Diane B. Santiago and P. Scot Santiago v. Central Mortgage Company

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 21, 2015·No. 05-14-00552-CV·Published

Opinion

AFFIRMED; Opinion Filed April 21, 2015.

S In The

Court of Appeals

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-14-00552-CV

DIANE B. SANTIAGO AND P. SCOTT SANTIAGO, Appellants V.

CENTRAL MORTGAGE COMPANY, Appellee

On Appeal from the 199th Judicial District Court Collin County, Texas

Trial Court Cause No. 199-04179-2011

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Before Justices Lang, Stoddart, and Schenck Opinion by Justice Lang

Appellants Diane B. Santiago and P. Scott Santiago (“the Santiagos”) filed this lawsuit against appellee Central Mortgage Company (“Central”) asserting claims pertaining to efforts by Central to enforce a deed of trust lien on their residence. Central filed a counterclaim in which it sought foreclosure pursuant to that lien. Following a bench trial, the trial court signed a final judgment in which it ordered, in part, that (1) the Santiagos take nothing against Central and (2) Central is entitled to non-judicial foreclosure.

On appeal, the Santiagos assert four issues. Specifically, the Santiagos contend the trial court erred by (1) “failing to file findings of fact and conclusions of law” as requested by them and (2) rendering a take-nothing judgment against them, “since the parties had proven to the trial court that one or more instruments in the chain of ownership of the note and lien on which Central relies was executed by a person acting without proper capacity.” Additionally, the

Santiagos assert the trial court’s judgment is “void” because it purports to grant relief (1) “inconsistent with the exclusive means of carrying out a judicial foreclosure, for which [Central] pleaded” and (2) “not in conformity with the pleadings.”

We decide the Santiagos’s four issues against them. The trial court’s judgment is affirmed. Because the law to be applied in this case is well settled, we issue this memorandum opinion. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.4.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND The parties do not dispute that in February 2004, the Santiagos obtained a home equity loan (the “Loan”). In connection with the Loan, Diane B. Santiago executed a promissory note (the “Note”) in which she agreed to pay $190,400 plus interest to the “Lender,” Carnation & Company, Inc. (“Carnation”). The Note was secured by a deed of trust executed jointly by the Santiagos (the “Deed of Trust”) that encumbered their residence in Collin County, Texas (the “Property”). The Deed of Trust stated in part that Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”) 1 was acting as “a nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns” and was “the beneficiary” under the Deed of Trust.

The Santiagos filed this lawsuit on October 3, 2011. Their live pleading at the time of the judgment complained of was a verified petition in which they (1) contended Central had wrongfully sought foreclosure of a claimed lien on the Property and (2) asserted statutory and common law claims pertaining to Central’s acts. 2

1

MERS is “an electronic mortgage registration system and clearinghouse that tracks beneficial ownerships in, and servicing rights to, mortgage loans.” Bierwirth v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P., No. 03–11–00644–CV, 2012 WL 3793190, at *1 n.2 (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 30, 2012, pet. denied) (mem. op.).

2

Specifically, the Santiagos requested that the trial court (1) declare that Central’s actions violated the Texas Debt Collection Act (“TDCA”), see TEX. FIN. CODE ANN. §§ 392.001–392.404 (West 2006); (2) enjoin Central’s actions which violate the TDCA; (3) render judgment in favor of the Santiagos for statutory damages, costs, and attorney’s fees as provided by the TDCA; (4) prohibit any further non- judicial foreclosure or forcible detainer proceeding or attempted foreclosure sale or related act by Central, its affiliates, agents, successors or assigns, with respect to the Property; (5) award the Santiagos compensatory and exemplary damages as allowed by law; (6) award the Santiagos their reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees, costs, and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as allowed by law; (7) issue an order quieting title to the Property in the Santiagos, voiding any substitute trustee’s deed, and removing such deed from the chain of title to the Property; and (8)

The Santiagos stated in relevant part in their live petition that an examination of the “public record available in Collin County” showed (1) an “[i]ndorsement on the Note to Flagstar Bank, FSB,” (“Flagstar”) dated February 23, 2004; (2) an “Assignment of Mortgage” dated July 22, 2009, (the “Assignment of Mortgage”) in which “MERS as nominee for Carnation” purported to assign the Santiagos’s mortgage to Central and which “appears to have been executed by Dorcas Tiller as Assistant Secretary of MERS”; (3) an “Appointment of Substitute Trustee apparently executed January 18, 2010, by Dorcas Tiller as Vice President of Central Mortgage Company”; and (4) a “Notice of Substitute Trustee’s Sale giving notice that the Property is to be sold October 4, 2011.” According to the Santiagos, because Carnation indorsed the Note to Flagstar at or about the time of the closing of the Loan and “no assignment of the Loan appears of record from Flagstar back to MERS,” the Assignment of Mortgage was “void” for “lack of capacity on the part of MERS.” Further, the Santiagos contended (1) the Assignment of Mortgage was “void” for “lack of capacity on the part of the person, Dorcas Tiller, signing as a putative officer of MERS when she was not duly constituted as such,” but rather was “an employee of [Central] but not of MERS” and (2) as a result of the alleged defects respecting the documents and transactions described above, the appointment of the substitute trustee was “made without capacity by [Central]” and therefore the substitute trustee “lack[s] capacity” and the notice of the substitute trustee’s sale was “given without capacity.”

Central filed a combined general denial answer and counterclaim. Under the heading “Counterclaim” in that document were sections titled “Declaratory Judgment,” “Judicial Foreclosure,” and “Non-Judicial Foreclosure.” In those sections, respectively, Central stated (1) it was requesting a declaratory judgment that it is “entitled to proceed with its foreclosure

enjoin any action to interfere with the Santiagos’s exclusive use and possession of the Property, pending resolution of this case. On the same date this lawsuit was filed, the trial court signed a temporary restraining order that “immediately restrained” Central from pursuing “activity to seek or effect a foreclosure as to the Property or an eviction of [the Santiagos].”

proceedings”; (2) “[p]ursuant to TEX. R. CIV. P. 309, [Central] seeks a judgment for foreclosure, together with an order of sale issued to the sheriff or constable of the county where the Property is located directing the sheriff or constable to seize and sell the Property in satisfaction of the judgment”; and (3) “[Central] seeks non-judicial foreclosure pursuant to TEX. CONST. art. XVI § 50(a)(6) and TEX. R. CIV. P. 735(2) or 735(3), and TEX. PROP. CODE § 51.002 with respect to all Plaintiffs who are obligated for the Loan Agreement debt.” Additionally, under the heading “Writ of Possession” in its answer/counterclaim, Central asserted in part “[i]f any person . . . occupies or claims possession of the Property after transfer of all right, title, and interest in the Property as a result of foreclosure, . . . [Central] requests a Writ of Possession from this Court in accordance with TEX. R. CIV. P. 310.”

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