Carmen Holliday v. John Holliday

522 F. App'x 174
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedApril 9, 2013
Docket12-2339
StatusUnpublished

This text of 522 F. App'x 174 (Carmen Holliday v. John Holliday) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carmen Holliday v. John Holliday, 522 F. App'x 174 (4th Cir. 2013).

Opinion

Affirmed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

*175 PER CURIAM:

Carmen Holliday (“Ms. Holliday”) filed suit against John Holliday (“Mr. Holli-day”); Cambridge Home Capital, Inc. (“Cambridge”); BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP (“BAC”), Wa Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP; U.S. Recordings, Inc.; Hugh H. Cuthrell, III; and various John Doe entities (collectively, “Defendants”), raising claims for fraud and intentional misrepresentation by concealment; negligence; and violations of the Maryland Finder’s Fee Act (“FFA”), Md.Code Ann., Com. Law §§ 12-801 to 12-809 (West 2012); the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”), 12 U.S.C.A. §§ 2601-2617 (West 2006 & Supp.2012); and the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601-1667f (West 2006 & Supp. 2012). The district court ultimately denied relief on each claim. Ms. Holliday appeals, and for the reasons stated below, we affirm.

As a threshold matter, Cambridge asserts that Ms. Holliday’s notice of appeal was untimely, depriving this court of jurisdiction over her appeal. “[T]he timely filing of a notice of appeal in a civil case is a jurisdictional requirement.” Bowles v. Russell, 551 U.S. 205, 214, 127 S.Ct. 2360, 168 L.Ed.2d 96 (2007). Parties to a civil action in which the federal government or its agent is not a party are accorded thirty days after entry of the district court’s final judgment to file a notice of appeal, Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(a)(1)(B), unless the district court extends the appeal period pursuant to Fed. R.App. P. 4(a)(5), or reopens the appeal period pursuant to Fed. R.App. P. 4(a)(6). Because final judgment was entered on October 1, 2012, Ms. Holliday’s original and amended notices of appeal, filed October 26 and October 31, 2012, respectively, were timely. Moreover, these notices were effective to permit appellate review of the district court’s interlocutory rulings. See Miami Tribe of Okla. v. United States, 656 F.3d 1129, 1137 (10th Cir.2011); United States v. Pardee, 356 F.2d 982, 982 (4th Cir.1966) (per curiam).

In the district court, Ms. Holliday primarily asserted that the refinance documents, on which Mr. Holliday allegedly forged her signature, were void ab initio and thus ineffective to transfer an interest in the Hollidays’ property. On appeal, this theory is the basis for three of Ms. Holliday’s assignments of error: that the district court erred in 1) granting declaratory relief on summary judgment to BAC on the basis of equitable subrogation, 2) denying her motion to set aside the declaratory judgment, and 3) denying her motion for leave to file an amended complaint asserting a claim for declaratory relief.

We review de novo the district court’s grant of summary judgment, viewing the evidence and drawing all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. See PBM Prods., LLC v. Mead Johnson & Co., 639 F.3d 111, 119 (4th Cir.2011). Summary judgment is appropriate “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). We review for abuse of discretion the district court’s denial of motions to amend the complaint and to set aside an interlocutory order. See Nourison Rug Corp. v. Parvizian, 535 F.3d 295, 298 (4th Cir.2008) (providing standard for motion for leave to amend and factors to consider in reviewing such motion); Am. Canoe Ass’n v. Murphy Farms, Inc., 326 F.3d 505, 514-15 (4th Cir.2003) (reconsideration of interlocutory order).

“A deed obtained through fraud, deceit or trickery is voidable as between the parties thereto, but not as to a bona fide purchaser. A forged deed, on the other *176 hand, is void ab initio.” Harding v. Ja Laur Corp., 20 Md.App. 209, 315 A.2d 132, 135 (1974); see Scotch Bonnett Realty Corp. v. Matthews, 417 Md. 570, 11 A.3d 801, 808-10 (2011). Thus, “‘[a] forger, having no title, can pass none to his vendee,’ ” and “ ‘there can be no bona fide holder of title under a forged deed.’ ” Matthews, 11 A.3d at 804 (quoting Harding, 315 A.2d at 136).

However, “[s]ubrogation ... arises by operation of law when there is a debt or obligation owed by one person which another person, who is neither a volunteer nor an intermeddler, pays or discharges under such circumstances as in equity entitle him to reimbursement to prevent unjust enrichment.” Hill v. Cross Country Settlements, LLC, 402 Md. 281, 936 A.2d 343, 361 (2007) (internal quotation marks omitted); see G.E. Capital Mortg. Servs., Inc. v. Levenson, 338 Md. 227, 657 A.2d 1170, 1172 (1995). Subrogation is an equitable remedy that permits the party who paid the debt to step into the shoes of the original obligee and assert his rights on the obligation. Hill, 936 A.2d at 362.

Ms. Holliday provides no authority indicating that equitable subrogation is dependent upon the subrogee’s status as a bona fide purchaser, and we have found none. Nor did Ms. Holliday provide any evidence to indicate that BAC acted in bad faith or with knowledge of the alleged fraud. BAC derived its rights in the mortgage as the assignee of Cambridge, which satisfied the Hollidays’ undisputedly valid prior mortgage. Thus, we conclude the district court properly subrogated BAC to the prior mortgage, notwithstanding the alleged forgery. See Bierman v. Hunter, 190 Md.App. 250, 988 A.2d 530, 543-44 (2010) (citing Serial Bldg., Loan & Savs. Inst. v. Ehrhardt, 95 N.J. Eq. 607, 124 A. 56 (N.J.Ch.1924)), abrogation on other grounds recognized by Thomas v. Nadel, 427 Md. 441, 48 A.3d 276 (2012). Because Ms.

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Related

Bowles v. Russell
551 U.S. 205 (Supreme Court, 2007)
PBM PRODUCTS, LLC v. Mead Johnson & Co.
639 F.3d 111 (Fourth Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Dennis Lloyd Pardee
356 F.2d 982 (Fourth Circuit, 1966)
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma v. United States
656 F.3d 1129 (Tenth Circuit, 2011)
A HELPING HAND, LLC v. Baltimore County, MD
515 F.3d 356 (Fourth Circuit, 2008)
Nourison Rug Corp. v. Parvizian
535 F.3d 295 (Fourth Circuit, 2008)
Fegeas v. Sherrill
147 A.2d 223 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1978)
Bierman v. Hunter
988 A.2d 530 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2010)
Green v. H & R BLOCK, INC.
735 A.2d 1039 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1999)
Hill v. Cross Country Settlement, LLC
936 A.2d 343 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2007)
Harding v. Ja Laur Corp.
315 A.2d 132 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 1974)
Gourdine v. Crews
955 A.2d 769 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2008)
Chicago Title Insurance v. Allfirst Bank
905 A.2d 366 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2006)
First Union National Bank v. Steele Software Systems Corp.
838 A.2d 404 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2003)
Petry v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
597 F. Supp. 2d 558 (D. Maryland, 2009)
Serial Building Loan & Savings Institution v. Ehrhardt
124 A. 56 (New Jersey Court of Chancery, 1924)
G.E. Capital Mortgage Services, Inc. v. Levenson
657 A.2d 1170 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1995)
Scotch Bonnett Realty Corp. v. Matthews
11 A.3d 801 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2011)
Thomas v. Nadel
48 A.3d 276 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2012)

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522 F. App'x 174, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carmen-holliday-v-john-holliday-ca4-2013.