Routh v. Bank of Am., N.A.
| Decision Date | 04 February 2013 |
| Docket Number | Civil Action No. SA-12-CV-244-XR |
| Parties | RANDY ROUTH and SHIRLEE ROUTH, Plaintiffs, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Defendant. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Western District of Texas |
On this day the Court considered Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' amended complaint (Doc. No. 16). For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS THE MOTION IN PART AND DENIES THE MOTION IN PART. The remaining motions that are pending (docket nos. 20, 25, 27 and 28) are dismissed as moot.
Plaintiffs Randy Routh and Shirlee Routh ("Plaintiffs") took a mortgage loan from Countrywide Home Loans in March 2007, secured by a Deed of Trust, for the amount of $204,250.2 Plaintiffs were subsequently notified by Defendant Bank of America, N.A. ("Defendant") that Defendant had become their lender and was entitled to receive payments. Plaintiffs contend that they began having problems with their mortgage related to Defendant not properly crediting payments and charging fees "not agreed to in the original documents."3 While it is never specifically stated in the amended complaint, it is implied that at some point Defendant indicated an intent to foreclose on the property.4 Plaintiffs argue that the bank should be enjoined from foreclosing for several reasons.
For one, Plaintiffs contend that there has been an improper assignment of the deed of trust. Defendant recorded an assignment signed by Jennifer Baker, who claims to be an assistant secretary of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. ("MERS"). Plaintiffs argue "that the evidence will establish that [Jennifer Baker] is not listed by MERS as an assistant secretary and had no authority to sign the assignment on behalf of MERS or theoriginal lender Countrywide."5 Plaintiffs argue that the assignment is void and of no legal effect because the document is "fraudulent and fake," specifically alleging that Defendant "had prepared on its behalf a fraudulent and fake document."6 Plaintiffs further contend that at the time of assignment the deed of trust was "probably a securitized mortgage that was deposited into a mortgage trust."7 Plaintiffs allege that the trust was controlled by a pooling and servicing agreement ("PSA"), which had a closing date "believed to be in March of 2007."8 Plaintiffs contend that "[t]he PSA states that no further transfers of the note should occur after the closing date."9
In addition to alleging problems with the assignment of the deed of trust, Plaintiffs also contend that there are several problems relating to the note. Plaintiffs contend that Defendant must own or hold the note in order to foreclose because "[u]nder the contract in question only the Lender can foreclose," and the Lender is defined in part as "any holder of the note who is entitled to receive payment."10 Plaintiffs therefore argue that Defendant cannot foreclose because "there is no valid chain of title stating who owns the note" and because "Defendant cannot prove that it is the valid owner or holder of the note."11 Plaintiffs also contend that the assignment of the deed of trust failed to also transfer the note. Plaintiffs further allege that, like the deed of trust, the note was "probably" deposited into the mortgage trust with a closing date "believed" to be in March 2007.
Plaintiffs filed their original petition in the 407th District Court of Bexar County, Texas, on March 5, 2012, seeking injunctive relief to prevent foreclosure and asserting causes of action for declaratory judgment, violations of the UCC, violations of the Texas Debt Collection Practices Act, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and common law fraud. Defendant removed the action to this Court on March 14, 2012, based on diversity jurisdiction. After removal, Defendant filed a motion to dismiss and, in response, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint. Defendant subsequently filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' amended complaint, which the Court now considers.12
In their amended complaint, Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief and assert causes of action for declaratory judgment, violations of the UCC, common law fraud, and quiet title. While Plaintiffs' original petition had asserted causes of action under the Texas Debt Collection Practices Act and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the amended complaint omits explicit causes of action under either Act. However, the amended complaint does appear to sporadically refer to provisions of both Acts.
Defendant argues that Plaintiffs' amended complaint should be dismissed because Defendant has authority to enforce the deed of trust under Chapter 51 of the Texas Property Code, because Plaintiffs lack standing to contest the assignment of the deed of trust, becausePlaintiffs' allegations regarding the trust agreement are implausible, and because Plaintiffs lack standing to enforce the terms of the mortgage trust. Defendant further contends that Texas law does not require the mortgage servicer to hold or own the note in order to foreclose, that Plaintiffs have failed to plead sufficient facts to state a claim for fraud, that Plaintiffs' quiet title claim fails because Plaintiffs are not relying on the strength of their own title, and that Plaintiffs are not "consumers" under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
"To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). "A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Id. While detailed factual allegations are not necessary, a plaintiff must provide "more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. However, a complaint can survive a motion to dismiss even if actual proof of the facts alleged is "improbable." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556. Although the court must take all of the factual allegations in the complaint as true, the court is "not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation." Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (internal quotation marks omitted).
The Supreme Court has held that in deciding a motion to dismiss, a court may consider documents incorporated into the complaint by reference. Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308, 322 (2007). "The court's review is limited to the complaint, any documents attached to the complaint, and any documents attached to the motion to dismiss that are central to the claim and referenced by the complaint." Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 594 F.3d 383, 388 (5th Cir. 2010). See also Sullivan v. Leor Energy, LLC, 600 F.3d 542, 547 (5th Cir. 2010) (quoting Scanlan v. Texas A&M Univ., 343 F.3d 533, 536 (5th Cir. 2003) (). In attaching documents to a motion to dismiss that are referred to in the plaintiffs complaint and are central to her claim, "the defendant merely assists the plaintiff in establishing the basis of the suit, and the court in making the elementary determination of whether a claim has been stated." Collins v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 224 F.3d 496, 499 (5th Cir. 2000). Whether the plaintiff has objected to the court's consideration of documents external to the complaint may be a factor that can be taken into account in determining whether to consider the documents. Scanlan, 343 F.3d at 536 (citing Collins, 224 F.3d at 498-99) ( that "[t]he fact that the plaintiffs did not object to, or appeal, the district court's consideration of [documents attached to a motion to dismiss] was central to [the Fifth Circuit's] approval of that practice.").
In this case, both the deed of trust and the assignment document are central to Plaintiffs' claims. Plaintiffs reference the documents, as well as specific provisions of thedocuments, in their amended complaint. Defendant attached both the deed of trust and the assignment to Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' original complaint and Defendant references the documents in its motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' amended complaint. While the documents are not attached to Plaintiffs' amended complaint or to Defendant's motion to dismiss the amended complaint, Plaintiffs did attach both documents to their response to Defendant's motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Thus, because the documents are central to Plaintiffs' claims, because they are referenced in the amended complaint, and because Plaintiffs appear to be encouraging the Court to consider them, the Court will consider both the deed of trust and the assignment of the deed of trust in ruling on Defendant's motion to dismiss.
Plaintiffs seek to "quiet title related to the fraudulent assignment of the mortgage to Defendant."13 Plaintiffs contend that they have "superior title" and that "[D]efendant by the fraud committed is not the holder or owner of a valid liens [sic] such that [D]efendant can foreclose the lien on Plaintiffs['] property."14
Defendant argues that Plaintiffs' quiet title claim fails because Plaintiffs do not rely upon the strength of their own title. Defendant also argues that the quiet title claim is facially deficient because the claim relies upon challenges to the assignment of the deed of trust and the argument that Defendant must hold the note in order to foreclose. Plaintiffs...
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