McLAUGHLIN v. CITIMORTGAGE INC.
| Decision Date | 11 June 2010 |
| Docket Number | No. 3:09CV1762 (MRK).,3:09CV1762 (MRK). |
| Citation | 726 F.Supp.2d 201 |
| Parties | Raymond Wintson McLAUGHLIN and Shakir Ra-Ade Bey, Plaintiffs, v. CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Defendant. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of Connecticut |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED.
Raymond Wintson McLaughlin, East Hartford, CT, pro se.
Shakir Ra-Ade Bey, East Hartford, CT, pro se.
Michael Thomas Grant, William E. Murray, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Hartford, CT, for Defendant.
Defendant, CitiMortgage, Inc. (“CitiMortgage”) has filed a Motion to Dismiss [doc. # 74] this case in its entirety. For the following reasons, the motion is granted. However, in light of Plaintiff's pro se status, he will be granted one last opportunity to amend his complaint to state a viable claim for relief-though the Court grants this opportunity with reluctance and some important caveats, discussed at the end of this opinion.
The pro se Plaintiff has identified himself as Shakir Ra Ade Bey, a “Grand Sheik” and “Divine Public Minister” in the Moorish Holy Temple of Science of the World. See Pl.'s Judicial Notice/Declaration of Status [doc. # 63]. According to Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook of the Seventh Circuit, “It is a tenet of Moorish Science that any adherent may adopt any title, and issue any documents, he pleases.” United States v. James, 328 F.3d 953, 954 (7th Cir.2003).
Mr. Ade Bey initiated this lawsuit on October 30, 2009 with the filing of a complaint against CitiMortgage; its CEO, Mr. Sanjiv Das; and three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Inc.; Trans Union, LLC; and Experian Information Solutions, Inc. See Compl. [doc. # 1]. The original Complaint was, to put it mildly, confusing, not least of which because it was brought on behalf of one RAYMOND WINTSON McLAUGHLIN (always presented in all capital letters), but was signed by “Shakir Ra-Ade:Bey, Sui Juris, Attorney in Fact.” Id. Among other things, the Complaint alleged that Plaintiff and one Nicole McLaughlin signed “an alleged mortgage agreement” worth $233,731 with Residential Finance Corporation (“Residential”) for real estate located at 36 Heather Drive in East Hartford, Connecticut. Id. ¶ 12. “From said transaction,” the Complaint continued, “Residential then ... through coerce [and] fraud,” “fraudulently converted” the signed “Draft” into a “[promissory] [n]ote.” Id. ¶ 13. The original Complaint said that Residential then sold the Note “without the consent and authority of the Plaintiff” to Defendant CitiMortgage. Id. ¶ 14. The Complaint asserted that, as a result of Residential selling the Note, “the now demanded balance ... of [the] alleged mortgage was paid in full,” and that “no lawful debt now exists according to the principles of accounting.” Id. ¶¶ 15-16.
According to the Complaint, Plaintiff and co-signatory Nicole McLaughlin received a statement from CitiMortgage indicating that it now held the mortgage, and that the first payment was due on May 1, 2009. See id. ¶ 17. That same day, Plaintiff reportedly sent Mr. Sanjiv Das, CEO of CitiMortgage, a “Request for Accounting”; the Complaint alleged that the same request was sent to CitiMortgage on July 27, 2009. See id. ¶¶ 18-20. The “Request for Accounting” purported to give CitiMortgage fourteen days to produce the contract signed by Plaintiff and Nicole McLaughlin. See id. When CitiMortgage did not respond, Plaintiff and Nicole McLaughlin purported to “revoke[ ], cancel[ ], and rescind[ ]” the Note by publicly recording it on the East Haven, Connecticut land records. See id. ¶ 22.
On or about September 1, 2009, Plaintiff and Nicole McLaughlin received notice that CitiMortgage had reported the mortgage delinquent, which Plaintiff alleges was defamatory. See id. ¶ 23. On or about September 10, 2009, the credit reporting agencies received an affidavit from Plaintiff stating that “there were no CONTRACT with CITIMORTGAGE and or its agent(s) and that the information contained in the credit report was false and devastatingly injurious.” Id. ¶ 24. Equifax did not respond, id. ¶ 29, and Experian's credit report continued to reflect the delinquency, id. ¶ 28. Trans Union conducted an investigation and concluded that the mortgage was indeed delinquent. See id. ¶ 27.
The Complaint alleged that the aforementioned facts constituted, inter alia, a RICO conspiracy and defamation, see id., and sought $100 million in money damages for the emotional and psychological injuries caused to Plaintiff and Nicole McLaughlin; the elimination of all negative information in credit reports; the release of all liens on the property and the conveyance of clear legal title to Shakir Ra Ade Bey; an order that CitiMortgage produce the Note; an order that CitiMortgage “cease and desist forever its efforts to take from the Plaintiff and Nicole McLaughlin, regarding this matter, whatsoever”; a declaration that CitiMortgage's conduct was “wrong”; and a declaration that “the conversion of a Promissory note to a cash instrument is a violation of the National Currency Act of 1863/4.” Id. at 5-6 ¶¶ 1-10. Interestingly, the Complaint also stated that:
All Claims are stated in U.S. Dollars which means that a U.S. Dollar will be defined, as a One Ounce Silver coin of 99.999% pure silver, or the equivalent par value as established by law or the exchange rate as set by the U.S. Mint, whichever is the higher amount, for a certified One Ounce Silver Coin (U.S. Silver Dollar). If the claim is to be paid in Federal Reserve Notes, Federal Reserve notes will only be accepted at Par Value as indicated above.
