Degirmenci v. Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, Lllp

693 F. Supp. 2d 1325, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48541, 2010 WL 342256
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedApril 20, 2010
DocketCase 09-60089-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 693 F. Supp. 2d 1325 (Degirmenci v. Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, Lllp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Degirmenci v. Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, Lllp, 693 F. Supp. 2d 1325, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48541, 2010 WL 342256 (S.D. Fla. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS TO DISMISS

WILLIAM P. DIMITROULEAS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Defendants Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, LLLP, Altman Sapphire GP, LLC, The Premier Sales Group, Inc., and Regions Financial Corporation’s Motions to Dismiss [DE-67, 68, 69, 77, respectively]. The Court has carefully considered the Motions, Plaintiffs Responses [DE-103, 114, 115, 116], Defendants’ Replies [DE-117, 118, 119, 120], and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff filed the instant action on January 16, 2009. On June 30, 2009, this Court entered an order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Defendants Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, LLLP and Altman Sapphire GP, LLC’s Motion to Dismiss. On *1333 August 14, 2009, this Court entered an order Granting in Part Defendant Regions’s Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff filed the Amended Complaint on September 12, 2009.

Defendant Sapphire-Fort Lauderdale, LLLP (“Sapphire”) is a Florida limited liability limited partnership, with its principal place of business in Broward County, Florida. Defendant Altman Sapphire GP, LLC (“GP”) is the general partner and has its principal place of business in Palm Beach County, Florida. They were the developers of the project at issue (collectively referred to as “Developer”). Defendant Regions Financial Corporation (“Regions”) is a bank holding company and a financial holding company. Defendant The Premier Sales Group, Inc. (“Premier”) is a Florida corporation that was the broker for the developers.

According to the Amended Complaint, Plaintiff entered into a preconstruction agreement with Developer to purchase a condominium unit in the Fort Lauderdale Beach area on January 21, 2006. The sale was for a unit in the Sapphire Fort Lauderdale Condominium and the purchase price was $480,000.00. The project was billed as luxury condominiums. The Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) required a 20% escrow deposit and provided that Plaintiff would be given thirty days advance notice of the closing. The closing would occur only after construction was complete and a certificate of occupancy issued, and in any event, no later than January 31, 2010. By October 6, 2006, she paid the $96,000.00 escrow deposit.

The Agreement provides that in the event of a buyer’s default, the Developer may retain 15% of the purchase price as liquidated damages and seek specific performance. Specifically it reads as follows:

[i]f Buyer defaults after fifteen percent (15%) of the Purchase Price, exclusive of interest, has been paid, Seller will refund to the Buyer any amount which remains from the payments Buyer made after subtracting fifteen percent (15%) of the Purchase Price, exclusive of interest. Any damage or loss that occurs to the Property while Buyer is in default will not affect Seller’s right to liquidated damages. Buyer and Seller agree to this because there is no other precise method of determining Seller’s damages. Seller may also seek to specifically enforce this Agreement.

Agreement [DE-4-2, Ex. 13 ¶ 13].

The Amended Complaint goes on to allege that Regions provided the mortgage loan for the acquisition of the property on which the Project is being constructed and is providing mortgage loans for the construction of the Project. By way of assignments, transfer of rights, and creation of security interests, the Developer allegedly has ceded Regions significant authority and control over the Project. Thus, Plaintiff alleges, Regions has obtained a “super priority” security interest in all Purchase Agreements and purchaser escrow deposits, including Plaintiffs. The Amended Complaint alleges that the net effect is that the Developer cannot modify or cancel any Purchase Agreement or return any escrow deposits without first obtaining Region’s approval. Therefore, Plaintiff puts forth that Regions has thereby become subject to the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act (“ILSFDA”).

In November 2008, Plaintiff informed the Developer that due to an adverse change in her personal financial circumstances, she would be unable to proceed with the purchase. She requested the return of her escrow deposit. The Developer refused, stating that it would not recognize her default until they gave her notice to close and she failed to do so. At that time, it would then retain the entire 20% escrow deposit. Developer informed *1334 Plaintiff that Regions would not allow it to recognize any purchaser default until the issuance of a certificate of occupancy and that it would not agree to the return of any escrow funds. The Amended Complaint alleges that this is Regions’ institutional policy as it has a financial disincentive to pay the deposits under standby letters of credit.

Count I is a claim for declaratory judgment that the Developer and Regions have and are anticipated to violate one or more of the following statutes under the ILSFDA: 15 U.S.C. §§ 1703(a)(l)(B)-(D) and 15 U.S.C. §§ 1703(a)(2)(A)-(C). She seeks a declaration that the Developer and Regions violated one or more statutes under the ILSFDA, a declaration that she is entitled to rescission, and an award of attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1709 and the sales contract. Count II seeks an injunction against the Developer requiring it to make demand upon escrow agent Chicago Title Insurance Company to pay so much of plaintiffs escrow deposits as Plaintiff is determined to be entitled; an injunction against the Developer from further violations; an injunction against the Developer prohibiting it from seeking specific performance of the contract; a temporary injunction prohibiting Regions from the exercise of certain contractual rights over the Developer resulting in violations of plaintiffs rights under the ILSFDA; a permanent injunction prohibiting Regions from the exercise of certain contractual rights over the Developer with respect to Plaintiffs escrow deposit in violation of ILSFDA 15 U.S.C. § 1703(a)(2); and an injunction requiring Regions to pay under the letter of credit all sums due plaintiff in respect of her escrow deposits; and attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1709 and/or the sales contract. Count III seeks rescission and the return of Plaintiffs deposit because the Developer has violated her rights under the ILSFDA — specifically, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1703(a)(l)(B)-(D) and 15 U.S.C. §§ 1703(a)(2)(A)-(C) — and thus that the Purchase Agreement is void and/or avoidable as against public policy. Plaintiff also seeks attorneys fees, prejudgment interest, and costs pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1709 and the sales contract.

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Bluebook (online)
693 F. Supp. 2d 1325, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48541, 2010 WL 342256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/degirmenci-v-sapphire-fort-lauderdale-lllp-flsd-2010.