ROBERT E. PAYNE, Senior District Judge
The matter is before the Court on: (1) MOTION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (Docket No. 5) filed by Michael D. Davis; (2) MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 13) filed by Samuel I. White, P.C., MOTION TO DISMISS (Docket No. 16) filed by OneWest Bank, F.S.B. and Federal National Mortgage, RONALD J. GUILLOT, JR.'S MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 25), DEFENDANT AMY MILLER'S MOTION TO DISMISS PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 12(b)(1) AND (6) (Docket No. 29), and ERIC WHITE'S MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 45); (3) MOTION FOR EXPEDITED DISCOVERY AND NOTICE OF DEFENDANTS' FAILURE TO RESPOND TO MOTION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (Docket No. 20) filed by Michael D. Davis; (4) MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 48) filed by Michael D. Davis, MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST RONALD GUILLOT AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 50) filed by Michael D. Davis, MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST SAMUEL I. WHITE, PC AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 51) filed by Michael D. Davis, MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ONEWEST BANK AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 58) filed by Michael D. Davis, MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ERIC WHITE AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 59) filed by Michael D. Davis, MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST AMY MILLER AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 49) filed by Michael D. Davis, and MOTION TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST AMY MILLER AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 62) filed by Michael D. Davis; and (5) MOTION TO CORRECT (Docket No. 56) filed by Michael D. Davis.
As a preliminary matter, the Court will begin its analysis with the defendants' motions to dismiss, because the plaintiff fails to state any actionable claims and many claims are barred on jurisdictional grounds. As a result, the Court need not reach a decision on the other matters.
The dispute before the Court dates back to 2007 when Michael D. Davis obtained a construction loan from IndyMac Bank, FSB ("IndyMac") to construct a home in Columbia, Virginia.
At some point, Davis made late payments on the loan and OneWest demanded payment. In 2009, Davis filed an action in the Circuit Court for Goochland County against OneWest and the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") seeking to quiet title among other claims. The defendants in that case removed the action to this Court. In an opinion authored by Judge Hudson, the Court dismissed each of the claims: "For all of the foregoing reasons, the Complaint neither states a viable claim against any of the Defendants nor a legal basis to invalidate the Note or Deed of Trust."
Instead, Davis filed a second action in the Circuit Court of Goochland County on February 25, 2010, which was styled as a "Request for Order to Compel Production of Documents." Complaint,
On July 30, 2012, the Columbia property was sold at a foreclosure sale, and Fannie Mae obtained the title to the property. (Compl. Ex. E.) On October 5, 2012, Fannie Mae initiated an unlawful detainer action against Davis in the General District Court for Goochland County, Virginia.
Subsequently, on November 25, 2013, the General District Court for Goochland County awarded Fannie Mae possession of the property and ordered the Davises to vacate it by January 31, 2014. On the same day, Davis filed this action alleging thirteen claims against the defendants. Davis avers in his Complaint that eleven of the thirteen claims "identical to those argued upon in 3:12cv781.... [T]hey were left in their original position as to remove any misconception that these are new issues which need to be re-argued." (Compl. ¶ 18.) The two new claims allege: (1) that Amy E. Miller, who represented OneWest and FannieMae in the previous lawsuits, engaged in "attorney misconduct" and (2) a "federal question" involving "bad faith legal practices." (Compl. ¶¶ 47-62, 151-74.)
Fed. R. Civ. P. 8 provides that "a pleading that states a claim for relief must contain . . . a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). A court must dismiss a complaint if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6).
To overcome a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the plaintiff's complaint "must provide enough facts to state a claim that is plausible on its face."
A pleading must also contain "a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(1). "A federal court's entertaining a case that is not within its subject matter jurisdiction is no mere technical violation; it is nothing less than an unconstitutional usurpation of state judicial power." 13 Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Edward H. Cooper et al., Federal Practice & Procedure, Jurisdiction § 3522 (3d ed.). The party seeking to adjudicate in federal court has the burden of establishing that the federal court possesses jurisdiction over the matter.
Finally, the Court remains mindful that "a pro se complaint, however inartfully pleaded, must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers...."
As our sister district has noted, this is not the first time an individual "has attempted to use multiple causes of action to delay foreclosure."
The doctrine of res judicata precludes subsequent litigation on the matters actually and necessary resolved in a previous adjudication.
Claim preclusion may bar "litigation of matters that have never been litigated or decided." 18 Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Edward H. Cooper et al., Federal Practice & Procedure, Jurisdiction § 4406 (2d ed.). As the Fourth Circuit has explained, claim preclusion provides that, "if the later litigation arises from the same cause of action as the first, then the judgment bars litigation not only of every matter actually adjudicated in the earlier case, but also of every claim that might have been presented."
Claim preclusion applies if three elements exist: "(1) a final judgment on the merits of the suit, (2) an identity of causes of action in both the earlier and the later suits and (3) an identity of parties or their privies in the two suits."
