Citibank v. Daniel Peterson And Kristi Peterson

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMarch 9, 2021
Docket53747-8
StatusUnpublished

This text of Citibank v. Daniel Peterson And Kristi Peterson (Citibank v. Daniel Peterson And Kristi Peterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citibank v. Daniel Peterson And Kristi Peterson, (Wash. Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON March 9, 2021 DIVISION II CITIBANK, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL No. 53747-8-II CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF NRZ PASS-THROUGH TRUST VI,

Respondent,

v.

DANIEL C. PETERSON; KRISTY UNPUBLISHED OPINION PETERSON AKA KRISTI J. PETERSON,

Appellants,

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; GLEN ACRES HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION; DOES 1-10 INCLUSIVE; UNKNOWN OCCUPANTS OF THE SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY; PARTIES IN POSSESSION OF THE SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY; PARTIES CLAIMING A RIGHT TO POSSESSION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY; ALL OTHER UNKNOWN PERSONS OR PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN, OR INTEREST IN THE REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN,

Defendants.

LEE, C.J. — Daniel and Kristi Peterson1 appeal the superior court’s order granting summary

judgment in favor of Citibank, N.A., not in its individual capacity, but solely as trustee of NRZ

1 We refer to Daniel and Kristi Peterson collectively as the Petersons. Because they have the same last name, we refer to Daniel and Kristi individually by their first names for clarity and intend no disrespect. No. 53747-8-II

pass-through trust VI, and entering a judgment of foreclosure. The Petersons argue the superior

court erred because there were genuine issues of material fact as to whether the attorneys had the

authority to represent Citibank and whether the adjustable rate note was authentic and enforceable.

The Petersons also request attorney fees on appeal based on the attorney fees provision in the

adjustable rate note.

Because there is no genuine issue of material fact regarding the attorney’s authority to

represent Citibank, the superior court did not err. However, because the Petersons’ declarations

raise a genuine issue of material fact as to the authenticity of the adjustable rate note and deed of

trust, summary judgment was improper. Finally, because the authenticity of the adjustable rate

note is at issue, we do not award attorney fees on appeal based on the attorney fees provision in

the adjustable rate note. Accordingly, we reverse and remand to the superior court for further

proceedings.

FACTS

In October 2016, Citibank filed a complaint for foreclosure against the Petersons. The

foreclosure was based on a 2005 adjustable rate note which secured a $120,000.00 loan on property

located in Shelton, Washington. The lender identified in the note was First Magnus Financial

Corporation. The note was signed by Daniel Peterson. The note also contained three

endorsements: (1) from First Magnus Financial Corporation to Countrywide Document Custody

Services, A Division of Treasury Bank, N.A.; (2) from Countrywide Document Custody Services,

A Division of Treasury Bank, N.A. to Countrywide Home Loans Inc.; and (3) from Countrywide

Home Loans, Inc. to a blank endorsement.

The Deed of Trust securing the adjustable rate note identified Daniel Peterson as the

borrower, First Magnus Financial Corporation as the lender, Land Title Company as the Trustee,

2 No. 53747-8-II

and the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as the beneficiary. The Deed of Trust was

signed by both Daniel Peterson and “Kristy Peterson.” Clerk’s Papers at 31. The family rider

attached to the Deed of Trust was also signed by Daniel Peterson and “Kristy Peterson.” CP at 36.

The Petersons filed an answer to the complaint in October 2018. In their answer, the

Petersons specifically challenged the authenticity of the adjustable rate note.

Citibank filed a motion for summary judgment. In support of the summary judgment

motion, Citibank relied on the declaration of Lauren Jowers. Jowers is a foreclosure specialist for

Fay Servicing, the servicer of the loan for Citibank. Jowers declared that, as part of her job, she

was familiar with the records maintained by the loan servicer. Based on these records, she

identified the adjustable rate note executed by Daniel and the Deed of Trust. Jowers stated that

Daniel defaulted on the loan and the default has not been cured. Jowers stated that the current

amount owed was $209,977.33. Jowers also declared, in part to support the request for attorney

fees, that the servicer of the loan retained the attorneys, McCarthy & Holthus, LLP, for Citibank

to prosecute the foreclosure action.

In response to the motion for summary judgment, the Petersons disputed the authenticity

of the adjustable rate note and deed of trust, and argued that Citibank’s attorneys did not have

authority to represent Citibank. In support of their response, Daniel and Kristi both submitted

declarations. Kristi’s declaration specifically stated that she disputed the adjustable rate note

because she did not sign it. She also declared that she did not sign the Deed of Trust and that she

has never signed any document with her name spelled “Kristy.” CP at 63. Kristi included copies

of her driver’s license and birth certificate showing her name is legally spelled “Kristi” not Kristy.

CP at 68, 70 (some capitalization omitted). Daniel similarly declared that he did not sign the

adjustable rate note. He also disputed his signature on the Deed of Trust. He specifically declared

3 No. 53747-8-II

that the signatures on the adjustable rate note and Deed of Trust were not in his handwriting and

he believed them to be forgeries.

The Petersons also filed a declaration from their attorney in support of the allegation that

Citibank’s attorneys did not have authority to represent Citibank. In his declaration, the Peterson’s

attorney stated,

3. Most of the litigation I have been doing over the past decades involves foreclosures. I know, based on this experience, that servicers conduct foreclosure litigation on behalf of trustees, like Citibank, pursuant to Powers of Attorney, which does not create an attorney-client relationship between the servicer’s attorney and the Trustee/fiduciary. Further, it is my experience that such power of attorneys do not require the attorneys for servicers to take into account the fiduciary duties the Trustee owes to certificate holders.

4. Given that declarant Jowers works for the Servicer, and there is no evidence that John Thomas or McCarthy Holthus has an attorney-client relationship with the Plaintiff Citibank, I request this Court order these attorneys to prove by what authority they act on behalf of the purported Plaintiff pursuant to Ch. 2.44 RCW.

CP at 72.

The superior court granted Citibank’s motion for summary judgment and entered a

judgment and decree of foreclosure in favor of Citibank. The Petersons appeal.

ANALYSIS

A. LEGAL PRINCIPLES

We review summary judgment orders de novo. Washington Federal v. Azure Chelan, LLC,

195 Wn. App. 644, 652, 382 P.3d 20 (2016). Summary judgment is appropriate if no genuine

issues of material fact exist and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. CR

56(c). “‘A material fact is one upon which the outcome of the litigation depends.’” Id. (quoting

Dong Wan Kim v. O’Sullivan, 133 Wn. App. 557, 559, 137 P.3d 61 (2006), review denied, 159

Wn.2d 1018 (2007)). “Mere allegations or conclusory statements of facts unsupported by evidence

4 No. 53747-8-II

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