R. BARCLAY SURRICK, District Judge.
Presently before the Court is Plaintiff's Motion to Remand. (ECF No. 10.) For the following reasons, Plaintiff's Motion will be granted.
Plaintiff Juanita Perkins owns a home on South 13th Street in Philadelphia. In May 2006, Plaintiff applied for a loan with Defendant Assured Lending, a company that brokered mortgages for Defendant First Franklin. On May 25, 2006, Plaintiff consummated a consumer loan transaction with Defendant First Franklin at Plaintiff's home.
On June 18, 2007, Defendant Deutsche Bank, a transferee of the mortgage, obtained a default judgment in foreclosure against Plaintiff in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. Plaintiff did not appeal the default judgment, which is now final. After entry of the default judgment Plaintiff sent notices to Defendants purporting to rescind the mortgage due to the existence of material violations of the Truth-in-Lending Act ("TILA"), 15 U.S.C. § 1635, and purporting to cancel the mortgage pursuant to Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law ("UTPCPL"), 73 Pa.Stat.Ann. § 201-7. The default judgment was subsequently "marked to the use of" Defendant Beltway Capital.
On November 25, 2008, Plaintiff filed a Complaint in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
Removal from state court is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1441. Section 1441(a) states that "any civil action brought in a State court of which the district courts of the United States have
Defendants argue that removal is appropriate because the Court has federal question jurisdiction arising out of Plaintiff's TILA claim. See 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Defendants assert that we can hear Plaintiff's entire case, including her pendent state law claim.
Plaintiff argues that Defendant Assured Lending did not sign or consent to Defendant First Franklin's Notice of Removal. Plaintiff maintains that this renders the removal petition fatally defective.
Section 1447(c) provides that a "motion to remand the case on the basis of any defect other than lack of subject matter jurisdiction must be made within 30 days after the filing of the notice of removal under section 1446(a)." An "irregularity in removal of a case to federal court is to be considered `jurisdictional' only if the case could not initially have been filed in federal court." Ariel Land Owners, Inc. v. Dring, 351 F.3d 611, 614 (3d Cir.2003) (citations omitted). It is well settled that the failure to obtain the consent of all Defendants for removal is not a jurisdictional defect and is therefore waivable. See Balazik v. Cnty. of Dauphin, 44 F.3d 209, 213 (3d Cir.1995) ("Failure of all defendants to join is a `defect in removal procedure' within the meaning of § 1447(c), but is not deemed to be jurisdictional."); Plevretes v. La Salle Univ., No. 07-5186, 2007 WL 4441220, at *2 (E.D.Pa. Dec. 19, 2007); Miller v. Principal Life Ins. Co., 189 F.Supp.2d 254, 258 n. 4 (E.D.Pa.2002) ("The failure of all defendants to consent to removal is a waivable defect and does not in any way deprive this court of subject matter jurisdiction."). Objections to non-jurisdictional defects may be waived if not raised "within 30 days after the filing of the notice of removal." See 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c); see also Ariel Land Owners, 351 F.3d at 614; In re FMC Corp. Packaging Sys. Div., 208 F.3d 445, 451 (3d Cir.2000).
Defendant First Franklin filed the Notice of Removal on April 8, 2009. Plaintiff did not file her Motion to Remand until May 17, 2009, thirty-nine days later. Since Plaintiff did not file the Motion to Remand within 30 days after the filing of the Notice of Removal, Plaintiff has waived the right to challenge procedural defects in
Plaintiff argues that there is no subject matter jurisdiction under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. See Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co., 263 U.S. 413, 44 S.Ct. 149, 68 L.Ed. 362 (1923); D.C. Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462, 103 S.Ct. 1303, 75 L.Ed.2d 206 (1983). Under Rooker-Feldman, "lower federal courts may not sit in direct review of the decisions of a state tribunal." Gulla v. N. Strabane Twp., 146 F.3d 168, 171 (3d Cir. 1998).
The Supreme Court has observed that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine is confined 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).
In a recent opinion, the Third Circuit cautioned that the "phrase `inextricably intertwined' does not create an additional legal test or expand the scope of Rooker-Feldman beyond challenges to state-court judgments." Great W. Mining, 615 F.3d at 170. Instead, when a "federal plaintiff brings a claim, whether or not raised in state court, that asserts injury caused by a state-court judgment and seeks review and reversal of that judgment, the federal claim is `inextricably intertwined' with the state judgment." Id. In deciding whether a claim is inextricably intertwined, the federal court must determine "exactly what the state court held." FOCUS v. Allegheny Cnty. Court of Common
Plaintiff argues that the relief that she seeks, which includes rescission and monetary damages under TILA and UTPCPL, will necessarily render unenforceable and thus negate the state court default judgment in the mortgage foreclosure action. A number of cases in the Third Circuit have applied Rooker-Feldman to TILA and UTPCPL claims. See, e.g., Jacobowitz v. M & T Mortg. Corp., 372 Fed.Appx. 225 (3d Cir.2010); In re Madera, 586 F.3d 228 (3d Cir.2009); Laychock, 2008 WL 2890962; In re Stuart, 367 B.R. 541 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.2007); In re Cooley, 365 B.R. 464 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.2007); In re Faust, 353 B.R. 94 (Bankr.E.D.Pa.2006). Generally, the defendants in these cases request that the court apply Rooker-Feldman in the context of a motion to dismiss or motion for summary judgment, arguing that the federal court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. In this case, it is Plaintiff who argues that we should apply Rooker-Feldman and grant her Motion to Remand. Notwithstanding this difference, the authorities cited govern the disposition of Plaintiff's Motion.
