ABDUL K. KALLON, District Judge.
Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") has invoked the court's jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a) and is pursuing this action against RLG Properties Venture Corp and Ronnie Gordon to enforce a promissory note and guaranty, and to recover a deficiency remaining after a real estate foreclosure. Fannie Mae contends that RLG defaulted on the note and that RLG and Gordon, as guarantor of the note, are liable for the outstanding balance and attorney's fees. See doc. 1 at 4. For the reasons stated below, Fannie Mae's motion for summary judgment, doc. 15, is due to be granted.
RLG executed a promissory note in favor of Royal Bank of Canada ("RBC") in the amount of $702,000.00, which RBC later assigned to Fannie Mae. Docs. 16-1 ¶ 2; 16-2. Gordon also executed a guaranty under which he promised to pay the note holder all sums due under the note and "[a]ll costs and expenses, including reasonable fees and out of pocket expenses of attorneys . . . in enforcing its rights under this Guaranty." Docs. 16-1; 16-3 at 1-2. After RLG defaulted, Fannie Mae accelerated the loan and demanded payment. Docs. 16-1 at ¶ 4; 16-4. When RLG failed to pay, Fannie Mae informed RLG and Gordon that it intended to foreclose on the mortgage that secured the note, and published a notice of foreclosure in The Huntsville Times. Docs. 16-1 at ¶ 5; 16-5; 16-6. Thereafter, Fannie Mae foreclosed on the mortgage, and bought the property with a credit bid of $518,000, which was $158,193.18 less than the amount owed on the note as of November 18, 2013. Docs. 16-1 at ¶ 6, 8; 16-7. Fannie Mae now seeks to recover from RLG and Gordon $176,238.18 due under the note
The court has for its consideration Fannie Mae's motion in which it contends that it is due summary judgment against RLG for breach of contract, doc. 14 at 5, and against Gordon on the guaranty, id. at 6.
With respect to the guaranty, "`[e]very suit on a guaranty agreement requires proof of the existence of the guaranty contract, default on the underlying contract by the debtor, and nonpayment of the amount due from the guarantor under the terms of the guaranty.'" Sharer v. Bend Millwork Sys., Inc., 600 So.2d 223, 225-26 (Ala. 1992) (quoting Delro Indus., Inc. v. Evans, 514 So.2d 976, 979 (Ala. 1987)). "[A] guarantor is bound only to the extent and in the manner stated in the contract of guaranty." Pate v. Merchants Nat. Bank of Mobile, 428 So.2d 37, 39 (Ala. 1983) (quoting Furst v. Shows, 110 So. 299, 302 (Ala. 1926)). Fannie Mae has submitted the guaranty agreement wherein Gordon promised to pay RLG's obligations, including attorney's fees and other costs incurred by Fannie Mae in enforcing its rights under the guaranty. Doc. 16-3 at 2. Consequently, the court finds that Fannie Mae is entitled to summary judgment against Gordon as guarantor of RLG's promissory note, and that Gordon is liable for the amount due on the note, as well as reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
For the reasons stated above, Fannie Mae's summary judgment motion is