DAVID C. GODBEY, District Judge.
This Order addresses two motions: (1) a motion for summary judgment filed by Defendants JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., individually and as successor-in-interest to Washington Mutual Bank, F.A. ("JPMC"); Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. ("MERS"); and MERSCORP Holdings, Inc. (collectively the "MSJ Defendants") [60]; and (2) Defendant CTX Mortgage Company, LLC's ("CTX") motion
This case is about the mortgage on Plaintiff Zan Green's home (the "Property"). On March 30, 2004, Green executed a note payable to CTX (the "Note") in order to purchase the Property. At the same time, she executed a deed of trust (the "Deed") encumbering the Property and securing payment of the Note. The Deed names MERS as nominee and beneficiary under the Deed and is recorded in the property records of Dallas County.
At some point, the Note and Deed were apparently assigned to Washington Mutual Bank ("WaMu"), though the MSJ Defendants point to no evidence confirming this fact. There is no record of any assignments in the Dallas County property records. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took WaMu into receivership in 2008, and thereafter JPMC acquired Green's loan. JPMC currently holds the Note, which CTX indorsed in blank.
In 2010, Green defaulted on her loan. After the default, Defendant Selim Taherzadeh sent Green a letter in which he informed her that JPMC was accelerating the maturity date of Green's loan and had scheduled a foreclosure sale for the Property. Taherzadeh claimed to represent Defendant Brice, Vander Linden, & Wernick, P.C. ("Brice"), a law firm. JPMC, because of this lawsuit, has not yet foreclosed on the Property.
Green filed this action in Texas state court. JPMC, with the other Defendants' consent, removed to this Court. The Court previously granted CTX's motion to dismiss and granted in part Brice's motion to dismiss, granting Green leave to amend her complaint. See Order, Aug. 30, 2012[50]. In response, Green filed an amended complaint [57], which is the current live pleading.
The amended complaint seeks to quiet title in the Property. It further asserts that Brice and Taherzadeh violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692a et seq.; that JPMC violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.; and that all Defendants are liable for common law negligence. It also seeks declaratory and injunctive relief. Thus far, Taherzadeh has not appeared in this case. The MSJ Defendants move for summary judgment as to all claims against them, and CTX moves to dismiss the amended complaint as to all claims against it.
Courts "shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter
When a party bears the burden of proof on an issue, "he must establish beyond peradventure all of the essential elements of the claim or defense to warrant judgment in his favor." Fontenot v. Upjohn Co., 780 F.2d 1190, 1194 (5th Cir.1986). When the nonmovant bears the burden of proof, the movant may demonstrate entitlement to summary judgment either by (1) submitting evidence that negates the existence of an essential element of the nonmovant's claim or affirmative defense, or (2) arguing that there is no evidence to support an essential element of the nonmovant's claim or affirmative defense. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Once the movant has made this showing, the burden shifts to the nonmovant to establish that there is a genuine issue of material fact so that a reasonable jury might return a verdict in its favor. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Moreover, "[c]onclusory allegations, speculation, and unsubstantiated assertions" will not suffice to satisfy the nonmovant's burden. Douglass v. United Servs. Auto. Ass'n, 79 F.3d 1415, 1429 (5th Cir.1996) (en banc). Indeed, factual controversies are resolved in favor of the nonmoving party "`only when an actual controversy exists, that is, when both parties have submitted evidence of contradictory facts.'" Olabisiomotosho v. City of Houston, 185 F.3d 521, 525 (5th Cir. 1999) (quoting McCallum Highlands, Ltd. v. Washington Capital Dus, Inc., 66 F.3d 89, 92 (5th Cir.1995)).
As a threshold matter, JPMC argues that "borrowers do not have standing to challenge the assignments of their mortgages because they are not parties to those assignments." Defs.'s Br. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. 8. The Court recognizes that several courts in this Circuit have issued opinions adopting this position, but this Court respectfully disagrees with those opinions.
