MARCO A. HERNANDEZ, District Judge.
Plaintiff Susan Crowden ("Plaintiff" or "Crowden") brings this diversity action against Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), SunTrust Mortgage, Inc. ("SunTrust"), and First American Title Insurance Company ("First American Title") alleging defendants improperly foreclosed on her residence, a condominium located in Portland, Oregon (the "Property"). Compl., Ex. A. Plaintiff seeks a declaration that the trustee sale foreclosing her property is void. Compl., ¶¶ 4-16, 21, 25. Now before me is the motion to dismiss the Complaint with prejudice (doc. #12) ("Motion to Dismiss") filed by Fannie Mae and SunTrust (collectively, "Defendants") pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ("Rule"). For the reasons that follow, the Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED without prejudice.
The following includes allegations asserted in the Complaint and information contained in documents submitted by Defendants:
On November 13, 2007, Plaintiff gave to her lender, Watermark Financial ("Watermark"), two notes and two Deeds of Trust. Compl., ¶ 8. Both trust deeds were recorded in the official real property records of Multnomah County, Oregon (the "County Records"), one as 2007-195910 and the other as 2007-195911.
Subsequent to the signing of her loan, an Assignment of Deed of Trust (the "Assignment") dated January 20, 2011, was recorded in the in the County Records on January 26, 2011. Id., ¶ 11; Robinson Decl., Ex. 3, p. 1. Under the Assignment, MERS "grant[ed] and transferr[ed]" "all beneficial interest under [the 2007-195910] Deed of Trust" to SunTrust. Id. The Assignment was signed by Beverly Dumas, the Assistant Secretary of MERS. Id.
An Appointment of Successor Trustee dated January 20, 2011, was recorded in the County Records on January 26, 2011. Compl., ¶ 12. Pursuant to this document, SunTrust appointed First American Title as successor trustee. Id.
A Notice of Default and Election to Sell (the "Notice of Default") dated January 24, 2011, was recorded in the County Records on January 26, 2011. Compl., ¶ 13; Robinson Decl., Ex. 1, p. 1. The Notice of Default was signed by Lauren Meyer, the Senior Trustee Sale Officer at First American Title. Compl. ¶ 13; Robinson Decl., Ex. 1, p. 3.
A Corporate Assignment of Deed of Trust (the "Corporate Assignment") dated June 2, 2011, was recorded in the County Records on June 7, 2011. Compl., ¶ 14; Robinson Decl., Ex. 4, p. 1. Pursuant to the Corporate Assignment, MERS "grant[ed] and convey[ed]" its "beneficial interest" in the 2007-195910 trust deed to SunTrust. Id.
A Statutory Warranty Deed dated June 2, 2011, was recorded in the County Records on July 13, 2011. Compl., ¶ 15; Robinson Decl., Ex. 5, p. 1. The Statutory Warranty Deed states SunTrust "conveys and warrants" the "real property" to Fannie Mae for the "true consideration" of zero dollars. Id.
Lastly, on July 8, 2011, the Property was sold to SunTrust at a non-judicial foreclosure sale held by First American Title. Compl., ¶ 15. The trustee's sale was recorded in the County Records on July 13, 2011. Id.
Count One of the Complaint alleges the July 8, 2011, foreclosure sale was improper because: (1) Fannie Mae had an unrecorded beneficial interest in the property which was not recorded before the non-judicial foreclosure sale as required under ORS 86.735; (2) the post-foreclosure conveyance to Fannie Mae for zero dollars, which was dated more than a month before the sale, was a sham and reflected Fannie Mae's unrecorded interest in the property; (3) the Notice of Default was executed by First American Title two days before its powers as successor trustee had vested; (4) SunTrust lacked the authority to appoint First American Title as successor trustee on January 26, 2011; (5) SunTrust was only a servicer of the loan at the time of the foreclosure sale rather than the beneficial owner and accordingly, SunTrust's appointment of First American Title as successor trustee violated ORS 86.790(3); and (6) MERS only assigned its rights as agent for the lender. Compl., ¶ 18.