First, the Court considers whether the same cause of action underlies the previous lawsuits between the parties. The Fourth Circuit has adopted a "transactional approach" to determine whether such an identity of causes of action exists. "[T]he appropriate inquiry is whether the new claim arises out of the same transaction or series of transactions as the claim resolved by the prior judgment."
In No. 3:12cv781, this Court determined that Davis' counterclaims could not provide a basis for subject matter jurisdiction.
However, Davis' claims against OneWest and Fannie Mae are still precluded, because both were parties to
Moreover, insofar as Davis alleges that Samuel I. White, P.C. and its attorneys, Ronald J. Guillot, Jr. and Eric White, lacked authority to conduct the foreclosure sale, those claims are barred, because the firm and its attorneys are in privity with the firm's client. As the Fourth Circuit has stated, "[t]o be in privity with a party to a former litigation, the non-party must be `so identified in interest with a party to former litigation that he represents precisely the same legal right in respect to the subject matter involved.'"
Claim I alleges that Fannie Mae could not file an action for unlawful detainer without a claim to ownership.
Similarly Claim II alleges that OneWest lacked the authority to enforce the note and appoint a substitute trustee. Based on these allegations, Davis claims that OneWest could not direct Samuel I. White, P.C. to foreclose. Claim II rests upon the validity of the instruments that he challenged unsuccessfully in
Claims IV through VII allege that OneWest was not the holder of the note, and therefore not entitled to appoint a substitute trustee or enforce the note. Claims IV through VII present the same arguments as those advanced in the first action, and they are therefore barred.
Claim VII also alleges that IndyMac induced him to sign the note and "arbitrarily set his interest rate" above what he could afford. Moreover, Claim VII appears to allege that Fannie Mae encouraged "[un]balanced" negotiations. Davis could have advanced these allegations during the first action. Therefore, Claim VII is barred.
Claim XI challenges the validity of the assignment from IndyMac to OneWest. Davis alleges that the note was not properly endorsed from IndyMac to OneWest. Davis made these precise allegations in the first action. Therefore, Claim XI is barred.
Similarly, Claim XII challenges the "chain of title" and alleges that OneWest is not the holder of the note. Again, the allegations advanced in the first action encompass this claim and therefore, Claim XII is barred.
Even if the above claims were not precluded, the Complaint lacks sufficient facts to state a single "plausible" claim. The Court will begin with the alleged federal questions.
Claims VIII and IX allege that Davis sent a rescission notice to OneWest in February 2010 and that OneWest simply ignored the notice, thereby violating 15 U.S.C. 1635. However, the Truth in Lending Act provides that "the obligor shall have the right to rescind the transaction until midnight of the third business day following the consummation of the transaction or the delivery of the information and rescission forms required under this section together with a statement containing the material disclosures required under this subchapter." 15 U.S.C. 1635(a). Davis received the construction loan in 2007; therefore, he sent his rescission well past the statutory time limit provided in section 1635(a).
If Davis did not receive the information, the rescission forms, and the material disclosures as required by section 1635(a), then his right of rescission would extend for three years after the date on which the transaction was consummated. 15 U.S.C. § 1635(f);
Moreover, Davis "fails to allege a present ability to tender, a prerequisite to a TILA rescission."
Claim X asks the Court to "provide an official answer" on the validity of the "312 Interpretation" of the Truth in Lending Act versus the "123 Interpretation." In effect, Davis seeks a declaratory judgment on whether the borrower must tender the proceeds to initiate the section 1635(b) process. Under the Declaratory Judgment Act, a "court of the United States . . . may declare the rights and other legal relations of any interested party seeking such declaration." 28 U.S.C. § 2201(a). "[D]eclaratory judgments are designed to declare rights so that parties can conform their conduct to avoid future litigation."
Davis asks the Court to "correct" the OneWest attorneys and alleges various injuries caused by their interpretation of the law. Therefore, it is clear on the face of Davis' Complaint that the "questionable conduct has already occurred."
Although Davis has labelled Claims XI, XII, and XIII as "federal questions," his allegations fail to provide any detail as to the federal laws that the defendants purportedly violated or federal rights of which Davis has been deprived. At best, the remaining claims assert state law violations and even that is doubtful. Because the Complaint does not allege a valid claim that would give this Court original jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, the Court may decline to exercise jurisdiction over parties joined under Rule 20 if the original claim is based on diversity and if exercising jurisdiction would be inconsistent with the jurisdictional requirements of section 1332. 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c). The pleadings do not clearly establish that the Court would have subject matter jurisdiction absent the Truth in Lending Act claims, which have been dismissed. However, section 1367(c) does provide the Court with discretion to address the remaining claims, and so the Court will proceed to the remaining claims.
As noted above, Claims I and II allege that OneWest unlawfully enforced the note; OneWest unlawfully directed Samuel I. White, P.C. to conduct the foreclosure sale; and Fannie Mae and Samuel I. White, P.C. wrongfully filed an action for unlawful detainer in the General District Court for Goochland County. However, the Complaint alleges no facts in support of the conclusory assertion that OneWest was not the holder of the note. Under Claim II, the Complaint fails to sufficiently plead an ulterior purpose or "an act in the use of process not proper in the regular prosecution of the proceedings as needed to state a claim for abuse of process."
