Goodwin v. Executive Tr. Serv. LLC
| Decision Date | 08 January 2010 |
| Docket Number | No. 3:09-CV-306-ECR-PAL.,3:09-CV-306-ECR-PAL. |
| Citation | 680 F.Supp.2d 1244 |
| Parties | Aleta Rose GOODWIN, Robert Paul McArtor, and Heather Gabel, individually and on behalf of a class of similarly situated individuals; Joseph Jones, Meisa Jones, Michael R. Tierney and Fredrick Tulip, individually and on behalf of a class of similarly situated individuals; Linda R. Barba; Cynthia and Charles Flagg; Janice Gannon; William Dan Kluttz; Brian E. Jones; James H. Mullennix and Jeanne K. Mullenix; Heather Monahan and George R. Moreno; Travis Rawlings and Sylvia Rawlings; John Sullivan and Debbie Sullivan; Joseph E. Thurston and Arlene Thurston; Jesus Tovar; John F. Wilburn; and Rosalie W. Wilburn, Plaintiffs, v. EXECUTIVE TRUSTEE SERVICES, LLC; Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., a New York corporation; Merscorp, Inc. a Virginia corporation; Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Merscorp, Inc. a Delaware Corporation; Recontrust Company; Saxon Mortgage Inc.; T.D. Service Company; Deutsche Bank National Trust Company; Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC; Western Progressive, LLC; AHMSI Default Services, Inc.; Quality Loan Service Corporation; National Default Servicing Corporation; Aztec Foreclosure Corporation; Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, a Virginia corporation; Federal National Mortgage Association, a District of Columbia corporation; GMAC Mortgage, L.L.C., a Delaware$$$ corporation; National City Mortgage, a foreign company and a division of National City Bank, a subsidiary of National City Corporation; National City Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of PNC Financial Services, Inc.; PNC Financial Services, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation; J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., a New York corporation; Citimortgage, Inc., a New York corporation; HSBC Mortgage Corporation, U.S.A., a Delaware corporation; AIG United Guaranty Corporation, a foreign corporation; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a California corporation, dba Wells Fargo Home Equity and dba Wells Fargo Home Mortgage division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a California corporation; Bank of America, N.A., a Delaware corporation; and GE Money Bank, an Ohio corporation, Defendants. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of Nevada |
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Valerie R. Edwards, Koeller, Nebeker Carlson & Haluck, LLP, Phoenix, AZ, Megan K. Dorsey, Koeller Nebeker Carlson & Haluck, LLP, Las Vegas, NV, Robert R Hager, Treva J. Hearne, Hager & Hearne Reno, NV, for Plaintiffs.
Bruce T. Beesley, Paul A. Matteoni Laury M. MaCauley, Lewis and Roca, LLP, Ryan W. Herrick, John Desmond, Jones Vargas, Michael R. Kealy, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Courtney Miller O'Mara, Leslie Bryan Hart, Richard H. Bryan, Lionel Sawyer & Collins, Michael E. Sullivan, Robison Belaustegui Sharp & Low, Ann 0. Hall, John Ohlson, Bowen, Hall, Ohlson & Osborne Chartered, Reno, NV, Henry F. Reichner, Ira S. Lefton, Reed Smith LLP, David H. Pittinsky, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Philadelphia, PA, Thomas M. Hefferon, Goodwin Procter LLP, Brian P. Brooks, Omelveny & Myers LLP, Andrew R. Louis, Matthew Previn, Buckleysandler LLP, Washington, DC, Ariel E. Stern, Jacob D. Bundick, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Patrick G. Byrne, Erica J. Stutman, Cynthia Alexander, Chad R. Fears, Snell & Wilmer, Colt B. Dodrill, Wolfe Wyman, LLC, Gregory L. Wilde, Wilde & Associates, Joshua M. Dickey, Dennis L. Kennedy, Bailey Kennedy, Kristin A. Schuler-Hintz, McCarthy & Holthus, LLP, Dana Jonathon Nitz, Olson, Cannon, Gormley & Desruisseaux, Donna M. Osborn, Wright Finlay & Zak, LLP, Christopher H. Byrd, Fennemore Craig, Las Vegas, NV, Robert M. Brochin, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Miami, FL, Matthew McClendon, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, Los Angeles, CA, Jami Wintz McKeon, Jeremy S. Gladstone, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Ashley H. Chalmers, Elizabeth Lemond McKeen, Randall W. Edwards, O'Melveny & Myers, LLP, San Francisco, CA, Howard S. Lindenberg, Freddie Mac, McLean, VA, Mark S. Landman, Landman Corsi Ballaine & Ford, P.C., New York, NY, Jill L. Murch, Jonathan W. Garlough, William J. McKenna, Foley & Lardner LLP, Danielle J. Szukala, Leann Pedersen Pope, Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella, PC, Lucia Nale, Thomas V. Panoff, Mayer Brown LLP, J. Matthew Goodin, P. Russell Perdew, Thomas J. Cunningham, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, Chicago, IL, David Hall, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Salt Lake City, UT, Gregory J. Marshall, Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., Todd S. Kartchner, Fennemore Craig, P.C., Phoenix, AZ, Brian M. Forbes, Gregory N. Blase, Robert B. Allensworth, K & L Gates LLP, Boston, MA, Gary E. Schnitzer, Kravitz Schnitzer Sloane Johnson & Eberhardy, Chtd., Henderson, NV, for Defendants.
