RICHARD W. STORY, District Judge.
This case comes before the Court on Plaintiff's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order [2], Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Amended Complaint [7], Plaintiff's Second Motion for Preliminary Injunction [9], Plaintiff's First Motion to Deposit Funds into the Registry of the Court [13], Defendant's Motion to Strike the Plaintiff's Supplemental Response [20], and Plaintiff's Motion for Leave to File her Supplemental Response [22]. After a review of the record, the Court enters the following Order.
On July 29, 2005, Plaintiff executed a promissory note and deed to secure debt in favor of Coldwell Bank Mortgage, which granted a secured interest in Plaintiff's property at 1306 Wynnes Ridge Cir., Marietta, GA 30067. Defendant PHH was doing business as Coldwell Banker Mortgage when the note and deed were executed.
On March 16, 2009, Plaintiff lost her job and applied to PHH for a loan modification in April 2009. On September 1, 2009, PHH offered Plaintiff a Home Affordable Modification Trial Period Plan. That Plan stated in relevant part:
Dkt. No. [26-1] at 1-2 (emphasis added). Plaintiff completed the Plan documents on August 17, 2009 and transmitted her signed documentation along with her first Plan payment on that date.
In November 2009, Plaintiff received a letter with an attached modification agreement from PHH. That letter stated:
Dkt. No. [26-1] at 12 (emphasis added). The letter went on to state that to accept the offer she had to sign and return the modification agreements and continue to make all Plan payments on time. The letter was also signed by "Marc J. Hinkle, VP, Servicing Manager."
The enclosed modification agreement contained the following relevant terms:
Dkt. No. [26-1] at 15 (emphasis added).
Plaintiff executed the modification agreement on November 30, 2009. After no response about her modification agreement, Plaintiff called PHH in February 2010 to ask about her agreement. The PHH representative told her that these things typically took between 60 to 90 days, if not longer. Plaintiff called again in June 2010 and was told that the representative did not have an update on her loan and to call back in two weeks.
In October and November 2010, Plaintiff continued to call PHH to inquire about her modification. These calls typically lasted over an hour and provided no information. Despite no response, Plaintiff continued to pay, and PHH continued to accept and process, her plan payments.
In mid-November, Plaintiff received a Notice of Intention of Foreclosure from PHH. Plaintiff immediately called PHH, and a representative told her: to "disregard the notice," that he would escalate Plaintiff's file, and that someone from PHH would contact her within 10-14 days.
On November 30, 2010, PHH sent a letter which advised the Plaintiff that her December 2010 payment was being returned as it was insufficient to clear default, and she was advised that her loan was due as of September 1, 2010. Plaintiff then called PHH and was again told to disregard the letter as her account was under review, but she was told that any payments she made would be returned to her.
On December 20, 2010, Plaintiff spoke to a PHH representative who told her that PHH just needed to reprint the modification documents with new dates and to look for those new documents within seven days. However, she never received new documents. Plaintiff then called the federal Making Homes Affordable Help Desk and also obtained no resolution.
In March 2011, the matter was referred for foreclosure. Plaintiff and her counsel attempted to postpone the foreclosure sale due to the modification, but she was told on April 14, 2011 that her May 2, 2011 foreclosure sale would not be delayed. Plaintiff filed suit the next day. The Defendant now moves to dismiss all of Plaintiff's claims.
Plaintiff moves this Court to supplement her Motion for Opposition as the Defendant has sent her another letter which references her "HAMP trial period and modification." The document essentially encourages the Plaintiff to use direct deposit for her payments to PHH. Plaintiff argues that this letter is further evidence that the Defendant has waived any requirement to sign the modification as it continues to treat Plaintiff as if she has one.
However, this is a motion to dismiss. Thus, the Court is limited to the pleadings and exhibits attached thereto-not to any additional evidence. If Plaintiff had wished to include this evidence, the proper procedure would have been to amend her complaint. The Court also notes that this is not extrinsic evidence which is properly considered on a motion to dismiss as the letter is not referenced in the amended complaint.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires that a pleading contain a "short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." While this pleading standard does not require "detailed factual allegations," "labels and conclusions" or "a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do."
