RICARDO S. MARTINEZ, District Judge.
Plaintiffs Michael and Diane McCann, appearing through counsel, filed this action in Snohomish County Superior Court, asserting eight causes of action arising from a mortgage refinance transaction they entered with Washington Mutual Bank. The complaint alleged claims of intentional and negligent misrepresentation, "illegal kickback" in violation of 12 U.S.C. § 2607 (the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, or "RESPA"), violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, breach of contract, reformation of the note, and rescission of the note
Chase moves to dismiss all eight
Defendant Quality Loan Service Corporation has joined in the motion to dismiss, noting that the complaint states no claims against this defendant. Dkt. # 9. Defendant is correct: the complaint names Quality as "the agent for servicing of the loan," and states that "Quality is named herein only as its interest is affected by the claims against the obligation and to restrain conducting of the trustee sale." Complaint, ¶ 1.3. As noted below at Note 2, plaintiffs never filed a motion to restrain the sale in this Court. The claim against Quality may therefore be dismissed without further analysis.
To survive a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), "a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to `state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). It is not enough for a complaint to "plead[ ] facts that are `merely consistent with' a defendant's liability." Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955). Rather, "[a] claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Id. "The plausibility standard is not akin to a `probability requirement,' but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully." Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). Although a court considering a motion to dismiss must accept all of the factual allegations in the complaint as true, the court is not required to accept as true a legal conclusion presented as a factual allegation. Id. at 1949-50 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). In the event the court finds that dismissal is warranted, the court should grant the plaintiff leave to amend unless amendment would be futile. Eminence Capital, LLC v. Aspeon, Inc., 316 F.3d 1048, 1052 (9th Cir.2003).
Chase has supported the motion with a copy of the P & A Agreement, and a quote of the relevant paragraph stating that "any liability associated with borrower claims for payment of or liability to any borrower ... are specifically not assumed by the Assuming Bank." Dkt. # 7, Exhibit 2; Dkt. # 6, p. 4. Plaintiffs have not objected to this supporting document, and in turn have quoted from an FDIC website, "A Borrower's Guide to an FDIC Bank Failure," which states in part that "[t]he sale does not affect the terms of your loan," and "[t]he new owner ... assumes the receiver's obligations and commitments." Plaintiffs' Response, Dkt. # 10, p. 9-10. Chase, in reply, has not objected to plaintiffs' citation to this website.
There is no dispute that the FDIC had the authority to transfer certain Washington Mutual liabilities to Chase through the P & A Agreement while retaining others. Article 2.5 of the P & A Agreement expressly provides that the FDIC retained Washington Mutual's potential liabilities associated with borrowers' claims:
Declaration of Erin Stines, Dkt. # 7, Ex. 2 at 9.
A number of federal courts have now held that this P & A Agreement relieves Chase of liability for borrowers' claims against Washington Mutual. These courts reason that Chase became a successor to Washington Mutual by executing the P & A Agreement; the P & A Agreement governs the status of Chase as successor; and Article 2.5 of the P & A Agreement establishes that Chase did not assume liability for borrowers' claims related to loans made by Washington Mutual prior to September 25, 2008. On this basis, the district courts, including this one, have repeatedly dismissed TILA and RESPA claims brought against Chase because the P & A Agreement specifies that Chase did not assume liability for such claims. See, Danilyuk v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., 2010 WL 2679843 (W.D.Wash.)
Plaintiffs, in opposition to the motion to dismiss, have cited to a section of TILA, 15 U.S.C. § 1641(c), asserting that "Chase's claim of immunity from liability contravenes the express provisions of the Truth in Lending Act ("TILA"), which specifically preserves consumers' rights vis-avis an assignee." Plaintiffs' Opposition, Dkt. # 10, p. 3. The cited section states, in relevant part, "Any consumer who has the right to rescind a transaction under section 1635 of this title may rescind the transaction as against any assignee of the obligation." 15 U.S.C. § 1641(c). However, as noted above, plaintiffs did not assert a claim under TILA. Their claim of right to rescission nowhere provides a statutory reference or invokes TILA; it simply states that "McCann is entitled to rescind the note on the basis of material breach preventing McCann from receiving the benefits intended by the transaction." Complaint, Dkt. # 4-3, ¶ 10.2. This bare allegation, even when considered in combination with various references to the Truth in Lending statement ("TIL") in the factual recitation portion of the complaint, is insufficient to raise a claim under TILA in the absence of any statutory citation. The Court will not guess at the statutory basis of a claim, nor frame it for a plaintiff who is represented by competent counsel.
Even if plaintiffs had properly asserted a TILA claim in their complaint, it would be time-barred. The right to rescind a transaction under TILA "shall expire three years after the date of consummation of the transaction." 15 U.S.C. § 1635(f). This three-year period is not a statute of limitations within which to file an action, but rather is the duration of the right to rescind. Beach v. Ocwen Fed. Bank, 523 U.S. 410, 415-18, 118 S.Ct. 1408, 140 L.Ed.2d 566 (1998). As such, it cannot be tolled. D'Onofrio v. U.S. Bank, 2009 WL 3298237, at *2 (N.D.Cal. Oct. 13, 2009); Walker v. Equity 1 Lenders Group, 2009 WL 1364430, at *6 (S.D.Cal.2009) (citing Taylor v. Money Store, 42 Fed. Appx. 932, 933 (9th Cir.2002) ("Equitable tolling does not apply to rescission under [§ 1635(f)].")).
The mortgage at issue in this case, as a refinance of an existing mortgage, was arguably subject to TILA's rescission provisions. 15 U.S.C. § 1635(e) (providing that residential mortgage transactions-meaning mortgages used to finance the acquisition of a consumer's dwelling—are exempt). Nonetheless, Chase has demonstrated that the McCanns consummated the loan on August 26, 2004. This suit was not filed until December 29, 2009, more than five years later. Any claim for rescission under TILA is therefore time-barred. Plaintiffs' arguments in opposition to the motion to dismiss, based on TILA, are insufficient to overcome Chase's arguments for dismissal.
The Court finds that Article 2.5 of the P & A Agreement relieves Chase of all liability
Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Chase's motion to dismiss (Dkt. # 6) with respect to all claims, and DISMISSES these claims with leave to amend to state a proper defendant. The Court also GRANTS Quality's motion to dismiss the request for injunctive relief (Dkt. # 9), and DISMISSES this claim without prejudice and with leave to amend. If no amended complaint is filed within twenty days of the date of this Order, the Clerk shall close the file.