The Court is aware of no Texas court that has denied standing to all borrowers to challenge assignments of their mortgages. Rather, as this Court has previously noted,
Puente v. CitiMortgage, Inc., No. 3:11-CV-2509-N, 2012 WL 4335997, at *6 (N.D.Tex. Aug. 29, 2012) (quoting Kramer v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, No. A-12-CA-276-SS, 2012 WL 3027990, at *4-5 (W.D.Tex. May 15, 2012)); accord Miller v. Homecomings Fin., LLC, 881 F.Supp.2d 825, 831 (S.D.Tex.2012) ("Texas has long followed the common law rule which permits a debtor to assert against an assignee any ground that renders the assignment
In other words, Green has standing to assert that the assignments are void, but she lacks standing to assert that they are voidable. Accordingly, because Green asserts a number of grounds allegedly rendering the assignments void and none rendering them voidable, she has standing to bring them. Nevertheless, though she may assert these claims under Texas law, they are all unavailing.
Green's claims against the MSJ Defendants are based on the contention that, for one reason or another, JPMC lacks standing to foreclose on the Property. None of these reasons, however, holds up under scrutiny.
Green points to the Texas Local Government Code as providing, despite the statutory and case law cited above, that an unrecorded assignment is wholly invalid. That section provides as follows:
TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE § 192.007(a). Green reads this section as requiring, regardless of the text of the Texas Property Code, that an assignment be recorded. The Court is aware of no Texas state court case—and very few federal cases—discussing this statutory text. Such statutory analysis seems necessary, however, in light of the ostensibly contradictory text in the Property Code stating that an "unrecorded instrument is binding on a party to the instrument." Tex. Prop. Code § 13.001(b); see also id. § 51.0001(4) (recognizing that recordation of assignment is one of several methods of establishing status as mortgagee). When a state high court has not ruled on a particular issue of state law, a court must make an "Erie guess" and determine as best it can what the state high court would most likely decide. See Erie v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 78, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938); Terrebonne Parish Sch. Bd. v. Columbia Gulf Transmission Co., 290 F.3d 303, 317 (5th Cir.2002).
In this case, the Court concludes that the Texas Supreme Court would decide that Texas Government Code § 192.007 does not require recordation of an assignment for that assignment to be effective as to the parties to the assignment. First, section 192.007 does not state that failure to record voids an assignment as to any or all parties or that it affects the ability of an assignee to foreclose. Accord Miller, 881 2d F.Supp.2d at 830 (noting that "[t]he legal consequences of failing to comply with this statutory command are unclear"). In a recent case, the Texas Supreme Court analyzed a statute requiring that a police officer swear to an arrest report. Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Caruana, 363 S.W.3d 558 (Tex.2012). The Court noted that the statute "does not prescribe the consequence for a failure to satisfy that requirement" and concluded that, "[i]f some sanction should be imposed, it need not be automatic exclusion of an arrest report" from trial. Id. at 564. Likewise, because the consequence of noncompliance with section 192.007 is unspecified, the Court declines to assume that that consequence is to render the assignment void or ineffective as to the parties to the assignment. This conclusion is especially appropriate in light of the fact that, as discussed above, Texas courts have consistently found that recordation has no effect on a party's ability to foreclose.
Second, Texas law governing facially conflicting statutes compels the same result. Section 192.007, which on its face requires recordation of assignments, could be read—as Green urges—to conflict with Texas Property Code § 13.001(b), which states that unrecorded instruments are valid as to the parties to the instrument. Under Texas law, a court should first attempt to harmonize apparently conflicting statutes so as to give effect to both. See TEX. GOV'T CODE § 311.026(a); Argonaut Ins. Co. v. Baker, 87 S.W.3d 526, 531 (Tex. 2002). If reconciliation is impossible, a special provision prevails over a general provision, "unless the general provision is the later enactment and the manifest intent is that the general provision prevail."
