216 CR 180. The unclean hands doctrine demands that a plaintiff act fairly in the matter for which he or she seeks a remedy. The plaintiff must come into
court with clean hands, and keep them clean, or he or she will be denied relief, regardless of the merits of the claim. Kendall-Jackson Winery Ltd. v Superior Court (1999) 76 CA4th 970, 978, 90 CR2d 743. Whether the doctrine applies is a question of fact. CrossTalk Prods., Inc. v Jacobson (1998) 65 CA4th 631, 639, 76 CR2d 615.

5. Robo Signed Documents Are Intended for Use in California Bankruptcy Court Matters.

One majorly overlooked facet of California is our extremely active bankrtupcy court proceedings, where, just as in judicial foreclosure states, the banks must prove “standing” to proceed with a foreclosure. All declarations submitted in support of standing to file a proof of claim, objections to a plan and most importantly perhaps Relief from Stays are fraud upon bankruptcy court if signed by robo-signers.

Conclusion

Verified eviction complaints, perjured motions for summary judgment, and all other eviction paperwork after robo signed non judicial foreclosures in California and other states are illegal and void. The paperwork itself is void. The sale is void. But the only way to clean up the hundreds of thousands of effected titles is through litigation, because even now the banks will simply not do the right thing. And that’s why robo signers count in non-judicial foreclosure states. Victims of robosigners in California may seek declaratory relief, damages under the Rosenthal Act; an injunction and attorneys fees for Unfair Business practices, as well as claims for slander of title; abuse of process, civil theft, and conversion.Timothy McCandless Esq. and Associates
Offices Statewide

(909)890-9192 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (909)890-9192 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

(925)957-9797 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (925)957-9797 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

FAX (909) 382-9956
tim@Prodefenders.com

http://www.timothymccandless.com

Lawler: How Many Folks Have “Lost Their Homes” to Foreclosure/Short Sales/DILs?


by CalculatedRisk on 2/02/2011 05:30:00 PM

CR: This is an interesting question and hard to answer … the following is from economist Tom Lawler …

How Many Folks Have “Lost Their Homes” to Foreclosure/ShortSales/DILs Over the Past Few Years?

According toHope Nowestimates, completed foreclosure sales (rounded) were about as follows over the past few years.

Year Completed Foreclosure
2007 514,000
2008 914,000
2009 949,000
2010 1,070,000

 

While these numbers are disturbingly high, they are not nearly as large as one would have expected given the surge in seriously delinquent loans and loans in the process of foreclosure. For the latter, here is a chart based on data from the MBA’s National Delinquency Survey, which covers “over 85%” of total 1-4 family first-lienmortgages.MBA Delinquency
On one side, the “completed foreclosure sales” understates the number of homes “lost,” given that many homeowners have “lost” their homes but been able to negotiate a short sale or (much less likely) done a deed in lieu of foreclosure. While there are no official estimates of either short sales or DILs, there is no doubt that the volume of short sales increased dramatically in 2009 and 2010.

Using CoreLogic’s estimates and grossing them up to reflect its incomplete geographic coverage, one would get short sales estimates of around 78,000 for 2007, 164,000 for 2008, 278,000 for 2009, and 331,000 for 2010. However, based on data reported by lenders on short sales in the OCC/OTS mortgage metricsreports, the CoreLogic estimates of short sales look way too high for 2007 and 2008 (the 2009 estimates look OK, but the 2010 estimates – which admittedly are not available for the full year – look a tad low). Using instead my own estimates for 2008 through 2010, here’s what completed foreclosure sales plus short sales might look like (I don’t have a DIL estimate, but it appears as if the volume of DILs was pretty low).

Year Completed Foreclosure Sales Short Sales Total
2008 914,000 95,000 1,009,000
2009 949,000 263,000 1,212,000
2010 1,070,000 375,000 1,445,000

 

On the other hand, the above numbers could well OVERSTATE significantly the number of homeowners who lost their primary home either to foreclosure or to a short sale. A “significant” % of completed foreclosure sales has been completed foreclosures on non-owner-occupied homes, though estimates vary as to what that % has been. In addition, not all short sales have involved homeowners “involuntarily” leaving their home, but who instead wanted to (for economic or other reasons) move and who were able to negotiate a short sale with their lender.So what is the right number for folks who lost their residence to foreclosure, a short sales, or a DIL? I don’t rightly know.

It is pretty clear, however, that overall foreclosure moratoria, foreclosure delays, modifications, and other workout activity continued to keep the number of homeowners who “lost” their homes to foreclosure massively lower than one would have expected given the delinquency/in foreclosure numbers.

Year Completed Foreclosure Sales plus Short Sales Loans in Foreclosure/90+ Delinquent at end of previous year
2008 1,009,000 1,664,760
2009 1,212,000 2,859,959
2010 1,445,000 4,296,018

 

Note: the loans in foreclosure/90+ delinquent are derived from the MBA National Delinquency Survey, which only covers somewhere around 85-87% of the total 1-4 family first-lien mortgage market. A crude estimate of the “total” market would “gross up” the above numbers by around 1.163 (or 1/0.86).CR Note: This was from housing economist Tom Lawler.

The Scandal of Foreclosure Mill Law Firms Continues

It has been well known for some time that many of the foreclosure mill law firms are not truly law firms.  Rather, they are just paperwork processors for the massive banks masquerading as lawyers.  One aspect of this, while well known but unpunished, is the fact that these firms flaunt the rules prohibiting law firms from splitting legal fees with non-lawyers or having non-lawyer shareholders.  Why the state ethics boards that govern lawyers are not cracking down is beyond me.  One thing that might crack down on them is the marketplace.  In today’s New York Times, it is reported that a scheme to spin off the “backoffice” operations of one of the most notorious of these law firms, that of David J. Stern in Florida is a disaster for investors. It does not help these investors that Mr. Stern’s “law firm” has essentially been fired by all of its major clients since the robosigning scandal first came out.

HIGH COURTS KNOCKING DOWN PRETENDER SHELL GAME

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Neil Garfield
ONE ON ONE WITH NEIL GARFIELD
COMBO ANALYSIS TITLE AND SECURITIZATION

SEE nj-game-over-standing-required-no-pretender-lenders-allowed-personal-knowledge-required-to-authenticate
SEE ibanez-huge-win-for-borrowers-in-massachusetts-non-judicial-state-high-court
Maybe the Game IS Over
Show me the law! That was the answer I was getting from skeptical lawyers and Judges three years, 2 years ago and even six months ago. Now there are high Courts and trial courts from Coast to Coast that are answering. It isn’t “new law” as the lawyers for the banks are suggesting, and it isn’t about a free house for borrowers.
In plain language this is about the application of law that has governed business conduct for centuries with the consequential effect of (a) preventing intervening parties from avoiding the requirements of due process and getting title issued to a house in which they never had any interest (a free house for pretender lenders) and (b) opening the door to the inner sanctum where the real parties in interest can interact in ways that will settle the mortgage mess (corruption of title and fraud) in a direct manner as best as possible under the circumstances.
Wall Street and those who protect Wall Street in government having nothing left but scare tactics — as if overturning millions of fraudulent transactions and foreclosures would somehow result in in the end of the world or weaken our nation. President Sarkozy answered that ridiculous assertion in sharp words to Jamie Dimon at the Davos conference when he pointed to the wild irresponsible schemes that others have less gently refereed to as criminal fraud. Sarkozy was speaking for the head of every government in the world and every central banker except perhaps a select few who were providing lubricant to Wall Street’s contrivances during the period of 2001-2009.

If our position in the world depends upon protecting those who commit fraud, if our credibility is seen as depending upon maintaining a status quo in which millions go starving and homeless, if the light we shine blinds the eyes of people who wish to see, then we have forsaken our heritage, and forever changed and corrupted the ideal that the United States of America is a nation of laws, in which here, better than anywhere else on Earth, here is where the people are free to pursue truth, justice and prosperity under the watchful eye of a protective government

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., v. SANDRA A. FORD | NJ APPELLATE DIVISION Reverses Foreclosure Due to Lack of Standing

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., v. SANDRA A. FORD | NJ APPELLATE DIVISION Reverses Foreclosure Due to Lack of Standing
Today, January 30, 2011, 9 hours ago | Foreclosure FraudGo to full article

Below is a well thought out decision by the SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION.

The court decided that Wells Fargo lacked standing to foreclose.

Some excerpts from the opinion…
(Emphasis added by 4F)
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Trustee,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
SANDRA A. FORD,
Defendant-Appellant.

This appeal presents significant issues regarding the evidence required to establish the standing of an alleged assignee of a mortgage and negotiable note to maintain a foreclosure action.

On March 6, 2005, defendant Sandra A. Ford executed a negotiable note to secure repayment of $403,750 she borrowed from Argent Mortgage Company (Argent) and a mortgage on her residence in Westwood. Defendant alleges that Argent engaged in various predatory and fraudulent acts in connection with this transaction.

Five days later, on March 11, 2005, Argent purportedly assigned the mortgage and note to plaintiff Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (Wells Fargo). Wells Fargo claims that it acquired the status of a holder in due course as a result of this assignment and therefore is not subject to any of the defenses defendant may have been able to assert against Argent.

Defendant allegedly stopped making payments on the note in the spring of 2006, and on July 14, 2006, Wells Fargo filed this mortgage foreclosure action. In an amended complaint, Wells Fargo asserted that Argent had assigned the mortgage and note to Wells Fargo but that the assignment had not yet been recorded.

Wells Fargo subsequently filed a motion for summary judgment. This motion was supported by a certification of Josh Baxley, who identified himself as “Supervisor of Fidelity National as an attorney in fact for HomEq Servicing Corporation as attorney in fact for [Wells Fargo].” Baxley’s certification stated: “I have knowledge of the amount due Plaintiff for principal, interest and/or other charges pursuant to the mortgage due upon the mortgage made by Sandra A. Ford dated March 6, 2005, given to Argent Mortgage Company, LLC, to secure the sum of $403,750.00.” . Baxley’s certification also alleged that Wells Fargo is “the holder and owner of the said Note/Bond and Mortgage” executed by defendant and that the exhibits.

Attached to his certification, which appear to be a mortgage and note signed by defendant, were “true copies.” Again, the source of this purported knowledge was not indicated. The exhibits attached to the Baxley certification did not include the purported assignment of the mortgage.

The trial court issued a brief oral opinion granting Wells Fargo’s motion for summary judgment. The court observed that defendant “has raised numerous serious disturbing allegations relating to the originator of this loan [Argent], which if true would be a substantial violation of law and substantial violation of her rights.” Nevertheless, the court concluded that those allegations did not provide a defense to Wells Fargo’s foreclosure action because Wells Fargo was a “holder in due course” of the mortgage and note. The court apparently based this conclusion in part on a document attached to Wells Fargo’s reply brief, entitled “Assignment of Mortgage,” which was not referred to in Baxley’s certification or authenticated in any other manner.

Defendant filed a notice of appeal from the judgment.

On appeal, defendant argues that (1) Wells Fargo failed to establish that it is the holder of the negotiable note she gave to Argent and therefore lacks standing to pursue this foreclosure action; (2) even if Wells Fargo is the holder of the note, it failed to establish that it is a holder in due course and therefore, the trial court erred in concluding that Wells Fargo is not subject to the defenses asserted by defendant based on Argent’s alleged predatory and fraudulent acts in connection with execution of the mortgage and note; and (3) even if Wells Fargo is a holder in due course, it still would be subject to certain defenses and statutory claims defendant asserted in her answer and counterclaim.

We conclude that Wells Fargo failed to establish its standing to pursue this foreclosure action. Therefore, the summary judgment in Wells Fargo’s favor must be reversed and the case remanded to the trial court.

The Baxley certification Wells Fargo submitted in support of its motion for summary judgment alleged that “[p]laintiff is still the holder and owner of the said Note/Bond and mortgage,” and a copy of the mortgage and note was attached to the certification. In addition, Wells Fargo submitted a document that purported to be an assignment of the mortgage, which stated that it was an assignment of “the described Mortgage, together with the certain note(s) described
therein with all interest, all liens, and any rights due or to become due thereon.”

If properly authenticated, these documents could be found sufficient to establish that Wells Fargo was a “nonholder in possession of the [note] who has the rights of a holder.”

Baxley’s certification does not allege that he has personal knowledge that Wells Fargo is the holder and owner of the note. In fact, the certification does not give any indication how Baxley obtained this alleged knowledge. The certification also does not indicate the source of Baxley’s alleged knowledge that the attached mortgage and note are “true copies.”