Count Two of the Complaint alleges Defendants failed to follow the applicable foreclosure laws as required under the Deed of Trust and accordingly, Defendants lacked the authority to conduct the non-judicial foreclosure sale on July 8, 2011. Id., ¶¶ 23-24.
In order to state a claim for relief, a pleading must contain "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). This standard "does not require `detailed factual allegations,' but it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation."
In order to survive a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, "a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to `state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'"
The Ninth Circuit has previously stated that "[w]hen ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, if a district court considers evidence outside the pleadings, it must normally convert the 12(b)(6) motion into a Rule 56 motion for summary judgment, and it must give the nonmoving party an opportunity to respond."
FRE 201 permits judicial notice of adjudicative facts. Fed. R. Evid. 201(a). "A judicially noticed fact must be one not subject to reasonable dispute in that it is either (1) generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court or (2) capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned." Fed. R. Evid. 201(b). A court may take judicial notice of a mortgage that is attached to a motion to dismiss without converting the motion to a motion for summary judgment.
In addition, under the "incorporation by reference" doctrine, a court may take into account documents "whose contents are alleged in a complaint and whose authenticity no party questions, but which are not physically attached" to the complaint.
Here, the documents relied on and submitted by Defendants, including the Deed of Trust, Notice of Default, Assignment of the Deed of Trust, Corporate Assignment, and Statutory Warranty Deed, are matters of public record. They have also been incorporated by reference in Plaintiff's Complaint. Accordingly, this court may consider the documents submitted by Defendants without converting the Motion to Dismiss into a motion for summary judgment.
Defendants recognize SunTrust executed the Statutory Warranty Deed on June 2, 2011, over one month before the July 8, 2011, foreclosure sale. They, however, argue that it "sprung" into effect when SunTrust purchased the Property at the foreclosure sale, thereby passing title from SunTrust to Fannie Mae only at that time. They contend there is no requirement that springing interests in real property such as this must be recorded before the foreclosure sale.
Plaintiff concedes Defendants were not required to record the Statutory Warranty Deed before the foreclosure sale. She, however, argues that the Statutory Warranty Deed which "conveys and warrants" the Property to Fannie Mae before the foreclosure sale makes her claim that Fannie Mae had a beneficial interest in the trust deed before the sale more plausible. Robinson Decl., Ex. 5, p. 1.
Plaintiff's arguments are unavailing. ORS 86.735 requires the "
Defendants argue Plaintiff lacks standing to set aside the foreclosure on her property. They contend Plaintiff cannot show Defendants' alleged failure to record the necessary assignments in this instance caused the foreclosure. They further contend Plaintiff lacks standing to enforce the statutory recording requirements set forth under Oregon law because they were intended to protect the interests of a subsequent purchaser, not a mortgagor as Plaintiff is here.
I am not persuaded by Defendants' reliance on the general rules of standing or the cases to which they cite. Here, the Complaint alleges the non-judicial foreclosure on her property arises out of Defendants' alleged violation of Oregon foreclosure statutes and played an integral part in dispossessing her of the Property. The allegations in the Complaint in this instance sufficiently allege an injury to Plaintiff and give her standing to challenge Defendants' non-judicial foreclosure sale.
Defendants seek to dismiss Plaintiff's allegation that the "post-foreclosure conveyance [from SunTrust to Fannie Mae] for $0 . . . was a sham and reflected [Fannie Mae's] earlier unrecorded interest" in the Property. Compl., ¶ 18(b). Defendants argue the sequence of events related to the execution of the Statutory Warranty Deed was proper. They concede the Statutory Warranty Deed was
Plaintiff concedes that the conveyance from SunTrust to Fannie Mae on the day of the foreclosure sale for zero dollars does not by itself invalidate the trustee sale. She, however, argues that the conveyance under the Statutory Warranty Deed makes it plausible that Fannie Mae had a previous unrecorded interest in the trust deed. Pl.'s Resp. to Defs.' Mot. to Dismiss ("Resp."), p. 7.