In this case, the Court reads section 192.007 as a mere administrative requirement that, to the extent a party wishes to records an action related to a previously filed instrument, the person must file a new instrument rather than merely annotate the existing instrument. Accord Richard v. CIT Grp., Civ. A. No. H-12-848, 2012 WL 3030348, at *1 (S.D.Tex. July 21, 2012) (concluding section 192.007 "requires that anyone who had filed an instrument to also record changes to it in a new document rather than alter the original document already in the county's records"). There are several reasons the Court comes to this conclusion.
As an initial matter, the Court's reading comports with subsection 192.007(b), which follows the text at issue here and requires that "[a]n entry, including a marginal entry, may not be made on a previously made record or index to indicate the new action." The Court's construction also explains why this section appears in a subtitle of the Local Government Code entitled "County Records," a subtitle dealing primarily with the administrative affairs of county clerks. See, e.g., id. § 192.006(b) ("The county clerk shall keep the records of the county court properly indexed and arranged."). That the text appears here rather than in the Property Code, which explains the rights and obligations of those with interests in property, suggests that the section has to do with administrative requirements rather than the effectiveness of transfers of those interests.
Furthermore, the bill enacting section 192.007 was entitled "Governmental Records—Creation, Maintenance, Preservation, Microfilming, Destruction and Access." 1989 Tex. Sess. Law Serv. 1248. This title suggests that the bill was meant to deal with administrative affairs, not the rights and duties of those with interests in property and the means of transferring those rights. There is no indication of legislative intent to overturn the longstanding Texas rule that an assignment binds the parties even absent recordation.
Moreover, a court decision requiring recordation in order to validly assign a property interest would substantially alter Texas law and the rights of individuals who have assigned such interests under current law. Construing this section to effect such a radical change would have far-reaching consequences that, the Court believes, the Texas Supreme Court would be unlikely to want to bring about. In short, based on the Code's language, section 192.007's legislative history, and the potential consequences of a contrary construction, the Court believes the Texas Supreme Court would construe this section to be a mere administrative requirement that has no bearing on the legal effect of a person's decision not to file an assignment. Texas Property Code § 13.001 thus remains in full force and continues to provide that an assignment binds the parties to the assignment, whether or not it is recorded.
The Court further concludes that, even if the apparent conflict between sections 192.007 and 13.001 conflict were irreconcilable, section 13.001 would prevail because of the rule privileging special provisions over general. See TEX. GOV'T CODE § 311.026(b). This rule of construction applies only "if two statutes share a common purpose or object." Howlett v. Tarrant Cnty., 301 S.W.3d 840, 846 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2009, pet. denied). To the extent these two statutes conflict irreconcilably, they do so because they share the common purpose of defining the circumstances under
The Court's Erie guess, then, is that section 192.007 has no effect on section 13.001. This is so because (1) section 192.007 prescribes no consequences for its violation, (2) the statutes can be read in harmony with one another, and (3) even if they truly conflicted, section 13.001 would prevail over section 192.007. Accordingly, the Court concludes that the fact that the assignment was not recorded does not affect JPMC's standing to foreclose on the Property.
Under Texas law, an instrument is indorsed in blank if it does not identify a person to whom the indorsement makes the instrument payable. TEX. BUS. & COM. CODE § 3.205(a). "When indorsed in blank, an instrument becomes payable to bearer and may be negotiated by transfer of possession alone until specially indorsed." Id. § 3.205(b). These rules, as the Fifth Circuit has observed in an unpublished opinion, apply to notes secured by mortgages. See Kiggundu v. Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys. Inc., 469 Fed. Appx. 330, 331-32 (5th Cir.2012), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 133 S.Ct. 210, 184 L.Ed.2d 41 (2012) ("Because the note was endorsed in blank and the Bank of New York was in possession of the note, under Texas law, the Bank of New York was entitled to collect on it."). In this case, then, CTX's blank indorsement made the Note payable to the person bearing the Note. Since JPMC now bears the note, the Note is payable to JPMC. Thus, if CTX validly executed the indorsement, JPMC is entitled to collect on the Note.