It is important to note that while the factual allegations set forth in the complaint are to be considered true at the motion to dismiss stage, the same does not apply to legal conclusions set forth in the complaint.
Defendant first moves to dismiss Plaintiff's claim to quiet title. O.C.G.A. § 23-3-40 states:
O.C.G.A. § 23-3-40 (emphasis added). Defendant argues that because it has not yet foreclosed on the property, and because Plaintiff admits through her pleadings that she needed the modification because she could no longer afford her prior mortgage, Plaintiff has essentially conceded that there are no security interests which are not properly attached to the property and all controlling security interests were signed by the Plaintiff. This Court agrees.
Plaintiff argues that because Defendant has indicated an intent to eventually foreclose, Plaintiff should be able to seek relief under qui timet to remove the cloud of potential foreclosure proceedings. But, the statute expressly requires that there be an "instrument" or "deed" or "other writing" to cancel.
Defendant next moves to dismiss Plaintiff's breach of contract claim. The essential elements of a valid contract are a subject matter, a consideration, and the mutual assent of the parties as to all terms of the agreement.
Defendant first argues the modification cannot be valid because it is not supported by consideration. However, the Court finds that the modification does offer a benefit to the Defendant which was not found in the initial loan-the ability to charge interest on any outstanding, unpaid interest. Modification Agreement, Dkt. No. [26-1] at 15 ("I also understand that this means interest will now accrue on the unpaid interest that is added to the outstanding principal balance, which would not happen without this Agreement."). Therefore, the supposed modification is not invalid for want of consideration.
Second, the Defendant argues that because PHH did not return a signed, executed copy of the modification to the Plaintiff that the modification is not operative. The Court finds that for this reason the proposed modification is not binding.
Both the Plan and the proposed modification clearly state that the modification would not become binding unless and until the lender returned a fully executed copy of the modification to the Plaintiff. Plaintiff pleads that this was not done. Thus, an expressed condition of the proposed modification was never fulfilled, and the parties never mutually assented to the modification's terms.
As well, it is worth noting that the Defendant's letter stating that if the Plaintiff complies "with the terms of the Home Affordable Modification Trial Period Plan, [PHH] will modify your mortgage loan and waive all prior late charges that remain unpaid" does not change this analysis. PHH's statement was immediately followed by a statement that "[t]he enclosed Home Affordable Modification Agreement ("Modification Agreement") reflects the proposed terms of your modified mortgage," and the modification agreement clearly included the condition precedent.
In response, the Plaintiff argues that the Defendant has waived any condition by acting in conformance with the modification by accepting Plaintiff's plan payments through November 2010. "It is well recognized that a party to a contract may waive contractual provisions for his benefit."
Here, the Court finds that the Defendant's acceptance of Plaintiff's funds does not operate as a waiver because, as Plaintiff agreed in signing the Plan, "[w]hen the Lender accepts and posts a payment during the Trial Period it will be without prejudice to, and
The Defendant also seeks to dismiss Plaintiff's promissory estoppel claim. A successful claim of promissory estoppel requires Plaintiff to establish:
The Court finds that Plaintiff has not relied to her detriment as Plaintiff actually benefitted from PHH's willingness to accept reduced payments and allow her to remain in her home for over one year.
Defendant has also moved to dismiss Plaintiff's wrongful foreclosure claim. As Plaintiff pleads, no foreclosure has occurred on the subject property. Am. Cmpl., Dkt. No. [1-2] at ¶ 47. Therefore, Plaintiff cannot mount a claim for wrongful foreclosure.
