Brexendorf v. Bank of Am., N.A.

319 F. Supp. 3d 1257
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJuly 30, 2018
DocketCase No. 6:17-cv-02065-Orl-37GJK
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 319 F. Supp. 3d 1257 (Brexendorf v. Bank of Am., N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brexendorf v. Bank of Am., N.A., 319 F. Supp. 3d 1257 (M.D. Fla. 2018).

Opinion

ROY B. DALTON JR., United States District Judge *1260Amid an unprecedented financial crisis, the federal government injected billions of dollars into the country's largest financial institutions to tourniquet the hemorrhaging national economy. A key feature of this bank bailout was the Home Affordable Modification Program ("HAMP "), under which banks, including Defendant Bank of America, N.A. ("BOA "), received payments from the government to provide mortgage loan modifications to homeowners, including Plaintiff Carmen Brexendorf ("Brexendorf "). (See Doc. 41.) As a purported victim of BOA's scheme to cash in on the broken American dream of home ownership, Brexendorf filed this fraud action.

Now before the Court is BOA's Motion to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 43 ("Motion ") ), to which Brexendorf responded (Doc. 45). On review, the Motion is due to be granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND 1

In 2006, Brexendorf purchased a home in Kissimmee, Florida for $260,000 with a mortgage serviced by BOA. (Doc. 41, ¶ 37.) Falling on hard times in 2009, and with default imminent, Brexendorf contacted BOA and requested a loan modification under HAMP. (Id. ¶ 39.) Implemented in March 2009, the HAMP program was intended to break the tidal wave of foreclosures facing many American homeowners by restructuring mortgage loans already in default, or those in imminent risk of default, by reducing monthly payments to a manageable level. (See id. ¶ 11.)

BOA's participation in the HAMP program was governed by its Servicer Participation Agreement ("Agreement ") entered into with the United States' financial agent, Federal National Mortgage Association. (See id. ¶ 12; Doc. 41-1, p. 3.) The Agreement required BOA to "to use 'reasonable efforts' to effectuate any modification of a mortgage loan under the [p]rogram." (Doc. 41, ¶¶ 12-13, 16.) A HAMP modification proceeds in two stages. First, an eligible borrower applies for a temporary loan modification and receives a Trial Payment Period ("Trial Period ") during which mortgage payments are made under the terms of the modification. (Id. ¶¶ 13-14.) If a borrower complies with the Trial Period terms, the second stage consists of the borrower and servicer entering into a Modification Agreement, wherein the terms of the original mortgage loan are modified for five years. (See id. ¶¶ 14-15.)

Brexendorf followed this first step and received written confirmation of her modification approval. But despite her having made several Trial Period payments, BOA foreclosed on her home on May 12, 2014. (Id. ¶ 56.) Now, Brexendorf claims that BOA perpetuated a scheme to feign compliance with the Agreement and avoid approving her HAMP application. (See id. ¶¶ 18, 31.) She asserts a common law fraud *1261claim ("Fraud Claim ") and a violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act ("FDUTPA Claim ") against BOA for this alleged fraudulent conduct. (Doc. 41, ¶¶ 80-108).

In her Fraud Claim, Brexendorf alleges BOA committed five fraudulent acts: (1) telling her that "being 'past due and in default' on her mortgage was a prerequisite for a HAMP modification" and failing to tell her that she could qualify for HAMP if default was imminent ("HAMP Eligibility Misrepresentation "); (2) telling her the requested supporting financial documents Brexendorf submitted to BOA were "not received," "incomplete," or "not current" ("Supporting Documents Misrepresentation "); (3) telling her that she was approved for a HAMP modification and needed to start making trial payments ("HAMP Approval Misrepresentation "); (4) omitting its practice of placing Trial Period payments into "unapplied accounts" ("Trial Payments Omission "); and (5) omitting how inspection fees charged to Brexendorf's account would be applied ("Inspection Fee Omissions ") (Id. ¶¶ 41-43, 47, 53-54, 62). Such conduct, according to Brexendorf, also violates FDUTPA. (Id. ¶ 98.)

Biting back, BOA seeks dismissal of the Second Amended Complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (Doc. 43 ("Motion ").) Briefing complete (Doc. 45), the matter is now ripe.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Rules 8 and 10 set forth minimum requirements for complaints filed in this Court. At a minimum, such filings must: (1) include "short and plain" statements of the pleader's claims set forth in "numbered paragraphs each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances;" and (2) provide more than mere labels, legal conclusions, or formulaic recitation of the elements of a claim. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), 8(d), 10(b) ; see also Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly , 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) ; Local Rules 1.05, 1.06.

Where a complaint contains claims of fraud or mistake, however, Rule 9(b) imposes a heightened pleading standard, requiring that the circumstances constituting fraud be stated with particularity. See Brooks v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Fla. , 116 F.3d 1364, 1381 (11th Cir. 1997). This particularity requirement is satisfied if the complaint alleges "facts as to time, place, and substance of the defendant's alleged fraud, specifically the details of the defendants' allegedly fraudulent acts, when they occurred, and who engaged in them." U.S. ex rel. Matheny v. Medco Health Sols., Inc. , 671 F.3d 1217, 1223 (11th Cir. 2012) (quoting Hopper v. Solvay Pharm., Inc. , 588 F.3d 1318, 1324 (11th Cir. 2009) ).

If a complaint does not comport with the pleading requirements, it is plainly barred; or, if it otherwise fails to set forth a plausible claim, then it may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6). See Ashcroft v. Iqbal ,

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Bluebook (online)
319 F. Supp. 3d 1257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brexendorf-v-bank-of-am-na-flmd-2018.