Green contends that the indorsement is not valid, but the summary judgment record suggests otherwise. It is not clear from the record whether CTX indorsed the Note on the back of the last page or on an allonge. Even if the indorsement is, as Green asserts, on an allonge, however, the indorsement would be valid. "The use of an allonge, without more, does not create an automatic fact issue" as to whether the indorsement is valid. Casterline v. OneWest Bank, F.S.B., No. 2:12-CV-00150, 2012 WL 6630024, at *3 (S.D.Tex. Dec. 19, 2012) (citing Sw. Resolution Corp. v. Watson, 964 S.W.2d 262, 264 (Tex.1997)); see also
In short, the summary judgment evidence demonstrates that CTX validly indorsed the Note in blank. JPMC, as the bearer of the Note, is therefore entitled to collect on it.
First, the only evidence Green offers in support of her conflict-of-interest claim is that the original trustees and CTX shared an address. She points to no law suggesting that this situation could either invalidate the original Deed or interfere with JPMC's ability to foreclose under the Deed, and the Court is aware of none.
Second, the Deed expressly grants CTX and MERS, and consequently its assignees, the authority to "remove or substitute any trustee, add one or more trustees, or appoint a successor to any Trustee without the necessity of any formality other than a designation by Lender in writing." Defs.' App. 29. The Deed does not mandate that appointment of a substitute trustee be recorded. Likewise, the Texas Property Code contains no such requirement. The Code provides that a mortgagee may appoint a substitute trustee "by power of attorney, corporate resolution, or other written instrument." TEX. PROP.CODE § 51.0075; see also Gillespie v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, No. 4:11-CV-388-A, 2013 WL 646383, at *6 (N.D.Tex. Feb. 21, 2013) ("The plain language of the Property Code does not indicate the existence of any requirement that the appointment of a substitute trustee be recorded to be valid, and courts interpreting the provisions have not found such a requirement.") (citing cases). Moreover, the Court concludes, for the reasons discussed above, that Texas Government Code § 192.007 does not alter the Texas Property Code's requirements regarding recordation of substitute trustees. See supra section III.B.3. Green has, in other words, pointed to no irregularity regarding the appointment of trustees that would prevent JPMC from foreclosing on the Property.
Green's claims against the MSJ Defendants all rely on one or more of the arguments discussed above. For that reason, the MSJ Defendants are entitled to summary judgment as to all of Green's claims against them.
In this case, Green cannot satisfy the third element as to any of the MSJ Defendants. As explained above, JPMC holds the Note, validly indorsed in blank, and consequently the Deed. JPMC's claim to the Property is thus valid and enforceable. Moreover, the Deed identifies MERS as CTX's nominee and beneficiary, and there is no evidence in the record that tends to undermine the validity or enforceability of any claim MERS has asserted or possesses. Thus, because their claims are valid and enforceable, the MSJ Defendants are entitled to summary judgment on Green's quiet title claim.
To prevail on a claim for injunctive relief in federal court, a plaintiff must show, among other things, "a substantial likelihood of success on the merits." DSC Comm. Corp. v. DGI Techs., Inc., 81 F.3d 597, 600 (5th Cir.1996). Because no justiciable controversy remains between Green and the MSJ Defendants, Green cannot succeed on the merits of any of her claims.
Green objects to four pieces of the MSJ Defendants' evidence that, she alleges, the MSJ Defendants failed to authenticate properly: (1) the Note, (2) the Deed, (3) a letter to Green from JPMC's attorney, and (4) Green's deposition testimony. The Note, however, is authenticated by Alicia Brooks, a JPMC senior research specialist. See Brooks Decl. ¶ 8, Defs.' App. 2. Moreover, the Deed is a certified copy of a public document. See Defs.' App. 37. A certified public document is self-authenticating and requires no further evidence of authenticity. See Fed. R.EVID. 902(4). The Note and Deed are thus properly authenticated, and the Court overrules Green's objections to these documents. Because the Court does not rely on the letter or deposition testimony in reaching its decision, the Court overrules Green's objections to them as moot.
