ROBERT E. BLACKBURN, District Judge.
The matter before me is the
1. That the
2. That
4. That plaintiffs claims against defendant, Bank of America, N.A., alleging fraud, violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and violation of the Seventh Amendment, are
5. That at the time judgment enters, judgment
6. That defendant, Bank of America, N.A., is
KRISTEN L. MIX, United States Magistrate Judge.
This matter is before the Court on
Plaintiff, who proceeds in this matter pro se, brings this action against a private bank which foreclosed on the mortgage on his home.
On January 3, 2013, Defendant Bank of America, N.A. ("BANA")
On January 23, 2013, Plaintiff filed a motion [#24] seeking to extend his time to respond to the Motion and the next day filed an amended motion [#27] seeking the same relief, in which he specified that he sought an extension to March 13, 2013. On March 18, 2013, both of Plaintiff's motions seeking to extend his deadline to respond to the Motion were denied as moot [#31]. On April 18, 2013, the Court sua sponte extended Plaintiff's deadline to respond to the Motion to May 4, 2013.
On July 1, 2013, the Court ordered the parties to file status reports "addressing the status of the State Court Action
According to the Complaint and relevant documents,
Plaintiff alleges that AWL securitized Plaintiff's loan after the transaction, and that the loan was included in a group of bonds which were sold to Fannie Mae. Compl. [#1] at 2. Plaintiff contends that his loan was sold as a mortgage backed security without his knowledge or permission and that the sale to Fannie Mae was a "fraudulent conversion." Id. Plaintiff complains that he "had to pay the liabilities created by their fraudulent conversion of the funds, in the form of payments and interest." Id. at 3. Plaintiff claims that on or about July 2008 Bank of America Home Loans
On July 1, 2013, the Court ordered the parties to file status reports "addressing the status of the State Court Action on or before July 15, 2013 ... explain[ing] whether the status of the State Court Action moots or otherwise impacts the" Motion [#21]. See Minute Order [#39] at 1. On July 15, 2013, Plaintiff filed a status report [#40] addressing many issues other than the State Court Action. See generally Pltf.'s Status Report [#40]. Plaintiff explains that he thought this case had been dismissed. Id. at 4-5. Plaintiff then submits "[n]ew Information [he] would like to submit for the Court's viewing and consideration." Id. at 5. The submission of additional factual information for the Court's consideration at this point in the litigation is improper. If Plaintiff would like to amend his Complaint [#1], he must file a motion requesting such relief. Further, the Court notes that Plaintiff's 16-page Status Report [#40] does not address the topic the Court ordered the parties to address-the State Court Action. What is clear from Plaintiff's Status Report [#40] is that the Property has been foreclosed upon by Defendant BANA and was sold to a third party on March 6, 2013. Id. at 5. Defendants also filed their Status Report [#41] on July 15, 2013. Defendants explain that Defendant BANA and another defendant not named in this action filed a motion to dismiss in the State Court
The purpose of a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) is to test whether the Court has jurisdiction to properly hear the case before it. Because "federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction," the Court must have a statutory basis to exercise its jurisdiction. Montoya v. Chao, 296 F.3d 952, 955 (10th Cir.2002); see Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1). Statutes conferring subject-matter jurisdiction on federal courts are to be strictly construed. F & S Const. Co. v. Jensen, 337 F.2d 160, 161 (10th Cir.1964). "The burden of establishing subject-matter jurisdiction is on the party asserting jurisdiction." Id. (citing Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377, 114 S.Ct. 1673, 128 L.Ed.2d 391 (1994)).
A motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) may take two forms: facial attack or factual attack. Holt v. United States, 46 F.3d 1000, 1002 (10th Cir.1995). When reviewing a facial attack on a complaint, the Court accepts the allegations of the complaint as true. Id. By contrast, when reviewing a factual attack on a complaint, the Court "may not presume the truthfulness of the complaint's factual allegations." Id. at 1003. With a factual attack, the moving party challenges the facts upon which subject matter jurisdiction depends. Id. The Court therefore must make its own findings of fact. Id. In order to make its findings regarding disputed jurisdictional facts, the Court "has wide discretion to allow affidavits, other documents, and a limited evidentiary hearing." Id. (citing Ohio Nat'l Life Ins. Co. v. United States, 922 F.2d 320, 325 (6th Cir.1990); Wheeler v. Hurdman, 825 F.2d 257, 259 n. 5 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 986, 108 S.Ct. 503, 98 L.Ed.2d 501 (1987)). The Court's reliance on "evidence outside the pleadings" to make findings concerning purely jurisdictional facts does not convert a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) into a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56. Id.
The Rule 12(b)(6) standard tests "the sufficiency of the allegations within the four corners of the complaint after taking those allegations as true." Mobley v. McCormick, 40 F.3d 337, 340 (10th Cir. 1994). To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, "[t]he complaint must plead sufficient facts, taken as true, to provide `plausible grounds' that discovery will reveal evidence to support plaintiff's allegations." Shero v. City of Grove, Okla., 510 F.3d 1196, 1200 (10th Cir.2007) (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). "[P]lausibility refers to the scope of the allegations in a complaint: if they are so general that they encompass a wide swath
"A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the alleged misconduct." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). However, "[a] pleading that offers `labels and conclusions' or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Nor does the complaint suffice if it tenders `naked assertion[s]' devoid of `further factual enhancement.'" Id. (citation omitted). That said, "[s]pecific facts are not necessary[. Instead,] the statement need only give the defendant[s] fair notice of what the ... claim is and the grounds upon which it rests[, and is not required to] include all facts necessary to carry the plaintiff's burden." Khalik, 671 F.3d at 1192 (internal citation and quotation omitted).
"The plausibility standard is not akin to a `probability requirement,' but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that defendant has acted unlawfully." Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (citation omitted). As the Tenth Circuit has explained, "the mere metaphysical possibility that some plaintiff could prove some set of facts in support of the pleaded claims is insufficient; the complaint must give the court reason to believe that this plaintiff has a reasonable likelihood of mustering factual support for these claims." Ridge at Red Hawk, LLC v. Schneider, 493 F.3d 1174, 1177 (10th Cir.2007). "Where a complaint pleads facts that are `merely consistent with' a defendant's liability, it `stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief.'" Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (citation omitted).
Finally, the Court must construe the filings of a pro se litigant liberally. See Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21, 92 S.Ct. 594, 404 U.S. 519 (1972); Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir.1991). However, the Court should not be the pro se litigant's advocate, nor should the Court "supply additional factual allegations to round out [the pro se litigant's] complaint or construct a legal theory on [his or her] behalf." Whitney v. New Mexico, 113 F.3d 1170, 1173-74 (10th Cir.1997) (citing Hall, 935 F.2d at 1110). In addition, pro se litigants must follow the same procedural rules that govern other litigants. Nielsen v. Price, 17 F.3d 1276, 1277 (10th Cir.1994).
In the Motion, Defendant BANA argues that the Court should abstain from hearing this case, Motion [#21] at 4-6, and, alternatively, presents three bases for its request that the Court dismiss Plaintiff's claims: (1) the Rooker-Feldman Doctrine precludes this Court's subject matter jurisdiction, id. at 4-8; (2) the Complaint should be dismissed for failure to comply with Fed. R. of Civ. P. 8 and 10, id. at 8; and (3) in the alternative, Defendant BANA attacks Plaintiff's claims and seeks dismissal pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), id. at 9-15. In addition, in their Status Report Defendants argue that Plaintiff is precluded from bringing this action pursuant to the doctrine of res judicata. Status Report [#41] at 2, 5.