Shortly after this case was filed, all of the Defendants save CitiMortgage filed motions to dismiss. See Def. Das' Mot. to Dismiss [doc. # 32]; Defs. Experian & Equifax's Joint Mot. for J. on the Pleadings [doc. # 48]; Def. Trans Union's Mot. for J. on the Pleadings [doc. # 50]. CitiMortgage, for its part, asserted a counterclaim against “Raymond McLaughlin” and Nicole McLaughlin, alleging a breach of contract and requesting a strict foreclosure of the mortgage as to 36 Heather Drive (hereinafter, “the real estate”). See CitiMortgage's Answer and Counterclaim [doc. # 39] at 10-13. Plaintiff then moved to dismiss the lis pendens that CitiMortgage had placed on the real estate. See Pl.'s Mot. to Dismiss Notice of Lis Pendens [doc. # 43].
In an effort to better understand Plaintiff's identity and allegations, and to resolve the outstanding motions, the Court held an in-court status conference on February 12, 2010, for which Mr. Ade Bey and counsel for Defendants appeared. During the status conference, Mr. Ade Bey clarified that prior to a religious conversion to the Moorish Holy Temple of Science of the World, he was generally referred to as “Raymond McLaughlin.” He further explained, both in court and in numerous filings, that through his religious conversion, he knows that the name “Raymond McLaughlin” was but a “legal fiction” and/or a “transmitting utility” (although the Court is unclear as to what was being transmitted). Plaintiff now uses his “aboriginal and indigenous free descent appellation”-Shakir Ra Ade Bey-but also purports to represent the interests of the all-capital letter “RAYMOND McLAUGHLIN.” In fact, according to the Plaintiff, RAYMOND WINTSON McLAUGHLIN has granted to Mr. Ade Bey a power of attorney “to conduct all tax, business, and legal affairs,” see Pl.'s Judicial Notice/Declaration of Status [doc. # 63] Power of Attorney at 1; as well as a security interest in “all ... interests now owned or hereafter acquired,” see id. UCC Financing Statement. 1 Both the Power of Attorney (which is dated April 20, 2009) and the UCC Financing Statement (which is undated) were apparently recorded on the East Haven land records. See id.
During the status conference, the Court explained to Mr. Ade Bey that it lacked jurisdiction to discharge the lis pendens on the real estate, and that any such petition would have to be filed in Connecticut Superior Court. See Conn. Gen.Stat. §§ 49-13(a) and 52-325a. Accordingly, Mr. Ade Bey's Motion to Dismiss Notice of Lis Pendens [doc. # 43] was denied, but without prejudice to him bringing an appropriate action in state court or to renewal in this court if he could establish a jurisdictional basis. See Order dated Feb. 16, 2010 [doc. # 57] at 1. The Court also granted Mr. Ade Bey's request to amend his complaint. See id.
Shortly after the in-court status conference, Mr. Ade Bey agreed to dismiss the claims against all of Defendants except CitiMortgage. See Pl.'s Resp. [doc. # 61]; Order dated Feb. 18, 2010 [doc. # 62]. On February 19, 2010, Mr. Ade Bey filed the Civil RICO Case Statement required by the District of Connecticut's Standing Order in Civil RICO Cases. See Pl.'s RICO Case Statement [doc. # 65]. On February 24, 2010, Mr. Ade Bey filed his Amended Complaint [doc. # 67-1], which the Court will discuss in a moment. At the same time, Mr. Ade Bey filed a Motion to Dismiss Defendant's Counterclaim for Foreclosure [doc. # 67], asserting that the Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to entertain CitiMortgage's counterclaim. In support, Plaintiff argued that the signature on the promissory note on which the counterclaim is premised is counterfeit. See id.; Pl.'s Mem. in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss Counterclaim [doc. # 68]. CitiMortgage then moved under Rule 20 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to join Nicole McLaughlin as an involuntary counterclaim defendant, on the grounds that she had signed both the promissory note and the mortgage. See Def.'s Mot. to Join [doc. # 70]. Plaintiff opposed this motion as well, arguing once more that any signatures were counterfeit and that Nicole McLaughlin has no interest in this litigation. See Pl.'s Mem. in Opp'n to Mot. to Join [doc. # 85]. In support of the latter contention, Plaintiff submitted a “Warranty Deed” dated January 3, 2010, which stated that:
RAYMOND McLAUGHLIN and NICOLE...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Bey v. Stumpf
...its jurisdiction”) (quoting Pitt–Bey v. District of Columbia, 942 A.2d 1132, 1135 (D.C.App.2008)); see also McLaughlin v. CitiMortgage, Inc., 726 F.Supp.2d 201 (D.Conn.2010) (dismissing claims by a Moorish litigant that “The aforementioned Indigenous Real Private Property is now free from e......
-
Ward v. Fid. Bank (In re Ward)
...claims based on this ‘vapor money’ theory, finding they are not actionable as a matter of law."); McLaughlin v. CitiMortgage, Inc. , 726 F.Supp.2d 201, 213–14 (D. Conn, 2010) ("[T]hese theories have been universally and emphatically rejected by numerous federal courts for at least the last ......
-
Bey v. Stumpf, Civil Action No. 11-5684 (RBK)
...(quoting Pitt-Bey v. District of Columbia, 942 A.2d 1132, 1135 (D.C. App. 2008)); see also McLaughlin v. CitiMortgage, Inc., 726 F. Supp. 2d 201 (D. Conn. 2010) (dismissing claims by a Moorish litigant that "The aforementioned Indigenous Real Private Property is now free from encumbrances a......
-
Buczek v. Bruce, 09-CV-1129S
...thereby become a free sovereign, a process known as "redemption," — never have to actually pay for anything.McLaughlin v. Citimortgage, Inc., 726 F. Supp. 2d 201, 210 (D.Conn. 2010) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). Buczek's adherence to these theories is in part what caused......