Adler v. American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc.

882 F. Supp. 2d 1237, 2012 WL 2524232, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90509
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedJune 28, 2012
DocketCivil Case No. 12-cv-00291-LTB-MEH
StatusPublished

This text of 882 F. Supp. 2d 1237 (Adler v. American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adler v. American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., 882 F. Supp. 2d 1237, 2012 WL 2524232, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90509 (D. Colo. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BABCOCK, District Judge.

This matter is before me on two motions by American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc. (“American”). The first is its Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Gary Adler’s original complaint [Doc # 7], The second is its Motion to Dismiss Adler’s Amended Complaint [Doc #24], Jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. After considering the parties’ arguments, and for the reasons herein, I DENY the first motion as moot and GRANT the second.

I. Background

This case concerns alleged discrimination in connection with the servicing of a residential mortgage. Adler alleges the following in his amended complaint:

Adler is a Colorado citizen who is visually impaired. He was declared legally blind in 1993 and is considered handicapped under pertinent law. American is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Irving, Texas. American, through its participation in certain federal [1239]*1239programs, received federal funding for making loan modifications.

In February 2003, Adler purchased a home in Castle Rock, Colorado, taking out a mortgage for $279,903 to do so. Six years later, in 2009, his mortgage was sold to American for servicing.

In or around 2009, Adler requested that American issue all its correspondence to him in 24-point bold font due to his visual impairment. This accommodation was necessary for Adler to read the documents American would send regarding his mortgage. American refused and continued issuing all its correspondence to him in its standard type. Because he could not read the correspondence, Adler says he did not understand his rights and duties and was injured as a result.

That same year, Adler resubmitted his request to American in connection with his applications for a mortgage modification pursuant to the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”), a program enacted under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and made part of the Making Home Affordable Program, enacted by the Financial Stability Act of 2009. American again refused. As a result, Adler says he could not read the materials pertaining to his HAMP applications, although he did submit multiple applications. His applications were ultimately denied. Similarly, due to its typeface, font, and colors, Adler also says he could not read American’s website to access forms and other information regarding his mortgage. In 2011, Adler’s home was foreclosed.

Feeling aggrieved, Adler commenced this action on February 3, 2011, bringing claims under the Fair Housing Act (the “FHA”), 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq., and the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq. American then filed its first motion to dismiss Adler’s original complaint. See Docket # 7. In response, Adler moved for leave to file an amended complaint pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). See PL’s Mot. Docket # 17. I granted Adler’s motion and accepted his first amended complaint tendered therewith. See Docket # 18. Consequently, I deny American’s first motion as moot. American now moves pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P 12(b)(6) to dismiss the first amended complaint.

II. Standard of Review

To survive a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), 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, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (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. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). “Plausibility” in this context “refer[s] to the scope of allegations in a complaint: if they are so general that they encompass a wide swath of conduct, much of it innocent, then the plaintiffs have not nudged their claims across the line from conceivable to plausible.” Robbins v. Oklahoma, 519 F.3d 1242, 1247 (10th Cir.2008) (internal quotations omitted). As a corollary, “[tjhreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937. Rather, the “[fjactual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955. When deciding a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court must assume the truth of all well-pleaded facts in the complaint and draw all reason[1240]*1240able inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Teigen v. Renfrow, 511 F.3d 1072, 1078 (10th Cir.2007). Legal conclusions, however, do not receive this treatment. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

III. Discussion

American’s second motion asserts that each of Adler’s three causes of action fails to state a plausible claim for which relief can be granted. I address his claims seriatim.

A. The FHA Claim

Adler’s first claim is that American violated the FHA by failing to send its correspondence to him in the larger, bold-ed typeface he requested. Adler’s complaint does not specify a particular FHA provision upon which his first claim rests, but his response elucidates that the claim rests upon § 3604(f)(2). See Pl.’s Resp. Docket # 25 at 8 (“Plaintiff is not complaining of a real estate transaction as contemplated by § 3605 ... but of a service provided in connection with his dwelling. ... The actual servicing of loans does not fall under the ambit of § 3605 but rather § 3604.”). I therefore cabin my analysis to whether Adler states a claim under that provision.

Section 3604(f)(2) makes it unlawful “[tjo discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with such dwelling, because of a handicap of that person; or a person residing in ... that dwelling after it is so sold.... ” American contends that Adler fails to state a claim because § 3604 does not cover mortgage servicing and because the alleged discrimination was not in connection with the purchase of Adler’s home. Adler disagrees.

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Bluebook (online)
882 F. Supp. 2d 1237, 2012 WL 2524232, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adler-v-american-home-mortgage-servicing-inc-cod-2012.