Furthermore, the purported assignment of the mortgage, which an assignee must produce to maintain a foreclosure action, see N.J.S.A. 46:9-9, was not authenticated in any manner; it was simply attached to a reply brief. The trial court should not have considered this document unless it was authenticated by an affidavit or certification based on personal knowledge.

For these reasons, the summary judgment granted to Wells Fargo must be reversed and the case remanded to the trial court because Wells Fargo did not establish its standing to pursue this foreclosure action by competent evidence. On the remand, defendant may conduct appropriate discovery, including taking the deposition of Baxley and the person who purported to assign the mortgage and note to Wells Fargo on behalf of Argent. Our conclusion that the summary judgment must be reversed because Wells Fargo failed to establish its standing to maintain this action makes it unnecessary to address defendant’s other arguments. However, for the guidance of the trial court in the event Wells Fargo is able to establish its standing on remand, we note that even though Wells Fargo could become a “holder” of the note under N.J.S.A. 12A:3-201(b) if Argent indorsed the note to Wells Fargo even at this late date, see UCC Comment 3 to N.J.S.A. 12A:3-203, Wells Fargo would not thereby become a “holder in due course” that could avoid whatever defenses defendant would have to a claim by Argent because Wells Fargo is now aware of those defenses.

Consequently, if Wells Fargo produces an indorsed copy of the note on the remand, the date of that indorsement would be a critical factual issue in determining whether Wells Fargo is a holder in due course. Accordingly, the summary judgment in favor of Wells Fargo is reversed and the case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings in conformity with this opinion.

mass joinder litigation complaint

And the first “meaty” part of the complaint….

5. The fraud perpetrated by the Countrywide Defendants from 2003 through 2007, including by BofA starting no later than 2007, was willful and pervasive. It begin with simple greed and then accelerated when Countrywide founder and CEO Angelo Mozilo (“Mozilo”) discovered that Countrywide could not sustain its business, unless it used its size and large market share in California to systematically create false and inflated property appraisals throughout California. Countrywide then used these false property valuations to induce Plaintiffs and other borrowers into ever-larger loans on increasingly risky terms. As Mozilo knew from no later than 2004, these loans were unsustainable for Countrywide and the borrowers and to a certainty would result in a crash that would destroy the equity invested by Plaintiffs and other Countrywide borrowers.

In other words, Countrywide is alleged to not only have made bad loans, but also to have intentionally inflated appraisals.

6. Hand-in-hand with its fraudulently-obtained mortgages, Mozilo and others at Countrywide hatched a plan to “pool” the foregoing mortgages and sell the pools for inflated value. Rapidly, these two intertwined schemes grew into a brazen plan to disregard underwriting standards and fraudulently inflate property values – county-by-county, city-by-city, person-by-person – in order to take business from legitimate mortgage-providers, and moved on to massive securities fraud hand-in-hand with concealment from, and deception of, Plaintiffs and other mortgagees on an unprecedented scale.

Oh, that’s rich. So not only (it is alleged) did Countrywide bamboozle borrowers, they also bamboozled investors.

9. It is now all too clear that this was the ultimate high-stakes fraudulent investment scheme of the last decade. Couched in banking and securities jargon, the deceptive gamble with consumers’ primary assets – their homes – was nothing more than a financial fraud perpetrated by Defendants and others on a scale never before seen. This scheme led directly to a mortgage meltdown in California that was substantially worse than any economic problems facing the rest of the United States. From 2008 to the present, Californians’ home values decreased by considerably more than most other areas in the United States as a direct and proximate result of the Defendants’ scheme set forth herein. The Countrywide Defendants’ business premise was to leave the borrowers, including Plaintiffs, holding the bag once Countrywide and its executives had cashed in reaping huge salaries and bonuses and selling Countrywide’s shares based on their inside information, while investors were still buying the increasingly overpriced mortgage pools and before the inevitable dénouement. This massive fraudulent scheme was a disaster both foreseen by Countrywide and waiting to happen. Defendants knew it, and yet Defendants still induced the Plaintiffs into their scheme without telling them.

There’s the base of it all….

24. Defendants have gone to great lengths to avoid producing documents in this litigation because they know that such documents will establish all details of the massive fraud they perpetrated on Plaintiffs and other Californians. PennyMac, the Granada Network and Defendants’ overseas operations are used by Defendants to systematically hide documents. By delaying production of documents, the Defendants are buying time as they (a) accept the benefits of the scheme described herein, (b) cover up their fraud, and (c) make it materially more expensive and difficult for Plaintiffs and their counsel to obtain a just result.

Of course there’s the famous “let’s hide Waldo” game once the gig is pretty much up. After all, if we have to produce the documents, well, our goose might be cooked – and that would be bad.

So what else is presented in here? Oh, all sorts of good stuff. Here’s a sampling:

275. Defendant CT REAL ESTATE SERVICES, INC. is a California corporation – corporation number C0570795 – and is a resident of Ventura County, California. Defendant CT REAL ESTATE SERVICES has acted alongside and in concertwith BofA in carrying out the concealment described herein and in continuing to conceal from Plaintiffs, from the California general public, and from regulators the details of the securitization and sale of deeds of trust and mortgages (including those of Plaintiffs herein) that would expose all Defendants herein to liability for sale of mortgages of California citizens – including all Plaintiffs herein – for more than the actual value of the mortgage loans. The sale and particularly the undisclosed sale of mortgage loans in excess of actual value violates California Civil Code, §§ 1709 and 1710, and California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq., 15 U.S.C. §§ 1641 et seq. and other applicable laws.

That sounds like a problem to me……

290. At the time of entering into the notes and deeds of trust referenced herein with respect to each Plaintiff, the Countrywide Defendants were bound and obligated to fully and accurately disclose:

a. Who the true lender and mortgagee were.

b. That to induce a Plaintiff to enter into the mortgage, the Countrywide Defendants caused the appraised value of Plaintiff’s home to be overstated.

c. That to disguise the inflated value of Plaintiff’s home, Countrywide was orchestrating the over-valuation of homes throughout Plaintiff’s community.

d. That to induce a Plaintiff to enter into a mortgage, the Countrywide Defendants disregarded their underwriting requirements, thereby causing Plaintiff to falsely believe that Plaintiff was financially capable of performing Plaintiff’s obligations under the mortgage, when the Countrywide Defendants knew that was untrue. One way they systematically disregarded the underwriting requirements was through the use of the Granada Network, another fact which Defendants systematically failed to disclose to any California borrower.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding!

One of the keys to this mess is that the lenders knew full well that the borrowers could not pay “as agreed”, yet made the loans anyway.

i. The sales would include sales to nominees who were not authorized under law at the time to own a mortgage, including, among others, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc., a/k/a MERSCORP, Inc. (“MERS”), which according to its website was created by mortgage banking industry participants to be only a front or nominee to “streamline” the mortgage re-sale and securitization process;

ii. Plaintiff’s true financial condition and the true value of Plaintiff’s home and mortgage would not be disclosed to investors to whom the mortgage would be sold;

iii. Countrywide intended to sell the mortgage together with other mortgages as to which it also intended not to disclose the true financial condition of the borrowers or the true value of their homes or mortgages;

iv. The consideration to be sought from investors would be greater than the actual value of the said notes and deeds of trust;

and

v.The consideration to be sought from investors would be greater than the income stream that could be generated from the instruments even assuming a 0% default rate thereon;

You mean basically everything important about the loans, their quality, who they were going to be sold to, why and how was all bogus? And in addition, the price to be sought from investors exceeded the income stream that could be achieved even if nobody defaulted at all?

Heh, that’s a good gig if you can get it – and if you can find a way to do it legally.

Are there some facts behind this? Oh it appears there are…

The credit losses experienced by Countrywide in 2007 not only were foreseeable by the proposed defendants, they were in fact foreseen at least as early as September 2004. [¶ 33 (Emphasis in original)]

. . .

The credit risk described in the September 2004 warning worsened from September 2004 to August 2007. [¶ 35 (Emphasis in original)]

. . .

By no later than 2006, Mozilo and Sambol were on notice that Countrywide’s exotic loan products might not continue to be saleable into the secondary market, yet this material risk was not disclosed in Countrywide’s periodic filings. [¶ 45]

. . .

Mozilo and Sambol made affirmative misleading public statements in addition to those in the periodic filings that were designed to falsely reassure investors about the nature and quality of Countrywide’s underwriting. [¶ 91]

Oh my. 2004 eh? I seem to remember tAngelo on CNBS making multiple appearances talking about how his company was going to take market share from all these subprime lenders that collapsed, and this was going to be great for his company. Indeed, I remember chortling at the time that I believed he was a lying SOB, and of course the so-called “Fantastic Mainstream Media” lapped it up – and helped support his stock price.

It appears that the intrepid attorneys who filed this action remember that too…. and the pages surrounding 100 in the complaint document a whole bunch of them, including statements in 10Ks and 10Qs that, it is alleged, were flatly false.

And, of course, there’s this one, which I have referred to many times over the last three and a half years:

363. In the January 30, 2007 earnings conference call, Mozilo attempted to distinguish Countrywide from other lenders by stating “we backed away from the subprime area because of our concern over credit quality.” On March 13, 2007, in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on CNBC, Mozilo said that it would be a “mistake” to compare monoline subprime lenders to Countrywide. He then went on to state that the subprime market disruption in the first quarter of 2007 would “be great for Countrywide at the end of the day because all of the irrational competitors will be gone.”

I distinctly remember the cheesy suits and ties, not to mention the sprayed-on-looking tan.

370. In fact, the appraisals were inflated. Countrywide did not utilize quality underwriting processes. Countrywide’s financial condition was not sound, but was a house of cards ready to collapse, as Countrywide well knew, but Plaintiffs did not. Further, Plaintiffs’ mortgages were not refinanced with fixed rate mortgages and neither Agate nor Countrywide ever intended that they would be.

As I have repeatedly pointed out, the entire intent of these loans was not to be a mortgage at all. It was, I allege, more akin to an asset-stripping scheme where the borrower would be effectively forced to come back to the lender after a couple of years when the teaser expired or the inevitable reset or recast occurred and effectively hand over his accumulated “appreciation” in price through yet more fees to be paid to the “lender.”

I believe that for all intents and purposes, from the lender’s point of view, this was nothing more than renting the house, as passing of a clear title to the buyer was never part of what was contemplated by the lender – but of course the borrower wasn’t told this in advance – or at all.

There’s much more in the complaint, but this will do for a start.

Incidentally, the banks tried to get this removed to Federal Court and kill it, and were rebuffed, so it appears that it’s headed to trial. Plaintiff’s Bar 1, Banksters 0 thus far – I will be providing updates on this case as I become aware of them. Southern California (909)890-9192 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (909)890-9192 end_of_the_skype_highlighting in Northern California(925)957-9797

Class Actions or Mass joinder cases Widespread Wrongful Foreclosures, Failure to Reinstate Loans

It is no secret that the United States remains in the throes of one of the worst “mortgage meltdowns” in history. The problem is so widespread that the numbers are almost hard to believe. The consensus is that it will take years for the effects of this economic disaster to be unwound through any process, whether free market, government run or a combination of both. Just days ago, CNBC reported that the monthly foreclosures for January was an ALL TIME HIGH. This story ran simultaneously with the emergence of allegations of widespread “robo-signing” borrowerrs into foreclosure without regard to the actual status of their loan.

In the case of the wrongful foreclosure, the fact pattern generally goes as follows. First, borrower takes out a mortgage on his property and lender takes back a promissory note and deed of trust. Second, the borrower misses one or two payments, or falls behind one or two payments, and then catches up. Third, the lender notifies the borrower that the loan is in default, fails to reinstate the loan, and begins to generate fees and costs that must be paid by the borrower — before the lender will reinstate its loan — including but not limited to: (1) attorneys fees; (2) default interest; (3) late charges; (4) appraisal fees and (5) other costs. The lender goes on to threaten the buyer with foreclosure if the buyer fails to pay all the banks fees and costs, in addition to the principal and interest on the underlying loan this is called reinstatement.

What’s the big deal? These “default” fees and costs are quickly piled on, eroding any equity that the borrower may have slowly built up on the property (in effect paying it to the Bank), draining the borrower’s bank account and leaving the borrower unable to make up the payments or resist foreclosure. On the bank side, it’s a beautifully profitable transaction, they bleed the borrower dry, and then take the property back. Additionally they could not even initiate foreclosure in California till they comply with civil code 2923.5. One problem…..it’s illegal.