Defendant next moves to dismiss Plaintiff's Georgia Fair Business Practices Act because the home mortgage industry is a regulated industry. The Georgia FBPA "protect[s] consumers and legitimate business enterprises from unfair or deceptive practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce in part or wholly in the state." O.C.G.A. § 10-1-391(a). However, this statute does not apply to "[a]ctions or transactions specifically authorized under laws administered by or rules and regulations promulgated by any regulatory agency of [Georgia] or the United States." O.C.G.A. § 10-1-396(1). "[T]he legislature `intended that the Georgia FBPA have a restricted application only to the unregulated consumer marketplace and that the FBPA not apply in regulated areas of activity, because regulatory agencies provide protection or the ability to protect against the known evils in the area of the agency's expertise.'"
Here, the at-issue conduct is regulated within the consumer marketplace. "The area of mortgage transactions is regulated by the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act."
While Plaintiff implicitly concedes that the GFBPA does not apply to residential mortgage transactions, Plaintiff argues that the residential mortgage exemption should not apply to her as the offending conduct occurred in Defendant's post-closing conduct, namely violating the modification and accelerating her debt. However, Plaintiff has not pointed this Court to any statute or case which would support this opinion. As residential mortgages are excluded from the Georgia FBPA, Plaintiff's Georgia FBPA claim is
Plaintiff next alleges that Defendant violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by continuing to "incorrectly and improperly report Plaintiff's loan status to major credit reporting bureaus." Am. Cmpl., Dkt. No. [1-3] at ¶ 79. As Defendant is not a Credit Reporting Agency and Plaintiff does not allege that it is, the only obligation imposed on Defendant under the FCRA would be as a furnisher of credit information. The FCRA imposes two duties on furnishers. First, 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(a) requires furnishers to provide accurate information to credit reporting agencies. However, the statute explicitly provides that there is no private cause of action for this provision. 15 U.S.C. § 1691s-2(c). Therefore, Plaintiff cannot state a claim based on this duty.
The second duty imposed on furnishers by the FCRA requires furnishers to investigate and respond promptly to notice of a dispute regarding the completeness or accuracy of information provided to a credit reporting agency. 15 U.S.C. § 1691s-2(b). This provision of the FRCA can be enforced through a private right of action, but only if the furnisher received notice of the dispute through a credit reporting agency.
Plaintiff only asserts that she notified the Defendant of her credit dispute. Nowhere does Plaintiff allege that the Defendant received notice from a credit reporting agency of any dispute. Therefore, Plaintiff has failed to state a claim against this Defendant under the FCRA, and Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's FCRA claim is
Defendant also moves to dismiss Plaintiff's fraud claim. To succeed on a claim for fraud,
Plaintiff's fraud claim is grounded on the Defendant's statements that it was "going to agree" to a modification. But the Court finds that the alleged statements are not actionable because they were promises to act in the future.
As a result of the foregoing, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Amended Complaint [7] and Defendant's Motion to Strike the Plaintiff's Supplemental Response [20] are
Based on the allegations in the Complaint, Ms. Caselli has tried to do everything right to save her home and still honor her financial obligation to PHH. When she lost her job in March 2009, she immediately contacted PHH to seek a modification of her mortgage. She complied with every request of PHH. PHH advised Ms. Casseli that her modification had been approved and that she was eligible for a modification if she complied with the plan. She then made payments consistent with the proposed modification for more than a year. After PHH failed to provide a signed copy of the Modification to Ms. Casseli and she was essentially forced to bring this action, she still continued to make payments. When PHH stopped accepting payments, she made her payments into the registry of the Court. Without any explanation or warning, Ms. Caselli received notice that PHH was proceeding with foreclosure. In spite of statements from representatives of PHH that she should disregard the foreclosure notice, PHH proceeded with steps toward foreclosure.
I have already determined that under the law, PHH has the right to proceed with foreclosure against Ms. Caselli. However, in the absence of some compelling reason for why it reversed its position concerning her modification, I am at a loss as to why PHH would proceed to take this woman's home. Surely there is some person behind this corporate name who can re-evaluate the position of PHH before further action is taken. Choosing not to proceed with the foreclosure under the present circumstances is an action that cannot be compelled by law, but should be compelled by conscience.