Plaintiff's argument misses the mark. As discussed above, ORS 86.735 does not require a conveyance under a statutory warranty deed be recorded, and Plaintiff cites no authority standing for such a proposition. Additionally, contrary to Plaintiff's allegation, SunTrust's conveyance of the Property to Fannie Mae for zero dollars does not make it plausible that Fannie Mae had a previous unrecorded interest in the trust deed. In fact, I conclude Plaintiff's allegation that SunTrust's conveyance "was a sham and reflected [Fannie Mae's] earlier unrecorded interest in the property" amounts to a "conclusory allegation of law" and an "unwarranted inference" insufficient to defeat Defendants' Motion to Dismiss.
Plaintiff alleges the "Notice of Default was
Plaintiff responds that pursuant to ORS 86.790, a successor trustee is vested "with all the powers of the original trustee" only if the appointment of the successor trustee is recorded. Plaintiff argues that when First American Title signed the Notice of Default on January 24, 2011, its powers as successor trustee had not yet vested because MERS's assignment of its beneficial interest in the trust deed to SunTrust and SunTrust's appointment of First American Title as successor trustee had not been recorded until January 26, 2011. She also contends the Notice of Default here failed to contain the trustee's election to sell the property as required under ORS 86.735(3). I disagree.
The statute on which Plaintiff relies states, "If the appointment of the successor trustee is recorded in the mortgage records of the county or counties in which the trust deed is recorded,
Moreover, Plaintiff fails to cite any authority, and I do not find any, requiring the assignment of the trust deed or the appointment of a successor trustee be recorded before the notice of default is executed. In fact, the record before me supports the conclusion that Defendants satisfied the necessary requirements of ORS 86.735. Here, the Assignment of the trust deed dated January 20, 2011, states MERS assigns "all beneficial interest" under the Deed of Trust to SunTrust and shows the Assignment was recorded on January 26, 2011. Robinson Decl., Ex. 3, p.1. The record also shows SunTrust appointed First American Title as successor trustee on January 20, 2011, and recorded the appointment on January 26, 2011. Compl., ¶ 12. Finally, the record shows First American Title signed the Notice of Default on January 24, 2011, and recorded it on January 26, 2011. Robinson Decl., Ex. 1, pp. 1, 3. The record clearly establishes that by the time the trustee sale occurred on July 8, 2011, the trust deed, the assignment of the trust deed from MERS to SunTrust, the appointment of First American Title as successor trustee, and the Notice of Default had been recorded in the County Records as required under ORS 86.735.
In addition, Plaintiff's assertion that First American Title failed to state in the Notice of Default it "elected to sell" the Property belies the record. ORS 86.735(3) provides "[t]he trustee may foreclose a trust deed by advertisement and sale . . . if . . . [t]he trustee or beneficiary has filed for record in the county clerk's office . . . a notice of default . . . containing the trustee's or beneficiary's
I turn next to Plaintiff's allegation that "SunTrust lacked the authority to appoint a successor trustee" before the "corporate assignment of the deed of trust from [MERS] to SunTrust." Compl. ¶ 18(d). Defendants argue that simply because the Corporate Assignment of the trust deed from MERS to SunTrust was executed on June 2, 2011, does not mean the prior Assignment of the trust deed and Appointment of Successor Trustee are invalid.
Plaintiff responds it has sufficiently alleged that MERS, not SunTrust, was the "beneficiary" of record as of January 20, 2011, the date SunTrust attempted to appoint First American Title as successor trustee. She argues that under ORS 86.790(3) the beneficiary may appoint in writing another qualified trustee and because SunTrust was not the beneficiary on January 20, 2011, it could not appoint First American Title as successor trustee.