The recent case against Bank of America was based on abusive practices such as these, and resulted in a settlement of $108 million, affecting nearly 200,000 borrowers!

In California, borrowers also have the protection of a special statute, California Civil Code Section 2924c. California Civil Code § 2924c applies to any obligation secured by a deed of trust on real property, and permits the trustor, who is in default under the terms of the deed of trust, to cure the default unilaterally, by paying to the beneficiary or the successor in interest:

“(A) all amounts of principal, interest, taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, or advances actually known by the beneficiary to be, and that are, in default and shown by the beneficiary to be, and that are, in default and shown in the notice of default, under the terms of the deed of trust or mortgage and the obligation secured thereby, (B) all amounts in default on recurring obligations not shown in the notice of default, and (C) all reasonable costs and expenses, subject to subdivision (c), which are actually incurred in enforcing the terms of the obligation, deed of trust, or mortgage, and trustee’s or attorney’s fees, subject to subdivision (d), other than the portion of principal as would not then be due had no default occurred…”

If the trustor cures the default pursuant to this section, then “all proceedings theretofore had or instituted shall be dismissed or discontinued and the obligation and deed of trust or mortgage shall be reinstated and shall be and remain in force and effect, the same as if the acceleration had not occurred”. Bottom line, if a borrower tenders payment to the lender as required under 2924c, reinstatement is mandatory!

A recently filed a class action in LA Superior Court against Greystone Bank for alleged violations of California Civil Code 2924c. Read Complaint. If you are a borrower that has been: (1) subjected to, or threatened with wrongful foreclosure, or (2) forced to pay improper fees and costs in order to avoid foreclosure, by Greystone Bank or Greystone Servicing Corporation, we would like to talk with you about your situation.

Also, if you have had a wrongful foreclosure experience with any other large bank, other than Greystone Bank or Greystone Servicing Corporation, we would like to talk with you about your experience as well. Call Southern California 909-890-9192 in Northern California 925-957-9797

BofA Unit Ordered to Halt Foreclosures in Nevada

Thanks to Charles Cox for forwarding this article
By David McLaughlin – Jan 25, 2011 4:19 PM PT
A Bank of America Corp. unit, ReconTrust Co. N.A., was ordered by a Nevada judge to temporarily stop foreclosures in the state that aren’t approved by a court order.
Judge Robert W. Lane in Nye County, Nevada, issued a preliminary ruling that blocks ReconTrust from conducting nonjudicial foreclosures until he holds a hearing Feb. 28 on whether to make the ban permanent, according to a Jan. 20 order provided by the court. The injunction was sought in a Nevada homeowner’s lawsuit against Bank of America and ReconTrust.
Stopping the foreclosures is necessary to prevent the “irreparable injury” that would result from “unlawful” seizure of the plaintiff’s home by ReconTrust Co., the judge wrote. The ruling applies to any real estate or personal property in Nevada.
In nonjudicial foreclosures, lenders can seize property without a court order. Some states require a court order, other don’t, and in some, including Nevada, both are used, according to RealtyTrac, which collects foreclosure data. Nevada foreclosures are primarily executed out of court, according to RealtyTrac’s website.
‘Ecstatic’
Suzanne North, the homeowner suing Bank of America and ReconTrust, said in a telephone interview that she’s “ecstatic” about the ruling. She received a default notice after seeking a loan modification from Bank of America and going through a trial period. When she received the notice at her Pahrump, Nevada, home, she contacted the bank and learned she didn’t qualify for the modification, she said.
“I think it’s great because I’m not the only one in this boat,” North said about the judge’s order.
Nevada had the highest U.S. foreclosure rate in 2010 for the fourth consecutive year, with more than 9 percent of the state’s households receiving a filing. Arizona was second at 5.7 percent and Florida third at 5.5 percent.
Jumana Bauwens, a Bank of American spokeswoman, said ReconTrust faced such an order in Utah and “prevailed in challenging that order in federal court.”
“Until the current situation is resolved, ReconTrust intends to comply with the order,” Bauwens said by e-mail. She didn’t respond to a question about how many properties are affected by the ruling.
John Christian Barlow, a lawyer who represents North, said the lawsuit claims ReconTrust doesn’t have the authority to foreclose on homes in Nevada. Bank of America and other banks use ReconTrust to seize homes in Nevada, he said. Barlow said he will seek class-action, or group, status for the lawsuit.
“If a company’s going to foreclose, they’ve got to do it right,” he said.
The case is North v. Bank of America Corp., CV31506, Fifth Judicial District, Nevada, Nye County.
Editors: Fred Strasser, Charles Carter
To contact the reporter on this story: David McLaughlin in New York at dmclaughlin9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Rovella at drovella@bloomberg.net

MERS MEANS QUIET TITLE IN SALT LAKE CITY

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Foreclosureblues

How accurate are property records?
By Tom Harvey
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published: January 16, 2011 04:41PM
Updated: January 16, 2011 01:01AM

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

Walter Keane poses for a portrait at his office Friday January 7, 2011. Keane has filed lawsuit that resulted in homeowners getting title to their property even if they owed someone money because of flaws introduced into the nation’s property recording system by an entity created by the Mortgage Bankers Association.
A Utah court case in which the owner of a Draper townhouse got clear title to the property, even though he still owed $132,000 on it, raises new legal and financial questions about a property-records database created by mortgage bankers.
The award of a title free of liens means that whoever owns the promissory note on the Draper property — likely a group of faraway investors — no longer has the right to foreclose to collect on a delinquent loan. Indeed, the townhouse owner has sold the property and kept the money. Those who own the promissory note probably don’t even know what occurred.
Decisions such as the one 3rd District Judge Glen Iwasaki handed down in the Draper case could have a big impact as the state wends its way through hundreds of lawsuits involving foreclosures, loans on properties for more than they’re worth and predatory lending practices that led Utahns to lose their homes as the real-estate bubble burst.

Quiet title • Last year, the owner of the Draper property contacted attorney Walter T. Keane to help him deal with lenders, though Keane won’t say what the problem was and the owner declined an interview request.
Keane filed what’s called a “quiet title action,” a lawsuit in which the owner seeks clear title to a property free of liens by lenders or others.
In Utah, when you take out a mortgage loan to buy a home, you sign a promissory note held by the lender and a deed of trust that is recorded at the county recorder’s office. The promissory note gives the holder the right to collect payments on the loan. The recording of the deed of trust gives the lender the right to foreclose on the property if you default on the loan.
A trustee appointed by the lender also is recorded with the county and actually holds legal title to your property subject to the conditions of the trust deed.
The lawsuit over the title to the townhouse named Garbett Mortgage and Citibank FSB as the holders of promissory notes as recorded on trust deeds filed with the recorder’s office. Integrated Title Services was listed as trustee of the Garbett Mortgage trust deed, while First American Title was the trustee of the CitiBank trust deed.

Trust deed tag-along • But there also was another entity listed on the trust deeds called the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS). The Mortgage Bankers Association, the Washington, D.C.-based trade group that represents major mortgage lenders, created MERS in the mid-1990s.
MERS is a database where promissory note owners are recorded, with MERS itself then listed on trust deeds at county recorder offices as the “beneficiary” of the note instead of the real lenders or note owners.
The new arrangement greased the way for mortgages to be packaged together and sold to investors who were relieved of the need under the traditional system to record the true owner of the promissory notes and to pay the county recording fees, which average around $35. Attorneys charge MERS is largely an instrument to avoid paying fees every time a promissory note is sold and resold and eventually packaged with others and owned by group of investors.
During the latter part of the real-estate boom, hundreds of thousands of subprime loans were packaged and sold using the MERS system. MERS has registered about 31 million loans, the company’s chief executive said in congressional testimony in November. CEO R.K. Arnold also said in a 2009 deposition that the system had saved its members an estimated $2.4 billion that would have gone to county governments.

Who’s the beneficiary? • Under the state’s quiet title laws, Keane said he did not have to name MERS or serve it legal papers in the lawsuit because it was not the legal owner of title to the property. Those were title companies. In addition, attorneys contend, MERS cannot be the “beneficiary” or holder of the promissory note because it readily has admitted it has no financial interest in any notes or mortgages.
Normally, a trustee named in a trust deed has a legal duty in Utah to the entity that holds the promissory note and for fair dealing with the homeowner. But in the townhouse case, First American Title filed a response to the quiet title action saying that it had no idea who had the right to collect payments on the promissory note, nor did it admit to knowing any other basic information about the property.
“The fact of the matter is First American Title doesn’t know who the beneficiary of the trust deed is and basically they disavow any interest in it,” Keane said. “It’s an acknowledgement [the recording system on this property is] a fiction, that they don’t have any real interest in it.”
Garbett Mortgage also told the court it no longer held an interest in the property. Integrated Title never filed a response to the lawsuit but did withdraw as a trustee with the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office.
“Considering the owner of the property [the title companies who were trustees] failed to dispute the matter, and further considering that the original lender claims no further interest, the court nullified the trust deeds prior to setting any type of trial date,” Keane said.
So in the four months that the process took, the owner was able to gain title and deny the owners of his loan the ability to foreclose on the property for nonpayment. That means the promissory note owned by investors may be worth far less than they paid for it because it is no longer backed by an asset.

Record reliability • MERS spokeswoman Karmelo Lejarde said MERS actually added reliability to the system of county recording offices.
“Prior to the creation of MERS [when servicers routinely held the mortgage lien for the note owner], the information in the public land records was not accurate due to delays in recording assignments or missing assignments that never got recorded,” she said in e-mail that appears to be a boilerplate response to questions about MERS’ role in the nation’s property registration system.
“With the MERS System, mortgage data is more accurate and title information more reliable. The MERS process creates accountability and transparency, helps keep costs low, reduces the risk of errors in record keeping and makes it easier to keep track of the lien if a loan is sold to other banks and investors.”
Gary Ott, the elected Salt Lake County recorder for the past 10 years, disagrees. He characterizes his office as a neutral party that permanently safeguards records, all of which are available for public inspection. In the past, parties were able to record each transaction or lien involving a property so a clear picture emerges of the title history of a property, Ott said, adding that with computerization, the recording is now nearly instantaneous once documents are received by his office.
“You can trust what you see at the recorder’s office because it’s up to this date, everything is in order,” said Ott, “and you can’t see at MERS if it’s in order at all. That’s the scary part, and people’s homes are something you shouldn’t mess with.”

Default judgment • Keane said he’s been able to obtain quiet title in the same manner in two other cases. Another attorney, Abraham Bates, said he recently also won a quiet title action in a similar case in Salt Lake County.
In Bates’ case, a couple who owed $417,000 on a house whose value had dropped way below that also sued for quiet title.
He named the original lender and a title company listed as trustee on the trust deed. Because neither responded to the lawsuit as legally required, the judge granted the couple a default judgment that still must be verified in court, Bates said.
Bates said under Utah laws, it was not necessary to serve MERS legal papers, as it was not in the Draper townhouse case.
“MERS is not the beneficiary of the trust deed,” Bates said. “MERS did not make the mortgage loan.”

New questions • While these decisions stripped the owners of the promissory notes of the ability to foreclose on the property to recoup missed payments, it does not preclude them from suing the people who signed the notes to try to recover lost monies.
But that action would open up a new line of questions about the MERS method of property recording, said Christopher Peterson, a University of Utah law professor who has made a national name for himself recently by questioning the legal foundations of MERS’ appearance in property-recording records and its role in foreclosures.
Under laws adopted by all 50 states, the owner of a “negotiable instrument” such as a promissory note must be in physical possession of the document, said Peterson. Otherwise it would be like someone trying to cash a photocopy of a check instead of the actual check.
“One cannot be a holder of a note unless one is in physical possession of that note,” he said.
But Peterson said evidence is coming out in courts that shows the actual promissory notes or mortgages signed by buyers were not transferred as the notes made their way into the mortgage-backed securities investment pools.
That could mean in these cases that no one is in a position to try to collect because the actual notes are lost or destroyed, potentially making some promissory notes investors think they hold worthless.