Green has standing to assert that any assignment of the Note or Deed was void. Though she asserts claims based on several theories as to why the JPMC is not entitled to foreclose on the Property, the summary judgment evidence shows no genuine dispute as to any of them. The Court accordingly grants the MSJ Defendants' motion for summary judgment as to all the claims Green asserts against them.
When faced with a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a court must determine whether the plaintiff has asserted a legally sufficient claim for relief. Blackburn v. City of Marshall, 42 F.3d 925, 931 (5th Cir.1995). A viable complaint must include "enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). To meet this "facial plausibility" standard, a plaintiff must "plead[] factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). A court generally accepts well-pleaded facts as true and construes the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Gines v. D.R. Horton, Inc., 699 F.3d 812, 816 (5th Cir. 2012). But a court does not accept as true "conclusory allegations, unwarranted factual inferences, or legal conclusions." Ferrer v. Chevron Corp., 484 F.3d 776, 780 (5th Cir.2007). A plaintiff must provide "more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955. "Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true (even if doubtful in fact)." Id. (internal citations omitted).
In ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, a court generally limits its review to the face of the pleadings, accepting as true all well-pleaded facts and viewing them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Spivey v. Robertson, 197 F.3d 772, 774 (5th Cir.1999). However, a court may also consider certain documents outside of the pleadings if they fall within four limited categories. First, "[a] court is permitted ... to rely on `documents incorporated into the complaint by reference, and matters of which a court may take judicial notice.'" Dorsey v. Portfolio Equities, Inc., 540 F.3d 333, 338 (5th Cir.2008) (quoting Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308, 322, 127 S.Ct. 2499, 168 L.Ed.2d
Green has failed, for the second time, to state a claim against CTX. In deciding CTX's motion, the Court may consider both the Note and the Deed, as Green attached both of these documents to her amended complaint. See Am. Compl. Exs. A, B.
In her amended complaint, Green maintains that CTX was negligent by allegedly failing to appoint a neutral trustee. Again, the elements of a negligence cause of action are (1) the existence of a duty, (2) a breach of that duty, and (3) damages proximately caused by the breach. W. Invs., 162 S.W.3d at 550. Green, however, has alleged none of these elements. She has not indicated that CTX had a duty to her, the nature of any duty, or that CTX's appointment of the original trustees breached a duty. Moreover, she has not pled that the appointment of the allegedly partial trustees is a proximate cause of her damages.
As noted above, a plaintiff asserting a quiet title claim must prove that (1) he or she has an interest in a specific property, (2) title to the property is affected by a claim by the defendant or defendants, and (3) the claim, although facially valid, is invalid or unenforceable. Bell, 2012 WL 568755, at *7. In this case, Green offers no factual assertions that raise her right to relief as to her quiet title claim above a speculative level. There are no allegations that CTX actually claims an interest in the Property. Moreover, to the extent such an interest exists, there are no factual allegations giving rise to a plausible claim that the claim is facially valid yet unenforceable. The Court therefore dismisses this claim.
As explained above, a court cannot grant declaratory or injunctive relief absent an underlying justiciable controversy. In this case, the Court has dismissed all of Green's underlying claims against CTX. Accordingly, the Court dismisses Green's
The Court grants JPMC, MERS, and MERSCORP Holdings, Inc.'s motion for summary judgment. The Court also grants CTX's motion to dismiss. Because the Court previously dismissed Green's claims against CTX and because Green has not asked for leave to amend her complaint, the Court dismisses Green's claims against CTX with prejudice and declines to grant her leave to amend. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b), the Court will enter a final judgment as to all of Green's claims against JPMC; MERS; MERSCORP Holdings, Inc.; and CTX. This Order does not affect Green's claims against any other Defendant.