DeGiacomo v. First Call Mortgage Co. (In re Reznikov)

548 B.R. 606, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 970
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMarch 29, 2016
DocketCase No. 14-10589-FJB; Adversary Proceeding No. 15-1003-FJB
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 548 B.R. 606 (DeGiacomo v. First Call Mortgage Co. (In re Reznikov)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DeGiacomo v. First Call Mortgage Co. (In re Reznikov), 548 B.R. 606, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 970 (Mass. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

Frank J. Bailey, United States Bankruptcy Judge

I. Overview

By his complaint in this adversary proceeding, Mark G. DeGiacomo, in his capacity as chapter 7 trustee (the “Trustee”) in the bankruptcy case of debtor Fanni Reznikov (the “Debtor”), seeks to avoid a mortgage (the “Mortgage”) held by James B. Nutter & Company (“Nutter”) pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3) and to preserve it for benefit of the bankruptcy estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 551. Before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment on Counts I and II filed by the Trustee and Nutter, as well as a motion by the Trustee to strike the declarations of the Debtor and of notary Peter Gizzi (the “Notary”). The Trustee argues that the Mortgage is subject to avoidance under § 544(a)(3) because the certificate of acknowledgment (the “Acknowledgement”) that the Notary annexed to the Mortgage is materially defective under Massachusetts law because it does not express that the Debtor executed the Mortgage voluntarily or as her free act and deed. Nutter counters that the Acknowledgement’s use of the words “duly acknowledged” adequately expresses that the Mortgage was executed by the Debtor voluntarily or as her free act and deed and, consequently, that the Acknowledgment is not defective. For the reasons set forth below, the Trustee’s Motions for Summary Judgment and to Strike the Declarations are granted, and' Nutter’s Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.

[609]*609II. Procedural History

On February 17,2014, the Debtor filed a petition for relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, commencing the present bankruptcy case. DeGiaeomo was duly appointed chapter 7 trustee and, in that capacity, brought this adversary proceeding on January 6, 2015. The complaint originally stated four counts, two of which, Counts III and IV, have been voluntarily dismissed by the Trustee. In Count I, the Trustee seeks to avoid a mortgage granted by the Debtor to First Call Mortgage Company (“First Call”) and later assigned by First Call to Nutter. As a basis for Count I, the Trustee alleges that the Debt- or’s execution of the Mortgage was not properly acknowledged and that the Mortgage is therefore subject to avoidance pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3). In Count II, the Trustee seeks to preserve the avoided mortgage for the benefit of the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 551. In his complaint, the Trustee requests that this Court enter a judgment “pursuant to Count II, declaring that the Mortgage is preserved for the benefit of the bankruptcy estate as the first position mortgage holder, senior to the Debtor’s [homestead exemption].” Count II does not explicitly seek any relief against any junior mortgage holders. Counts I and II are the subject of the present motions.

In Count III, the Trustee sought to avoid a second mortgage held by Julian Castro, in his capacity as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (the “Secretary”), pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 544(a)(3). In Count IV, the Trustee sought to preserve the avoided second mortgage for the benefit of the estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 551. The Trustee has since voluntarily dismissed the Secretary as a defendant and, by doing so, has dismissed Counts III and IV of the complaint.

The complaint originally named four defendants: Nutter, First Call, the Secretary, and the Debtor. As stated above, the Trustee voluntarily dismissed the Secretary as a defendant in this adversary proceeding. Additionally, at the hearing on the present motions, the Trustee voluntarily dismissed First Call as a defendant. The Debtor, remains a defendant and has filed an answer. On February 26, 2015, Nutter filed a motion to dismiss, and after a hearing, the Court denied the motion.

On September 10, 2015, the Trustee filed a motion for summary judgment on Counts I and II, and on September 11, 2015, Nutter filed a cross-motion for summary judgment as to the same counts. Nutter’s motion was accompanied by sworn declarations of the Debtor and the Notary (the “Declarations”); these attested to certain facts regarding the execution of the Mortgage and the Notary’s usual practices as a notary public. The Trustee subsequently filed a motion to strike the Declarations on the basis that they are irrelevant under Fed.R.Evid. 401 and therefore inadmissible under Fed.R.Evid. 402. After a hearing on the motions for summary judgment and the motion to strike, the Court took all three motions under advisement.

III. Facts

Except as otherwise indicated, the following facts are established and uncontroverted.

1. The Debtor is an individual residing at 143 Gould Street, Needham, Massachusetts (the “Needham Property”). At all relevant times, the Debtor has been the owner of the Needham Property.

2. On July 16, 2008, the Debtor executed an Adjustable Rate Note (the “Note”) in favor of First Call as the lender. The Note was secured by the Mortgage, which [610]*610was a first position Home Equity Conversion Mortgage on the Needham Property.

3. The Debtor executed the Mortgage on July 16, 2008. The Debtor executed the Mortgage for the purpose of securing the repayment of amounts loaned by First Call to the Debtor under the terms of the Note, the Mortgage, and a Home Equity Conversion Loan Agreement.

4. The Mortgage was filed with the Norfolk County Land Court on July 22, 2008.

5. The Acknowledgement on page 9 of the Mortgage states:
Notary Acknowledgement
State of Massachusetts
County of Middlesex
On this 16 day of July, 2008 before me personally appeared-
Fanni Reznikov
to me known and known to me to be the individual(s) described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and duly acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same.
[...]

6. On February 17, 2014, the Debtor filed a voluntarily petition pursuant to chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, and. on February 18, 2014, the Trustee was duly appointed as the chapter 7 trustee of the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate.

7. Schedule A to the Debtor’s bankruptcy petition lists the Needham Property with a fair market value of $420,000.

8. On Schedule C to the Debtor’s bankruptcy petition, the Debtor asserted a homestead exemption of her interest-in the Needham Property in the amount of $500,000 pursuant to her Declaration of Homestead which was filed pre-petition but after the execution of the Mortgage.

9.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
548 B.R. 606, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 970, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/degiacomo-v-first-call-mortgage-co-in-re-reznikov-mab-2016.