Right to foreclose • Bates said he has more than 100 lawsuits pending over MERS-related questions and has hired more attorneys for his firm to handle the increasing load.
State courts have been more favorable than federal courts to homeowners seeking to halt foreclosure proceedings based on questions about MERS’ legal standing under state and federal laws, the attorneys say.
Rulings have gone different ways in different courts. But Bates said he and Peterson are teaming up to appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell that dismissed a lawsuit claiming MERS did not have the legal right to initiate foreclosure proceedings.
The attorneys are appealing Campell’s ruling as it relates to Utah law to the Utah Supreme Court. A decision will help sort out the issues with MERS over whether it actually can initiate foreclosures even if it does not have any financial interest in the promissory note, Bates said.
A ruling favorable to the homeowner “would be an absolute tsunami in terms of foreclosure in the state of Utah,” he said.
If MERS is not able to start a foreclosure action, “then there will be a brick wall put up over all nonjudicial foreclosures prosecuted in this state,” Bates said.
tharvey@sltrib.com

What is MERS?
The Mortgage Bankers Association created the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, or MERS, in the mid-1990s. It is a database that holds the names of the entities that have a financial interest in a particular mortgage, such as investment funds that bought bundles of mortgages called mortgage-backed securities. MERS is recorded on many property deeds of trust in Utah as the “beneficiary” of a loan taken out on a property even if that loan is sold and resold many times. MERS allows the actual loan owners to avoid paying fees every time a loan is sold.

Foreclosures May Be Undone by State Ruling on Mortgage Transfer

Categorized | STOP FORECLOSURE FRAUD

Foreclosures May Be Undone by State Ruling on Mortgage Transfer

Posted on06 January 2011. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Foreclosures May Be Undone by State Ruling on Mortgage Transfer

By Thom Weidlich – Jan 6, 2011 12:01 AM ET

Massachusetts’s highest court is poised to rule on whether foreclosures in the state should be undone because securitization-industry practices violate real- estate law governing how mortgages may be transferred.

The fight between homeowners and banks before the Supreme Judicial Court in Boston turns on whether a mortgage can be transferred without naming the recipient, a common securitization practice. Also at issue is whether the right to a mortgage follows the promissory note it secures when the note is sold, as the industry argues.

A victory for the homeowners may invalidate some foreclosures and force loan originators to buy back mortgages wrongly transferred into loan pools. Such a ruling may also be cited in other state courts handling litigation related to the foreclosure crisis.

“This is the first time the securitization paradigm is squarely before a high court,” said Marie McDonnell, a mortgage-fraud analyst in Orleans, Massachusetts, who wrote a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of borrowers. The state court, under its practices, is likely to rule by next month.

Claims of wrongdoing by banks and loan servicers triggered a 50-state investigation last year into whether hundreds of thousands of foreclosures were properly documented as the housing market collapsed. The probe came after JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Ally Financial Inc. said they would stop repossessions in 23 states where courts supervise home seizures and Bank of America Corp. froze U.S. foreclosures. Massachusetts is one of 27 states where court supervision of foreclosures generally isn’t required.

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The Foreclosure Crisis as seen in Florida – A Slide Show

Their Mission, According to their Website…

Facing Change: Documenting America is a non-profit collective of dedicated photojournalists and writers coming together to explore America and to build a forum to chart its future. Mobilizing to document the critical issues facing America, FCDA teams will create a visual resource that raises social awareness and expands public debate.

I think their mission is an important one for our times.  They’ve produced a slide show documenting some of what the foreclosure crisis looks like up close.  I’d suggest clicking through it slowly… it deserves that.  Just click the link in RED below… And then would someone please write in and remind me… who’s winning here?  With this many losing, someone should be winning.  Is anyone winning?

The Foreclosure Crisis – A Slide Show

Foreclosure Deed may be Voided by Mortgage Transfer or Servicing Problems

By Max Gardner

A Federal District Court, in a December 7 order, has denied a motion to
dismiss a homeowner’s lawsuit to set aside the nonjudicial Missouri
foreclosure sale based on a deed of trust, based on allegations that 1)
the homeowner was not in default and 2) the nonjudicial sale was baed on
an invalid transfer of the mortgage and note. This decision illustrates
the potentially broad ramifications that defective mortgage transfers
and wrongful foreclosures will have for any house titles derived from
foreclosure sales in nonjudicial foreclosure states.
More specifically, the homeowner alleges that she made all payments when
due, until instructed by the servicer to stop making payments in order
to qualify for a modification. She also submitted the mortgage transfer
documents that showed a significant break in the chain of ownership. In
a deed of trust state, instead of a mortgage the loan originator
typically files a deed of trust, which transfers a power of sale from
the homeowner to a trustee, usually a local lawyer, on behalf of the
trust deed beneficiary, who is the lender or investor. In order to
transfer the mortgage, there needs to be a transfer of the note and a
change in the beneficiary of the trust deed. This is routinely done by
filing a substitution of trustee with the local recorder of deeds. The
substitution of trustee names a new trustee with a power of sale, and a
new beneficial owner of the mortgage/deed of trust. In this case the
substitution of trustee form listed a grantor of the transfer, i.e. the
prior owner of the loan, that did not match the identified beneficial
owner of the original deed of trust. This break in the chain, according
to the court and basic logic, would render the subsequent trustee deed
invalid.
A second, independent basis for setting aside the foreclosure deed was
the alleged absence of a default. In a nonjudicial foreclosure, there
is no court judgment establishing that the homeonwer defaulted on the
loan. For that reason, a completed foreclosure sale can later be set
aside if there was in fact no default. The homeowner’s allegation in
this case was that she was current in payments until the servicer
instructed her to stop paying so that it could modify her loan. This
type of servicer-induced payment interruption can be characterized as
either nondefault based on a modification of the contract, a waiver of
the payment obligation by the servicer as agent for the mortgagee, or
perhaps a repudiation by the servicer. In any case, this scenario is
sufficiently common to raise serious questions about large numbers of
property titles in nonjudicial foreclosure states.

25 year foreclosure from Hell

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla.—Patsy Campbell could tell you a thing or two about fighting foreclosure. She’s been fighting hers for 25 years.

The 71-year-old retired insurance saleswoman has been living in her house, a two-story on a half acre in a tidy middle-class neighborhood here in central Florida, since 1978. The last time she made a mortgage payment was October 1985.

The familyPatsy Campbell

Homestead

Homestead

And yet Ms. Campbell has been able to keep her house, protected by a 105-pound pit bull named Dodger and a locked, rusty gate advising visitors to beware of the dog.

“They’re not going to take this house,” says Ms. Campbell. “I intend to stay in this house and maintain it as my residence until I die.”

Ms. Campbell’s foreclosure case has outlasted two marriages, three recessions and four presidents. She has seen seven great-grandchildren born, plum real-estate markets come and go and the ownership of her mortgage change six times. Many Florida real-estate lawyers say it is the longest-lasting foreclosure case they have ever heard of.

The story of how Ms. Campbell has managed to avoid both paying her mortgage and losing her home, which is currently assessed at more than $203,000, is a cautionary tale for lenders that cut corners and followed sloppy practices when originating, processing and servicing mortgages. Lenders are especially vulnerable in the 23 states, including Florida, that require foreclosures to be approved by a judge.

Robbi Whelan/The Wall Street JournalMs. Campbell’s home in Okeechobee County, Fla.

Holdout

Holdout

Robbi Whelan/The Wall Street JournalVarious lenders have been trying to repossess the home since 1985.

Holdout

Holdout

Ms. Campbell has challenged her foreclosure on the grounds that her mortgage was improperly transferred between banks and federal agencies, that lawyers for the bank had waited too long to prosecute the case, that a Florida law shields her from all her creditors, and for dozens of other reasons. Once, she questioned whether there really was a debt at all, saying the lender improperly separated the note from the mortgage contract.

She has managed to stave off the banks partly because several courts have recognized that some of her legal arguments have some merit—however minor. Two foreclosure actions against her, for example, were thrown out because her lender sat on its hands too long after filing a case and lost its window to foreclose.

Ms. Campbell, who is handling her case these days without a lawyer, has learned how to work the ropes of the legal system so well that she has met every attempt by a lender to repossess her home with multiple appeals and counteractions, burying the plaintiffs facing her under piles of paperwork.

She offers no apologies for not paying her mortgage for 25 years, saying that when a foreclosure is in dispute, borrowers are entitled to stop making payments until the courts resolve the matter.

“This is every lender’s nightmare,” says Robert Summers, a Stuart, Fla., real-estate lawyer who represents Commercial Services of Perry, an Iowa-based buyer of distressed debt that currently owns Ms. Campbell’s mortgage and has been trying to foreclose. “Someone defending a foreclosure action can raise defenses that are baseless, but are obstacles for the foreclosing lender,” he says, calling the system “an unfair burden” for lenders.

While Ms. Campbell is an extreme case, more homeowners in trouble are starting to use similar tactics and are hiring defense lawyers to challenge their foreclosures, hoping to drag out the foreclosure process long enough to reach a settlement with the lender.

Nationwide, there were 2.1 million mortgages in some stage of foreclosure as of October, according to research firm LPS Applied Analytics. The average loan in foreclosure—the process typically starts when a loan becomes 90 days past due and a bank files a complaint—had been in default for 492 days as of October, up from 289 days at the end of 2005, according to LPS. In Florida, one of the states where foreclosures are handled by courts, the average loan in foreclosure has been delinquent 596 days.

Okeechobee County, a rural jurisdiction of 40,000 known for bass- and perch-fishing festivals, hasn’t experienced a foreclosure problem as intense as in many coastal regions of the state. Ms. Campbell’s house—which has vinyl siding, boards over the windows (to protect it from storm damage, she says), a crumbling backyard swimming pool and an old sedan rusting in the driveway—stands out among the manicured lawns, stucco ranch houses and cattle pastures interspersed among the houses.

In the town of Okeechobee, the county seat, signs of a local economy dependent on agriculture abound: stores selling pre-fab barns, animal feed and lumber line State Road 710 leading into town.

Robbi Whelan/The Wall Street JournalLawyer Robert Summers, below, who represents the current owner of her loan, has faced seven appeals of the foreclosure action from Ms. Campbell since 2000.

Holdout

Holdout

Brian Whitehall, Okeechobee’s city administrator, says unemployment in the area is hovering around 14.5%, slightly higher than the statewide average of 12% in September. Foreclosure filings have nearly doubled each year since the state’s housing market peaked in 2006, with 617 filed in 2009. But the national housing slump and the area’s economic woes aren’t immediately apparent in Okeechobee’s quiet neighborhoods.

“We’re not like the Port St. Lucies of the world, where entire subdivisions are empty and it’s like a ghost town,” Mr. Whitehall says.

Court records outline the rocky road Ms. Campbell’s loan has taken over the past 32 years. In 1978, Paul Campbell purchased the house on SW 19th Lane, a few minutes’ drive from the small pharmacy he owned, using a $68,000 mortgage from First Federal Savings and Loan of Martin County. He married Patsy in 1980, and died later that year from emphysema, leaving the property to his wife.

In 1985, Ms. Campbell stopped making mortgage payments because of an illness that caused her to lose income and get behind on her bills, she says.

By then, the savings-and-loan crisis had begun to take hold. First Federal merged with First Fidelity Savings and Loan, which assumed ownership of the Campbell loan. In 1987, First Fidelity sold the mortgage to American Pioneer Savings Bank, an Orlando-based lender that collapsed in the early 1990s.

The loan would change hands four more times, and four different lenders would try to foreclose on her. But every lender that held her loan either merged or collapsed. Each time ownership of the lender changed, the foreclosure case against Ms. Campbell would be dropped.

The loan eventually made its way to the Resolution Trust Corp., the federally owned asset manager that liquidated assets of insolvent S&Ls, and later, to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

In June 1998, the FDIC sold the mortgage to Commercial Services of Perry, which filed to foreclose in 2000. After another illness, Ms. Campbell deeded the house to her daughter, Deborah Pyper. Years later, after Ms. Campbell recovered, the house was deeded back to her. Ms. Pyper declined to comment.

Ms. Campbell’s early briefs in the case were strongly worded and colorful, drafted with the help of a now-retired Okeechobee County lawyer.

The briefs presented dozens of reasons why Ms. Campbell thought the bank didn’t have the right to her house: Paul Campbell’s signature was forged on the original mortgage, she said, and the original sellers never received money from the bank. At other times, she said the mortgage was never properly conveyed between banks and federal agencies, and she demanded paperwork that they were unable to immediately produce.

Attorneys’ fees and court costs from previous cases hadn’t been paid, or the amounts were wrong, she argued. One brief said that “Defendant Campbell specifically denies the existence of any ‘debt.'”

In 2007, a trial-court judge tossed out all but two of Ms. Campbell’s defenses, calling the case an “unnecessary paper chase which has been an unproductive and unnecessary use of judicial resources.”

Commercial Services paid a court-determined amount to settle court costs from previous cases, and moved to take the foreclosure to trial, with a date set for early October 2010.

