RAYMOND A. JACKSON, District Judge.
Before the Court is Defendant Bank of America, N.A.'s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). This matter has been fully briefed by both parties and is ripe for judicial determination. For the reasons stated herein, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted is
On June 29, 2010, Plaintiff, Lloyd R. Little ("Little"), filed a Complaint against Defendant, Bank of America, N.A. ("BOA"), under the Truth-in-Lending Act ("TILA"), 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq., seeking, inter alia, a declaratory judgment that he sent a valid notice of rescission of her credit transaction, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §§ 1635 and 1641(c) and reasonable attorney's fees, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a)(3).
In his Complaint, Little alleges that, on October 25, 2007, he and his wife, Gloria Little, (collectively, "the Littles") refinanced their primary residence with Nationwide Lending Corporation ("Nationwide"). Compl. ¶ 6. The credit transaction between the Littles and Nationwide was evidenced by a note in the amount of $393,300. Compl. ¶ 6. The note was secured by a deed of trust signed by the Littles on October 25, 2007. Compl. ¶ 6. Nationwide also provided the Littles with a disclosure statement which contained, inter alia, a finance charge in the amount of $649,766.94, and a document entitled "Notice of Right to Cancel." Compl. ¶¶ 8, 9, 10. Additionally, Nationwide provided the Littles with closing instructions, indicating that the loan was required to be recorded in first lien position on or prior to disbursement. Compl. ¶¶ 12, 19.
According to Little, because the loan could not be recorded unless notarized, Nationwide's requirement that the loan be recorded, necessarily required that the Littles pay for the service of a notary public. Compl. ¶ 20. Thus, Little alleges that Nationwide imposed a $250 notary fee as a condition of going forward with the credit transaction. Compl. ¶ 18. However, the disclosure statement indicated that Nationwide had excluded the $250 notary fee from the computation of the finance
The Littles fell into arrears on the note with Nationwide. Compl. ¶ 24. Subsequently, Nationwide assigned the note to BOA, which instructed a substitute trustee to foreclose on the Littles' home. Compl. ¶¶ 25-26. BOA scheduled a foreclosure auction of the home for June 29, 2010. Compl. ¶ 26. On June 25, 2010, Little, by counsel, sent a notice of rescission to Nationwide and BOA. Compl. ¶ 27. On June 28, 2010, Little, by counsel, sent a second notice of rescission to Nationwide and BOA. Compl. ¶ 27. Little asserts that he would be able to tender the amount necessary for TILA rescission, either through refinancing or, as a last resort, by sale of the home. Compl. ¶ 30. Little is unaware of the exact amount he would be required to tender, but believes that the amount is approximately $325,000 or less. Compl. ¶ 30.
On July 30, 2010, BOA filed the instant Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint. Little filed a Memorandum in Opposition to the Motion on August 13, 2010 and BOA filed a Reply to Plaintiff's Memorandum on August 19, 2010. Accordingly, this matter is now ripe for judicial determination.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) provides for the dismissal of actions that fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. For purposes of a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, courts may only rely upon the complaint's allegations and those documents attached as exhibits or incorporated by reference. See Simons v. Montgomery Cnty. Police Officers, 762 F.2d 30, 31 (4th Cir.1985). Courts will favorably construe the allegations of the complainant and assume that the facts alleged in the complaint are true. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007). However, a court "need not accept the legal conclusions drawn from the facts," nor "accept as true unwarranted inferences, unreasonable conclusions, or arguments." Eastern Shore Mkts., Inc. v. J.D. Assocs. Ltd. P'ship, 213 F.3d 175, 180 (4th Cir.2000). A complaint need not contain "detailed factual allegations" in order to survive a motion to dismiss, but the complaint must incorporate "enough facts to state a belief that is plausible on its face." See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007); Giarratano v. Johnson, 521 F.3d 298, 302 (4th Cir. 2008). This plausibility standard does not equate to a probability requirement, but it entails more than a mere possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949-50, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). Accordingly, the plausibility standard requires a plaintiff to articulate facts that, when accepted as true, demonstrate that the plaintiff has stated a claim that makes it plausible he is entitled to relief. Francis v. Giacomelli, 588 F.3d 186, 193 (4th Cir. 2009) (quoting Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949, and Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955).
