MARTIN REIDINGER, District Judge.
On February 15, 2019, the Plaintiff initiated this action against "Nationstar Insurance Company." [Doc. 1]. The Plaintiff served the Defendant Nationstar Mortgage LLC ("Nationstar") with a Summons and the Complaint on March 30, 2019. On April 22, 2019, Nationstar sought an extension of time until May 21, 2019, to respond to the Complaint. [Doc. 9]. The Court granted Nationstar's motion on April 23, 2019. [Doc. 10]. On May 6, 2019, the Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint alleging four claims for relief against Nationstar.
On May 21, 2019, Nationstar filed a Motion to Dismiss the Amended Complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) and (b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on the grounds that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction and that the Amended Complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. [Doc. 15]. On June 12, 2019, the Honorable W. Carleton Metcalf, United States Magistrate Judge, entered an Order giving the Plaintiff until June 21, 2019, to respond to Nationstar's Motion. [Doc. 16]. On June 13, 2019, the Plaintiff attempted to file a Second Amended Complaint [Doc. 18]; however, Judge Metcalf struck that pleading because it failed to comply with Rule 15(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
On June 19, 2019, the Plaintiff filed a pleading entitled "Notice of Motion and Motion for the Clerk of Court to Correct an Inadvertent Mistake by the Plaintiffs" [Doc. 20]. In this Motion, the Plaintiff indicates that he wishes to amend his Complaint to change the name of the defendant to "Nationstar Mortgage LLC dba Mr. Cooper." [
On July 1, 2019, the Plaintiff filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the Nationstar's Motion to Dismiss on the grounds that the Motion was not properly served pursuant to Rule 12(b)(5) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. [Doc. 25]. The Plaintiff filed a substantially identical version of this motion again on July 18, 2019. [Doc. 28]. Nationstar filed a Response in opposition to these two motions on July 29, 2019. [Doc. 31].
These matters are now ripe for disposition.
A motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) addresses whether the Court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear the dispute.
Taking the well-pled factual allegations in the Complaint as true, and taking judicial notice of certain public records referenced in the Complaint, the following is a summary of the relevant facts.
On February 23, 2006, Judith S. Wilkie ("Borrower"), who is the deceased spouse of the Plaintiff, executed a Deed of Trust ("Deed of Trust") in favor of Access National Mortgage. The Deed of Trust secured repayment of a Note in the amount of $100,779.00. [
The Plaintiff generally alleges that Nationstar made false representations to the Clerk in an affidavit but fails to specifically identify the representations. [Doc. 12: Am. Compl. at ¶ 1]. The Plaintiff claims that he was only two months behind on the loan and that Nationstar was not applying a suspense balance to the loan. [
The foreclosure hearing went forward on August 14, 2018 and, after the hearing, the Clerk entered an Order to Allow Foreclosure ("Foreclosure Order") on the same day. [
The Plaintiff claims that he submitted documents for a loan modification to Nationstar, but the emails he attaches to Nationstar show that those documents were submitted on September 5, 2018, after the foreclosure hearing on August 14, 2018. [Doc. 12 at 9: Am. Compl. ¶ 4, Ex. A, Doc. 3]. The Plaintiff also makes a variety of conclusory allegations alleging that Nationstar engaged in dual tracking; that he was entitled to a loan modification; and that Nationstar cannot prove a default, among other allegations. [
The Plaintiff claims that he is asserting four claims for relief in the case caption: (1) Predatory Lending; (2) Fraud; (3) Breach of Contract; and (4) Dual Tracking. [Doc. 12 at 1]. However, it is unclear in the body of the Amended Complaint how his allegations relate to these claims. The Plaintiff further claims that his damages are unspecified "severe mental anguish and property loss." [
Throughout this litigation, the Plaintiff has filed a number of Plaintiff's "Requests for Judicial Notice." [Docs. 17, 22, 27, 32, 35]. In these pleadings, the Plaintiff moves pursuant to Rule 201 of the Federal Rules of Evidence for the Court to take judicial notice of certain facts, arguments, and caselaw.