In response, Ms. Campbell filed for bankruptcy, effectively blocking the foreclosure until a stay is lifted by a bankruptcy-court judge.

Her filing lists $225,000 in real-property assets, and lists a secured creditor’s claim of $63,801, which is equal to the unpaid principal on her mortgage. In previous court arguments, she had maintained that no lender held a secured claim against her because the note was improperly assigned.

A stern, confident woman who can quote Florida civil-procedure statutes by reference number, and who adores cooking Southern food and listening to classic Grand Ole Opry-era country music, Ms. Campbell steadfastly believes she is right. Her most recent argument in the case is that under Florida homestead law, the bank can’t seize her house because it is exempt from liens and forced sales.

“Commercial Services of Perry is in the business of doing this. They win some, they lose some,” she says. “If they had a case, they would have already won it, years ago.”

[HOLDOUT]

She maintains that at this point, no one owns her mortgage note, and that because of fraud and paperwork mistakes by the banks that transferred it over and over again in the 1990s, the debt has been made void.

Mr. Summers, the lawyer for the lender, calls the case “the foreclosure from hell.” He says Ms. Campbell has appealed the case seven times since he took it on in 2000, and all of her arguments are just stalling tactics.

“It’s almost like clockwork. You know you’re going to get another three-inch stack of documents every month or so, and you have to take the time to read through it,” Mr. Summers says. “That is a burden on the courts, a burden on lawyers to decipher it, and it has enough meat in it that it’s not all void.”

For example, according to Mr. Summers and to court filings, in 2007, when a judge remanded the case to the trial court, a court clerk failed to issue a mandate establishing the lower court’s jurisdiction. Ms. Campbell appealed the case on those grounds.

The bankruptcy should take about four months to adjudicate, Mr. Summers says, at which point he intends to take the foreclosure to trial. According to Commercial Services of Perry’s latest filings, Ms. Campbell owes the $63,801 in principal plus $148,000 in interest.

“All she’s got to do is pay what she owes: the principal, the interest, plus court costs and attorneys’ fees,” Mr. Summers says. “But she doesn’t get a free ride.”

Lawsuits Against Lenders Accelerate Amid U.S. Housing Crisis

The U.S. housing crisis has caused huge loan losses at big lenders but also spawned a slew of class-action lawsuits against them, many alleging noncompliance with consumer disclosure rules.”The compliance issue is a ticking time bomb for some lenders,” said Louis Pizante, chief executive of Mavent Inc., an Irvine, California-based company that provides automated regulatory compliance reports for financial clients. “We have only just seen the beginning of the lawsuits.”

Navigant Consulting said in a report last month that in the 15 months through March 2008 a total of 448 lawsuits had been filed related to the subprime crisis. Of the 170 cases filed in January-March 2008, 46 percent were borrower class actions.

That compared to 559 lawsuits related to the U.S. savings and loan association debacle in the 1980s and 1990s, it said.

“Each of the top 10 subprime mortgage lenders for 2006 was named in at least one borrower class action suit during 2007,” the Navigant report said.

Lenders targeted include Wachovia Corp unit World Savings Bank, Bear Stearns Cos. Inc., Citigroup Inc.’s CitiMortgage, Wells Fargo & Co. Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. unit First Franklin, and Countrywide Financial Corp., which agreed in January to be acquired by Bank of America Corp.

“Looking at the volume and scope of the claims, there is an all-out assault under way against the firms involved in subprime loans,” Navigant Managing Director Jeff Nielsen said.

Pizante and lawyers for plaintiffs said that if lenders lose such lawsuits, they may be obliged to return billions of dollars in interest and fees to borrowers. In some cases, homeowners could also have their loans declared unsecured debt by a bankruptcy court judge, allowing them to walk away.

Pizante said Mavent had seen a dramatic increase this year in requests for compliance checks from lenders. But requests have also risen from investors looking to verify whether the loans that Wall Street banks sold them during the height of the U.S. property boom met all applicable laws.

“In some cases it appears compliance may not have kept pace with the demand to get some of the more exotic loan products to market,” Pizante said.

Under a U.S. law known as The Truth in Lending Act, lenders must disclose the terms and cost of loans to consumers. But lawyers representing borrowers in the lawsuits claim lenders gave borrowers loans with hidden costs and consequences.

“The law requires lenders to disclose clearly and conspicuously what the ramifications are of a particular loan,” said Paul Kiesel, a partner at Kiesel, Boucher & Larson LLP.

“But in many cases they didn’t even come close,” he said.

Kiesel’s firm represents borrowers in more than 50 lawsuits involving Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs), one of the more exotic loan products made available by lenders during the recent property boom.

Lawyers representing lenders said that compliance cases can often come down to the interpretation of a single word.

“This will be a long slog, but the industry will get through it,” said Tom Hefferon, a partner at law firm Goodwin Procter in Washington, D.C.

The stakes are high for lawyers and lenders. But emotions are running high for plaintiffs who had subprime loans.

Richard Carbone, 65, and his wife Carmen, 62, in Hesperia, California, are typical. They said that not only were they not protected but were cheated by their mortgage provider.

Carbone, a Vietnam War veteran, said in August 2006 a broker called and told him: “‘Have I got a great deal for you.”‘

The deal: refinancing his 30-year fixed rate mortgage to a loan charging only 2 percent annual interest.

Jeffrey Berns of Arbogast & Berns LLP, who is representing the Carbones and 12,000 other subprime borrowers in class action suits, said the Carbones ended up with an Option ARM with the terms not explained in the disclosures given.

“If I’d known what they were selling me, I would have stuck with my 30-year fixed loan,” Carbone said. “I was lied to.”

With an Option ARM, borrowers can make a minimum monthly payment instead of paying the larger full amount due. But the unpaid remainder is then added to the balance of the loan.

The loan interest starts at a low “teaser” rate, then goes up quickly. There are also stiff prepayment penalties.

In two months the Carbones’ interest rate went up and they found that $800 per month was being added to their balance.

“The average person would look at the deal as it was presented and think ‘this is great.”‘ Berns said. “But by the time they realize what they have, they can’t get out.”

“The disclosures for some Option ARMs state that ‘interest rates may go up,”‘ Kiesel said. “But in 100 percent of cases they went up in the second month. That’s misleading.”

Defense lawyers say that argument is unlikely to succeed.

“That is standard language on mortgage loan disclosures,” said Jeffrey Naimon, a partner at Buckley Kollar LLP in Washington, D.C. “Interest rates go up and down all the time, so this is not the world’s strongest argument.”

Foreclosure attorney

Our Bankruptcy Attorneys and Foreclosure Prevention Attorneys have options for every situation…you just need to call. Don’t wait any longer, it may only get worse…

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Don’t wait any longer, it may only get worse…

Our Bankruptcy Attorneys and Foreclosure Prevention Attorneys have options for every situation…you just need to call. Don’t wait any longer, it may only get worse…

Bankruptcy Attorneys and Foreclosure Prevention Attorneys

We know times are tough, you aren’t sure what to do, but you know one thing, you need to do something.  Maybe you are upside down in your home and tired of throwing good money at a bad problem, maybe you can’t afford your house payments anymore due to an adjusting loan, you’ve tried talking with your  lender and after months you have gotten nowhere and you are frusterated and scared.

Your bills are mounting, your credit cards are maxed, you are starting to receive creditor calls…it is time to let the experienced bankruptcy and real estate attorneys at the McCandless  Law Firm step in and help you with all of your problems, we will steer you in the right direction for YOU. We are one of the few law firms that can assist with BOTH your real estate needs (short sales, foreclosure assistance, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, rescission of foreclosure, etc) and/or your bankruptcy needs so whichever option fits you and your needs the best, you can rest assured that our experienced attorneys can assist you quickly and competently.  And with our offer of a free consultation you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Call the Mcandless Law Firm today to schedule your free one-on-one confidential consultation with one of our experienced and caring Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Prevention Attorneys.


Some judges chastise banks over foreclosure paperwork

Gallery
During the housing boom, millions of homeowners got easy access to mortgages. Now, some mortgage lenders and government officials are taking action after discovering that many mortgage documents were mishandled.

ST PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – A year ago, Long Island Judge Jeffrey Spinner concluded that a mortgage company’s paperwork in a foreclosure case was so flawed and its behavior in negotiations with the borrower so “repugnant” that he erased the family’s $292,500 debt and gave the house back for free.

The judgment in favor of the homeowner, Diane Yano-Horoski, which is being appealed, has alarmed the nation’s biggest lenders, who say it could establish a dramatic new legal precedent and roil the nation’s foreclosure system.

It is not the only case that has big banks worried. Spinner and some of colleagues in the New York City area estimate they are dismissing 20 to 50 percent of foreclosure cases on the basis of sloppy or fraudulent paperwork filed by lenders.

Their decisions illustrate the central role lower court judges will have in resolving the country’s foreclosure debacle. The mess came to light after lawsuits and media reports showed lenders were routinely filing shoddy or fraudulent papers to seize the homes of borrowers who had missed payments.

In millions of cases across the United States, local judges have wide latitude to impose sanctions on banks, free homeowners from their mortgage debts or allow the companies to proceed with flawed foreclosures. Ultimately, the industry is likely to face a messy scenario – different resolutions by courts in all 50 states.

The foreclosure dismissals in this area of New York have not delivered free homes for borrowers. With so much at stake, lenders in this part of New York are aggressively appealing foreclosure dismissals, which is likely to keep the legal system bogged down, foreclosed homes off the market, and homeowners like the Yano-Horoski family in legal limbo for years.

“We believe the Yano-Horoski ruling, if allowed to stand, has sweeping and dangerous implications for the entire mortgage lending industry,” said OneWest Bank, the family’s mortgage servicer.

The situation in Suffolk and Nassau counties on Long Island and Kings County in Brooklyn- which have among the highest rates of foreclosure in the state and where the 81 judges handling foreclosures have become infamous over the past few years for scrutinizing paperwork for errors – provides a window into how the crisis could unfold across in the country.

While the level of tolerance for document mistakes varies from judge to judge, the group as a whole has a reputation for ruling against mortgage companies when paperwork issues or other problems arise. At least one bank, J.P. Morgan Chase, requires document processors to separate foreclosures cases from these three counties from those in the rest of the country. A high-ranking executive of the company is specially assigned to sign off on the area’s foreclosure filings.

Judge Dana Winslow of Nassau County says he’s thought a lot about why judges in his area are more apt to question filings. He said it comes down to one thing: Lack of trust for Wall Street. In this region, judges have seen a lot of inaccurate filings from the financial sector.

Trust “of the lending institutions and Wall Street has eroded in some areas of the country more than others,” Winslow said.

Craig D. Robins, a foreclosure defense attorney who authors the Long Island Bankruptcy blog, said of the Yano-Horoski case: “I think we’re going to see more decisions like this across the country. Many judges are finding their court calendars clogged with cases that have all these flaws in them that never should have been brought in the first place or should never have been brought without more due diligence.”

Going forward, mortgage companies trying to foreclosure in the state of New York will face stiffer requirements. On Oct. 20, the state’s chief judge said attorneys for lenders will have to vouch personally for the accuracy of documents.

“We can’t have the process being a fraud,” New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said in announcing the new procedure. “It has to be real and based on credible information.”

Even before Lippman’s order, however, lower court judges were already raising questions about faulty paperwork in foreclosures.

On June 17, for example, Judge Karen Murphy of Nassau County ruled that Wachovia Bank lacked standing to foreclose on a home because the document used to prove ownership of the mortgage was incomplete.

On Sept. 21, Judge Peter Mayer of Suffolk County delayed a foreclosure by Ally Financial’s GMAC mortgage unit after noticing that the paperwork transferring the mortgage to the bank was dated two days after the foreclosure was initiated.

And on Oct. 21, Judge Arthur Schack of Kings County dismissed a OneWest foreclosure motion because the bank had not adequately documented how the mortgage had been sold and resold to investors. He also questioned why the employee who signed many of the documents claimed to be a vice president of several different mortgage companies at the same time.

In a different case in May, Schack ruled that HSBC Bank could not foreclose on a home because the paperwork that assigned the mortgage to HSBC from the original lender, Cambridge, was “defective.”

That didn’t mean the borrower, Lovely Yeasmin, a 28-year-old cashier who immigrated from Bangladesh, got her three-story townhouse in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood for free. Wells Fargo, the mortgage servicer for HSBC, has not appealed the case. Instead, it has offered to temporarily lower her monthly payment from $4,700 to $3,000.

