Carpenter v. PNC Bank, N.A.

• Decision Date: 22 May 2019
• Docket Number: CIV. NO. 19-00056 LEK-RT
• Citation: 386 F.Supp.3d 1339
• Parties: Christopher CARPENTER, Mary T Bulzomi, Daniel K. Iwasaki, Bernie L. Acoba, Roman Gulla Bibat, Angie Siapno Bibat, Plaintiffs, v. PNC BANK, N.A., a National Banking Association; Robert White; Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.; First California Mortgage Company; Guinevere Ray Stromberg; Bank of America, N.A.; Enrique Piano Paa, Jr.; Joyce Lan Kim Paa; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; and Doe Defendants 1-50, Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Hawaii

386 F.Supp.3d 1339

Christopher CARPENTER, Mary T Bulzomi, Daniel K. Iwasaki, Bernie L. Acoba, Roman Gulla Bibat, Angie Siapno Bibat, Plaintiffs,

v.PNC BANK, N.A., a National Banking Association; Robert White; Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.; First California Mortgage Company; Guinevere Ray Stromberg; Bank of America, N.A.; Enrique Piano Paa, Jr.; Joyce Lan Kim Paa; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; and Doe Defendants 1-50, Defendants.

CIV. NO. 19-00056 LEK-RT

United States District Court, D. Hawai‘i.

Signed May 22, 2019

Bridget G. Morgan-Bickerton, James J. Bickerton, Bickerton Law Group LLLP, Honolulu, HI, for Plaintiffs.

Edmund K. Saffery, Lauren K. Chun, Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLLP, Honolulu, HI, Arthur F. Radke, Pro Hac Vice, Brett J. Natarelli, Pro Hac Vice, Richard E. Gottlieb, Pro Hac Vice, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Chicago, IL, Reid Davis, Pro Hac Vice, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Los Angeles, CA, for Defendants.

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR ORDER OF REMAND

Leslie E. Kobayashi, United States District Judge

Before the Court is Plaintiffs Christopher Carpenter, Mary T. Bulzomi, Daniel K. Iwasaki, Bernie L. Acoba, Roman Gulla Bibat, and Angie Siapno Bibat's ("Plaintiffs") Motion for Order of Remand ("Motion"), filed on February 28, 2019. [Dkt. no. 13.] Defendant PNC Bank, N.A. ("PNC") filed its memorandum in opposition on March 29, 2019, and Plaintiffs filed their reply on April 5, 2019. [Dkt. nos. 21, 22.] This matter came on for hearing on April 19, 2019. For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs' Motion is hereby granted in part and denied in part. The Motion is granted insofar as the instant case is remanded to the state court because the non-diverse defendants were not fraudulently joined. The Motion is denied as to Plaintiffs' request for an award of removal-related attorneys' fees and costs because, although the removal was improper, PNC had an objectively reasonable basis for attempting removal.

BACKGROUND

The instant case arises out of the foreclosures of Plaintiffs' respective properties. Plaintiffs filed their Complaint in the State of Hawai'i Second Circuit Court ("state court") on December 21, 2018, and the action was removed to federal court on January 30, 2019. [Notice of Removal (dkt. no. 1), Decl. of Lauren K. Chun, Exh. 1 (Complaint), Exh. 2 (First Amended Complaint, filed 12/27/18).]

According to the First Amended Complaint: Plaintiffs Christopher Carpenter ("Carpenter") and Mary T. Bulzomi ("Bulzomi") are residents and citizens of New Jersey; Plaintiffs Daniel K. Iwasaki ("Iwasaki") and Bernie L. Acoba ("Acoba") are residents and citizens of Hawai'i; and Plaintiffs Roman Gulla Bibat and Angie Siapno Bibat ("Bibats") are residents of Nevada, but they are in the process of moving to Hawai'i, which they intend to make their permanent residence. [First Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 3-8.] PNC is the successor by merger to National City Bank ("NCB"). PNC is organized under United States law and Delaware law, and has its principal place of business in Pennsylvania. [Id. at ¶ 9.]

Plaintiffs acknowledge their respective mortgages each gave the mortgagee a power of sale, which authorized the mortgagee to sell the property in the event of default. Plaintiffs contend each mortgagee agreed to sell the property "in a manner reasonably calculated to obtain the best possible price for the" property. [Id. at ¶ 36.] According to the First Amended Complaint, National City Mortgage ("NCM") and/or PNC asserted the right to use Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 667, Part I (2008) for the power of sale as the mortgagee and/or the assignee of each of Plaintiffs' mortgages. [Id. at ¶ 37.]

From 2009 through 2011, PNC was represented by the law firm Routh Crabtree Olson, which later became known as RCO Hawaii LLLC ("RCO"), in PNC's nonjudicial foreclosures in Hawai'i. [Id. at ¶ 21.] NCM and/or PNC, acting through RCO, commenced nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings against Plaintiffs, pursuant to the respective mortgages and Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-5 (2008). [Id. at ¶ 38.]