Defendants argue that the Court should abstain from hearing Plaintiff's claims in this case pursuant to Younger
Dean v. JP Morgan Chase Bank Nat. Ass'n, No. 10-cv-00539-PAB-MJW, 2011 WL 782727, at *1-2 (D.Colo. Feb. 28, 2011) (quoting Amanatullah v. Colo. Bd. of Med. Exam'rs, 187 F.3d 1160, 1163 (10th Cir. 1999)). "The Court in Younger gave two overarching reasons for the `long-standing public policy against federal court interference with state court proceedings.'" D.A. Osguthorpe Family P'ship v. ASC Utah, Inc., 705 F.3d 1223, 1230 n. 8 (10th Cir. 2013) (quoting Younger, 401 U.S. at 43, 91 S.Ct. 746). "The first reason is founded on `the basic doctrine of equity jurisprudence that courts of equity should not act ... when the moving party has an adequate remedy at law and will not suffer irreparable injury if denied equitable relief.'" Id. (quoting Younger, 401 U.S. at 43-44, 91 S.Ct. 746). "The second — and `more vital' — ground is `the notion of "comity," that is, a proper respect for state functions.'" Id. (quoting Younger, 401 U.S. at 44, 91 S.Ct. 746). Younger is mandatory and does not grant a district court discretion not to abstain unless extraordinary circumstances are present. See Chapman v. Barcus, 372 Fed.Appx. 899, 901-02 (10th Cir.2010). Further, although Younger itself involved a request for injunctive relief, its holding also applies to requests for declaratory relief where the declaratory judgment issued by the federal court could be used to interfere with the state court proceedings. See D.L. v. Unified Sch. Dist., No. 497, 392 F.3d 1223, 1228 (10th Cir.2004). "Pursuant to the Younger abstention doctrine, `[e]ven when a federal court would otherwise have jurisdiction to hear a claim, the court may be obliged to abstain when a federal court judgment on the claim would interfere with an ongoing state proceeding implicating important state interests.'" Vail Dev. 09 LLC v. Ground Eng'g Consultants, Inc., No. 10-cv-00568-MEH-BNB, 2010 WL 2867861, at *4-5 (D.Colo. July 20, 2010) (quoting Unified Sch. Dist. No. 497, 392 F.3d at 1227-28).
Here, an Order Authorizing Sale has issued in the Rule 120 proceeding, Request for Judicial Notice, Ex. 1 [#21-2], thus the Rule 120 proceeding cannot serve as a basis for Younger abstention. See Kramer v. Vigil, No. 13-cv-00142-PAM-KLM, 2013 WL 2285076, at *3 (D.Colo. May 22, 2013) (finding that issuance of an Order Authorizing Sale concluded the Rule 120 proceeding and that Younger abstention was inapplicable). Unlike in Kramer, here Plaintiff also filed the State Court Action relating to essentially the same issues and claims brought in the instant action. See Request for Judicial Notice, Ex. 2 [#21-3]. At the time the instant Motion was filed, the State Court Action was still pending. However, the parties have filed Status Reports providing additional information regarding the disposition of the State Court Action. See generally Status Reports [##40, 41]. The Court takes judicial notice of the fact that El Paso District Court case 12CV0248 was dismissed with prejudice on January 28, 2013. See Defs.' Status Report [#41] at 2; see also Defs.' Status Report, Exs. B and C [#41] at 24-37 (the motion to dismiss and order granting the motion to dismiss); see also Wilson v. Morrissey, 527 Fed.Appx. 742, 743 n. 2 (10th Cir.2013) (sua sponte
Defendant BANA argues that the Rooker-Feldman Doctrine precludes this Court from exercising subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff's claims. Motion [#21] at 4-8. Accordingly, the Court first considers whether it has subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff's claims. See Herrera v. Alliant Specialty Ins. Servs., Inc., No. 11-00050-REB-CBS, 2012 WL 959405, at *3 (D.Colo. March 21, 2012) (stating that issues of subject matter jurisdiction "must be resolved before the court may address other issues presented in the motion to dismiss"); Lightstone Group, LLC v. C.W. Horton Gen. Contractor, No. 10-cv-03096-PAB, 2010 WL 5387758, at *1 (D.Colo. Dec. 22, 2010) ("Absent an assurance that jurisdiction exists, a court may not proceed in a case.").
