Carrington v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

760 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140243, 2010 WL 5590761
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedOctober 29, 2010
DocketCivil Action 2:10cv208
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 760 F. Supp. 2d 589 (Carrington v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carrington v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A., 760 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140243, 2010 WL 5590761 (E.D. Va. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

RAYMOND A. JACKSON, District Judge.

Before the Court is Defendant HSBC Bank USA, N.A.’s Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint Pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). This matter has been fully briefed by both parties and is ripe for judicial determination. For the reasons stated herein, Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On June 24, 2010, Plaintiff, Linda A. Carrington (“Carrington”), filed an Amended Complaint against Defendant, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (“HSBC”), under the Truth-in-Lending Act(“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq., seeking, inter alia, a *591 declaratory judgment that she sent a valid notice of rescission of her credit transaction, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §§ 1635 and 1641(c), and statutory damages in the amount of $4,000, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1640.

In her Amended Complaint, Carrington alleges that, on July 20, 2007, she refinanced her primary residence with Decision One Mortgage Company, LLC (“Decision One”). Am. Compl. ¶ 6. The credit transaction between Carrington and Decision One was evidenced by a note in the amount of $206,000. Am. Compl. ¶ 6. According to Carrington, Decision One failed to make certain required material disclosures regarding the credit transaction, including the amount of the finance charge. Am. Compl. ¶ 8. Specifically, Carrington alleges that the cost of title insurance, in the amount of $653.28, which Decision One required her to purchase, was not included within the finance charge. Am. Compl. ¶ 17-18. Carrington asserts that the title insurance was not bona fide, as it was charged pursuant to Decision One’s requirement that Carrington use a particular insurer, in violation of Va.Code. Ann. § 6.1-330.70(B) (current version at Va. Code Ann. § 410 (effective Oct. 1, 2010)). 1 Am. Compl. ¶ 19. Thus, Decision One’s failure to include the title insurance in the finance charge violated TILA, as the charge could not properly be excluded as bona fide and reasonable. Am. Compl. ¶ 19; see 12 C.F.R. § 226.4(c) (“The following charges are not finance charges: ... The following fees in a transaction secured by real property or in a residential mortgage transaction, if the fees are bona fide and reasonable in amount: (i) Fees for title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, property survey, and similar purposes.” (emphasis added)). Carrington further alleges that Decision One failed to properly advise her of her right to rescind, as required by 15 U.S.C. § 1635(a), by requiring her to sign an Arbitration Agreement which materially undermined the Notice of Right to Cancel. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 9, 12; see 15 U.S.C. § 1635(a) (“The creditor shall clearly and conspicuously disclose ... to any obligor in a transaction subject to this section the rights of the obligor [to rescind].”).

Carrington defaulted on the note with Decision One. Am. Compl. ¶21. Subsequently, Decision One assigned the note to HSBC, which appointed Equity Trustees, LLC (“Equity Trustees”) as substitute trustee on the deed of trust, and instructed it to foreclose on Carrington’s home on March 18, 2010. Am. Compl. ¶ 22-23. A foreclosure auction of the home was scheduled for May 12, 2010. Am. Compl. ¶ 23. On May 5, 2010, Carrington, by counsel, sent a notice of rescission to Decision One, HSBC, and Equity Trustees, requesting that the scheduled foreclosure auction be cancelled. Am. Compl. ¶ 24. The foreclosure originally scheduled for May 12, 2010 was cancelled, but was rescheduled for June 2, 2010. Am. Compl. ¶ 28. On May 19, 2010, Carrington, by counsel, sent a second notice of rescission to HSBC and the second foreclosure auction was also cancelled. Am. Compl. ¶ 29-30. In the Amended Complaint, Carrington asserts that neither Decision One nor HSBC ever tendered rescission of the note or responded to her notice of rescission. Am. Compl. ¶ 31. Carrington further asserts that she would be able to tender the amount neces *592 sary for TILA rescission, either through refinancing or, as a last resort, by sale of the home, though she is unaware of the exact amount she would be required to tender. Am. Compl. ¶ 33.

On July 26, 2010, HSBC filed the instant Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint. Carrington filed her Memorandum in Opposition to the Motion on August 9, 2010. A hearing on this matter was requested by HSBC on September 9, 2010, and oral argument was held before this Court on October 26, 2010. Accordingly, this matter is now ripe for judicial determination.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) provides for the dismissal of actions that fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. For purposes of a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, courts may only rely upon the complaint’s allegations and those documents attached as exhibits or incorporated by reference. See Simons v. Montgomery Cnty. Police Officers, 762 F.2d 30, 31 (4th Cir.1985). Courts will favorably construe the allegations of the complainant and assume that the facts alleged in the complaint are true. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007). However, a court “need not accept the legal conclusions drawn from the facts,” nor “accept as true unwarranted inferences, unreasonable conclusions, or arguments.” Eastern Shore Mkts., Inc. v. J.D. Assocs. Ltd. P’ship, 213 F.3d 175, 180 (4th Cir.2000). A complaint need not contain “detailed factual allegations” in order to survive a motion to dismiss, but the complaint must incorporate “enough facts to state a belief that is plausible on its face.” See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007); Giarratano v. Johnson, 521 F.3d 298, 302 (4th Cir. 2008). This plausibility standard does not equate to a probability requirement, but it entails more than a mere possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, — U.S. -, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949-50, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009).

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760 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140243, 2010 WL 5590761, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carrington-v-hsbc-bank-usa-na-vaed-2010.