To the extent that these "Requests" are intended to be motions, they are procedurally improper, as they are not accompanied by briefs as required the Court's Local Rules.
The Plaintiff has filed two motions to amend his Complaint. In his first Motion, he seeks to change the name of the defendant to "Nationstar Mortgage LLC dba Mr. Cooper." In his Second Motion, the Plaintiff simply re-alleges the same allegations that he has already made in the currently operative Amended Complaint, namely that Nationstar violated federal law by engaging in dual tracking and that Nationstar breached the mortgage contract. [
A party may amend its own pleading once as a matter of course within twenty-one days after service of a responsive pleading or twenty-one days after service of a motion under Rule 12(b), (e), or (f), whichever is earlier. Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)(B). In all other cases, a party may amend only with the consent of the opposing party or with leave of Court. Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). Ordinarily, the Court "should freely give leave when justice so requires."
Here, allowing the Plaintiff to amend his complaint further would be futile. Correcting the name of the Defendant would have no effect on this proceeding, as Nationstar has already appeared and defended this action, despite not being properly named. Further, the allegations he asserts in his proposed Second Amended Complaint are virtually identical to those asserted in the current operative Amended Complaint, and for the reasons discussed below, such allegations demonstrate that the Plaintiff's claims are barred by the
The Plaintiff moves the Court to dismiss Nationstar's Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(5) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on the grounds that the Motion to Dismiss was served on the Plaintiff at the wrong address.
Rule 12(b) relates to the assertion of defenses in a responsive pleading, such as an answer to a complaint. Rule 12(b)(5) specifically addresses the defense of "insufficient service of process." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(5). "Process" relates to the service of a summons with a complaint (under Rule 4) or the service of a subpoena (under Rule 45). Service of process is not required for the service of a motion.
In any event, the Plaintiff has not shown that he has been prejudiced by any mistake in the service of the Motion to Dismiss. The Plaintiff admits that he saw the Motion to Dismiss on pacer.gov. [Doc. 25 at 3]. Further, the Court gave the Plaintiff thirty (30) days to file a response to the Motion to Dismiss, and the Plaintiff has filed multiple pleadings in opposition to the Motion. [
In the Amended Complaint, the Plaintiff alleges that Nationstar wrongfully foreclosed upon the Property and claims that Nationstar could not prove the elements of foreclosure. [Doc. 12: Am. Compl. at ¶¶ 9-12]. As noted above, the Clerk issued the Foreclosure Order on August 14, 2018. [See Doc. 15-2 Ex. C: Order to Allow Foreclosure]. The Plaintiff now attempts to challenges that Order in this Court. However, as courts have consistently recognized, a federal district court does not have jurisdiction to review such state court orders.
The
The Supreme Court has cautioned that
While couched in terms of claims for fraud and breach of contract, the Plaintiff's Amended Complaint clearly is an attempt to challenge the validity of the foreclosure proceedings initiated against him and the judgment entered therein. For example, he alleges that the "foreclosure sale" was "in violation of the Consumer Protection Agencies strict rules against Du[a]l Tracking," and he alleges that "[t]he Defendant cannot prove the six (6) elements in order to foreclose under Chapter 45." [Doc. 12: Am. Compl. at ¶¶ 5, 12]. Because the
(1) The Defendant's Motion to Dismiss [Doc. 15] is
(2) To the extent that the Plaintiffs' "Requests for Judicial Notice" can be construed as motions, such motions [Docs. 17, 22, 27, 32, 35] are
(3) The Plaintiff's "Notice of Motion and Motion for the Clerk of Court to Correct an Inadvertent Mistake by the Plaintiffs [sic]" [Doc. 20] and the Plaintiff's "Notice of Motion and Motion for a 7 Day Leave to File and Amend Complaint" [Doc. 26] are
(4) The Plaintiff's "Notice of Motion and Motion to Dismiss Defendant['s] Motion to Dismiss for Insufficiency of Process" [Docs. 25, 29] is
The Clerk of Court is directed to close this case.