"The Rooker-Feldman Doctrine prohibits a losing party in state court, `from seeking what in substance would be appellate review of the state judgment in a United States district court, based on the losing party's claim that the state judgment itself violates the loser's federal rights.'" Morkel v. Davis, 513 Fed.Appx. 724, 727 (10th Cir.2013) (quoting Knox v. Bland, 632 F.3d 1290, 1292 (10th Cir.2011)); see also Mo's Express, LLC v. Sopkin, 441 F.3d 1229, 1233 (10th Cir.2006) (federal district courts are precluded "from effectively exercising appellate jurisdiction over claims actually decided by a state court and claims inextricably intertwined with a prior state-court judgment.") (citations and quotation marks omitted). In 2005, the Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine by mandating that it be applied only to "cases brought by state-court losers complaining of injuries caused by state-court judgments rendered before the district court proceedings commenced and inviting district court review and rejection of those judgments." Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Saudi Basic Indus. Corp., 544 U.S. 280, 284, 125 S.Ct. 1517, 161 L.Ed.2d 454 (2005). However, a court is not barred from exercising jurisdiction under Rooker-Feldman even if a plaintiff attempts to litigate in federal court a matter previously litigated in state court, so long as the plaintiff "presents some independent claim." Id. at 293, 125 S.Ct. 1517. This is true even if a finding in the federal plaintiff's favor "denies a legal conclusion that a state court has reached in a case to which he was a party." Id.
Appropriate application of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine to a Colorado Rule 120 foreclosure proceeding is dependent on a few variables, including when the federal case was initiated and what relief is sought by the plaintiff. In Dillard v.
Here, the foreclosure sale has occurred and, among other things, Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief which would undo the foreclosure sale. See Compl. [#1] at 17 (seeking "the release of the Title to my property"); Pltf.'s Status Report [#40] at 15 (asking the Court to reverse the foreclosure and eviction process). In addition, Plaintiff also filed the State Court Action challenging the Rule 120 proceeding, which has been fully adjudicated.
This conclusion is consistent with other recent opinions issued in this District. In Lewis v. Wells Fargo Bank NA, this Court found that "application of Rooker-Feldman leads to the conclusion that the Court is without jurisdiction to provide the declaratory relief sought by Plaintiff, because Plaintiff seeks a reexamination of his right in the foreclosed Property." No. 11-cv-03387-CMA-KLM, 2012 WL 4097709, at *7 (D.Colo. Aug. 21, 2012). Similarly, in Amerson v. Chase Home Finance LLC, the Court applied the Rooker-Feldman doctrine to bar the plaintiffs' request to quiet title to their foreclosed property. No. 11-cv-01041-WJM-MEH, 2012 WL 1686168 (D.Colo. May 7, 2012). The court found that the form of requested relief "relate[d] directly to the state-court proceedings, as title would not be clouded but for the actions of the state court." 2012
Additionally, in Niederquell v. Bank of America, N.A., the Court rejected application of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine in denying a motion to remand and a motion to dismiss. No. 11-cv-03185-MSK-MJW, 2012 WL 1578060 (D.Colo. May 4, 2012). The Niederquell plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in state court, in which they sought a declaration that a week-old Rule 120 Order authorizing the sale of their property was void. 2012 WL 1578060 at *1. The defendants removed the case to this Court before the foreclosure sale had actually occurred. Id. The plaintiffs moved for remand on the basis of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. Id. The Court held that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine was inapplicable because the entire foreclosure process had not concluded, and therefore denied the plaintiffs' motion for remand. Id.
