BILLY ROY WILSON,District Judge.
Pending is a Motion to Dismiss by PNC Bank NA and PNC Mortgage ("Defendants") (Doc. No. 4). Christopher Kinzler and Neeli Kinzler ("Plaintiffs") have responded.
Plaintiffs mortgaged property at 163 Glenn Hill Drive, Alexander, Arkansas. The loan was sold to Defendant PNC Mortgage.
Plaintiffs then applied for the Making Home Affordable Program, providing Defendants information when asked. Plaintiffs allege they were told that they had been approved for the program, but then received a demand letter accelerating the note and mortgage. Plaintiffs' home was set for a non-judicial foreclosure sale despite Defendants continuing to ask for information in connection with the Making Home Affordable Program.
Defendants then asked Plaintiffs to pay $1,569.19 per month for the months of July, August, and September, 2011, which Plaintiffs allegedly did. After making those payments, Defendants purportedly refused to accept any further payments and referred Plaintiffs to foreclosure. Defendants sent Plaintiffs a suggested loan modification that was allegedly "fraught with errors and charges that would outrage anyone in a civilized society."
Plaintiffs filed a 5-count Complaint containing the following causes of action: fraud; deceptive trade practices; deceit; outrage; and declaratory judgment.
In ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a court "accept[s] as true all of the factual allegations contained in the complaint, and review[s] the complaint to determine whether its allegations show that the pleader is entitled to relief."
Under the Twombly "plausibility standard," the allegations in a plaintiff's complaint must be evaluated to determine whether they contain facts sufficient to "nudge[] [his] claims across the line from conceivable to plausible."
Defendants argue that dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) is proper because Plaintiffs' Complaint fails to allege facts sufficient to state a claim for fraud or deceit, for violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act; and for the tort of outrage.
Rule 9(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires that fraud be pled with specificity. Fraud must be pled specifically enough to answer the "who, what, where, when, and how" of the alleged fraud.
The Complaint does not set out particulars; the exhibits attached to the Complaint do to some extent. Still, the Complaint does not provide the "who, what, where, when, and how" as to large parts of Plaintiffs' claims, for example, the fraudulent misrepresentations about the $2,256.17 payment versus the $2,256.11 payment, among others. These shortcomings are relevant not only as to Plaintiffs' fraud/deceit claims, but as to Plaintiffs' Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices claims, as well.
Because I will allow Plaintiffs to file an amended complaint, I will not address Plaintiffs' outrage claim at this time. I suggest, however, that Plaintiffs consider the requirements of Arkansas law carefully before including this cause of action in an amended complaint, if one is filed.
Defendants' Motion to Dismiss is DENIED without prejudice. Plaintiffs are directed to file an amended complaint, if they so wish, within 10 days of the date of this order.
IT IS SO ORDERED.