As to Claim I, the Complaint fails to provide any details about the law that Fannie Mae and Samuel I. White, P.C. allegedly violated by filing the action for unlawful detainer. In addition, Claim I alleges that Ronald Guillot, an attorney for Samuel I. White, P.C. filed an affidavit in violation of Virginia Rule 1:4 stating that Davis "unlawfully detains and withholds" the Columbia property. However, Davis fails to allege any facts that would allow the court to make a "reasonable inference" that Guillot filed the affidavit without the good faith required by law.
Because these "naked assertions" lack the "factual enhancement" required by
Claim III appears to allege that Miller, who represented OneWest and Fannie Mae in aspects of the previous actions, intentionally inflicted emotional distress on Davis and defrauded the Court. In support, Davis alleges that Miller sent him a letter following the foreclosure sale, which was purportedly outside the scope of her representation, and refers broadly to his Opposition to Motion to Dismiss from No. 3:12-cv-00781. (Compl. Ex. H.) He also refers to a brief submitted on behalf of Miller by Morris & Morris, P.C.
In Virginia, a plaintiff must plead that "the wrongdoer's conduct is intentional or reckless; the conduct is outrageous and intolerable; the alleged wrongful conduct and emotionally distress are causally connected; and, the distress is severe."
The Complaint certainly does not include sufficient factual allegations to support the conclusory allegation that Miller somehow defrauded the Court. He does not clearly identify any action that she took that the Court could reasonable infer was fraudulent. The Complaint refers to a letter that Miller wrote to Davis after the foreclosure sale. However, that letter does not appear in the record. Exhibit H to the Complaint does include a letter from Miller to Davis. Nothing in that letter substantiates Davis' accusations in Claim III.
The Complaint also refers to a brief filed on by Miller. Therein, she states that
Claims IV, V, VI, and VII recast Davis'"show-me-the-note" claims as breaches of contract. Davis does not clearly plead the terms of the contract that were breached, but instead repeats his arguments that OneWest was not the holder of the note and therefore, not entitled to enforce it. Claim V adds an assertion that OneWest improperly appointed Samuel I. White, P.C. as substitute trustee and that Samuel I. White, P.C. acted impartially. However, he does not provide any "factual enhancement" to these "naked assertions."
As explained above, courts have "widely rejected" the show-me-the-note theory as contrary to Virginia's non-judicial foreclosure laws.
Claim XI avers that the assignment of the note from IndyMac to OneWest was not properly notarized and generally alleges that Miller allowed her client to enforce a note despite an ineffective assignment. Claim XII avers that Miller misinterpreted the U.C.C. and Virginia Code title 8.3A, and allowed her client to enforce the note unlawfully.
First, to the extent that Davis requests "nominal damages," the allegations contained therein do not meet the pleading standard set forth in Rule 8, which "demands more than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation."
Second, the Complaint makes clear that Davis primarily seeks declaratory judgment in both instances. As already explained, declaratory judgment at this stage of the proceedings is inappropriate because "the questionable conduct has already occurred [and] damages have already accrued."
Claim XIII avers that the defendants jointly and severally enforced the note and foreclosed on his home in bad faith. He baldly asserts that the defendants lied to him and to the various courts that these parties have appeared before. He does not identify any common law, contractual, or statutory duty that the defendants owed him; the claim makes no other allegations; and the claim contains no additional facts to supplement his assertions. Because the allegations lack sufficient factual "heft" to push the claim from "conceivable to plausible," the Court dismisses Claim XIII.
For the foregoing reasons, the MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 13) filed by Samuel I. White, P.C., the MOTION TO DISMISS (Docket No. 16) filed by OneWest Bank, F.S.B. and Federal National Mortgage, RONALD J. GUILLOT, JR.'S MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 25), DEFENDANT AMY MILLER'S MOTION TO DISMISS PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 12(b)(1) AND (6) (Docket No. 29), and ERIC WHITE'S MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT (Docket No. 45) will be granted.
For the foregoing reasons, it is unnecessary to address the MOTION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (Docket No. 5) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR EXPEDITED DISCOVERY AND NOTICE OF DEFENDANTS' FAILURE TO RESPOND TO MOTION FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (Docket No. 20) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 48) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST RONALD GUILLOT AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 50) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST SAMUEL I. WHITE, PC AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 51) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ONEWEST BANK AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 58) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST ERIC WHITE AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 59) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST AMY MILLER AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 49) filed by Michael D. Davis, the MOTION TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST AMY MILLER AS PER RULE 37 (Docket No. 62) filed by Michael D. Davis, and the MOTION TO CORRECT (Docket No. 56) filed by Michael D. Davis. They, therefore, will be denied as moot.
It is SO ORDERED.