Plaintiffs allege that the foreclosure notices prepared for the foreclosure of each of Plaintiffs' properties violated Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-7(a)(1) (2008) because none contained an adequate description of the property to be sold. [Id. at ¶ 43.] Plaintiffs also allege that, in each foreclosure, only a quitclaim deed was offered. [Id. at ¶ 44.] Offering and selling only a quitclaim deed, Plaintiffs contend, breached the mortgagee's duties because it was not reasonably calculated to obtain the best price for the property. [Id. at ¶ 46.]

Further, in each foreclosure, the auction was held on a date other than that specified on the respective foreclosure notice, i.e. the actual auction date was unpublished, and no notice of the postponement of the sale was published. Either PNC or its nominee was the successful bidder at each auction; the properties were conveyed to PNC or its nominee; and foreclosure affidavits were recorded. In this manner, Plaintiffs assert they were wrongfully deprived of their properties, and these sales are either void or voidable because of PNC's failure to comply with Chapter 667, Part I and the applicable case law. [Id. at ¶¶ 47-48.]

Defendant Robert White ("White") claims current title to Carpenter and Bulzomi's property, Defendant Guinevere Ray Stromberg ("Stromberg") claims current title to Iwasaki and Acoba's property, and Defendants Enrique Piano Paa, Jr. and Joyce Lan Kim Paa ("Paas") claim current title to the Bibats' property. [Id. at ¶ 77.] White, Stromberg, and the Paas (collectively "Purchaser Defendants") are all residents and citizens of Hawai'i. [Id. at ¶¶ 10, 12, 17.]

In a nutshell, Plaintiffs' claims against the Purchaser Defendants arise out of the contention that the foreclosure affidavits used to support the foreclosures of each of Plaintiffs' properties constitute constructive or actual notice of apparent defects in the chain of title. As a result, Plaintiffs contend the Purchaser Defendants are not bona fide purchasers ("BFPs"). Plaintiffs also argue PNC's quitclaim deeds to its nominees were void ab initio , and therefore the special warranty deed from the nominees to each of the Purchaser Defendants is also void. See, e.g., id. at ¶¶ 82-83.

Plaintiffs assert they were all members of the putative class in Fergerstrom v. PNC Bank, N.A., CV 13-00526 DKW-RLP ("Fergerstrom"), which was originally filed in the State of Hawai'i First Circuit Court on September 9, 2013.¹ Fergerstrom was removed to this district court, and class certification was denied on September 18, 2018. Thus, Plaintiffs argue the statute of limitations on their claims was tolled starting September 9, 2013 until September 18, 2018, and therefore their claims against PNC are timely. [Id. at ¶ 18.]

Plaintiffs assert the following claims: a wrongful foreclosure claim against PNC ("Count I"); unfair and deceptive trade practices and unfair methods of competition, in violation of Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 480, against PNC ("Count II"); and quiet title and ejectment against the Purchaser Defendants, and against: First California Mortgage Company ("FCMC") – White's mortgagee; Defendant Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America") – Stromberg's mortgagee; Defendant Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. – the Paas' mortgagee; and Defendant Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. – FCMC and Bank of America's nominee ("Lienholder Defendants" and "Count III").

PNC removed this case based on diversity jurisdiction. [Notice of Removal at ¶ 10.] PNC contends Plaintiffs are either citizens of Hawai'i or New Jersey, although the Bibats may be citizens of Nevada. PNC is a Delaware citizen. Thus, there is complete diversity between Plaintiffs and PNC. PNC argues the citizenship of the Purchaser Defendants and Lienholder Defendants need not be considered because they were fraudulently joined.

Plaintiffs now seek remand of this case: 1) because this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332 ;² and/or 2) based on the forum defendant rule, 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b)(2), and also seek an award of attorneys' fees and costs, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c).

STANDARD

I. General Removal Principles

The general statute governing removal, 28 U.S.C. § 1441, is "strictly construe[d] ... against removal jurisdiction." Hansen v. Grp. Health Coop., 902 F.3d 1051, 1056 (9th Cir. 2018) (citations and quotation marks omitted).

If a district court determines at any time that less than a preponderance of the evidence supports the right of removal, it must remand the action to the state court. See Geographic Expeditions, Inc. v. Estate of Lhotka ex rel. Lhotka, 599 F.3d 1102, 1107 (9th Cir. 2010) ; California ex rel. Lockyer v. Dynegy, Inc., 375 F.3d 831, 838 (9th Cir. 2004). The removing defendant bears the burden of overcoming the "strong presumption against removal jurisdiction." Geographic Expeditions, 599 F.3d at 1107 (citation omitted).

Id. at 1057. The " ‘strong presumption against removal jurisdiction means that the defendant always has the burden of establishing that removal is proper,’ and that the court resolves all ambiguity in favor of remand to state court." Hunter v. Philip Morris USA, 582 F.3d 1039, 1042 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Gaus v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566 (9th Cir. 1992) (per curiam)).

II. Diversity Jurisdiction and Fraudulent Joinder

PNC removed this case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), which provides, in relevant part, that federal district courts "shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions where the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $ 75,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and is between – (1) citizens of different States." Diversity jurisdiction requires complete diversity of citizenship, i.e. , that every plaintiff be a citizen of a different state from every defendant. Grancare, LLC v. Thrower ex rel. Mills, 889 F.3d 543, 548 (9th Cir. 2018) (citing Caterpillar Inc. v. Lewis, 519...