Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Sossaman & Guadalupe Plaza, LLC

47 F. Supp. 3d 1083, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129492, 2014 WL 4636388
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 15, 2014
DocketNo. 2:12-cv-01775-LRH-PAL
StatusPublished

This text of 47 F. Supp. 3d 1083 (Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Sossaman & Guadalupe Plaza, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Sossaman & Guadalupe Plaza, LLC, 47 F. Supp. 3d 1083, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129492, 2014 WL 4636388 (D. Nev. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

LARRY R. HICKS, District Judge.

Before the Court is Plaintiff Branch Banking and Trust Company’s (“Branch Banking”) Motion for Summary Judgment as to Liability and Application for Deficiency Judgment Hearing. Doc. # 69.1 Defendants Sossaman & Guadalupe Plaza, LLC; Yoel Iny; Noam Schwartz; Yoel Iny, Trustee of the Y & T Family Trust dated June 8,1994; Noam Schwartz, Trustee of the Noam Schwartz Trust dated August 19, 1999; and D.M.S.I., LLC (collectively “Defendants”) filed a Response (Doc. # 81), to which Branch Banking replied (Doc. # 93). Defendants also filed an Objection to Evidence Submitted in Support of Branch Banking’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Doc. # 82. Branch Banking filed a Response (Doc. # 94), to which Defendants did not reply.

Also before the Court is Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Doc. # 99. Branch Banking filed a Response (Doc. # 107), to which Defendants replied (Doc. # 111). Defendants also filed a Motion to Certify Question to the Nevada Supreme Court. Doc. # 114. Branch Banking filed a Response (Doc. # 116), to which Defendants replied (Doc. # 117).

I. Facts and Background

This action arises out of Defendants’ alleged breach of a secured loan agreement. Following a judicial foreclosure sale on the real property securing the loan, Branch Banking filed the present action to obtain a deficiency judgment against Defendants. Doc. # 1. The undisputed facts are as follows. On July 28, 2006, Borrower Sossaman & Guadalupe Plaza, LLC (“Borrower”) executed and delivered a Promissory Note Secured by Deed of Trust to Colonial Bank, N.A.2 (“Colonial Bank”), in the original amount of $3,826,000.00 (the “Note”). Doc. # 69, Ex. 1A; Doc. # 99, Ex. 1. The Note was secured by a Deed of Trust and Security Agreement and Fixture Filing with Assignment of Rents (“Deed of Trust”), dated July 28, 2006, encumbering certain real property in Maricopa County, Arizona (the “Property”).3 Doc. # 69, Ex. IB; Doc. # 99, Ex. 2. Also on July 28, 2006, Defendants Yoel Iny, individually and as Trustee of the Y & T Iny Family Trust; Noam Schwartz, individually and as Trustee of the Noam Schwartz Trust; and D.M.S.I., LLC (“Guarantors”) executed and delivered to Colonial Bank a Guarantee (the “Guarantee”). Doc. # 69, Ex. 1 C; Doc. # 99, Ex. 3. Pursuant to the Guarantee, [1087]*1087the Guarantors guaranteed the payment of all indebtedness of the Borrower under the loan evidenced by the Note (the “Loan”). Id.

On February 26, 2009, the Note was amended by an Amendment to Promissory Note Secured by Deed of Trust such that the Maturity Date on the Note was extended to May 2, 2009 (the “Amendment”). Doc. # 69, Ex. ID; Doc. # 99, Ex. 4. Also on February 26, 2009, a Modification to the Deed of Trust was executed and recorded in Maricopa County, Arizona. Doc. # 99, Ex. 5. On July 19, 2009, the Note was again amended by an Amendment to Promissory Note Secured by Deed of Trust such that the Maturity Date on the Note was extended to August 2, 2009. Doc. # 69, Ex. IE; Doc. # 87, Ex. 6. On August 14, 2009, Colonial Bank was closed by the State Banking Department of the State of Alabama and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) was named receiver in order to liquidate and distribute the assets of Colonial Bank. Doc. # 69, Ex. IF; Doc. # 99, Ex. 7. On September 7, 2011, the FDIC executed an Assignment of Security Instruments, Notes and Other Loan Documents (the “Assignment”), to be deemed effective as of August 14, 2009. Id. Pursuant to the terms of the Assignment, the FDIC assigned all rights, title, and interest in the Note, the Deed of Trust, and the Guarantee to Branch Banking. Id. The Assignment was recorded in Maricopa County, Arizona on November 4, 2011. Id.