Like Lewis and Amerson, the instant Plaintiff's request for relief depends on, and in effect attacks, a state court finding below. Here, in fact, Plaintiff attacks two state court findings — both the determinations reached in the Rule 120 proceeding and the State Court Action. Unlike Niederquell, the record in the instant matter demonstrates that the entire foreclosure process has been completed. The El Paso County District Court entered an order authorizing the sale of the Property pursuant to Rule 120 and the Property was sold to a third party. Pltf.'s Status Report [#40] at 5. Therefore, regardless of the fact that Plaintiff initiated this lawsuit prior to the foreclosure sale of the Property, the Rooker-Feldman doctrine precludes this Court's subject matter jurisdiction over review of the Rule 120 proceeding for two reasons: first, because the foreclosure proceeding has fully concluded, and second, due to the nature of Plaintiff's request for injunctive relief, i.e., an order that would completely undo the foreclosure proceeding.
With respect to the specific claims in Plaintiff's Complaint, application of Rooker-Feldman leads to the conclusion that the Court is without jurisdiction to enter an injunction that would undo the foreclosure sale. "Such interference would require this Court to substitute its judgment for [that] of the state court on the issue of property rights, ... which involves important state interests and looks to state law for their resolution." Yokomizo v. Deutsche Bank Sec., Inc., No. 11-cv-01630-CMA-KLM, 2011 WL 2912691, at *2 (D.Colo. July 20, 2011). Accordingly, the Court recommends that Plaintiff's request for injunctive relief be dismissed without prejudice as precluded by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. Lambeth v. Miller, 363 Fed.Appx. 565, 569 (10th Cir. 2010) (dismissal on basis of Rooker-Feldman doctrine is without prejudice).
As noted above, on the last substantive page of his Complaint, Plaintiff invokes the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Fourteenth Amendments but provides no factual or legal support for any claim regarding violations of his rights pursuant to those Amendments. See Compl. [#1] at 17. To the extent Plaintiff attempts to state a claim alleging a violation of his due process rights pursuant to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, such claim would challenge the judicial process engaged
Plaintiff's invocation of the Fourth Amendment's protection from unlawful searches and seizures is vague and conclusory. To the extent Plaintiff's Fourth Amendment claim challenges the foreclosure and sale of the Property, such claim is barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. See Dillard v. Clark, No. 12-cv-02266-BNB, 2013 WL 1685840, at *5 (D.Colo. April 18, 2013) (finding that court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear Fourth Amendment claim based on an alleged unauthorized eviction). The Complaint is too vague for the to Court determine if Plaintiff is attempting to assert a Fourth Amendment claim on a different basis. Accordingly, Plaintiff's Fourth Amendment claim should be dismissed without prejudice.
Regarding the Seventh Amendment, Plaintiff states: "I have been denied my right to a trial by jury in the 120 hearing..." Compl. [#1] at 17. Thus, Plaintiff appears to challenge the constitutionality of the hearing process delineated in Rule 120, not the decision reached by the state court judge in the Rule 120 proceeding. Accordingly, this claim is not barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine.
Next, the Court considers whether the Rooker-Feldman doctrine bars the litigation of Plaintiff's fraud and FDCPA claims. The pertinent question is whether these claims may have been brought in federal court without respect to what occurred in the state court. See Amerson, 2012 WL 1686168 at *10 (citing Bolden v. City of Topeka, 441 F.3d 1129, 1145 (10th Cir.2006)). In other words, if the claims do not require an "appellate-type" review of the state court proceedings or judgment, then Rooker-Feldman does not apply. See id.
