T. MICHAEL PUTNAM, Magistrate Judge.
This cause is before the court on the cross motions for summary judgment (docs. 13, 15) filed December 29, 2014, by the plaintiff, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), and by the defendant/counterclaimant, Bennye T. Pugh. The action arises from the 2011 foreclosure of a home purchased by Pugh in 2005. After purchasing the home at the foreclosure sale, FHLMC filed this action in state court in November 2012, seeking ejectment after Pugh remained in the home after the foreclosure sale and after her subsequently signed lease agreement expired. The action was removed to this court on January 23, 2014, on the basis of federal question jurisdiction after the plaintiff filed counterclaims arising under federal law. FHLMC seeks summary judgment on its claim for ejectment, and, along with the counterclaim defendants (collectively "U.S. Bank"), on all of the counterclaims asserted by the defendant, arguing that the claims are without merit. Pugh seeks summary judgment on her claims for breach of contract and wrongful foreclosure.
The motions for summary judgment have been fully briefed. The parties have consented to the full dispositive jurisdiction of the undersigned Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), summary judgment is proper "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 of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The party asking for summary judgment "always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of `the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,' which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact."
Once the moving party has met his burden, Rule 56 "requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the `depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions of file,' designate `specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.'"
After the plaintiff has properly responded to a proper motion for summary judgment, the court must grant the motion if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The substantive law will identify which facts are material and which are irrelevant.
For purposes of determining the defendant's motion for summary judgment on the ejectment claim and Ms. Pugh's affirmative defense that the Mortgage is void, the following facts are undisputed:
On August 24, 2005, Ms. Pugh purchased a house located on Willow Glen Drive in Birmingham, Alabama. She obtained two loans to finance the purchase, only one of which is at issue in this case. She signed a promissory note for $99,120.00, with an interest rate of 6.25% per annum for a 30-year term ("the Note"). The Note was assigned to counterclaim defendant U.S. Bank. On the same date, Ms. Pugh executed a mortgage securing the Note ("the Mortgage"). U.S. Bank serviced the Mortgage and collected Ms. Pugh's mortgage payments. When Ms. Pugh entered into the Mortgage she understood that U.S. Bank could foreclose and sell the property if she defaulted on her payment obligations.
The Note contains the following provision at paragraph 6(c):
The Mortgage contains the following provision at paragraph 22:
In April 2008, Ms. Pugh entered into a modification of the Note. Under the 2008 modification, Ms. Pugh's delinquent payments were incorporated into a new principal balance of $101,499.89, and the maturity date was extended to May 1, 2038. Her interest rate remained at 6.25 percent.
Ms. Pugh again defaulted on her mortgage at some time after 2008, and applied for another modification. In September 2009, Ms. Pugh and U.S. Bank entered into a modification of her mortgage loan under the Home Affordable Modification Plan ("HAMP"). The HAMP modification incorporated unpaid amounts on the Note into a new principal balance of $107,200.37. The interest rate was set at 4.5% for the first five years, and at 5% thereafter. The maturity date was extended until April 1, 2039.
Pugh did not make a mortgage payment in August 2010, September 2010, or October, 2010. On August 23, 2010, U.S. Bank sent Pugh a letter that informed her that she was "in breach of the mortgage for your failure to pay the monthly installments due." (Doc. 13-3, Ex. A). The letter informed her that she could cure the breach by sending certified funds of $1,478.54 for payments and $27.60 for late charges, plus any additional payments that come due, within 30 days of the date of the letter. The letter also warned: "If you fail to bring this account current, the full balance of the loan will be accelerated."
On September 30, 2010, U.S. Bank sent Ms. Pugh a letter stating that "There may be alternatives available to you when your mortgage is delinquent and foreclosure is imminent," and suggesting that she call the number provided for "one of our loan workout programs." (Doc. 13-2, p. 45). She recalls that she received that letter. (Depo. of Pugh, Doc. 13-1, p. 23). At that time she was "working [with U.S. Bank and a credit counselor] to prevent foreclosure."
On November 10, 2010, an attorney from Sirote & Permutt, representing U.S. Bank, sent Ms. Pugh a letter stating that Ms. Pugh was in default of the terms of the Note and Mortgage, and that U.S. Bank accelerated to maturity the entire unpaid balance of the debt on the Note. (Doc. 13-4, Ex. A). The letter specifically stated that it was a "NOTICE OF ACCELERATION OF PROMISSORY NOTE AND MORTGAGE."
More than seven months later, on June 29, 2011, the attorney from Sirote & Permutt sent Ms. Pugh a letter which stated that the last payment received from Ms. Pugh was on May 5, 2010, and that the "total amount necessary to reinstate this loan through June 30, 2011, is $9,526.60." (Doc. 13-2, pp. 55-56). The letter also noted that she would be notified "once a foreclosure sale is scheduled."
On July 6, 2011, another "NOTICE OF ACCELERATION" letter was sent to Ms. Pugh, notifying her of her default and advising her that "the foreclosure sale is scheduled for August 8, 2011." (Doc. 13-4, Ex. B). Ms. Pugh was advised: "If you wish to avoid losing the property, you must contact us immediately; otherwise, the foreclosure sale will take place as set forth . . . and we will take legal action to obtain possession of the subject property."