The Borrower failed to pay the outstanding principal balance of the loan due under the Note on August 2, 2009.4 Doc. # 93, Ex. 2 (Schwartz Depo.), 12:25-13:4. By demand letter dated August 3, 2011 (the “Demand Letter”), Branch Banking indicated its intent to take steps to exercise its rights and remedies under the Loan on or after August 31, 2011. Doc. # 67, Ex. 1G. Branch Banking alleges that the Borrower and the Guarantors failed and refused to pay the balance due under the Note. Doc. # 1, ¶ 26. On December 19, 2011, Branch Banking commenced a judicial foreclosure action under the Deed of Trust by filing a Verified Complaint in the Superior Court of the County of Maricopa, Arizona. Doc. # 99, Ex. 8. A Default Judgment ordering the judicial foreclosure of the Property in full or partial satisfaction of the outstanding balance due under the Loan via Sheriffs sale was entered by the Superior Court of the County of Maricopa, Arizona, on April 23, 2012. Doc. # 69, Ex. 1H; Doc. # 101, Ex. 12. The Sheriff of the County of Maricopa, Arizona, sold the Property on June 21, 2012, at public auction for a cash bid of $816,000.00 in partial satisfaction of the Loan. Doc. # 69, Ex. II; Doc. # 101, Ex. 13.

On October 10, 2012, Branch Banking filed a Complaint before this Court, alleging claims for deficiency, breach of guarantee, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Doc. # 1. Branch Banking claims that there is an unpaid principal balance of $1,301,845.00 as of June 21, 2012. See id. at ¶ 30; see also Doc. #69, Ex. 1H; Doc. #101, Ex. 12.

II. Legal Standard

A. Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate only when the pleadings, depositions, answers [1088]*1088to interrogatories, affidavits or declarations, stipulations, admissions,. and other materials in the record show that “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). In assessing a motion for summary judgment, the evidence, together with all inferences that can reasonably be drawn therefrom, must be read in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Cnty. of Tuolumne v. Sonora Cmty. Hosp., 236 F.3d 1148, 1154 (9th Cir.2001).

The moving party bears the initial burden of informing the court of the basis for its motion, along with evidence showing the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). On those issues for which it bears the burden of proof, the moving party must make a showing that is “sufficient for the court to hold that no reasonable trier of fact could find other than for the moving party.” Calderone v. United States, 799 F.2d 254, 259 (6th Cir.1986); see also Edema v. Dreamworks, Inc., 162 F.Supp.2d 1129, 1141 (C.D.Cal.2001).

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

Related

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
County of Tuolumne v. Sonora Community Hospital
236 F.3d 1148 (Ninth Circuit, 2001)
First Interstate Bank of Nevada v. Shields
730 P.2d 429 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1986)
Keever v. Nicholas Beers Co.
611 P.2d 1079 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1980)
Calloway v. City of Reno
993 P.2d 1259 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2000)
Randono v. Turk
466 P.2d 218 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1970)
Faber v. Althoff
812 P.2d 1031 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1990)
Ferdie Sievers, Etc. v. Diversified Mortg.
603 P.2d 270 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1979)
Key Bank of Alaska v. Donnels
787 P.2d 382 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1990)
Hart v. Hart (In Re Hart)
50 B.R. 956 (D. Nevada, 1985)
Idema v. Dreamworks, Inc.
162 F. Supp. 2d 1129 (C.D. California, 2001)
Saini v. International Game Technology
434 F. Supp. 2d 913 (D. Nevada, 2006)
Bonicamp v. Vazquez
91 P.3d 584 (Nevada Supreme Court, 2004)
Bank of Douglas v. Neel
247 P. 132 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1926)
National Bank v. Schwartz
283 P.3d 41 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 F. Supp. 3d 1083, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129492, 2014 WL 4636388, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/branch-banking-trust-co-v-sossaman-guadalupe-plaza-llc-nvd-2014.