DENISE J. CASPER, District Judge.
Plaintiff Jean Duplessis ("Duplessis") brings claims against U.S. Bank National Association as Trustee for certificate holders of Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities I LLC Asset Backed Certification, Series 2005-AC6 ("U.S. Bank") and Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. ("SPS") (collectively, "the Defendants"). D. 1; D. 13 at 1. The Defendants move to dismiss all of the claims asserted by Duplessis. D. 13. For the following reasons, the Court ALLOWS the Defendants' motion, D. 13.
"To survive a motion to dismiss, `a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'"
The following factual summary is based upon the allegations in the complaint, D. 1, which are accepted as true for the consideration of the motion to dismiss, and associated documents incorporated by reference into the complaint. Duplessis, along with his spouse, Virginia Duplessis ("Virginia"), purchased a property at 601 River Street, Mattapan, Massachusetts ("the Property") in 2005 and executed a mortgage in favor of the Mortgage Electronic Registration System ("MERS") as nominee for Entrust Mortgage Inc. ("Entrust") and Virginia executed a note in favor of Entrust. D. 2-3 at 1; D. 1 ¶ 2; D. 2-1 at 6-9. The mortgage agreement here states that "Borrower understands and agrees that . . . MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lender's successors and assigns) has the right: to exercise any or all of those interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the property." D. 2-3 at 3. The maturity date on the note was July 1, 2020. D. 2-3 at 2. The Property was purchased as an investment property and Jean Duplessis now resides in Randolph, Massachusetts. D. 1 ¶¶ 1, 13.
On July 14, 2006, MERS executed an assignment of the mortgage to U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee for Certificate holders of Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities 1 LLC Asset Backed Certificates, Series 2005-AC6. D. 1 ¶ 25; D. 2-1 at 4. Duplessis and Virginia fell into default on the loan. D. 1 ¶ 15. Duplessis and Virginia filed for bankruptcy and received a discharge under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on December 10, 2008, which extinguished their personal obligation under the note. D. 1 ¶ 16. In 2009, Duplessis and Virginia separated. D. 1 ¶ 17. Also in 2009, Duplessis received a notice from EMC Mortgage Corporation ("EMC"), then the servicer of the mortgage, requesting that Duplessis contact EMC to discuss options regarding reinstating or modifying the mortgage. D. 1 ¶¶ 12, 18. EMC refused to discuss the matter with Duplessis without the participation of Virginia. D. 1 ¶ 20. In 2010, EMC began a foreclosure action but did not consummate it. D. 1 ¶¶ 21, 22. In 2013, notice was mailed to the Property that servicing rights had been transferred to SPS, but Duplessis did not receive that notice. D. 1 ¶ 24. Duplessis "has no recollection of receiving any written notice of foreclosure," as required by Massachusetts law and the terms of the mortgage. D. 1 ¶ 31. U.S. Bank has submitted copies of letters that SPS sent to Virginia at the Property on January 8, 2016 and June 22, 2016, that communicated that the note was in default, stated that "failure to cure the default . . . may result in acceleration of" the debt, laid out the "total past due amount," stated that "you can still avoid foreclosure by paying the total past due amount before a foreclosure sale takes place," and indicated that if such payment is not made, "you may be evicted from your home after a foreclosure sale." D. 8-3 at 3-5; D. 8-4 at 3-5.
On January 12, 2018, Duplessis received a notice from U.S. Bank notifying him of a planned foreclosure sale to be conducted on February 9, 2018. D. 1 ¶ 54. That notice stated that Duplessis "may be liable to [U.S. Bank] in case of a deficiency in the proceeds of the foreclosure sale." D. 2-1 at 1. The notice was titled "Notice of Intent to Foreclosure Mortgage and Intent to Pursue Deficiency After Foreclosure of Mortgage." D. 2-1 at 1. The notice was mailed to Duplessis' current Randolph address. D. 2-1 at 1; D. 1 ¶ 1.
On February 5, 2018, Duplessis filed this lawsuit against U.S. Bank and SPS, D. 1, and moved for a temporary restraining order to enjoin the pending foreclosure of the Property, D. 2, which the Court denied after a hearing, D. 10. On March 14, 2018, the Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint. D. 13. The Court has now also held a hearing on the Defendants' pending motion to dismiss and took the matter under advisement. D. 21.