Yeasmin’s eldest brother, Mohammed Parpez, 35, said that before the judge’s order, Wells Fargo was resistent to a loan modification. “The banks are crooks. They tell everyone they are trying to help people like us, but they are really doing the opposite,” Parpez said.

Tom Goyda, a Wells Fargo spokesman, said that although the company “disagrees with the court’s findings,” it is continuing to try to work out a longer-term solution with the family.Members of the Yano-Horoski family said they struggled similarly to get their lender to modify their loan after Greg Horoski fell ill in 2005 and his online business selling specialty dolls suffered. After he underwent a triple bypass surgery, two stents and two hip replacements, he and his wife, Diane – who teaches an online English composition course – found themselves unable to pay the bills.

Despite his pleas, Horoski said, he failed to get OneWest to come to an agreement, even though he became able to pay the debt after his company’s sales picked up.

In his November 2009 ruling, Judge Spinner of Suffolk County blasted OneWest for negotiating with an “opprobrious demeanor and condescending attitude.” He also cited the bank’s “duplicity” in offering a forbearance agreement with a deadline that had already passed and for presenting contradictory paperwork claiming different amounts for what the family owed.

With their case under appeal, the Yano-Horoskis now find themselves in a tricky position, wary of putting more money into a house that an appeals court could take away from them. While the other houses on their quiet suburban street are meticulously maintained, their front-porch light remains shattered and the paint on their house is peeling.

They’ve shelled out $3,000 for a new hot-water system. They paid $2,000 for tree trimming after a neighbor complained. But they’ve let the $10,000 property tax bill become delinquent, and they worry an appeals court could not only reverse the earlier ruling but demand that the family pay back the mortgage for every month that has passed since.

Nonetheless, Horoski remains optimistic.

“People thought people who didn’t pay their mortgages were automatically deadbeats,” he said. “People are educated now. They are realizing all of a sudden how many hundreds of thousands of these homes that were foreclosed may have been done so with fraudulent documents.”

Staff researchers Julie Tate, Alice Crites and Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report. Faye Crosley forwarded this article to me and I have posted it for my readers. It would appear that some judges are beginning to thaw to the idea that this “bailout” is for the banks and the victims are being pushed aside by the foreclosure machine

The Robo-Signing Mess Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg, Mortgage Putbacks Will Be the Harbinger of the Collapse of Big Banks that Will Dwarf 2008!

The Robo-Signing Mess Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg, Mortgage Putbacks Will Be the Harbinger of the Collapse of Big Banks that Will Dwarf 2008!

Today, October 12, 2010, 1 hour ago | Reggie MiddletonGo to full article


Now that the Robo-Signing scandals have achieved full notoriety through the media, it is time to address the real issues facing investors in bank stocks. I also believe that the media is staring at the wrong target. Each major media outlet is copying what is popular or what the next outlet broke as a story versus where the true economic risks actually lie – which is essentially the real story and where the meat actually is. Here’s what’s truly at stake – the United States is now at risk of losing its hegemony as the financial capital of the world! Why? Because when we had the chance to put the injured banks to sleep and redirect resources to into new productivity, we instead allowed politics to shovel 100′s of billions in tax payer capital into zombie institutions as they turned around and paid much of it right back out as bonuses. As a result, significant capital has been destroyed, the original problem has metastized, and the banks are still in zombie status, but with share prices that are multiples of the actual values of the entities that they allegedly represent – a perfect storm for a market crash that will make 2008 look like a bull rally! For those who feel I am being sensationalist, I refer you first my track record in making such claims.

The Japanese tried to hide massive NPAs in its banking system after a credit fueled bubble burst by sweeping them under a rug for political reasons. Here’s a newsflash – it didn’t work, it hasn’t worked for 20 years, and despite that Japan is embarking on QE v3.3 because it simply doesn’t believe that it is not working. Here are the steps the US is consciously taking it its bid to enter a 20 year deflationary spiral like Japan, and may I add that these steps were clearly delineated on BoomBustBlog ONE YEAR ago (Bad CRE, Rotten Home Loans, and the End of US Banking Prominence? Thursday, November 12th, 2009), so no one can say this is a surprise.

Step one: Hide the Truth!

fasb_mark_to_market_chart.png

Step two: Formulate intricate lies to placate the masses

In this case, the US bank stress tests: You’ve Been Bamboozled, Hoodwinked and Lied To! Here’s the Proof. What Are You Going to Do About It?. We have government complicity in the purposeful opacity of the values of the mortgage assets (see the FDIC “Prudent Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts” guidance issued Oct 30th, as reported by the WSJ: Banks Hasten to Adopt New Loan Rules and the new FDIC guidance that states performing loans “made to creditworthy borrowers” will not require write downs “solely because the value of the underlying collateral declined”).

Step three: Being forced to face the music

This is where we are now, and I will go through this in more detail below

Step four: The eradication of US banks from global prominence

Not the floundering of the banks that I predicted in 2007 and 2008, but the outright collapse of many (and probably most) of the big ones, or at the very least significant shrinkage. Does this sound outrageous to you? For those of you who believe that the government’s “pretend and extend” policy has any chance in hell of working, or better yet, that we are not following in the footsteps of Japan, let’s take a pictorial trip through recent history. There are practically no Japanese banks in the top 20 bank category on  global basis by 2003 – NONE (save potentially Nomura, which arguably survived in name, alone). As you can see, they literally dominated 90% of the space in 1990!

Click to enlarge…

top_20_banks.jpg

Source: Cap Gemini Banking M&A

The European banks are not faring much better than the US banks,either – reference the Pan-European Sovergein Debt Crisis, as I see it. This is so much more serious than robo-signing scandals, and I have been shouting about this non-sense of 3 years straight. Well, are we following the Japanese “Lost Path”? Notwithstanding the damning evidence of hide the truth and hide amongst lies linked to above, ponder the following rather dated, but still quite poignant data…

 

 

housing_price_futures.jpg

Source: Nomura on Balance Sheet Recessions

Keep in mind that the US housing futures data above is based on the unrealistically optimistic Case Shiller index – reference Those Who Blindly Follow Housing Prices Without Taking Other Metrics Into Consideration Are Missing the Housing Depression of the New Millennium.

Robo-Signing: What is the  real issue at hand?

The Robo-Signing issues have arisen because some mortgage servicers have been signing off foreclosure documents without actually reading them, or doing so without the presence of a notary. Thus, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has directed seven of the US’ biggest lenders — BAC, JPM, WFC, Citi, HSBC, PNC and UBS  — to review their foreclosure processes. Consequently, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and GMAC Mortgage have suspended foreclosure cases in 23 states after noting their employees may have mishandled foreclosure documents. Goldman Sachs is following suit via their Litton Loans arm. It should also be noted that the document forgery issues penetrate much farther than just distressed properties and foreclosures. Evidence has surfaced that all types of forgeries and misrepresentations are abound in all types of mortgage paperwork. 4closureFraud (a sight where I sourced a lot of the recent robo-signing scandal info from) has a post that actually shows  President Obama’s mortgage paperwork as a “Victim to Chase Robo-Signer” This mess, in and of itself, will be difficult to untangle.

For those who didn’t notices, this is a regulatory “hold it” to the MERS system and an alert to its constituency, many of whom are subjects of extensive BoomBustBlog forensic analysis. Major MERS shareholders include:

These companies will start infighting as their myriad interest start to conflict with each other. Title insurers will balk at insuring what could be defective title, banks will fight insurers who will try to renege on insurance and/or put back loans through the warranties and representations clause as losses to investors mount though either increased expenses to work out the paperwork mess or outright losses due to fraud.

Make no mistake, the amount of litigation that is being thrown at these banks and service companies is significant, and they are shining lights on aspects of the banking world that were most conveniently kept secret, as in this class action suit that outlines the contradictory wording in the MERS paperwork (reference pages 10, 11 and 15). Pages 15 on makes issue of fraudulent assignments, of Robo-Signing fame – see for yourself;

Here is a deposition of one of the “said” secretaries from another suit in New Jersey…

#000000;”>Does MERS have any salaried employees?
A No.
Q Does MERS have any employees?
A Did they ever have any? I couldn’t hear you.
Q Does MERS have any employees currently?
A No.
Q In the last five years has MERS had any
employees
?
A No.
Q To whom do the officers of MERS report?
A The Board of Directors.
Q To your knowledge has Mr. Hallinan ever
reported to the Board?
A He would have reported through me if there was
something to report.
Q So if I understand your answer, at least the
MERS officers reflected on Hultman Exhibit 4, if they
had something to report would report to you even though
you’re not an employee of MERS, is that correct?
MR. BROCHIN: Object to the form of the
question.
A That’s correct.
Q And in what capacity would they report to you?
A As a corporate officer. I’m the secretary.
Q As a corporate officer of what?
Of MERS.
Q So you are the secretary of MERS, but are not
an employee of MERS?
A That’s correct.

#000000;”>etc…
How many assistant secretaries have you
appointed pursuant to the April 9, 1998 resolution; how
many assistant secretaries of MERS have you appointed?
A I don’t know that number.
Q Approximately?
A I wouldn’t even begin to be able to tell you
right now.
Q Is it in the thousands?
A Yes.
Q Have you been doing this all around the
country in every state in the country?
A Yes.
Q And all these officers I understand are unpaid
officers of MERS
?
A Yes.
Q And there’s no live person who is an employee
of MERS that they report to, is that correct, who is an
employee?
MR. BROCHIN: Object to the form of the
question.
A There are no employees of MERS.

And even more damning, this particular suit gets right to the heart of the matter from an economic AND legal perspective (something that the previous suits have not) and that is that the banks were complicit in overvaluing both the lender and the collateral at the point of underwriting, and doing so on a broad basis. This is the notion behind my premise that a wave of losses and litigation will be coming any minute now as investors and the insurers facing claims from those investors attempt to put back loans on a wide scale and near universal basis as the rampant fraud of the real estate bubble of the new millenium is exposed and litigated throughout the court system.Those entities that swallowed loan mills such as Wachovia, Countrywide, Nationwide, Lehman, Bear Sterns, Merrill Lynch and WaMu will be feeling their indigestion.

I read through portions of a couple of filings and there appears to be some technical errors and maybe even a slight misunderstanding of the banking business, but if these guys (the plaintiff’s attorneys) get their act together in terms of coordinating with each other and getting some real expertise on the subject matter to bolster their filings, I really don’t see how this will not – at the very least – materially drive the expense ratios of both the banks and the investment pools, and at worst hasten the inevitable demise of those entities that underwrote or bought the bad paper then paid the gift of US taxpayer capital (TARP,ZIRP, PPIP, etc. ) out as bonuses versus alleviating the matter at hand.

Impact on RMBS and CDOs

Most analysts believe that a break in foreclosures will not be an optimistic sign for Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS).  This is because RMBS portfolios that contain the foreclosure loans will likely experience higher loss severities due to longer liquidation timelines.  Additionally, the RMBS market is expected to witness a large number of repurchases as well as higher monetary losses and ratings downgrades if it is proved that loans were not serviced in accordance with regulatory guidelines. Of course, I believe that servicing is the minor issue. It is the faulty underwriting that is the canary in the goldmine here, and the servicing issues is simply the impetus that will shine the light on the premise that at least half of the high LTV loans written were done so on a fraudulent basis.

GMAC Mortgage Class Action Lawsuit Complaint Filed Over Alleged … Oct 4, 2010 GMAC Homeowners In Maine File Class Action Lawsuit Complaint Against GMAC Mortgage Over Alleged False Foreclosure Documents, Affidavits and.
classactionlawsuitsinthenews.com/classactionlawsuits/gmac-mortgage-classactionlawsuit-complaint-filed-over-alleged-false-foreclosure-docu…Cached

Wrongful Foreclosure Class Action « Timothymccandless’s Weblog

Jan 15, 2010 13 Responses to “Wrongful Foreclosure Class Action” I would like to be included in your class action lawsuit. I am a victim of predatory
timothymccandless.wordpress.com/…/wrongful-foreclosureclassaction/

o    According to Canadian rating agency DBRS “The recent findings could have far reaching implications throughout the industry with hundreds of thousands of homeowners contesting foreclosures that are in process or have been completed; ultimately causing servicers to face losses due to expensive litigation and class action lawsuits. The biggest uncertainty remains on how the courts will view the “legality” of foreclosures that have already taken place and what actions, if any, will be taken to remedy the situation.