Defendant, BOA, asserts that Plaintiff's Complaint should be dismissed for failure
Congress enacted TILA in order to "assure a meaningful disclosure of credit terms so that the consumer will be able to compare more readily the various credit terms available to him and avoid the uninformed use of credit." 15 U.S.C. § 1601(a). Accordingly, TILA and its implementing regulation, 12 C.F.R. § 226 ("Regulation Z"), require creditors to "clearly and conspicuously" disclose certain information pertaining to credit transactions. See 15 U.S.C. §§ 1632(a), 1635(a). TILA provides individuals with a civil cause of action for damages against any creditor who fails to make the required disclosures under the Act, see 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a)(1), in addition to providing for the costs of the action and a reasonable attorney's fee where the action is successful, 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a)(3).
Furthermore, where a credit transaction is secured by an interest in property that is used as the principal dwelling of the person to whom credit was extended, the obligor enjoys a right to rescind the transaction until midnight on the third business day following the latter of either consummation of the transaction or delivery of the information, rescission forms, and material disclosures. 15 U.S.C. § 1635(a). However, where the creditor fails to provide the required information and disclosures, including disclosure of the right to rescind, the right to rescind is extended from three days to three years following the earlier of either consummation of the transaction or the sale of the property. 15 U.S.C. § 1635(f). Plaintiff has raised both a cause of action for a reasonable attorney's fee, pursuant to § 1640(a)(3), and a right of rescission, pursuant to § 1635. The Court now turns to the specific arguments BOA has asserted.
BOA first asserts that Little cannot state a valid claim for rescission based on
Before addressing the merits of BOA's argument, the Court notes that there is some discrepancy in the Complaint about which document failed to provide the rescission deadline. In his Complaint, Little states that Nationwide failed to provide notice of his right to rescind because Exhibit F, which Little attached to the Complaint, did not include the deadline date for rescission. Compl. ¶ 23A. Exhibit F is a document entitled "General Closing Instructions." Compl. at Ex. F.
TILA requires that creditors "clearly and conspicuously disclose" to obligors, their right to rescind the credit transaction in any transaction in which a security interest is retained in the obligor's principal dwelling. 15 U.S.C. § 1635(a). Furthermore, the creditor is also required to provide the obligor with "appropriate forms" for the obligor to exercise his right to rescind. Id. The notice of the right to rescind shall be a separate document which "clearly and conspicuously" discloses, inter alia, the date the rescission
In this case, Little alleges that Nationwide failed to complete the second blank on the model form (the rescission deadline) and thus, failed to comply with the disclosure requirements under TILA. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ("Fourth Circuit") has held that even a technical violation of the statute can give rise to liability under TILA. See Mars v. Spartanburg Chrysler Plymouth, Inc., 713 F.2d 65, 67 (4th Cir. 1983) ("To insure that the consumer is protected, as Congress envisioned, requires that the provisions of the Act and the regulations implementing it be absolutely complied with and strictly enforced.... [Thus] `a technical violation of the Act [is] sufficient to subject [the creditor] to civil liability under § 1640.'"). Furthermore, minor violations of the TILA disclosure requirements may impose liability even where the borrower "was not misled and was given a meaningful and correct disclosure of crucial credit terms." See Huff v. Stewart-Gwinn Furniture Co., 713 F.2d 67, 69 (4th Cir.1983). Although the Fourth Circuit has not specifically addressed the precise issue Little has raised, other circuits to address the issue have found that the omission of the rescission deadline from the notice of right to rescind is a technical violation which gives rise to liability under TILA. See, e.g., Semar v. Platte Valley Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 791 F.2d 699, 704-05 (9th Cir.1986); Williamson v. Lafferty, 698 F.2d 767, 768 (5th Cir.1983) ("Under § 1635(a) of the TILA, failure properly to complete the right to rescission form automatically violates the Act...."). But see, e.g., Melfi v. WMC Mortgage Corp., 568 F.3d 309, 312-13 (1st Cir.2009) (rejecting the reasoning in Semar and Williamson as "elderly" and holding that "technical deficiencies do not matter if the borrower receives a notice that effectively gives him notice as to the final date for rescission and has the three full days to act.").
