Aragao v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.

22 F. Supp. 3d 133, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73224, 2014 WL 2212064
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMay 29, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-12515-WGY
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 22 F. Supp. 3d 133 (Aragao v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aragao v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., 22 F. Supp. 3d 133, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73224, 2014 WL 2212064 (D. Mass. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

YOUNG, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This case is a post-foreclosure challenge to the foreclosure of a property owned by Michael and Chantel Aragao (the “Arag-aos”). The Aragaos assert a series of claims against Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), Merrimack Mortgage Company, Inc. (“Merri[136]*136mack”),1 U.S. Bank, N.A. (“U.S. Bank”), and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) (collectively, with MERS and U.S. Bank, the “Defendants”): (1) that the Defendants lacked the legal authority to foreclose on the property, (2) that U.S. Bank breached a mortgage loan modification contract, (3) that the Defendants owed and violated a duty of good faith and fair dealing, and (4) that the Defendants failed to comply with certain regulatory and statutory requirements.

For the reasons set forth in this opinion, this complaint must be DISMISSED.

A. Procedural History

On or about July 31, 2013, the Aragaos filed suit against the Defendants in the Massachusetts Superior Court sitting in and for the County of Bristol. Defs.’ Notice Removal Civ. Action (“Notice Removal”) 1, ECF No. 1. The Defendants received service in early September 2013 and removed this case to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts on October 7, 2013. Id. at 1, 3.

The Defendants filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim on October 31, 2013. Defs. U.S. Bank, N.A.’s, Fed. Home Loan Mortg. Corp.’s & Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys., Inc.’s Mot. Dismiss, With Prejudice, Pis.’ Compl., ECF No. 9; see also Mem. Law Supp. Defs. U.S. Bank, N.A.’s, Fed. Home Loan Mortg. Corp.’s & Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys., Inc.’s Mot. Dismiss, With Prejudice, Pis.’ Compl. (“Defs.’ Mem.”), ECF No. 10. The Arag-aos filed an opposition on November 14, 2013. Pis.’ Mem. Law Supp. Opp’n Defs., U.S. Bank, N.A., Fed. Home Loan Mortg. Corp. & Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys., Inc.’s Mot. Dismiss, With Prejudice, Pis.’ Compl. (“Pis.’ Opp’n”), ECF No. 14. The Defendants replied on November 20, 2013. Defs.’ Reply Pis.’ Opp’n Defs. U.S. Bank, N.A.’s, Fed. Home Loan Mortg. Corp.’s & Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys., Inc.’s Mot. Dismiss, With Prejudice, Pis.’ Compl. (“Defs.’ Reply”), ECF No. 15.

B. Facts Alleged

On February 21, 2007, the Aragaos executed a mortgage agreement, accompanied by an associated note, for a property located in Fall River, Massachusetts (the “Property”). See Notice Removal, Ex. A., Compl. ¶ 9, ECF No. 1-1; Aff. Jennifer Mikels Supp. Defs. U.S. Bank, N.A.’s, Fed. Home Loan Mortg. Corp.’s & Mortg. Elec. Registration Sys., Inc.’s Mot. Dismiss, With Prejudice, Pis.’ Compl. (“Mikels Aff.”), Ex. A, Note, ECF No. 11-1; Mikels Aff., Ex. B, Mortgage (“Mortg.”), ECF No. 11-2. The mortgage identified the Arag-aos as the borrowers, Merrimack as the lender, and MERS as the mortgagee, “acting solely as a nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns.” Mortg. 1.

At some point between 2007 and 2011, the Aragaos fell behind in their payments, and in June 2011, they “engaged [U.S.] Bank for a mortgage loan modification to avoid foreclosure on their property.” Compl. ¶ 24. One month later, on July 7, 2011, U.S. Bank, which by this point had assumed responsibility for debt collection, issued a formal written notice to the Arag-aos stating that they were in breach of the mortgage agreement and had 150 days to cure their default. Mikels Aff., Ex. C, U.S. Bank Letter (“150-Day Letter”) 1, ECF No. 11-3. The Aragaos and U.S. Bank continued mortgage modification discussions for the néxt ten months, but “[o]n or about May 7, 2012, [U.S’.] Bank informed Plaintiffs that their request for a [137]*137mortgage modification to avoid foreclosure was denied.” Compl. ¶27. U.S. Bank’s stated reason for denial allegedly was that the Aragaos had failed to submit requested documents. Id. The Aragaos, however, allege that had supplied all required documentation during a previous loss mitigation review. Id. ¶ 28.

Concurrent with the loan modification process, the note and mortgage changed hands. At some point — the record is unclear as to the date — Merrimack assigned the note to U.S. Bank. See Note 4. On May 22, 2012, U.S. Bank directed MERS to assign the mortgage to U.S. Bank.2 See Mikels Aff., Ex. D, Assignment, ECF No. 11-4; see also Compl. ¶ 13. Then, on December 4, 2012, U.S. Bank entered the Property for the purposes of “foreclosing the Aragaos’s mortgage.” Mikels Aff., Ex. E, Certificate Entry, ECF No. 11-5. Finally, on June 20, 2013, the mortgage was conveyed to Freddie Mac. Mikels Aff., Ex. F, Foreclosure Deed, ECF No. 11-6; Compl. ¶ 32.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Standard of Review

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Rule”) 12(b)(6) requires a court to dismiss a complaint if it “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6); see also Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). In making this determination, the First Circuit sets but a three-step inquiry. “First, ‘the court must separate the complaint’s factual allegations (which must be accepted as true) from its conclusory legal allegations (which need not be credited).’ ” Grajales v. P.R. Ports Auth., 682 F.3d 40, 45 (1st Cir.2012) (quoting Morales-Cruz v. Univ. of P.R., 676 F.3d 220, 224 (1st Cir.2012)). Second, the court must “accept the truth of all well-pleaded facts and draw all reasonable inferences therefrom in the pleader’s favor.” Id. at 44. By itself, this step is not enough to survive a motion to dismiss, as “the complaint must contain sufficient factual matter to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. at 44 (quoting Katz v. Pershing, LLC, 672 F.3d 64, 72-73 (1st Cir.2012)). Thus, the court finally must determine whether the facts pled permit a “reasonable inference,” defined as one that is “plausible, not ... merely conceivable,” that the defendant is liable. Id. (quoting Sepúlveda-Villarini v. Dep’t of Educ. of P.R., 628 F.3d 25, 29 (1st Cir.2010)); see also Sec. & Exch. Comm. v. Tambone, 597 F.3d 436, 442 (1st Cir.2010) (en banc) (“If the factual allegations in the complaint are too meager, vague, or con-clusory to remove the possibility of relief from the realm of mere conjecture, the complaint is open to dismissal.”).

In evaluating a motion to dismiss, “[o]r-dinarily ... any consideration of documents not attached to the complaint, or not expressly incorporated therein, is forbidden.” Watterson v. Page, 987 F.2d 1

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Bluebook (online)
22 F. Supp. 3d 133, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73224, 2014 WL 2212064, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aragao-v-mortgage-electronic-registration-systems-inc-mad-2014.