DBRS believes that servicers will be able to quickly correct and refile any deficient affidavits in addition to implementing the appropriate controls to ensure there is not another breakdown in process. However, RMBS that contain these loans will likely experience higher loss severities due to longer liquidation timelines, negative rating actions and the potential for loans to be repurchased out of the transaction due to breaches of representation and warranties if it is proven that they were not serviced in accordance with applicable guidelines. DBRS will continue to monitor the impact of this situation on its rated transactions and take any rating actions as necessary” (Source: http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/10/05/360811/from-robo-signing-to-rmbs/)

o    Researchers at DBRS also highlighted that the robo-signing debacle will likely lead to a large number of residential mortgage-backed securities repurchases as well as higher monetary losses and continual ratings downgrades if it is proven that loans were not serviced in accordance with federal guidelines. (Source: http://foreclosureblues.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/rmbs-buybacks-expected-to-increase-due-to-robo-signing-dbrs/)

Every material development is impetus for the potential for putbacks due to breaches of representation and warranties Uncertainty in the RMBS market in terms of actual valuation is a result of rampant and provable inflation of appraisal prices during the underwriting of said mortgages and not so much falsification of documents since in many cases those documents can be cured, but misrepresentation cannot! You do not hear this in the media circuits, but it is a fact. Thus, the underwriting banks face the chance of systemic losses. I have warned of this about a year ago – Banks Swallow Another $30 billion or So in More Losses as Their Share Prices Surge (Again). You see, banks often allowed for the inflation of appraisal values and/or income/assets, but the broker channel did it as par for the course.

This is the part that everybody seems to be overlooking…

All you really need to do is find the banks that accepted a lot of broker business, factor in the expense of the class action suit litigation that is popping up in nearly every state (try Googling it, you will be amazed as big firms and store front lawyers alike are throwing their hats in the ring), and you will see the easiest way out of a potentially tough bind for investors is the put back. Where does this land? Squarely on the balance sheet of the banks – who, BTW have the money to attract even more predatory lawyers. A forensic review of high LTV loans between 2003 and 2007 should find that at the very least 30% were aggressively valued, with a more realistic number coming in at about 60%. Ask anyone who was in in the business at that time, I doubt they will disagree.

When I warned of this LAST YEAR, it was not taken very seriously. I suggest all should think again – Reggie Middleton on JP Morgan’s “Blowout” Q4-09 Results. Let’s reminisce…

I pointed out an anomaly in JP Morgan’s “blowout” quarterly earnings release – #1f1f1f;”>Reggie Middleton on JP Morgan’s “Blowout” Q4-09 Results#000000;”>. Let’s reminisce…

#1f1f1f;”>

#333333;”>Warranties of representation, and forced repurchase of loans

#333333;”>JP Morgan has increased its reserves with regards to repurchase of sold securities but the information surround these actions are very limited as the company does not separately report the repurchase reserves created to meet contingencies. However, the Company’s income from mortgage servicing was severely impacted by increase in repurchase reserves. Mortgage production revenue was negative $192 million against negative $70 million in 3Q09 and positive $62 million in 4Q08.

Counterparties who are accruing losses from bad loans, (ex. monoline insurers such as Ambac and MBIA, see A Super Scary Halloween Tale of 104 Basis Points Pt I & II, by Reggie Middleton circa November 2007,) are stepping up their aggression in pushing loans that appear to breach certain warranties or smack of fraud. I expect this activity to pick up significantly, and those banks that made significant use of brokers and third parties to place mortgages will be at material risk – much more so than the primarily direct writers. I’ll give you two guesses at which two banks are suspect. If you need a hint, take a look at who is increasing reserves for repurchases! JP Morgan and their not so profitable acquisition, WaMu!

https://i0.wp.com/boombustblog.com/images/stories/regional_banks/32bustedbanks/thumbnails/thumb_image020.png

As I said, losses should be ramping up on the mortgage sector. Notice the trend of housing prices after the onset of government bubble blowing: If Anybody Bothered to Take a Close Look at the Latest Housing Numbers…

PNC Bank and Wells Fargo are in very similar situations regarding acquiring stinky loan portfolios. I suggest subscribers review the latest forensic reports on each company to refresh as the companies report Q4 2009 earnings. Unlike JPM, these banks do not have the investment banking and trading fees of significance (albeit decreasing significance) to fall back on as a cushion to consumer and mortgage credit losses.

#1f1f1f;”>

Well, it looks as if I was onto something. From Bloomberg:

 

March 5 (Bloomberg) – Fannie Mae andFreddie Mac may force lenders includingBank of America Corp.JPMorgan Chase & Co.Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc. to buy back $21 billion of home loans this year as part of a crackdown on faulty mortgages.

That’s the estimate of Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Chris Kotowski, who says U.S. banks could suffer losses of $7 billion this year when those loans are returned and get marked down to their true value. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both controlled by the U.S. government, stuck the four biggest U.S. banks with losses of about $5 billion on buybacks in 2009, according to company filings made in the past two weeks.

 

The surge shows lenders are still paying the price for lax standards three years after mortgage markets collapsed under record defaults. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are looking for more faulty loans to return after suffering $202 billion of losses since 2007, and banks may have to go along, since the two U.S.- owned firms now buy at least 70 percent of new mortgages.

 

 

Freddie Mac forced lenders to buy back $4.1 billion of mortgages last year, almost triple the amount in 2008, according to a Feb. 26 filing. As of Dec. 31, Freddie Mac had another $4 billion outstanding loan-purchase demands that lenders hadn’t met, according to the filing. Fannie Mae didn’t disclose the amount of its loan-repurchase demands. Both firms were seized by the government in 2008 to stave off their collapse.

 

….

 

The government’s efforts might be counterproductive, since the Treasury and Federal Reserve are trying to help banks heal, FBR’s Miller said. The banks have to buy back the loans at par, and then take an impairment, because borrowers usually have stopped paying and the price of the underlying homehas plunged. JPMorgan said in a presentation last month that it loses about 50 cents on the dollar for every loan it has to buy back.

 

Striking a Balance

 

“It’s a fine line you’re walking, because the government’s trying to recapitalize the banks, not put them in bankruptcy, and then here’s Fannie and Freddie putting more pressure on the banks through these buybacks,” FBR’s Miller said. “If it becomes too big of an issue, the banks are going to complain to Congress, and they’re going to stop it.” [Of, course! Let the taxpayer eat the losses borne from our purposefully sloppy underwriting]

 

Bank of America recorded a $1.9 billion “warranties expense” for past and future buybacks of loans that weren’t properly written, seven times the 2008 amount, the bank said in a Feb. 26 filing. A spokesman for Charlotte, North Carolina- based Bank of America, Scott Silvestri, declined to comment.

 

JPMorgan, based in New York, recorded $1.6 billion of costs in 2009 from repurchases, including $500 million of losses on repurchased loans and $1 billion to increase reserves for future losses, according to a Feb. 24 filing.

 

“It’s become a very meaningful issue, and it will continue to be a meaningful issue for the next couple of years,” Charlie Scharf, JPMorgan’s head of retail banking, said at a Feb. 26 investor conference. He declined to say when the repurchase demands might peak.

 

 

“I can’t forecast the rates at which they’re going to continue,” she said. Her division lost $3.84 billion last year, as the bank overall posted a $6.28 billion profit. “The volume is increasing.”

 

Wells Fargo, ranked No. 1 among U.S. home lenders last year, bought back $1.3 billion of loans in 2009, triple the year-earlier amount, according to a Feb. 26 filing. The San Francisco-based bank recorded $927 million of costs last year associated with repurchases and estimated future losses.

 

 

Citigroup increased its repurchase reserve sixfold to $482 million, because of increased “trends in requests by investors for loan-documentation packages to be reviewed,” according to a Feb. 26 filing.

 

“The request for loan documentation packages is an early indicator of a potential claim,” New York-based Citigroup said.

 

According to a WSJ analysis, the RMBS market may have a balanced impact with the junior bondholders typically at the bottom of the credit structure could actually end up better off than expected. Senior bondholders, typically at the top, could end up worse off.  This is because when houses that have been packaged into a mortgage bond are liquidated at a foreclosure sale—the very end of the foreclosure processes—the holders of the junior, or riskiest debt, would be the first investors to take losses. But if a foreclosure is delayed, the servicer must typically keep advancing payments that will go to all bondholders, including the junior debt holders, even though the home loan itself is producing no revenue stream. In addition, how the allocation of cost of re-processing the foreclosed loans, which could be significant also, remains a key concern. (Source: http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/10/07/363876/updating-the-us-foreclosure-scandal/)

However, some analysts and bond traders have a contrarian view that the “Robo-signing” issues will not have a significant effect on the RMBS valuations, as most RMBS investments have been made after stringent performance modeling (Yeeeahhh, right! Just like the HPA (perpetual housing price appreciation assumptions utilized by Fitch during the boom to dole out AAA ratings on subprime trash! This is total and absolute BULLSHIT, but I am including it so as to be as balanced as possible). More so, they believe that the actual impact on RMBS valuations will depend on how long it takes for banks to tackle the problem.

  • According to a RMBS manager at one capital market group, “the majority of investors currently involved in trading RMBS performed stringent performance modeling. Anyone who bought RMBS from 2006 and 2007, vintages from when presumably these robo-signed foreclosures were inked, would have run the collateral through extended resolution scenarios”. He also expects that bond rally will continue, and that problem would not emerge unless the robo-signing issue is not resolved in less than six months. As per the RMBS manager, “RMBS right now is trading like stocks. Besides, in the year-end, the book always goes up, it’s window dressing the portfolio.
  • Another bond trader, who is also has a bullish view for the market, believes that every single major servicer will face problems similar to Ally and JPMorgan, but still expects RMBS to remain well-valued considering overall loss severities are level and constant repayment rates remain healthy (source: http://www.housingwire.com/2010/10/01/robo-signers-dont-scare-the-mortgage-bond-market).
  • According to Brett Schaffer, the president of Phoenix Capital Inc. and Phoenix Analytics Services Inc, “it’s premature to determine how big of a hit the “robo-signing” scandal will have on servicing valuations. Much depends on how long it takes for servicers to address the problem. If this gets resolved in fairly short order within a month or six weeks and … there isn’t any critical flaw in the mortgage servicers’ practices in general, then I don’t think it has really any impact,” On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a material flaw and there is going to be long-term foreclosure halts, then it probably would have a material impact on those particular firms. It’s not just a blanket statement for the market.”
  • According to Robert Lee, senior vice president at Mortgage Industry Advisory Corp. in New York, “Servicing costs are going to rise regardless of how long it takes for the issue to be resolved, as companies hire employees to work through the documents and the foreclosure process is delayed. But the impact of those higher costs on mortgage servicing asset values may be minimal because many servicers have been conservative in their estimates. Servicing rights themselves right now are weaker than where the cash flow values are.” He also estimated the hit to most portfolios’ value from the fallout of the documentation scandal will be less than 10 basis points. (Servicing values are expressed as a percentage of the unpaid principal balance of the loans in a portfolio).

Overall, we at the BoomBust believe that the uncertainty on the impact of robo-signing on RMBS valuation will remain until the banks give clarity on how long the foreclosures are expected to remain suspended. We also believe that the media is staring at the wrong target. Each major media outlet is copying what is popular or what the next outlet broke as a story versus where the true economic risks actually lie – which is essentially the real story and where the meat actually is. Watch the W&R number over the next two quarters for those banks that purchased cesspool portfolios such as Countrywide, National City, Wachovia and WaMu, and let me know if they start to skyrocket.


In the meantime, I will be updating my forensic valuations of the big banks that I have covered right about the time they report in the upcoming weeks. These updates will include Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, PNC, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan. I will put them through the realistic stress test scenarios that our government failed to and have the results available to paying subscribers. Of course, I will factor in the very real probability of a surge in W&R activity, just as I warned last year. This is something that is just not found in banking analysis that I see on the Street. Below is an example of what was done last year for PNC…….

#ffffff;”>For those of you want to know what the stress tests results of the big banks were if they used the NY Fed/FDIC official loss data, I have run the numbers for you. It doesn’t look very pretty in some cases. This content is paid subscriber-only, except for the two links that have public-lite and public excerpt included! Let’s walk through the PNC free data, in light of how misleading their latest quarterly report was (see For those that didn’t notice – Reggie Middleton on PNCl Q3-09 Results and then be sure to read At What Point Does Accounting Gimmickery Become an Outright Lie? Let’s Ask PNC).

#ffffff;”>Click any of these graphics to enlarge…

pnc_stress1.png

#ffffff;”>Notice the amount of leverage that PNC is using if one were to use the NY Fed and FDIC data in lieu of what PNC has proffered through their take home test.