BOA urges this Court to adopt the reasoning set forth in Melfi to determine that the appropriate inquiry is "whether a reasonable borrower would understand the Notice in the manner that Plaintiff describes." Def.'s Reply at 4. However, the reasoning in Melfi is contrary to the
Furthermore, BOA's argument that the second line on the "Notice of Right to Cancel" was not, in fact, left blank is not appropriate at this stage of the litigation. Although the documentation that BOA produced in support of its argument clearly raises a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the notice contained the required date, in deciding a Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the Court must accept Plaintiff's allegation that Nationwide left the line blank as true. See Erickson, 551 U.S. at 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197. Furthermore, while the signed version of the "Notice of Right to Cancel" BOA produced may be compelling evidence that Nationwide actually provided the rescission deadline at the time of signing, this Court finds it inappropriate to reach this question at such an early stage in the litigation. See Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955.
Accordingly, the Court finds that Plaintiff has adequately stated a claim for rescission based on his allegations that the "Notice of Right to Cancel" failed to provide the rescission deadline. Thus, Defendant BOA's Motion to Dismiss this claim is
BOA now alleges that Little's claim that Nationwide failed to disclose the payment dates should be dismissed because the disclosure statement properly and reasonably provided the payment schedule. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 10-11. To the contrary, Little asserts that the disclosure statement that Nationwide provided indicated that the first 60 payments were all due on December 1, 2007 and that the next 91 payments were all due on December 1, 2012, and the next 208 payments were all due on July 1, 2020. Compl. ¶ 23B. Little further claims that even a technical violation, such as that alleged in his complaint, can impose liability on a lender. Pl.'s Mem. Opp'n at 17. BOA counters that no reasonable consumer would construe the payment schedule as Little suggests in his Complaint. Def.'s Reply at 8.
In addition to the right to rescind, among the material disclosures that the creditor is required to make under TILA, is the disclosure of "the total of payments, the number and amount of payments, the due dates or periods of payments scheduled
While the Fourth Circuit has adhered to an objective standard in determining whether a creditor has complied with the notice provisions of TILA, see Mars, 713 F.2d at 67, TILA's disclosure requirements should nevertheless "be reasonably construed and equitably applied," Shelton, 486 F.3d at 819 n. 4. Unlike the complete failure to state the rescission deadline addressed above, any reasonable interpretation of the disclosure statement would reveal that Nationwide complied with required payment disclosures. As BOA points out, any reasonable consumer would interpret the disclosure statement in this case to require that the borrow repay the loan in monthly installments, in the amounts listed, beginning on the specific dates provided in the statement. Furthermore, where, as here, the disclosure statement specifically indicates that the payments are due "monthly beginning," Nationwide satisfied the requirement that the lender disclose the "periods of payments scheduled to repay the indebtedness." See 15 U.S.C. § 1602(u). Cf. Larrabee v. Bank of Am., N.A., 714 F.Supp.2d 562, 567-68 (E.D.Va.2010) (rejecting Plaintiffs argument that the disclosure statement failed to adequately disclose the payment schedule, even where the lender failed to specify that payments were due in monthly intervals).
For the reasons outlined above, the Court finds that, where the disclosure statement specifically indicated that payments were due in monthly intervals, Nationwide complied with its disclosure requirements under TILA. Thus, Plaintiff has failed to state a claim against BOA based on a violation of TILA for failure to adequately disclose the payment schedule. Accordingly, Defendant BOA's Motion to Dismiss this claim is
BOA next asserts that Little cannot state a claim for rescission under TILA based on his contention that Nationwide under-disclosed the finance charge. BOA bases its argument on two grounds. First, BOA maintains that Nationwide did not impose the notary fee on the Littles and thus, this fee was properly excluded from the definition of a finance charge under TILA. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 13-14. Additionally, BOA states that even if the notary fee were a finance charge, as that term is defined under TILA, Little failed to plead sufficient facts to support his allegation that the notary fee was not bona fide and reasonable, and therefore not exempted from the finance charge computation. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 14-15. In response, Little argues that Nationwide imposed the notary fee because notarization was required in order for the security interest to
Disclosure of the "finance charge" to be imposed on the obligor is one of the required material disclosures under TILA. 15 U.S.C. § 1632(a). The "finance charge," as that term is defined under TILA, is "the sum of all charges, payable directly or indirectly by the person to whom the credit is extended, and imposed directly or indirectly by the creditor as an incident to the extension of credit." 15 U.S.C. § 1605(a); 12 C.F.R. § 226.4(a). Generally, the finance charge does not include fees imposed by third parties where the creditor "does not require the imposition of the charges or the services provided and does not retain the charges." 15 U.S.C. § 1605(a). However, the finance charge shall include third party fees where "the creditor: (i) requires the use of a third party as a condition of or an incident to the extension of credit, even if the consumer can choose the third party; or (ii) retains a portion of the third-party charge, to the extent of the portion retained." 12 C.F.R. § 226.4(a)(1).
