Bank of New York Mellon v. Morga

56 Misc. 3d 256, 54 N.Y.S.3d 527
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 9, 2017
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 56 Misc. 3d 256 (Bank of New York Mellon v. Morga) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of New York Mellon v. Morga, 56 Misc. 3d 256, 54 N.Y.S.3d 527 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Thomas F. Whelan, J.

It is ordered that this motion (No. 001) by the plaintiff for, among other things, summary judgment, caption amendment and the appointment of a referee to compute, is granted in its entirety, and it is further ordered that the proposed order submitted by the plaintiff, as modified, is signed simultaneously herewith.

This foreclosure action was commenced by filing on November 22, 2013. The matter was reassigned to this part pursuant to Administrative Order No. 27-17, dated February 28, 2017, and submitted for decision on March 3, 2017. In essence, on February 10, 2003, Elayne Morga, borrowed $132,000 from the plaintiff’s predecessor-in-interest and executed a promissory note and mortgage. Since January 1, 2010, this defendant has failed to pay the monthly installments due and owing. Only the defendant, Elayne Morga, has answered in this action. In her answer, defendant alleged nine affirmative defenses.

In the moving papers, plaintiff addresses its burden of proof on this summary judgment motion and refutes the affirmative defenses of the answer. With regard to compliance with RPAPL 1304, plaintiff has established its prima facie burden with the submission of the affidavit of Jacob Rudd, sworn to on June 8, 2016, the document executive specialist employed by Nation-star Mortgage LLC (Nationstar), the servicer of the loan for the plaintiff. He explained Nationstar’s practice and procedures as follows:

“I have personal knowledge of the facts contained in this Affidavit by virtue of my position at Nation-star, my familiarity with Nationstar’s processes and based upon my review and analysis of the relevant business records and other documents of Na-tionstar referenced and attached herein. While many of Nationstar’s processes are automated, the information manually entered by Nationstar em[258]*258ployees relating to loans on those systems is based upon personal knowledge of the information and entered into the system at or near the time the knowledge was acquired. These computerized records are created and maintained in the regular course of its business as a loan servicer and Na-tionstar relies on the records in the ordinary course to conduct its business as a loan servicer.”

The affidavit was based upon his personal knowledge of the business records maintained in the regular course of Nation-star’s business as a loan servicer and, as he swore to, Nation-star’s reliance on the loan servicing records in the ordinary course to conduct its business as a loan servicer. He explained that the pre-action 90-day notice was mailed to defendant by regular and certified mail on December 12, 2012. He also attached to his affidavit, not only copies of the 90-day notice, but the required proof of filing statement to the New York State Banking Department, pursuant to RPAPL 1306, which is offered as proof to the state agency that the mailing occurred on December 12, 2012, pursuant to the step one filing requirement. Therefore, plaintiff has satisfied its prima facie burden on this summary judgment motion (see HSBC Bank USA, N.A. v Espinal, 137 AD3d 1079 [2d Dept 2016]).

It was thus incumbent upon the answering defendant to submit proof sufficient to raise a genuine question of fact rebutting the plaintiff’s prima facie showing or in support of the affirmative defenses asserted in her answer or otherwise available to her (see Flagstar Bank v Bellafiore, 94 AD3d 1044 [2d Dept 2012]; Grogg v South Rd. Assoc., L.P., 74 AD3d 1021 [2d Dept 2010]; Wells Fargo Bank v Das Karla, 71 AD3d 1006 [2d Dept 2010]; Washington Mut. Bank, F.A. v O’Connor, 63 AD3d 832 [2d Dept 2009]; JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. v Agnello, 62 AD3d 662 [2d Dept 2009]; Aames Funding Corp. v Houston, 44 AD3d 692 [2d Dept 2007]).

Notably, affirmative defenses predicated upon legal conclusions that are not substantiated with allegations of fact are subject to dismissal (see CPLR 3013, 3018 [b]; Katz v Miller, 120 AD3d 768 [2d Dept 2014]; Becher v Feller, 64 AD3d 672, 677 [2d Dept 2009]; Cohen Fashion Opt., Inc. v V & M Opt., Inc., 51 AD3d 619 [2d Dept 2008]). Where a defendant fails to oppose some or all matters advanced on a motion for summary judgment, the facts as alleged in the movant’s papers may be deemed admitted as there is, in effect, a concession that no [259]*259question of fact exists (see Kuehne & Nagel v Baiden, 36 NY2d 539 [1975]; see also Madeline D'Anthony Enters., Inc. v Sokolowsky, 101 AD3d 606 [1st Dept 2012]; Argent Mtge. Co., LLC v Mentesana, 79 AD3d 1079 [2d Dept 2010]). In addition, the failure to raise pleaded affirmative defenses in opposition to a motion for summary judgment renders those defenses abandoned and thus without any efficacy (see New York Commercial Bank v J. Realty F Rockaway, Ltd., 108 AD3d 756 [2d Dept 2013]; Starkman v City of Long Beach, 106 AD3d 1076 [2d Dept 2013]).

In opposition, defendant raises only three claims, an un-pleaded challenge to the capacity of the plaintiff to utilize the courts of the State of New York, standing to commence the action (first and third affirmative defenses), and lack of compliance with the provisions of RPAPL 1304 against the 90-day notice (fourth affirmative defense). Therefore, the court dismisses the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth affirmative defenses, as abandoned.

The court rejects the challenge to the claimed lack of capacity to sue, since it is not set forth as an affirmative defense in the answer and as such, is waived pursuant to CPLR 3211 (e). It is clear in the Second Department that capacity to sue and standing are distinct legal concepts (see Wells Fargo Bank Minn., N.A. v Mastropaolo, 42 AD3d 239 [2d Dept 2007]). In any event, plaintiff’s ability to enforce the note and mortgage is protected by Banking Law §§ 200 and 200-a (see First Wis. Trust Co. v Hakimian, 237 AD2d 249 [2d Dept 1997]).

The court rejects the first and third affirmative defenses (standing). One of the various methods that standing may be established is by due proof that the plaintiff or its custodial agent was in possession of the note prior to the commencement of the action. The production of such proof is sufficient to establish, prima facie, the plaintiffs possession of the requisite standing to prosecute its claims for foreclosure and sale (see Aurora Loan Servs., LLC v Taylor, 25 NY3d 355 [2015], supra; U.S. Bank N.A. v Ehrenfeld, 144 AD3d 893 [2d Dept 2016]; JP-Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. v Weinberger, 142 AD3d 643 [2d Dept 2016]; Citimortgage, Inc. v Klein, 140 AD3d 913 [2d Dept 2016]; U.S. Bank N.A. v Godwin, 137 AD3d 1260 [2d Dept 2016]; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v Joseph, 137 AD3d 896 [2d Dept 2016]; Emigrant Bank v Larizza, 129 AD3d 904 [2015], supra, Deutsche Bank Natl. Trust Co. v Whalen, 107 AD3d 931 [2d Dept 2013]).

[260]*260Additionally, the plaintiff’s attachment of a duly indorsed mortgage note to its complaint or to the certificate of merit required by CPLR 3012-b, coupled with an affidavit in which it alleges that it had possession of the note prior to commencement of the action, has been held to constitute due proof of the plaintiff’s possession of the note prior to the commencement of the action and thus its standing to prosecute its claim for foreclosure and sale (see JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. v Venture, 148 AD3d 1269 [3d Dept 2017];

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 Misc. 3d 256, 54 N.Y.S.3d 527, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-new-york-mellon-v-morga-nysupct-2017.