On July 8, 2011, U.S. Bank sent Ms. Pugh a letter that stated that she was "being reviewed for default resolution workout options." (Doc. 13-2, p. 61). The letter also advised that "foreclosure activity will continue."
On August 9, 2011, the attorney from Sirote & Permutt sent a certified mail letter to Ms. Pugh titled "DEMAND FOR POSSESSION." The letter informed her that the property had been foreclosed, and that FHLMC was the new owner of the property; it further directed her to deliver possession to the new owner within 10 days. (Doc. 13-4, Ex. C). Ms. Pugh received the letter, but did not move from the house. (Depo. of Pugh, Doc. 13-1, p. 33).
On August 12, 2011, attorneys representing FHLMC sent Ms. Pugh a letter offering her two options: (1) a cash payment toward relocation expenses if she would vacate the property and take all of her personal belongings, or (2) a chance to remain in the house by entering into a month-to-month lease agreement. (Doc. 13-2, pp. 68-69). She entered into a lease agreement in September, 2011. (Depo. of Pugh, Doc. 13-1, p. 36). She continued to live in the house, and she paid rent in the amount of $690 each month for a year.
On October 22, 2012, FHLMC terminated the lease by sending Ms. Pugh a letter. (Doc. 13-2, p. 73). The letter notified Ms. Pugh that FHLMC "now owns the property" at 2040 Willow Glen Drive, and that attorneys had been retained to "proceed with an eviction proceeding."
Plaintiff FHLMC seeks summary adjudication of its claim for ejectment. Ms. Pugh has responded that FHLMC is not entitled to judgment because it cannot show that U.S. Bank, the servicer of the note and mortgage, complied with "the terms of the `Note' at paragraph 6(c), and paragraph 22 of the Mortgage." (Doc. 21, p. 1). FHLMC asserts that it has produced all the documents necessary to demonstrate an entitlement to ejectment, and that Ms. Pugh has failed to demonstrate any defect in the foreclosure process that would impair FHLMC's title.
Under Alabama law, a plaintiff proves a prima facie case for ejectment by producing a "true and correct copy of the foreclosure deed and a demand for possession letter."
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has determined which defects in a foreclosure process can provide a valid defense to an action for ejectment,
In this case, FHLMC has provided authenticated copies of the mortgage, the foreclosure deed, the special warranty deed, and the demand for possession. Moreover, FHLMC has demonstrated that the foreclosing entity, U.S. Bank, had the legal right to sell the properly as the assignee of the Mortgage and the holder of the Note. Ms. Pugh does not argue that the mortgage was paid in full prior to foreclosure. To the contrary, she concedes that she had not made a mortgage payment in over a year. She admits that she received timely notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale, and she raises no issue that the purchase price paid by FHLMC was in any way inadequate.
Because FHLMC has established that it has superior title to the property, and has a right to immediate possession, the burden of proving the invalidity of the foreclosure and FHLMC's entitlement to possession of the property shifts to Ms. Pugh to show by substantial evidence some invalidity in the process.
Defendant/Counterclaimant Pugh seeks summary adjudication in her favor on her counterclaims for wrongful foreclosure, breach of contract, and a declaration that the foreclosure sale is void. In her counterclaims against U.S. Bank, and as defenses against the ejectment claim, Ms. Pugh asserts that the foreclosure was wrongful in that U.S. Bank failed to give her notice of the intent to accelerate as required under paragraph 22 of the Mortgage. In her brief in support of the motion, Ms. Pugh simply alleges that "[t]he lender/successor failed to give notices as required by the contract (Note and Mortgage)." (Doc. 15, p. 3). She further argues that "[n]either the lender nor its servicer provided a Notice of Intent to Accelerate the Debt as required by the Contract."
In support of her argument that the counterclaim defendants breached the contract and wrongfully foreclosed, she simply states that no Notice of Intent to Accelerate was provided. She does not provide any affidavit or other evidence establishing that she did not receive such notice; she does not assert that the address used for correspondence from the lender, servicer, or attorneys was not her correct address; nor does she point to any facts that would dispute the clear evidence that the letter dated August 23, 2010 (doc. 13-3, Ex. A, p. 5) was mailed to her at her home address.
The only law cited by Ms. Pugh in support of her motion is
In this case, the August 23 letter is in the record, proving notification to Ms. Pugh of U.S. Bank's intention to accelerate the Note balance if the default was not cured. The default was not cured, and the Note was accelerated on November 10, 2010. Ms. Pugh's allegation that she does not recall receiving the letter does not entitled her to summary judgment in her favor on the breach of contract claim, or on the claim for wrongful foreclosure. Accordingly, Ms. Pugh's motion for summary judgment on the wrongful foreclosure claim, the breach of contract claim, and her claim for a declaratory judgment is due to be denied. Likewise, because she has failed to show any invalidity in the foreclosure process, plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on its ejectment claim is due to be granted.
