JEFFREY T. MILLER, District Judge.
Defendants JP Morgan Chase Bank ("Chase") and Wells Fargo Bank ("Wells Fargo"), as Trustee for the Certificate holders of Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II, Inc. Bear Sterns, Mortgage Funding Trust 2007-AR4 Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-AR4 by EMC Mortgage Corporation as attorney in fact, move, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to dismiss the First Amended Complaint ("FAC") for failure to state a claim. Plaintiffs Marie V. Brockway and the Marie V. Brockway 2006 Trust Dated 5/22/06 (collectively "Brockway" or "Plaintiff") opposes the motion. Pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(d)(1), this matter is appropriate for decision without oral argument. For the reasons set forth below, the court grants the motion to dismiss and grants Plaintiff 15 days leave to amend from the date of entry of this order.
On November 5, 2011, Plaintiff commenced this mortgage-related action in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego, and on December 21, 2011, Defendants timely removed this diversity action. On February 17, 2012, the court granted in part and denied in part the earlier motion to dismiss and granted Plaintiff leave to amend. (Ct. Dkt. 8). The FAC alleges seven causes of action: (1) Breach of Contract, (2) Declaratory Relief, (3) Demand for Accounting, (4) Rescission/Cancellation, (6) Injunctive Relief, and (7) Violation of California Civil Code sections 1920 and 1921.
Plaintiff's claims arise from a residential loan transaction entered into on February 20, 2007 with now-defunct Drexel Lending Group ("Drexel"). (FAC ¶12). Plaintiff obtained a 30-year ARM in the amount of $540,000 and a second mortgage in the amount of $100,000.
Plaintiff alleges that she qualified for a permanent loan modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program ("HAMP"), but did not receive one. Chase, the alleged successor in interest to Drexel, (FAC ¶40), "took over the loan" from Drexel. At some unidentified point in time, Plaintiff alleges that Chase entered into an agreement with the Treasury Department "to be bound by HAMP requirements and must abide by the framework and protocols for administering the benefits of HAMP." (FAC ¶32). Plaintiff alleges that Chase breached HAMP when it refused to modify Plaintiff's loan. (FAC ¶¶44-49). All of Plaintiff's claim arise from the above generally described conduct.
Chase comes forward with the following judicially noticeable documents. On February 20, 2007, Plaintiff entered into a loan transaction with Drexel for the purchase of the subject home. Plaintiff executed a promissory note and deed of trust ("Deed") in favor of Drexel as the lender. The Deed names Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems, Inc., ("MERS") as beneficiary and nominee of the lender, Drexel. On March 20, 2009, MERS recorded as assignment of Deed to Wells Fargo and, on April 2, 2009, MERS recorded another assignment of Deed to Citibank. (Request for Judicial Notice).
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) dismissal is proper only in "extraordinary" cases.
Finally, courts must construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.
Defendants argue that Plaintiff lacks standing to sue under HAMP because she is neither a party nor an intended beneficiary to the Servicer Participation Agreement under HAMP. Furthermore, HAMP does not require lenders to enter into loan modification agreements.
At the outset the court notes that there are no binding precedents addressing the liability of financial institutions under HAMP. District courts that have addressed the issue have reached different conclusions. On the one hand, some courts have held out the possibility that a borrower "may be able to state a claim" for breach of contract under HAMP as a third-party beneficiary.
In light of the overwhelming weight of authorities that HAMP provides no private right of action, either specifically or as a third-party beneficiary, the court grants the motion to dismiss with prejudice.
Plaintiff alleges that she entered into a deed of trust transaction with Drexel, (FAC ¶12), and that Chase took over the loan from Drexel. (FAC ¶33). In general, a successor in interest is not liable for the torts of an assignor unless "(1) there is an express or implied agreement of assumption, (2) the transaction amounts to a consolidation or merger of the two corporations, (3) the purchasing corporation is a mere continuation of the seller, or (4) the transfer of assets to the purchaser is for the fraudulent purpose of escaping liability for the seller's debts."
Defendants assert that Plaintiff cannot state a restitution claim because Defendants have not been unjustly enriched. Here, the Deed is an enforceable contract defining the rights and obligations of the parties. The existence of an enforceable contract generally precludes recovery for unjust enrichment as a matter of law.
Defendants move to dismiss these claims because Sections 1920 and 1921 are preempted by the Home Owner's Loan Act ("HOLA") and the Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act ("AMTPA"). The court notes that virtually every authority cited by the parties has held that Sections 1920 and 1921 are preempted by either HOLA or AMTPA.
Accordingly, the court grants the motion to dismiss this claim with prejudice and without leave to amend.
Defendants argue that Plaintiff fails to state a claim for an accounting because (1) there is no fiduciary relationship between Plaintiff and Defendants and (2) Plaintiff fails to state any other claim. The court grants this motion because there is no fiduciary relationship between Plaintiff and Defendants to warrant an accounting.
Accordingly, the court grants the motion to dismiss this claim.
Under Cal. Code of Civil Procedure § 760.020, a quiet title action is appropriate where a party alleges (1) a description of the property; (2) the basis for the plaintiff's title; and (3) the adverse claims to plaintiff's title. Here, the complaint fails to allege any basis to infer that Plaintiff's interest in the property is superior to the security interest held by Defendants. Under these circumstances, the court grants the motion to dismiss. This claim is dismissed with leave to amend.
Defendants move to dismiss the second and sixth causes of action for injunctive and declaratory relief, respectively, because these are remedies, and not claims, and because Plaintiff fails to otherwise state a claim. The court declines to reach this argument until after Plaintiff files a Second Amended Complaint to plead the requisite elements of each cause of action.
Plaintiff requests leave to amend the complaint to delete, modify, or add additional claims. As leave to amend is freely given, Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a), the court grants the motion for leave to amend. However, the court dismisses the breach of contract and the Sections 1920 and 1921claims with prejudice and without leave to amend. The other claims are dismissed with leave to amend. The court also advises Plaintiff that the failure to state a claim in the second amended complaint will likely result in the dismissal of the action with prejudice and without leave to amend.
In sum, the court grants the motion to dismiss and grants Plaintiff 15 days leave to amend from the date of entry of this order.