Where a credit transaction is secured by an interest in real property, notary fees are specifically exempted from the computation of the finance charge. 15 U.S.C. § 1605(e)(4); see also 12 C.F.R. § 226.4(c) ("The following charges are not finance charges: ... The following fees in a transaction secured by real property or in a residential mortgage transaction, if the fees are bona fide and reasonable in amount: (iii) Notary, and credit report fees."). However, such notary fees are only exempted from inclusion in the finance charge where they are "bona fide and reasonable in amount." 12 C.F.R. § 226.4(c)(7). A fee is reasonable where it is comparable to "the prevailing practices of the industry in the locality." King v. Deutsche Bank Nat. Trust Co., No. 3:10-CV-41, 2010 WL 3745599, at *5 (E.D.Va. Sept. 21, 2010) (quoting Hudson v. Bank of Am., No. 3:09-CV-462, 2010 WL 2365588, at *3 (E.D.Va. June 11, 2010)); see also Inge v. Rock Fin. Corp., 388 F.3d 930, 940 (6th Cir.2004) ("The relevant inquiry is not whether [the lender] has used the cheapest third-party service available to it anywhere, but whether the fee is reasonable given the prevailing practices in the relevant market," meaning reasonable given "the prevailing practices of the industry in the locality.").
In this case, Little alleges that the $250 notary fee was unreasonable based upon his assertion that the prevailing local rate for a notary fee at the time of the credit transaction was less than $50. Compl. ¶ 21. However, Little does not allege any facts sufficient to support his legal contention that the $250 notary fee was unreasonable. See Eastern Shore Mkts., 213 F.3d at 180 (noting that when considering a 12(b)(6) motion, the court "need not accept the legal conclusions drawn from the facts," nor "accept as true unwarranted inferences, unreasonable conclusions, or arguments."). As the Court recognized in both Hudson and King, such conclusory allegations merely establish that Little may have paid more for the notarization service than another borrower might have, not that the fee was unreasonable. See Hudson, 2010 WL 2365588, at *5; King, 2010 WL 3745599, at *6. Thus, Little's claim that the $250 notary fee was unreasonable, and thus should not have
For the reasons outlined above, the Court finds that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim against BOA based on a violation of TILA for under-disclosure of the finance charge. Accordingly, Defendant BOA's Motion to Dismiss this claim is
BOA also contends that Little's entire claim for rescission should be dismissed as he has failed to sufficiently plead that he has or will tender the borrowed funds back to BOA. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 15-16. Specifically, BOA argues that Little fails to assert any concrete steps that he has taken to secure funding to satisfy his tender obligations. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 16. In response, Little relies on the fact that he has pled that the home in which the security interest was granted is worth more than what he will be required to tender in rescission and that he stands ready to sell his home to satisfy the tender requirements. Pl.'s Mem. Opp'n at 20-21.
Rescission seeks to restore the parties involved in the credit transaction to the "status quo ante." Shelton, 486 F.3d at 820. "[W]hen rescission is attempted under circumstances which would deprive the lender of its legal due, the attempted rescission will not be judicially enforced unless it is so conditioned that the lender will be assured of receiving its legal due." Id. (quoting Powers v. Sims & Levin, 542 F.2d 1216, 1222 (4th Cir.1976)). In other words, rescission should not be granted where it is clear that the obligor cannot or will not tender the borrowed funds to the creditor. Id. ("Congress did not intend to require a lender to relinquish its security interest when it is now known that the borrowers did not intend and were not prepared to tender restitution of the funds expended by the lender in discharging the prior obligations of the borrowers." (quoting Powers, 542 F.2d at 1221)). Thus where an obligor seeks rescission of a credit transaction and the trial judge determines that she is "unable to tender the loan proceeds, the remedy of unconditional rescission [i]s inappropriate." Moore v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 597 F.Supp.2d 612, 616 (E.D.Va.2009) (quoting Shelton, 486 F.3d at 821).