I am unpersuaded by Plaintiff's argument. Here, the record shows MERS "grant[ed] and transfer[ed] . . . all beneficial interest" under the trust deed to SunTrust pursuant to the Assignment dated January 20, 2011. Robinson Decl., Ex. 3, p. 1. The record also shows SunTrust appointed First American Title as successor trustee pursuant to the Appointment of Successor Trustee dated January 20, 2011. Compl., ¶ 12. The record further shows the Assignment of the trust deed and Appointment of Successor Trustee were both recorded on January 26, 2011. Robinson Decl., Ex. 3, p. 1; Compl., ¶ 12. Plaintiff fails to cite any authority standing for the proposition that the Assignment of the trust deed and Appointment of Successor Trustee do not take effect until they are recorded. Plaintiff's assertion that MERS, not First American Title, was the proper trustee as of January 20, 2011, lacks merit.
Plaintiff alleges that "SunTrust was only a servicer of the loan at the time of the foreclosure sale rather than the beneficial owner" and as such, the Appointment of Successor Trustee was "not in compliance with ORS 86.790(3)." Compl. ¶ 18(e). Defendants contend whether SunTrust was the servicer of Plaintiff's loan or beneficial owner of the note is irrelevant because Suntrust's appointment was timely executed and recorded before the July 8, 2011, foreclosure sale.
Plaintiff responds that under ORS 86.705, the term "beneficiary" means the "person for whose benefit a trust deed is given."
Here, the trust deed explicitly states "MERS is a separate corporation . . . acting solely as a nominee for Lender and Lender's successors and assigns." Robinson Decl., Ex. 2, p. 1. More important, it explicitly states, "MERS is the beneficiary under this Security Instrument." Id. It further states, "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)
The trust deed here clearly authorizes MERS to act as the true beneficiary and proclaims MERS is the beneficiary under the trust deed. The trust deed also explicitly gives MERS, as the beneficiary under the trust deed, the right to foreclose on the Property. Clearly, this is not a case where the trust deed limits MERS's role only to the capacity as a nominee for the lender.
As noted above, MERS expressly "grant[ed] and transfer[ed] . . .
Lastly, the Complaint alleges the "assignments of interest from MERS purport only to be assignments of MERS' interest, which is a nominee's interest for the lender," and accordingly, MERS assigned "only its rights as agent for the lender who was entitled to receive the benefits of the loan." Compl., ¶ 18(f). Defendants argue Plaintiff's allegation contradicts the terms of the Assignment. They contend MERS, as Watermark's nominee, had the power to exercise any and all of Watermark's rights under the trust deed, including the power of foreclosure. Thus, they argue that after the Assignment SunTrust was authorized to take every action that it took, regardless of whether or not it was designated as Watermark's "nominee."
Plaintiff responds that the Assignment assigned only MERS's interest, not Watermark's interest, to SunTrust. She contends the trust deed states MERS is a "nominee for the lender" and therefore, MERS was only an agent for Watermark. She argues MERS cannot be both the agent and principal, citing the Restatement (Third) of Agency § 6.01 ("§ 6.01") in support of her proposition.
Plaintiff relies heavily on Judge Panner's decision in
Plaintiff's selective reading of
In short, the Deed of Trust here explicitly names MERS as the "beneficiary" under the trust deed and explicitly gives MERS "the right to foreclose and sell" Plaintiff's property. Robinson Decl., Ex. 2, p. 1, 3. Under these circumstances, MERS had not only the right to receive benefits under the loan, but also the right to foreclose on Plaintiff's property. Lastly, as discussed above, the record here clearly shows the Deed of Trust, the Assignment, and the Appointment of Successor Trustee were timely recorded before the non-judicial foreclosure as required under the OTDA.
For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (doc. #12) is GRANTED without prejudice.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ORS 86.735(1)-(4).