Broward Title Co. v. Matrix Capital Bank (In re AppOnline.com, Inc.)

321 B.R. 614, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26258
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJuly 23, 2003
DocketNo. 03-CV-0370 JS MLO
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 321 B.R. 614 (Broward Title Co. v. Matrix Capital Bank (In re AppOnline.com, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Broward Title Co. v. Matrix Capital Bank (In re AppOnline.com, Inc.), 321 B.R. 614, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26258 (E.D.N.Y. 2003).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND DECISION

SEYBERT, District Judge.

Pending before this Court is an appeal arising from a bankruptcy action filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York by Debtors AppOnline.com, Inc. (“AppOnline”) and Island Mortgage Network, Inc. (“Island Mortgage”) (collectively, “Debtors”). Appellant Broward Title Company (“Bro-ward”) appeals from the Order of the Honorable Dorothy Eisenberg, U.S.B.J., dated December 4, 2002, which held that Appel-lees Matrix Capital Bank (“Matrix”) and HSA Residential Mortgage Services of Texas, Inc. (“RMST”) were the holders in due course of the underlying notes and mortgages in question, thus defeating any equitable claims Broward may have had to the notes and mortgages. In addition, Broward is seeking a conditional award for attorney’s fees.

BACKGROUND1

I. The Parties

Alan M. Jacobs is the Court appointed Chapter 11 Trustee of AppOnline and Island Mortgage. AppOnline was a holding company, that, through its subsidiaries, engaged in the mortgage and brokerage business. Island Mortgage is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AppOnline.

Broward is a Florida title insurance company engaged in the business of issuing real estate title insurance policies, in connection with which Broward conducts [618]*618real estate closings and acts as a disbursing agent.

Matrix is a federally chartered bank organized under the laws of the United States, with a principal place of business located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Prior to the filing of these cases, Matrix provided warehouse loans to Island Mortgage to finance the origination of certain mortgage loans. For the purposes of the original adversary proceeding, the parties stipulated that Matrix was a secured creditor of Island Mortgage and Matrix claimed a perfected security interest in the Amar-ante Note and Mortgage. The Amarante Note and Mortgage related to a loan closing conducted by Broward, at which Bro-ward acted as disbursing agent. Matrix claims that it is entitled to the proceeds of the Amarante Loan as a holder in due course of the Amarante Loan and Mortgage.

RMST is a Delaware corporation that, similar to Matrix, provided warehouse loans to Island Mortgage to finance the origination of certain mortgage loans. For the purposes of the initial adversary proceeding, the parties stipulated that RMST was a secured creditor of Island Mortgage and RMST claimed a perfected security interest in the Cicerón Note and Mortgage. The Cicerón Note and Mortgage related to a loan closing conducted by Bro-ward and at which Broward acted as disbursing agent. RMST claims that it is entitled to the proceeds of the Cicerón Loan as a holder in due course of the Cicerón Loan and Mortgage.

National Settlement Services Corp. (“National Settlement”) is a Delaware corporation which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Action Abstract, Inc. (“Action Abstract”). Action Abstract is a New York corporation and is wholly owned by Robert Knickman, a director of AppOnline.

II. Prior History

On June 19, 2000, AppOnline and Island Mortgage filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy proceedings, Island Mortgage was a mortgage banker and broker that originated and sold mortgages. Island Mortgage originated the mortgage loans at issue in the present case. The loans at issue were made to Gilbert and Susan Amarante (“Amarante Loan”) and Simaye Cicerón and Shirley Brown (“Cicerón Loan”). The Amarante Loan and the Ci-cerón Loan have since been sold by the trustee, Alan M. Jacobs, who was appointed by the bankruptcy court.

III. Facts

A. Amarante Loan

On or about January 12, 2000, Matrix entered into a Mortgage Purchase/Repurchase Agreement with Island Mortgage for the sale of residential mortgage loans to Matrix (“Matrix Purchase Agreement”). Matrix subsequently sold the Amarante Loan to Island Mortgage in accordance with the Matrix Purchase Agreement. On May 30, 2000, Matrix wired funds for the mortgage to Action Abstract, in accordance with Island Mortgage’s instructions, prior to the scheduled closing of the Amar-ante Loan.

Broward expected the loan proceeds for the Amarante Mortgage to be wired to it on May 31, 2000. However, the closing was postponed to June 1, 2000, and as of the time of the rescheduled closing, Bro-ward received a check from National Settlement in the sum of $115,117.61 representing the net proceeds of the loan, rather than a wire transfer. The Amar-antes executed the mortgage and note in favor of Island Mortgage at the closing on June 1, 2000.

[619]*619Broward paid off the pre-existing mortgage and paid the sellers their net proceeds from the sale with the money from its escrow account. These checks were each dated May 31, 2000. By deposit slip dated June 2, 2000, Broward deposited a check from Island Mortgage into Bro-ward’s bank account. On June 6, 2000, the check from Island Mortgage, drawn on a National Settlement account, which represented the proceeds from the Amarante Loan, was dishonored due to a stop payment order issued against the check. A replacement check was sent to Broward on June 6, 2000, at its request, which was also dishonored.

Broward transmitted the original Amar-ante Note and related documents to Matrix. At all relevant times after the Amarante closing, Matrix remained in possession of the Amarante Note. The Chapter 11 Trustee sold the Amarante mortgage loan to Empire Mortgage IX.

B. Cicerón Loan

The facts surrounding this loan are substantially similar to those surrounding the Amarante Loan. RMST was a party to a Mortgages Purchase Agreement with Island Mortgage dated January 31, 2000 (“RMST Purchase Agreement”). On June 16, 2000, RMST and Island Mortgage contemplated the sale of the Simaye Cicerón and Shirley J. Brown (“Cicerón Loan”) note, pursuant to the terms of the RMST Purchase Agreement. RMST wired $82,400 on June 19, 2000, to Action Abstract for the mortgage loan.

Broward acted as the closing agent in connection with the Cicerón Loan. On June 21, 2000, Broward received from Island Mortgage a check in the sum of $77,216.88, drawn from the account of David Duboff, P.C. (the “Duboff Check”). The Duboff Check represented the loan proceeds for the Cicerón Loan.

On June 22, 2000, the closing of the Cicerón Loan took place. Broward used the Duboff Check to allow it to disburse funds from its own escrow account to pay off the pre-existing mortgage and to pay the sellers their net proceeds from the sale. At all relevant times after the Cicer-ón closing, RMST was in possession of the Cicerón Note. Payment of the Duboff Check was stopped and no funds were ever received by Broward to reimburse it for the money it disbursed in connection with the Cicerón Mortgage.

C. Amarante Note and Cicerón Note

Both the Amarante Note and the Cicer-ón Note are identical except for the amount of the monthly principal and interest payments to be made by the borrowers. They provide, in relevant part:

In return for a loan ... Borrower promises to pay ... plus interest....

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Related

In Re Apponline. Com, Inc.
321 B.R. 614 (E.D. New York, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
321 B.R. 614, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/broward-title-co-v-matrix-capital-bank-in-re-apponlinecom-inc-nyed-2003.