Bank of America v. Nancy Enright

662 F. App'x 518
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedOctober 25, 2016
Docket14-35428
StatusUnpublished

This text of 662 F. App'x 518 (Bank of America v. Nancy Enright) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of America v. Nancy Enright, 662 F. App'x 518 (9th Cir. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM *

Plaintiffs Nancy and Lee Enright appeal from the district court’s order granting a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) by defendants Bank of America, N.A. (Bank of America) and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. (Merrill Lynch). We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and we affirm.

The present litigation began when Bank of America filed a complaint seeking a deficiency judgment against the Enrights in Idaho state court in November 2011. The Enrights removed the case to federal court. After obtaining leave to amend, they filed an amended counterclaim against Bank of America and a claim adding Merrill Lynch, a defendant as a successor-by-merger to Banc of America Investment Services, Inc. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch filed a joint motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, which the district court granted with prejudice. The parties later stipulated to an entry of judgment in favor of Bank of America on the deficiency claim. The Enrights appealed, challenging the district court’s dismissal with prejudice.

We review a district court’s grant of a motion to dismiss de novo. Cervantes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 656 F.3d 1034, 1040 (9th Cir. 2011). “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, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)).

The Enrights allege six causes of action against Bank of America and Merrill Lynch: breach of fiduciary duty; constructive fraud; fraud by failure to disclose; intentional misrepresentation; negligence; and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

1. Fiduciary duty. Under Idaho law, a party claiming a breach of fiduciary duty must show the defendant was “in a superior position to the other and that such a position enables him to exercise influence over one who reposes special trust and confidence in him,” and the “facts and circumstances must indicate that the one reposing the trust has foundation for his belief that the one giving advice or presenting arguments is acting not in his own behalf, but in the interests of the other party.” High Valley Concrete, L.L.C. v. Sargent, 149 Idaho 423, 234 P.3d 747, 752 (2010) (internal quotations omitted). The Enrights failed to plead facts to support their conclusory allegation that Robert Corker, an employee of Bank of America and/or Banc of America Investment Services, was acting as their financial - advisor. See Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (“labels and conclusions,” standing alone, are insufficient to state a claim). The only relationship between the parties established by the facts as pleaded was that between a lender and a borrower. A lender-borrower relation *521 ship, however, does not give rise to fiduciary duties under Idaho law. See Black Canyon Racquetball Club, Inc. v. Idaho First Nat’l Bank, N.A., 119 Idaho 171, 804 P.2d 900, 905 (1991).

2. Constructive fraud. “[Constructive fraud comprises all acts, omissions and concealments involving a breach of legal or equitable duty, trust, or confidence, which result in damage to another.” Doe v. Boy Scouts of America, 159 Idaho 103, 356 P.3d 1049, 1054-55 (2015) (citing McGhee v. McGhee, 82 Idaho 367, 353 P.2d 760, 762 (1960)). Relationships recognized by Idaho law as giving rise to a constructive fraud claim include those between a lawyer and client, High Valley, 234 P.3d at 754, fiancees, McGhee, 353 P.2d at 762, and tenants-in-common, Watts v. Krebs, 131 Idaho 616, 962 P.2d 387, 391-92 (1998). The En-rights have failed to plead facts sufficient to establish such a “relationship of trust and confidence” between themselves and Corker as an agent of Bank of America and/or Banc of America Investment Services. See High Valley, 234 P.3d at 752.

3. Fraud by failure to disclose. The Enrights allege Bank of America and Banc of America Investment Services committed fraud by failing to disclose: the relationship between Corker, their alleged investment advisor, and Bank of America; the relationship between Banc of America Investment Services, Corker’s employer, and Bank of America; the compensation Corker received for procuring the Enrights’ business; and the riskiness of the loan. “A duty to disclose exists in the following circumstances: ‘(1) if there is a fiduciary or other similar relation of trust and confidence between the two parties; (2) in order to prevent a partial statement of the facts from being misleading; or (3) if a fact known by one party and not the other is so vital that if the mistake were mutual the contract would be voidable, and the party knowing the fact also knows that the other does not know it.’ ” James v. Mercea, 152 Idaho 914, 277 P.3d 361, 365-66 (2012) (quoting Sowards v. Rathbun, 134 Idaho 702, 8 P.3d 1245, 1250 (2000)). None of these circumstances are present: no relationship of trust and confidence existed between the Enrights and Corker; no partial statement would have misled the En-rights as to Corker’s employer or compensation structure; and the Enrights have failed to allege that Bank of America or Merrill Lynch knew, and knew the En-rights did not know, a fact “so substantial and fundamental” to the loan agreements as to defeat their purpose. See Primary Health Network, Inc. v. State, Dep’t of Admin., 137 Idaho 663, 52 P.3d 307, 312 (2002).

4. Intentional Misrepresentation.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Cervantes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.
656 F.3d 1034 (Ninth Circuit, 2011)
James v. MERCEA
277 P.3d 361 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2012)
HIGH VALLEY CONCRETE, LLC v. Sargent
234 P.3d 747 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2010)
Watts v. Krebs
962 P.2d 387 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1998)
McGhee v. McGhee
353 P.2d 760 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1960)
Luzar v. Western Surety Co.
692 P.2d 337 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1984)
Idaho First National Bank v. Bliss Valley Foods, Inc.
824 P.2d 841 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1992)
Duffin v. Idaho Crop Improvement Ass'n
895 P.2d 1195 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1995)
Badgett v. Security State Bank
807 P.2d 356 (Washington Supreme Court, 1991)
Sowards v. Rathbun
8 P.3d 1245 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2000)
Blahd v. Richard B. Smith, Inc.
108 P.3d 996 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2005)
Country Cove Development, Inc. v. May
150 P.3d 288 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2006)
King v. Lang
42 P.3d 698 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2002)
DOE(s) v. Boy Scouts of America
356 P.3d 1049 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
662 F. App'x 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-america-v-nancy-enright-ca9-2016.