Plaintiff's fraud and FDCPA claims are based on the manner in which Defendants foreclosed on the Property. Therefore, these claims arose prior to the Rule 120 proceeding and "are not an attack on the [state court] judgment or [state court] proceedings, as in Dillard, but rather claims that could have been brought regardless of what occurred at the state-court level." Amerson, 2012 WL 1686168, at *10; see also Castro v. Kondaur Capital Corp., Case No. 11-cv-03298-CMA-KLM, Docket Entry No. 46 at 13-14, 2012 WL 3778346 (D.Colo. Aug. 14, 2012). However, an examination of the complaint filed in the State Court Action shows that Plaintiff already litigated his fraud claim against
Plaintiff's request for money damages pursuant to his FDCPA claim is not an attack on a judgment or proceeding that occurred in the state court. See McDaniel v. John Suthers, No. 08-cv-00223-WDM-MEH, 2008 WL 4527697, at *6 (D.Colo. Oct. 2, 2008) (quoting McKithen v. Brown, 481 F.3d 89, 98 (2d Cir.2007) ("[G]iven that [the plaintiff] in federal court seeks redress for an injury that existed in its exact form prior to the state-court judgment, he cannot be complaining of an injury `caused by' the state court.")). Accordingly, the Court finds that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not bar this Court from asserting subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff's remaining FDCPA claim, fraud claim, or his Seventh Amendment claim. See Amerson, 2012 WL 1686168, at *10 (citing Bolden, 441 F.3d at 1145).
In their Status Report, Defendants argue:
Defs.' Status Report [#41] at 2. Defendants further argue that "the State [Court] Action was brought to remedy perceived wrongs in the origination of plaintiff's loan, as well as any wrongdoing in the sale of the loan or subsequent foreclosure by BANA." Id. at 5. Defendants aver that because the state court "found these arguments to be unavailing in the State [Court] Action and dismissed the State [Court] Action with prejudice," Plaintiff is precluded from bringing such claims here. Id.
Frandsen v. Westinghouse Corp., 46 F.3d 975, 978 (10th Cir.1995) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). "Both doctrines require that the party or parties against whom the earlier decision is asserted had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the claim or issue." Sil-Flo, Inc. v. SFHC, Inc., 917 F.2d 1507, 1520 (10th Cir.1990) (citing Kremer v. Chem. Constr. Corp., 456 U.S. 461, 481 n. 22, 102 S.Ct. 1883, 72 L.Ed.2d 262 (1982)). Here, Defendant BANA only argues that claim preclusion applies and the Court will, therefore,
"[A] federal court must give to a state-court judgment the same preclusive effect as would be given that judgment under the law of the State in which the judgment was rendered." Migra v. Warren City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ., 465 U.S. 75, 81, 104 S.Ct. 892, 79 L.Ed.2d 56 (1984). Therefore, the Court must determine what preclusive effect Colorado would give to the State Court Action. See Xiangyuan Zhu v. St. Francis Health Ctr., 215 Fed. Appx. 717, 719 (10th Cir.2007) (looking to state law to determine if district court properly applied res judicata to bar claim).
The United States Supreme Court determined that "[u]nder res judicata, a final judgment on the merits of an action precludes the parties or their privies from relitigating issues that were or could have been raised in that action." Allen v. McCurry, 449 U.S. 90, 94, 101 S.Ct. 411, 66 L.Ed.2d 308 (1980) (citation omitted); see also MACTEC, Inc. v. Gorelick, 427 F.3d 821, 831 (10th Cir.2005) ("The doctrine of res judicata, or claim preclusion, will prevent a party from re-litigating a legal claim that was or could have been the subject of a previously issued final judgment."). "The Supreme Court of Colorado has adopted this rule, holding that res judicata `bars relitigation not only of all issues actually decided, but of all issues that might have been decided.'" Klein v. Zavaras, 80 F.3d 432, 434 (10th Cir.1996) (quoting Pomeroy v. Waitkus, 183 Colo. 344, 517 P.2d 396, 399 (1973)). Therefore, under Colorado law, "once judgment is entered in an action it extinguishes the plaintiff's claim including all rights of the plaintiff to remedies against the defendant with respect to all or any part of the transaction, or series of connected transactions out of which the action arose." Argus Real Estate, Inc. v. E-470 Pub. Highway Auth., 109 P.3d 604, 609 (Colo.2005).