This is a putative class action brought by numerous homeowners who are in danger of losing or have already lost their homes to foreclosure. Plaintiffs assert seven claims for relief: (1) violation of the Fair Housing Act; (2) violation of Nevada Uniform Lending Practices Act; (3) conspiracy to commit fraud and conversion (4) conspiracy to commit fraud related to the MERS system; (5) unjust enrichment; (6) intentional infliction of emotional distress; and (7) fraud in the inducement.
Before the Court are twenty two motions to dismiss (## 141, 143, 145, 153, 154, 156, 161, 162, 163, 164, 1651 166, 167, 173, 198, 200, 202, 227 243, 342, 344 and 356). Plaintiffs oppose each motion separately. Defendants have replied. Also before the Court are Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction (# 98), Plaintiffs' motion to certify class (# 99), and Defendants' motion for protective order staying discovery and staying their oppositions to Plaintiffs' motions for class certification and preliminary injunction (# 142). The motions are ripe, and we now rule on them.
Plaintiffs in this case are homeowners who are in danger of losing or have already lost their homes to foreclosure. Plaintiffs filed a class action complaint (# 1) and motion for preliminary injunction (# 2) on June 9, 2009. On June 10, 2009, we granted (# 5) Plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction to the extent it sought a temporary restraining order. We restrained Defendants from pursuing any foreclosure actions against Plaintiffs or their properties. The temporary restraining order remained in effect until June 22, 2009. On June 11, 2009, we amended (# 10) the temporary restraining order. On June 22, 2009, we denied Plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction (#2) as moot in light of a stipulation of the parties (# 26) and an Order (# 28) of the Court approving the stipulation.
On June 24, 2009, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint (# 47). On June 29, 2009, Plaintiffs filed a motion (#59) for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. We granted (# 67) the motion (# 59) to the extent it sought a temporary restraining order. The temporary restraining order remained in effect until July 16, 2009. On July 15, 2009, certain Defendants stipulated (# 110) that they would not initiate or advance any foreclosures with respect to certain properties at issue in this case pending a trial on the merits. On the same date we entered an Order (#111) approving parts of the stipulation (#110) and disapproving others. On July 16, 2009, another stipulation (# 118) was entered into between certain Defendants and certain Plaintiffs. On July 16, 2009, we held a hearing clarifying our previous Order (#111).
On July 11, 2009, Plaintiffs filed a motion (# 98) for preliminary injunction and a motion (# 99) to certify class. Defendants opposed both motions and Plaintiffs replied. On July 29, 2009, Defendants Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and Federal National Mortgage Association filed (# 142) a motion for "Protective Order Staying Discovery and Staying Their Oppositions to Plaintiffs' Motions for Class Certification and Preliminary Injunction and Joinder to Certain Defendants' Joint Motion to Temporarily Stay Proceedings." The motion (# 142) is unopposed. Between July 29, 2009, and December 3, 2009, Defendants filed numerous motions to dismiss (## 141, 143, 145, 153, 154, 156, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 173, 198, 200, 202, 227, 243, 342, 344 and 356). Plaintiffs opposed the motions, and Defendants replied.
A motion to dismiss under Fed R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) will only be granted if the complaint fails to "state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). On a motion to dismiss, "we presum[e] that general allegations embrace those specific facts that are necessary to support the claim." Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 561, 112 S.Ct. 2130, 119 L.Ed.2d 351 (1992) (quoting Lujan v. Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n, 497 U.S. 871, 889, 110 S.Ct. 3177, 111 L.Ed.2d 695 (1990)) (alteration in original). Moreover, "[a]ll allegations of material fact in the complaint are taken as true and construed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party." In re Stac Elecs. Sec. Litig., 89 F.3d 1399, 1403 (9th Cir.1996) (citation omitted).
Although courts generally assume the facts alleged are true, courts do not "assume the truth of legal conclusions merely because they are cast in the form of factual allegations." W. Mining Council v. Watt, 643 F.2d 618, 624 (9th Cir. 1981). Accordingly, "[c]onclusory allegations and unwarranted inferences are insufficient to defeat a motion to dismiss." In re Stac Elecs., 89 F.3d at 1403 (citation omitted).
Review on a motion pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) is normally limited to the complaint itself. See Lee v. City of L.A., 250 F.3d 668, 688 (9th Cir.2001). If the district court relies on materials outside the pleadings in making its ruling, it must treat the motion to dismiss as one for summary judgment and give the nonmoving party an opportunity to respond....
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