#ffffff;”>pnc_stress2.png

#ffffff;”>As you can see from above, there is a significant difference between what the government’s SCAP tests reveal PNC will lose and what the government’s NY Fed and FDIC call sheet data says PNC will lose – a very significant difference. Solely as a result of looking at this chart, one should be willing to demand a second round of considerably more stringent stress testing.

#ffffff;”>pnc_stress3.png

#ffffff;”>If one were to granularly break down the foreseen losses to PNC’s portfolio using the government data…

#ffffff;”>pnc_stress4.png

#ffffff;”>As you can see, going through each major loan category in PNC’s books reveals a much LESS optimistic scenario than ANY portrayed in their SCAP take home test results…

#ffffff;”>In an act of near unprecedented generosity, I have included the PNC valuation along with the Blackrock contribution in the free PNC lite public download below (in alphabetical order).

#ffffff;”>


Subscriber content that reveals what the banks REALLY needed in terms of capital and cushions to whether the true rate of losses and unemployment to come. You may subscribe here to access this content.#ffffff;”>Goldman Sachs Stress Test Professional Goldman Sachs Stress Test Professional 2009-04-20 10:06:45 4.04 Mb

Goldman Sachs Stress Test Retail Goldman Sachs Stress Test Retail 2009-04-20 10:08:06 720.25 Kb

MS Simulated Government Stress Test MS Simulated Government Stress Test 2009-05-05 11:36:25 2.49 Mb

MS Stess Test Model Assumptions and Stress Test Valuation MS Stess Test Model Assumptions and Stress Test Valuation 2009-04-22 07:55:17 339.99 Kb

PNC SCAP Results recast using FDIC and NY Fed data - Pro PNC SCAP Results recast using FDIC and NY Fed data – Pro 2009-05-15 07:31:21 455.37 Kb

PNC SCAP Results recast using FDIC and NY Fed data - Retail PNC SCAP Results recast using FDIC and NY Fed data – Retail 2009-05-15 07:30:25 395.18 Kb

PNC Stress Test Pro PNC Stress Test Pro 2009-04-13 02:10:17 3.11 Mb

PNC Stress Test update - Professional PNC Stress Test update – Professional 2009-04-21 15:55:56 3.00 Mb

PNC Stress Test Retail PNC Stress Test Retail 2009-04-13 02:11:08 323.51 Kb

PNC Stress Test update - Retail PNC Stress Test update – Retail 2009-04-21 15:53:52 777.50 Kb

PNC stress test write up - public lite PNC stress test write up – public lite 2009-07-27 02:37:11 995.30 Kb

Sun Trust Banks Simulated Government Stress Test Sun Trust Banks Simulated Government Stress Test 2009-05-05 11:37:13 1016.17 Kb

JPM Public Excerpt of Forensic Analysis Subscription JPM Public Excerpt of Forensic Analysis Subscription 2009-09-22 14:33:53 1.51 Mb

 

BofA Finds Foreclosure Document Errors

BofA Finds Foreclosure Document Errors

 

By DAN FITZPATRICK

Bank of America Corp. for the first time acknowledged finding some mistakes in foreclosure files as it begins to resubmit documents in 102,000 cases.

The Charlotte, N.C., lender discovered errors in 10 to 25 out of the first several hundred foreclosure cases it examined starting last Monday. The problems included improper paperwork, lack of signatures and missing files, said people familiar with the results. In certain cases, information about the property and payment history didn’t match.

Some of the defects seem relatively minor, according to the bank, and bank officials said they haven’t uncovered any evidence of wrongful foreclosures. There was an address missing one of five digits, misspellings of borrowers’ names, a transposition of a first and last name and a missing signature on one document “underlying” an affidavit, a bank spokesman said.

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But the bank uncovered these mistakes while preparing less than 1% of the first foreclosure files that it intends to resubmit to the courts in 23 states. As the nation’s largest mortgage lender, the bank is under pressure to show that its mortgage process isn’t flawed amid revelations that many banks used “robo-signers” to approve large numbers of foreclosure documents without reading them closely.

State and federal agencies launched investigations into the allegations, and some officials, including Iowa’s attorney general, said they wouldn’t necessarily trust the banks’ self-assessments.

Several statements from bank officers about foreclosure practices have come under scrutiny. Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive John Stumpf on Oct. 20 said: “I don’t know how other companies do it, but in our company the affidavit signer and the reviewer are the same team member.” Days later a deposition emerged from a bankruptcy case indicating that Wells Fargo had in fact used a robo-signer who didn’t verify documents she approved.

A Wells Fargo spokeswoman said “we don’t believe any of those cases or depositions should be taken out of context. If we find some errors and need for improvements we will take that action.”

Bank of America in several recent public comments about the foreclosure issue hadn’t previously acknowledged even minor errors. Yet last week it uncovered a group of mistakes as it prepared to resubmit the first batch of documents and shared the information internally, according to people familiar with the matter. Executives are briefed twice daily about what was found.

When the bank announced Oct. 18 that it would lift a freeze on foreclosure sales in 23 states, it emphasized the accuracy of its internal review. “Our initial assessment findings show the basis for our foreclosure decisions is accurate,” the company said in a statement.

That conclusion, it turns out, was based on an earlier sample of fewer than 1,000 files. The bank found no mistakes in the sample, a spokesman said, but it decided to make changes to its affidavit approval procedures before going through all 102,000 cases. Now, for example, a notary will sit next to the signer of the affidavit as the documents are being reviewed.

The day after the bank began its comprehensive review of all documents, CEO Brian Moynihan told analysts on an Oct. 19 conference call that “the teams reviewing the data have not found information which was inaccurate, which would affect the plain facts of the foreclosure” such as whether the customer was actually delinquent on the loan. The errors uncovered so far support Mr. Moynihan’s statement, bank officials said, and all mistakes are being corrected before the bank resubmits documents to the courts.

Barbara Desoer, president of home loans for Bank of America, said Sunday that Mr. Moynihan’s Oct. 19 comments were “consistent” with the review findings. “The basis for the foreclosure decisions have been accurate and correct,” she said.

Its not Robo-Singning its lying !!!

Like everyone else, I’d been reading with amazement the stories about one of those legal problems: the robo-signing scandal that has ensnared all the banks with mortgage servicing subsidiaries, Bank of America included. That’s the scandal in which a tiny handful of employees had signed — or allowed others to forge their signatures — on thousands of affidavits confirming that the banks had the legal right to foreclose on properties they serviced. In truth, they had often never seen the documents proving the bank had that legal right. In some cases, the documents didn’t even exist. As a result of the mounting publicity, many big banks had halted all foreclosures while they reviewed the legality of their affidavits. Its more than just the process of robo-signing its lying. In California in 2008 the California Foreclosure prevention act was passed requiring lenders to contact Borrowers and assess their financial condition before a valid foreclosure could be initiated. Rather some Mers employee signs a declaration that the borrower was contacted. They do not follow the law civil code 2923.5 and 2923.6 and 2924.

Southern California (909)890-9192  in Northern California(925)957-9797

A wrongful foreclosure action typically occurs when the lender starts a non judicial foreclosure action when it simply has no legal cause. This is even more evident now since California passed the Foreclosure prevention act of 2008 SB 1194 codified in Civil code 2923.5 and 2923.6. In 2009 it is this attorneys opinion that 90% of all foreclosures are wrongful in that the lender does not comply (just look at the declaration page on the notice of default). The lenders most notably Indymac, Countrywide, and Wells Fargo have taken a calculated risk. To comply would cost hundreds of millions in staff, paperwork, and workouts that they don’t deem to be in their best interest. The workout is not in there best interest because our tax dollars are guaranteeing the Banks that are To Big to Fail’s debt. If they don’t foreclose and if they work it out the loss is on them. There is no incentive to modify loan for the benefit of the consumer.

Sooooo they proceed to foreclosure without the mandated contacts with the borrower. Oh and yes contact is made by a computer or some outsourcing contact agent based in India. But compliance with 2923.5 is not done. The Borrower is never told that he or she have the right to a meeting within 14 days of the contact. They do not get offers to avoid foreclosure there are typically two offers short sale or a probationary mod that will be declined upon the 90th day.

Wrongful foreclosure actions are also brought when the service providers accept partial payments after initiation of the wrongful foreclosure process, and then continue on with the foreclosure process. These predatory lending strategies, as well as other forms of misleading homeowners, are illegal.

Bank Of America foreclosure fraud

The Devastating Report On Bank Of America That Everyone Is Talking About

Posted by Foreclosure Fraud on October 17, 2010 · 3 Comments 

Full report below, but first some background…

First from Business Insider…

Here’s That Devastating Report On Bank Of America That Everyone Is Talking About Today

Editors note: This was originally published yesterday, but continues to get plenty of attention today, and was just referenced by David Fasber on CNBC. Without further ado...

Earlier, we wrote about Felix Salmon’s contention that there’s a new mortgage fraud scandal that has the potential to dwarf Goldman’s ABACUS dealings. In this fraud scenario, banks took advantage of their information advantage and sold CDOs with mortgages they knew to be bad without clear representation to investors.

In August, Manal Mehta and Branch Hill Capital put together a presentation targeting Bank of America’s potential exposure to this mortgage fraud, as well as other problems in the mortgage market.

The presentation comes to a pretty damning conclusion: Bank of America’s exposure could nearly halve its share price.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-america-mortgage-report-2010-10#ixzz12dvMtRAf

Then we have the spin zone…

CNBC

Sorry Folks, The Put-Back Apocalypse Ain’t Gonna Happen

You should probably be a buyer of Bank of America right now.

But Bank of America’s recent decline—down almost 10% this week—is driven by fears that the bank could be hit with huge liabilities for faulty mortgage pools. And I’m pretty sure that is not going to happen.

Why not?

Because the politicians will not let the financial stability of the largest bank in the nation be threatened by contractual rights. Not when there’s an easy fix available that won’t cost taxpayers a dime.

Here’s what is going to happen: Congress will pass a law called something like “The Financial Modernization and Stability Act of 2010” that will retroactively grant mortgage pools the rights in the underlying mortgages that people are worried about. All the screwed up paperwork, lost notes, unassigned security interests will be forgiven by a legislative act.

There’s a big difference between the financial crisis of 2008 and the new crisis. In 2008, banks were destabilized by the growing realization that they were over-exposed to the real estate market. Huge portions of their balance sheets were committed to mortgage-linked investments that were no longer generating the expected revenues or producing losses. That was a problem of economics that could only be solved by recapitalizing banks or letting some of the biggest banks in the U.S. fail.

The put-back crisis is not driven by economics. It is driven by legal rights. And there’s simply zero probability that the politicians in Washington are going to let Bank of America or Citigroup or JP Morgan Chase fail because of a legal issue.

So here’s what I expect will happen. The lame duck session of Congress will pass a bill that essentially papers over the misdeeds of the banks that originated mortgage securities. Every member of Congress and every Senator who has been voted out of office will cast a vote for the bill. And the President will sign it.

You can check out the rest of this along with comments here…

If the latter is what comes to be, am I terrified on what the repercussions will bring…

There will be no rule of law left in America.

If wall street does not have follow the law, why should main street?

We are in critical times here folks…

Oh, and one more thing.

How do you defraud the investor without defrauding the borrower?

They were both sold an empty box…

Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure

A deed in lieu agreement is another option for individuals who do not have the financial means to continue making payments on their mortgage but seek to avoid foreclosure.  A deed in lieu is an arrangement in which the deed to property is surrendered and any remaining balance on the mortgage is forgiven.  This is a good option for some individuals who have substantial equity in their home, but who cannot find a buyer for a short sale.

With a deed in lieu, a timeline will be established regarding turning over the deed and vacating the property.  The homeowner may also be expected to pay fees associated with transferring the property to the mortgage lender, and as with short sales, any forgiven principal balance may be subject to a forgiveness tax.  This can create an additional tax burden for some individuals, therefore the decision to go through with a deed in lieu arrangement is one that must be carefully evaluated.

If you are considering a deed in lieu arrangement with your mortgage lender, talk to one of our bankruptcy attorneys today.  The McCandless Law Firmoffers professional advice and a free, no-obligation case evaluation, so that you can complete information about your legal rights and any choices you may have when it comes to avoiding foreclosure.  Contact us in Southern California (909)890-9192 in Northern California(925)957-9797 today to learn about bankruptcy law, deed in lieu arrangements, and your rights and obligations under the law.