Under Colorado law, "[f]or a claim in a second judicial proceeding to be precluded by a previous judgment, there must exist: (1) finality of the first judgment, (2) identity of subject matter, (3) identity of claims for relief, and (4) identity or privity between parties to the actions." Id. at 608; see also Loveland Essential Grp., LLC v. Grommon Farms, Inc., 318 P.3d 6, 10, 2012 WL 311662, at *3 (Colo. App. Feb. 2, 2012).
There can be no doubt that the State Court Action is final. On January 25, 2013, the state court entered an order granting defendants' motion to dismiss and dismissing Plaintiff's claims with prejudice.
In the State Court Action, Plaintiff: (1) challenged the assignment of his mortgage to Defendant BANA, Defs.' Status Report, Ex. A [#41] at 11-12, 15-17;
In the instant action, Plaintiffs claims against Defendant BANA relate to: (1) his entry into the mortgage, Compl. [#1] at 2, 7; (2) the assignment of Plaintiff's mortgage to Defendant BANA, which Plaintiff alleges was "fraudulent," id. at 2-3, 6-7, 10; (3) the alleged invalidity of the Rule 120 proceeding, id. at 3; (4) Defendant BANA's "unlawful trespass" in attempting to foreclose on the Property, id. at. 4; (5) claims that the legal process of foreclosure "is heavily favored and biased toward the Bank," id. at 4, 8, 15-16 (allegations regarding the foreclosure); (6) argument relating to the validity of the creation of mortgage backed securities, id. at 10-11 ("I allege there was/is no loan, that the parties involved have been involved in fraudulent financial activity that is designed for unjust enrichment
It is clear that all of the allegations brought in the State Court Action and the instant action relate to the foreclosure of Plaintiff's mortgage. Therefore, there is identity of subject matter. See Collins v. BAC Home Loans Servicing LP, 912 F.Supp.2d 997, 1016 (D.Colo.2012) (finding that prior case based on actions surrounding a foreclosure barred claims brought in subsequent action relating to bank's "collection efforts on the debt"); Holnam, Inc. v. Indus. Claim Appeals Office, 159 P.3d 795, 798 (Colo.App.2006); Argus, 109 P.3d at 608 (finding subject matter identical because both cases involved "the same parcel of land and same agreement").
Loveland Essential Grp., LLC, 318 P.3d at 10, 2012 WL 311662, at *3 (citations, quotations, and internal modifications omitted). "The same claim or cause of action requirement is bounded by the injury for which relief is demanded, and not by the legal theory on which the person asserting the claim relies." State Engineer v. Smith Cattle, Inc., 780 P.2d 546, 549 (Colo.1989) (citation and quotation omitted); see also Nwosun v. General Mills Restaurants, Inc., 124 F.3d 1255, 1257 (10th Cir.1997) ("[A] cause of action includes all claims or legal theories of recovery that arise from the same transaction, event, or occurrence."). Here, Plaintiff's claims against Defendant BANA all relate to the foreclosure of Plaintiff's mortgage. That was the basis for the State Court Action. Even if Plaintiff asserts a new legal theory such as a claim brought pursuant to the FDCPA, "the injury for which relief is demanded is the same" and the claims are "barred by the principles of claim preclusion and res judicata." Marr v. Hughes, No. 07-cv-01746-WYD-KMT, 2008 WL 4293314, at *2 (D.Colo. Sept. 16, 2008) (finding that claims brought in federal court relating to easement on property were barred).
The Court must also consider whether the claim brought pursuant to the Seventh Amendment in the instant action could have been brought by Plaintiff in the State Court Action. See Aspen Plaza Co. v. Garcia, 691 P.2d 763, 764 (Colo.App.1984) (finding claims not barred by res judicata if they could not have been brought in prior proceeding); see also City and Cnty. of Denver v. Block 173 Assocs., 814 P.2d 824, 834 (Colo.1991) (state court claims not barred when federal court dismissed case without considering the issues raised in the state court action). Plaintiff offers no reason why he did not bring his constitutional claim in the State Court Action and such claims are not subject to exclusive jurisdiction in federal court. See Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 494 n. 35, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976) ("State courts, like federal courts, have a constitutional obligation to safeguard personal liberties and to uphold federal law."). Therefore, the Court finds that the third element is met with regard to the fraud claim, the FDCPA claim, and the Seventh Amendment claim.