In order to survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the plaintiff asserting the right to rescission must allege sufficient facts that, when viewed in the light most favorable to plaintiff, establish the plausibility that he is able to tender the borrowed funds. See Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955; Cheche v. Wittstat Title & Escrow Co., 723 F.Supp.2d 851, 858-59 (E.D.Va.2010). In Moore, the Court rejected the notion that a plaintiff seeking rescission must "conclusively establish her ability to tender through her Complaint," holding, instead, that a court considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss should not engage in a factual determination as to the plaintiff's actual ability to tender. 597 F.Supp.2d at 616-17. Despite Defendant's contentions that the state of the housing market rendered Plaintiff's ability to tender speculative and unlikely, the Moore Court determined that Plaintiffs assertions that she would be able to tender the loan proceeds by either
Similar to the plaintiff in Moore, Little asserts that he "would be able to tender the amount necessary for TILA rescission, either through refinancing or, as a last resort, by sale of the home." Compl. ¶ 30. Further, Little and his wife affirm that they are willing and able to sell their home and to use the net proceeds from such sale in order to satisfy the TILA tender requirement. Id. Nevertheless, BOA contends that Little's assertions are merely speculative for two reasons. First, BOA points to the fact that Little has not indicated that he has refinancing ready or that he would qualify for refinancing again. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 16. Particularly, BOA points out that because Little is currently in default on his mortgage, he would be unable to repay the net loan proceeds from refinancing. Id. Second, BOA asserts that because Little is unaware of the amount he owes and would be required to tender, his ability to tender is merely speculative. Id.
Though Plaintiff's practical inability to refinance may be relevant to the factual inquiry as to his actual ability to tender, such an assessment is not appropriate at the 12(b)(6) stage. See Moore, 597 F.Supp.2d at 617. At this stage of the litigation, the Court must accept Plaintiffs factual allegations as true. Id.; see also Erickson, 551 U.S. at 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197. Thus, while Little's inability to secure refinancing may be relevant at a later phase in the litigation, it cannot be the basis for sustaining a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6). See Moore, 597 F.Supp.2d at 616 ("Rule 12(b)(6) does not countenance ... dismissals based on a judge's disbelief of a complaint's factual allegations." (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955)). Furthermore, the Court must consider the facts alleged in the Complaint in the light most favorable to Plaintiff. In his Complaint, Little asserts that he "would be able to tender" the borrowed funds. Compl. ¶ 30. Although Little's language regarding his ability to tender may not be as strong as the "can and will" language espoused in the plaintiff's complaint in Moore, the Court cannot conclude that it is so speculative as to render his assertion implausible. Compare Moore, 597 F.Supp.2d at 616 (finding Plaintiffs allegations that she "can and will tender the loan proceeds" sufficient to defeat Defendant's 12(b)(6) motion), with Cheche, 723 F.Supp.2d at 858-59 (holding that where Plaintiff alleged only that she "might be able to" tender payment rather than that she "can and will" tender, she failed to "nudge [her] claim [ ] across the line from conceivable to plausible" (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955)). Thus the Court concludes that Little's claim that he "would be able" to tender the funds is sufficient to withstand BOA's motion to dismiss.
Finally, the Court cannot conclude that Plaintiffs admission that he is unaware of the precise amount he will be required to tender weighs in favor of Defendant's motion. In Moore, the Court found that Plaintiffs requests for a declaratory judgment as to the amount she would be required to tender, as well as for the Court to provide a reasonable time for Plaintiff to tender was directly at odds with Defendant's argument that Plaintiff did not intend to tender the funds in rescission. Moore, 597 F.Supp.2d at 617. Similarly, in this case, Little has also requested a declaratory judgment as to the amount he would be required to tender and that the Court use its equitable discretion to allow him a reasonable time to make tender. Compl. ¶¶ 34, 36. As in Moore, this fact weighs in favor of, rather than negates Plaintiffs claim that he is willing and able to tender the borrowed funds.