In Count I, Plaintiff seeks judicial enforcement of her rescission of the mortgage pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1635(a).
Rescinding a loan has several implications. The security interest giving rise to the right of rescission becomes void. 12 C.F.R. § 226.23(d)(1). The consumer is not liable for any amount, including any finance charge. Id. Within 20 days after receipt of a rescission notice, the creditor must return any money or property and must take any action necessary to reflect the termination of the security interest. Id. § 226.23(d)(2). A creditor who fails to comply with these procedures following receipt of a valid notice of rescission can be subject to a statutory civil penalty. See 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a) (imposing liability on "any creditor who fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this part, including any requirement under [§ 1635]"); § 1640(a)(3) (awarding costs and attorney's fees "in any action in which a person
Plaintiff's TILA claim was not raised or "actually litigated" in the state court action when Defendant Deutsche Bank obtained the default judgment against Plaintiff. In re Knapper, 407 F.3d at 580. Therefore, Rooker-Feldman will only bar Plaintiff's claim if it is inextricably intertwined with the default judgment.
We are satisfied that Plaintiff's claim for rescission would negate the default judgment in the state court foreclosure action and render it unenforceable. Clearly the claim is inextricably intertwined with the state court adjudication and as such we are precluded by Rooker-Feldman from addressing the claim. The great weight of authority supports this conclusion. See, e.g., Jacobowitz, 372 Fed. Appx. at 227 ("[A] favorable decision for the Jacobowitzes in the District Court would prevent the Court of Common Pleas from enforcing its order to foreclose the mortgage."); In re Madera, 586 F.3d at 232 ("[A] favorable decision for the Maderas in the federal courts would prevent the Court of Common Pleas from enforcing its order to foreclose the mortgage."); Laychock, 2008 WL 2890962, at *6 ("Laychock's claims requesting rescission are precluded because rescinding the mortgage would invalidate the state court's default mortgage foreclosure judgment."); In re Stuart, 367 B.R. at 550 ("[C]ourt lacks jurisdiction to consider a claim to enforce TILA rescission rights if a judgment in foreclosure has been entered prior to exercising rescission rights under TILA."). Accordingly, we have no jurisdiction to enforce Plaintiff's claim for rescission.
In addition to rescission, Plaintiff's TILA claim seeks the return of payments on the loan, statutory damages, attorney's fees and costs. Courts in this Circuit have consistently held that "claims for recession [sic] or other relief calling a Debtor's mortgage itself into question may not proceed pursuant to Rooker-Feldman, but claims for damages may go forward following a state court foreclosure judgment." In re Reagoso, No. 06-12961, 2007 WL 1655376, at *2 (Bankr.E.D.Pa. June 6, 2007) (citing cases); see also Jacobowitz, 372 Fed.Appx. at 227-28 (distinguishing between claims for rescission and damages); Laychock, 2008 WL 2890962, at *6 ("Rooker-Feldman precludes her TILA, HOEPA, and RESPA claims to the extent they request rescission, but it does not preclude these claims to the extent they request monetary damages."); In re Stuart, 367 B.R. at 553 ("To the extent that Homecomings and Decision One contend that Rooker-Feldman bars the Plaintiff's TILA damages claim for the failure to rescind, I disagree.").
Plaintiff's TILA claim for monetary damages is not inextricably intertwined with the state foreclosure judgment. The imposition of such damages would not impair Defendants' rights under the foreclosure judgment. See In re Stuart, 367 B.R. at 553. The state-court judgment supports the mortgage's validity and confers upon Defendants the right to foreclose on Plaintiff's property. A finding that Plaintiff is entitled to damages for TILA violations does not require a finding that the state court was wrong in entering the default judgment. See Laychock, 2008 WL 2890962, at *6. Accordingly, we have jurisdiction to hear claims for damages arising out of a TILA violation.
Notwithstanding the fact that we have jurisdiction, we will abstain from hearing Plaintiff's damages claim. As mentioned above, federal courts generally apply Rooker-Feldman to motions to dismiss or motions for summary judgment, concluding that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear the plaintiff's TILA rescission claim. See, e.g., Jacobowitz, 372
In re Stuart, 367 B.R. at 554 (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1334(c)(1)).
Plaintiff argues that Defendants engaged in fraudulent and deceptive mortgage practices in violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law ("UTPCPL"), 73 Pa.Stat.Ann. §§ 201-1 et seq. As with her TILA claim, Plaintiff seeks cancellation of the loan and damages. We will decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff's state law claim. 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(3);
For all of these reasons, we will grant Plaintiff's Motion to Remand.
An appropriate Order follows.