Duplessis asserts a claim for wrongful foreclosure against SPS and U.S. Bank, contending that U.S. Bank was not entitled to foreclose for three reasons: first, that MERS did not have the authority to assign the mortgage to U.S. Bank because it only held the mortgage as nominee and that the mortgage assignment is therefore void, D. 1 ¶¶ 26-30; second, that the chain of title to the mortgage is not complete because Bear Stearns (the depositor, or the entity that created the trust for which U.S. Bank is the trustee) is not included in the chain, D. 17 at 4; and third, that Duplessis did not receive notice as required by the mortgage, D. 1 ¶ 31.
As to the first argument, the Court explained in its denial of Duplessis' motion for a temporary restraining order that MERS has the authority to assign a mortgage where, as here, the mortgage agreement that grants a mortgage to MERS as nominee for a lender authorizes MERS to exercise "all [] interests" of the lender, notwithstanding its status as nominee for a lender. D. 2-3 at 3; D. 10;
As to the second argument, the mortgage was granted to MERS, as nominee for Entrust, and MERS subsequently assigned the mortgage to U.S. Bank, so there is no reason why Bear Stearns should have held title to the mortgage. Duplessis cites
Third, with respect to the notice requirements, Duplessis contends that the 2016 letters submitted by U.S. Bank do not suffice to meet the notice requirements of the mortgage. Paragraph 22 of the mortgage states that "Lender shall give notice to Borrower prior to acceleration following Borrower's breach of any covenant or agreement in this Security Instrument.. . . The notice shall specify . . . that failure to cure the default on or before the date specified in the notice may result in acceleration of the sums secured by this Security Instrument and sale of the Property." D. 2-3 at 13. Duplessis argues that the 2016 letters only stated that "failure to cure the default . . . may result in acceleration," and the use of the word "may" is insufficient. D. 8-3 at 3-4; D. 8-4 at 3-; D. 17 at 5. The word "may" in the notice, however, mirrors the language in Paragraph 22 that sets out what the notice must specify. D. 2-3 at 13 (providing, under Paragraph 22 of the Mortgage, that notice shall specify, among other things, "that failure to cure the default on or before the date specified in the notice may result in acceleration of the sums secured by this Security Instrument and sale of the Property"). Thus, considering the 2016 letters sent by SPS, the complaint does not adequately allege that the U.S. Bank failed to meet the notice requirements set forth in the mortgage. Duplessis contends, in a footnote, that a notice sent in 2016 is not sufficient for a foreclosure in 2018, but cites to no authority for this proposition. D. 17 at 5 n.2.
Duplessis's Chapter 93A claim is premised on his wrongful foreclosure claim, D. 1 ¶¶ 40-43, and fails for the reasons explained above.
Duplessis's FDCPA claim and breach of contract claim are premised on his wrongful foreclosure claim, D. 1 ¶¶ 44-46, and fail for the reasons explained above.
Duplessis contends that any effort by U.S. Bank to foreclose would violate the statute of limitations, because the statute of limitations for promissory notes is six years, Mass. Gen. L. c. 106 § 3-118(a), and it has been more than six years since Duplessis last made a payment on the note. D. 1 ¶¶ 47-51. The six-year statute of limitations for the collection on a note, however, runs from "the due date or dates stated in the note or, if a due date is accelerated, within six years after the accelerated due date," Mass. Gen. L. c. 106 § 3-118(a), not from the date of default. The original due date on the note was July 1, 2020, D. 2-3 at 2, and any acceleration occurred in 2016 or subsequently. Thus, there is no basis on which to find that the statute of limitations on the promissory note has run.
Moreover, as the Court explained in its denial of Duplessis' motion for a temporary restraining order, D. 10, a mortgage does not become unenforceable merely because the statute of limitations has run on the underlying note.
Duplessis contends that U.S. Bank violated his bankruptcy discharge injunction by mailing a letter titled "Notice of Intent to Foreclose Mortgage and Intent to Pursue Deficiency After Foreclosure of Mortgage." D. 1 ¶¶ 52-56; D. 2-1 at 1. A discharge in bankruptcy "operates as an injunction against the commencement or continuation of an action, the employment of process, or an act, to collect, recover or offset any [discharged] debt as a personal liability of the debtor. . . ." 11 U.S.C. § 524(a)(2). The bottom of the letter that Duplessis relies upon, however, states plainly "[n]o deficiency after the foreclosure sale may be pursued if you have obtained or will obtain a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge that covers your obligation under the note secured by the mortgage referred to above." D. 2-1 at 1. Duplessis points to
For the foregoing reasons, the Court ALLOWS the motion to dismiss, D. 13.
So Ordered.