This element is met because Defendant BANA was a named party in the State Court Action. Further, Defendant BANA's motion to dismiss was granted and Plaintiff's claims against Defendant BANA were dismissed with prejudice by the state court judge. See Defs.' Status Report [#41] at 2; see also Defs.' Status Report, Exs. B and C [#41] at 24-37 (the motion to dismiss and order granting the motion to dismiss). Therefore, the Court
Assuming, arguendo, that Plaintiff's constitutional claims were not barred either by Rooker-Feldman or the doctrine of claim preclusion, Plaintiff fails to state any constitutional claims and, as a result, they would be subject to dismissal pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). In his "Request for Relief," Plaintiff invokes the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Fourteenth Amendments.
Regarding the Seventh Amendment, Plaintiff states: "I have been denied my right to a trial by jury in the 120 hearing ..." Compl. [#1] at 17. An administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Colo. R. Civ. P. 120 does not violate Plaintiff's Seventh Amendment rights. See Ramsey v. Citibank, N.A., No. 10-cv-02653-WYD-CBS, 2011 WL 4485918, *4 (D.Colo. Sept. 28, 2011).
Plaintiff's invocation of the Fourth Amendment's protection from unlawful searches and seizures is vague and conclusory. Further, the Court can find no basis in the disjointed Complaint for a Fourth Amendment claim.
Plaintiff argues that his Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated because he was "deprived of property without due process of law." Compl. [#1] at 17. If this argument is based on Plaintiff's mistaken belief that a judicial proceeding brought pursuant to Rule 120 is illegal, such claim fails as a matter of law. See Ramsey, 2011 WL 4485918, at *4. If Plaintiff's argument is premised on his belief that his mortgage should not have been foreclosed upon, that issue was litigated in the Rule 120 proceeding and the State Court Action and such argument was found to be baseless. Finally, to the extent Plaintiff believes that he was deprived of property without due process of law because of the way his mortgage was handled, such claim was dismissed with prejudice in the State Court Action.
Even if Plaintiff's FDCPA claim against Defendant BANA was not otherwise barred, it also fails as a matter of law. "The FDCPA applies only to debt collectors." Makowski v. First Nat. of Nebraska, Inc., No. 12-cv-02280-CMA-MEH, 2013 WL 754922, at *6 (D.Colo. Feb. 6, 2013). The FDCPA specifically excludes from the definition of "debt collector" "any person collecting or attempting to collect any debt ... which was not in default at the time it was obtained by such person...." 15 U.S.C. § 1692(a)(6)(F). "Courts have consistently ruled that a creditor, mortgage servicing company, or assignee of the debt is not a `debt collector' under the FDCPA if the entity acquired the loan before it was in default." Makowski, 2013 WL 754922, at *6 (citation omitted).
Here, Plaintiff's allegations make clear that Defendant BANA is not a "debt collector" pursuant to the FDCPA. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant BANA "took over the servicing of the alleged loan" on or about July 2008. Compl. [#1] at 3. Plaintiff states that sometime thereafter, Defendant BANA initiated foreclosure proceedings against the Property. Id. Therefore, Plaintiff's FDCPA claim must be dismissed pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6).
In addition to being barred, Plaintiff's fraud claim is also subject to dismissal pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) and 9(b). To state a claim of fraud under Colorado law, Plaintiff must allege: "(1) a
Accordingly, for the reasons stated above,
IT IS RESPECTFULLY
IT IS FURTHER RESPECTFULLY
IT IS FURTHER RESPECTFULLY
IT IS HEREBY