Having concluded that Plaintiff has adequately pled that he will be able to tender the borrowed funds in rescission, the Court finds that Plaintiff has stated a valid claim for TILA rescission against BOA based upon this ground. Accordingly, Defendant BOA's Motion to Dismiss for failure to plead the ability to tender is
Finally, BOA asserts that Plaintiff cannot state a claim for an award of attorney fees against BOA because he has not pled that the alleged TILA violations were apparent on the face of the disclosure agreement. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 16-17. Specifically, BOA claims that Little's claims that (1) he did not receive notice of his right to rescind; (2) he did not receive a statement of his schedule of payment; and (3) Nationwide under-disclosed the finance charge are not violations that could have been apparent on the face of the disclosure statement. Def.'s Mem. Supp. at 17. Little appears to agree that statutory damages are only available against an assignee where the violations are apparent on the face of the disclosure agreement, but maintains that assignees are nevertheless subject to the right of rescission to the same extent as the original creditor. Pl.'s Mem. Opp'n at 19. In response to this assertion, BOA, for the first time, argues that the right to rescind can only be brought against an assignee where the TILA violations were apparent on the face of the disclosure statement. Def.'s Reply at 10.
TILA provides that "[e]xcept as otherwise specifically provided in this subchapter, any civil action for a violation of this subchapter ... which may be brought against a creditor may be maintained against any assignee of such creditor only if the violation for which such action or proceeding is brought is apparent on the face of the disclosure statement." 15 U.S.C. § 1641(a). In turn, Section 1641(c) preserves the right of rescission by providing that "[a]ny consumer who has the right to rescind a transaction under section 1635 of this title may rescind the transaction as against any assignee of the obligation." § 1641(c). This Court recently interpreted these two statutory provisions and determined that while civil actions for damages under Sections 1640(a) and 1641(a) require that a TILA violation be apparent on the face of the disclosure statement, the right of rescission is not subject to this limitation and a plaintiff asserting a right of rescission against an assignee need not plead facts indicating that the alleged
Unlike a claim for rescission, a claim for attorney's fees pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a)(3) is not a "distinct cause of action." See Parker v. Potter, 232 Fed. Appx. 861, 865 (11th Cir.2007). Thus, in order to state a claim for attorney's fees against an assignee, the plaintiff must allege TILA violations which are "apparent on the face of the disclosure statement." See 15 U.S.C. § 1641(a); see also, e.g., Bills v. BNC Mortg., Inc., 502 F.Supp.2d 773, 776 (N.D.Ill.2007); Brodo v. Bankers Trust Co., 847 F.Supp. 353, 359 (E.D.Pa. 1994). But see, e.g., Fairbanks Capital Corp. v. Jenkins, 225 F.Supp.2d 910, 917 (N.D.Ill.2002). An alleged TILA violation is considered to be "apparent on the face of the disclosure statement" where a disclosure "can be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate from the face of the disclosure statement or other documents assigned;" or "does not use the terms required to be used by [TILA]." Id. "Thus, in considering a claim of assignee liability, the relevant inquiry is whether `a reasonable person can spot [any violations] on the face of the disclosure statement or other assigned documents.'" Irby-Greene v. M.O.R., Inc., 79 F.Supp.2d 630, 633-34 (E.D.Va.2000) (quoting Taylor v. Quality Hyundai, Inc., 150 F.3d 689, 694 (7th Cir. 1998)). Because the Court has dismissed Little's alleged violations pertaining to the failure to disclose the payment schedule and under-disclosure of the finance charge, the Court will consider only whether Little's alleged violation for failure to provide notice of the right to rescind may be considered to be "apparent on the face" of the assigned documents.
As discussed above, Little alleges that Nationwide failed to disclose the date on which the rescission period was set to expire on the document entitled "Notice of Right to Cancel." Accepting Plaintiffs factual allegation as true; such a failure would be apparent on the face of the disclosure agreement. See, e.g., Ozuna v. Home Capital Funding, No. 08-CV-2367, 2009 WL 2496804, at *3 (S.D.Cal. Aug. 13, 2009) ("Plaintiff alleges the closing documents failed to ... clearly disclose Plaintiffs right to rescind ... The failure to include these required disclosures would be apparent on the face of the disclosure statement."). Assuming, without deciding, that BOA was the assignee of the loan and was assigned the "Notice of Right to Cancel," BOA could have readily deduced from the face of the document that the space where the lender was to write the date of the rescission deadline had been left blank. See Irby-Greene, 79 F.Supp.2d at 633 ("An assignee's sole duty under TILA is to examine the assigned documents for any irregularities or illegalities...."). Thus, Little may assert a cause of action for attorney's fees based upon this alleged TILA violation. Accordingly, Defendant BOA's Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim for attorney's fees against an assignee is
For the reasons stated above, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) is
The Court