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Posts tagged as “Foreclosure”

Fla. Supreme Court Holds Foreclosure Buyer Could Recover for Property Improvements If Sale Was Later Vacated

The Supreme Court of Florida recently held that trial courts have continuing jurisdiction to hear a third party purchaser’s motion to recover the value of repairs and improvements made to property purchased at a foreclosure sale that was later vacated, quashing and reversing the contrary ruling of Florida’s First District Court of Appeal.

9th Cir. Affirms Dismissal of TILA Claims as Barred by FIRREA

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently affirmed the dismissal of a consumer’s Truth in Lending Act (TILA) claim for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, holding that the claim was barred by the jurisdiction-stripping provision of the federal Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA).

1st Cir. Upholds Dismissal of Mass. 93A Claims Against Mortgagee and Servicer As Time-Barred

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of a consumer’s claims against the owner and loan servicer of her mortgage loan that their collection statements supposedly violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, and the Massachusetts Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93, 49.

5th Cir. Holds SCRA Does Not Apply to Louisiana Confessions of Judgment

In a case of first impression, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently held that the protections against default judgment under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) do not apply to the seizure and sale of real property in in rem proceedings under Louisiana law where the debtors have agreed to a confession of judgment in the mortgage or security agreement.

5th Cir. Rejects Borrower’s Texas Foreclosure Statute of Limitations Challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed judgment against a borrower for quiet title claims brought against the owner and servicer of her mortgage loan, and entered judgment of foreclosure in the loan owner and servicer’s favor on their counterclaims for foreclosure against the borrower.

11th Cir. Reverses Denial of Class Cert in Challenge to Post-Discharge Mortgage Statements

In a putative class action of borrowers who received mortgage statements after a bankruptcy discharge, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently reversed a trial court order denying certification for failure to establish predominance. In so ruling, the Eleventh Circuit held that a mortgage servicer’s affirmative defense that it is not liable under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA), Fla. Stat. § 559.55 et seq., because the only remedy for violating a discharge injunction is under the Bankruptcy Code requires no…

Illinois App. Court (1st Dist) Holds Equitable Owner Not Necessary Party in Mortgage Foreclosure

The Illinois Appellate Court, First District, recently held that an entity with only a purported equitable interest in a property was only a permissive party to a foreclosure and not a necessary party, and therefore the plaintiff mortgagee was not required to serve the entity with process.  Thus, the allegedly defective service did not provide a basis to vacate the judgments entered against it. Additionally, the Court held that because lack of proper service was not apparent from the face of the record, the foreclosure sale buyer’s interest in the property was protected. Accordingly, the First District affirmed the ruling…

Calif. App. Court (2nd Dist) Rejects Claim That Loan Assignment During Default Was Void

The Court of Appeal for the Second District of California recently affirmed the dismissal of a borrower’s claims for wrongful foreclosure alleging that the assignment of his mortgage to the foreclosing entity was invalid. In so ruling, the Second District rejected the borrower’s argument that a mortgage cannot be assigned to another entity while the loan is in default as illogical and incorrect, in part because this reasoning would allow borrowers to prevent lenders from assigning debt by refusing to make payments. A copy of the opinion in Myles v. Pennymac Loan Services, LLC is available at:  Link to Opinion.…

Ohio Supreme Court Holds Foreclosure Decree ‘Final and Appealable’ Even Without Adjudication of Other Liens

The Supreme Court of Ohio recently held that, although a foreclosure decree did not specify certain amounts of outstanding liens due and owing upon the property, it nevertheless was a final, appealable order that left no issues remaining to be determined as to the rights and liabilities of the parties. The Supreme Court further noted that it was not required to adhere to the law-of-the-case doctrine that was the basis for the appellate court’s contrary ruling pursuant to its prior determination that the foreclosure decree was not a final, appealable order. A copy of the opinion in Farmers State Bank…

1st Cir. Holds Fannie Mae Not Liable for Unauthorized Acts of Its Agents

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, on an issue of first impression at the federal appellate level, recently held that the Merrill doctrine – which prevents federal government instrumentalities from being bound by the unauthorized acts of their agents – applies to Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”). Accordingly, the First Circuit affirmed the trial court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of Fannie Mae. A copy of the opinion in Faiella v. Federal National Mortgage Association is available at:  Link to Opinion. The plaintiff borrower took out a loan secured by a mortgage on his home.  The lender…

Calif. Supreme Court Allows Creditor Holding Senior and Junior Liens to Seek Deficiency on Sold-Out Second Lien

The Supreme Court of California recently held that the anti-deficiency statute in California Code of Civil Procedure § 580d did not bar a creditor holding two deeds of trust on the same property from recovering a deficiency judgment on the junior lien extinguished by a non-judicial foreclosure sale on the senior lien. A copy of the opinion in Black Sky Capital, LLC v. Cobb is available at:  Link to Opinion. The bank extended two loans to the borrowers that were secured by deeds of trust on a commercial property.  The bank sold both loans to an investor that subsequently foreclosed on the…