Distinct from claims related to the foreclosure of the Mortgage, Ms. Pugh also has asserted a number of additional claims. The counterclaim defendants seek summary adjudication on all of Ms. Pugh's counterclaims. They assert that Ms. Pugh has failed to show that the contract was breached, or that the foreclosure was wrongful. They assert that the TILA, RESPA, and FDCPA claims are time-barred and are without merit; that the negligence and wantonness claims are without merit because there was no duty owed and because there is no evidence that the foreclosure was held for any purpose other than to secure repayment of the debt; and that Ms. Pugh cannot prove elements of her claims for unjust enrichment, abuse of process, slander of title, negligent hiring, intentional or malicious conduct, or trespass. In the absence of any evidence of wrongful foreclosure, they argue, the claim for declaratory judgment also is due to be dismissed. The counterclaim plaintiff has failed to offer any evidence or argument in response to these arguments. Her brief focuses only on the breach of contract and wrongful foreclosure claims. (Doc. 21).
The counterclaims asserting violations of TILA and RESPA arise from the execution of the Note and Mortgage in August 2005. The counterclaim defendants point out that TILA requires that claims be brought "within one year from the date of the occurrence of the violation" pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1640(e). Similarly, RESPA requires that claims be brought within one year.
The court agrees that all of Ms. Pugh's claims arising under the federal statutes are time-barred, and that the counterclaim defendants are entitled to summary judgment in their favor on these claims.
U.S. Bank asserts that the negligence and wantonness claims, to the extent that they refer to conduct relating to the foreclosure, are subsumed into the wrongful foreclosure claim, as determined by the Alabama Supreme Court in
Ms. Pugh has asserted several intentional torts, including "intentional conduct or maliciousness," abuse of process, and slander of title. U.S. Bank alleges that there is no recognized tort in Alabama of "intentional conduct or maliciousness." The court agrees. To the extent that Ms. Pugh may be attempting to state a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, the conduct complained of is simply insufficient to sustain such a claim.
U.S. Bank seeks summary adjudication of the unjust enrichment claim because Ms. Pugh has conceded that she did not pay any money to U.S. Bank that she did not owe pursuant to her Note and Mortgage. (Depo. of Pugh, Doc. 13-1, p. 40). Similarly, the only payments made to FHLMC were made pursuant to the lease agreement that she entered into after the foreclosure sale. Under Alabama law, an unjust enrichment claim requires a showing that the defendant "holds money which, in equity and good conscience, belongs to the plaintiff or holds money which was improperly paid to defendant because of mistake or fraud."
Ms. Pugh asserts as a counterclaim against U.S. Bank that the company "hired, supervised, and/or trained incompetent agents or employees who committed some or all of the wrongful acts." (Doc. 2, p. 11). As U.S. Bank points out, this claim must fail if Ms. Pugh has failed to demonstrate that any agent or employee of U.S. Bank is liable for any underlying tort.
Ms. Pugh asserts that U.S. Bank is liable for trespass because the bank "sent in a realtor to trespass on Defendant property under the guise and deception of `showing' the home." (Doc. 2, p. 12). Under Alabama law, a trespass is generally defined as a wrong against the right of possession, and requires a showing that the alleged trespasser intentionally invaded the property and adversely affected the plaintiff's "exclusive possession" of the property.
The court already has determined, in examining the claims for wrongful foreclosure and breach of contract, that the foreclosure was proper, and Ms. Pugh thereafter did not own the property. The counterclaim defendants also have demonstrated that, while Ms. Pugh occupied the house pursuant to a lease agreement, the lease agreement and addendum provided for FHLMC to enter the property "for viewing and inspection by prospective purchasers" and other reasons relating to the typical landlord-tenant agreement. (Doc. 13-2, p. 79). Accordingly, the trespass claim is due to be dismissed.
The counterclaim asserted by Ms. Pugh for declaratory judgment is nothing more than a restatement of her allegations for breach of contract: She seeks a declaration that the counterclaim defendants "failed to comply with the notice requirements of the Note and Mortgage." (Doc. 2, p. 12). Ms. Pugh is not entitled to any such declaration. As discussed at length supra, the letters sent to Ms. Pugh provided the proper notice of an intent to accelerate the loan, notice that the loan was accelerated, and notice of the foreclosure sale. Accordingly, the claim seeking a declaratory judgment is without merit and is due to be dismissed.
Accordingly, consistent with the foregoing discussion of the evidence presented and the governing case law, and in light of Ms. Pugh's failure to establish a prima facie case of her federal statutory claims, her state-law contract claims, or her tort claims, this court determines that the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (doc. 13) against Pugh is due to be GRANTED, and the plaintiff is entitled to summary judgment in its favor on the claim for ejectment. Ms. Pugh's motion for summary judgment on her counterclaims (doc. 15) is due to be DENIED. The motion for summary judgment by plaintiff and counterclaim defendants against Pugh's counterclaims is due to be GRANTED, and all of Ms. Pugh's counterclaims are due to be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
A separate order will be entered in accordance with the findings set forth herein.