D. Ryan And Rhonda Patrick, Apps v. Wells Fargo

385 P.3d 165, 196 Wash. App. 398
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 26, 2016
Docket73827-5-I
StatusUnpublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 385 P.3d 165 (D. Ryan And Rhonda Patrick, Apps v. Wells Fargo) 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
D. Ryan And Rhonda Patrick, Apps v. Wells Fargo, 385 P.3d 165, 196 Wash. App. 398 (Wash. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Leach, J.

¶ 1 Ryan and Rhonda Patrick appeal the trial court’s summary dismissal of their lawsuit against their mortgage lender and the trustee of their deed of trust. They assert that the lender, Wells Fargo Bank NA, promised them a loan modification but told them that to obtain one they would need to default. The Patricks defaulted, Wells Fargo initiated nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings, and the trustee, Quality Loan Service Corporation, eventually sold the house. The Patricks contend Wells Fargo and Quality Loan violated the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1 and deeds of trust act (DTA) 2 and were negligent. They asked for damages and injunctive relief. Because the Patricks did not use the DTA’s procedure for restraining the sale, they waived all their claims except the CPA claims and the DTA claim against the trustee. And the Patricks presented no evidence that any alleged unlawful act by Wells Fargo caused their injuries or any evidence that Quality Loan violated the DTA or CPA. The trial court did not err in dismissing their claims. We affirm.

FACTS

¶2 In 2007, Ryan and Rhonda Patrick borrowed $435,960 from Wells Fargo. They signed a promissory note *402 and executed a deed of trust encumbering their Bothell home. The deed of trust named Wells Fargo as the lender and beneficiary and Northwest Trustee Services LLC as trustee. Wells Fargo later assigned its interest to HSBC Bank USA National Association. HSBC became the holder of the note while Wells Fargo remained the loan servicer. The Patricks sued both banks, and we refer to them collectively as Wells Fargo.

¶3 In 2008, the Patricks requested a loan modification from Wells Fargo. They were both employed and were able to make their monthly payments, but they wanted “to see what their options were” in light of the uncertainty in the market. Wells Fargo told the Patricks that there were “multiple loan modification programs available” but they would not qualify if they were current on their payments. Wells Fargo’s internal guidelines show that the bank does not consider borrowers for a loan modification unless they are “in Default or Default [is] Imminent.” The Patricks claim that Wells Fargo employees advised them on multiple occasions to default on their payments in order to qualify for a loan modification. The Patricks intentionally stopped making their payments in January 2009. They then applied for a loan modification, and Wells Fargo reviewed their application.

¶4 Wells Fargo notified the Patricks two months later that the investor who owned their note declined to modify their loan. The Patricks applied again. In early 2010, Wells Fargo instructed them to make three trial-period payments. The Patricks state that Wells Fargo told them that if they made these payments, they would receive a permanent modification with reduced payments and a decreased interest rate. They made the payments. In September 2010, Wells Fargo offered them a forbearance agreement that allowed them to add their missed payments onto the end of their loan without interest but would not significantly change their monthly payments or interest rate. They *403 accepted. 3 They now contend that this agreement made them financially worse off.

¶5 In 2012, the Patricks hoped to get a loan modification with better terms. So they again intentionally defaulted on their payments. They stated in their application that they were experiencing financial hardship and acknowledged that if they had intentionally defaulted, the servicer could pursue foreclosure.

¶6 Wells Fargo told them they did not qualify for a loan modification and continued to tell them so in response to later applications. The Patricks claim that Wells Fargo’s correspondence during this period confused them. The bank switched their “client contact” numerous times and at varying intervals. It sent them apparently conflicting requests for information. Its mailers urged the Patricks to ask about the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), 4 but the bank repeatedly rejected them for this program. And it alternately informed the Patricks that they were being considered for or had been denied a HAMP loan.

¶7 The Patricks requested mediation under the Foreclosure Fairness Act (FFA). 5 At a mediation in February 2014, Wells Fargo told the Patricks they did not qualify for a modification. 6 The FFA mediator certified that both parties mediated in good faith. The mediator attached copies of the agreed-upon net present value (NPV) numbers that the *404 parties used in mediation, the investor restrictions, and e-mails showing Wells Fargo asked the investor to waive restrictions.

¶8 The Patricks made no payments on their loan after July 2012. In September 2013, HSBC, acting through Wells Fargo as its attorney-in-fact, appointed Quality Loan as successor trustee under the deed of trust. In November 2013, Quality Loan sent the Patricks a notice of default about their missed payments. Quality Loan recorded a notice of trustee’s sale in September 2014, setting a nonjudicial foreclosure sale for January 2015.

¶9 The Patricks asked in November 2014 that Quality Loan stop the trustee’s sale. They filed a complaint in December 2014, seeking damages and to enjoin the sale. But they chose not to use the DTA’s procedure to restrain the sale. Quality Loan proceeded to sell the house at public auction in February 2015. Quality Loan delivered a trustee’s deed to HSBC.

¶10 All the defendants moved for summary judgment. The Patricks amended their complaint with the court’s permission. Both complaints alleged CPA and DTA violations, as well as negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, criminal profiteering, and civil conspiracy. The trial court granted summary judgment on all claims. The Patricks appeal.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶11 We review a summary judgment order de novo, making the same inquiry as the trial court. 7 We view the facts and all reasonable inferences from them in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. 8 Summary judgment is proper if there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a *405 matter of law. 9 The nonmoving party “must set forth specific facts showing a genuine issue.” 10 Mere allegations or conclusory statements of fact unsupported by evidence are not sufficient. 11

ANALYSIS

Waiver under the DTA

¶12 Wells Fargo contends that the Patricks waived most of their claims by failing to use the restraint procedures the DTA requires.

Related

vs Developing, Llc, V. Brmk Priest Point, Llc
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
Carpenter v. Fawcett
W.D. Washington, 2024
Matthew Noffke, V. Susan Karstedt
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
Preston Anderson, Team Car Care West
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
Linda Ames v. Hsbc Bank
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
U.s. Bank National Assoc. v. Henry Miller
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
Patrick v. Wells Fargo Bank
390 P.3d 346 (Washington Supreme Court, 2017)
Patrick v. Wells Fargo Bank, NA
196 Wash. App. 1009 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
385 P.3d 165, 196 Wash. App. 398, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/d-ryan-and-rhonda-patrick-apps-v-wells-fargo-washctapp-2016.