Dion Reif v. NewRez, LLC

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedOctober 15, 2025
Docket2:25-cv-02963
StatusUnknown

This text of Dion Reif v. NewRez, LLC (Dion Reif v. NewRez, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dion Reif v. NewRez, LLC, (E.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 DION REIF, No. 2:25-cv-02963-DC-AC 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING 14 NEWREZ, LLC, ORDER 15 Defendant. (Doc. No. 2) 16 17 This matter is before the court on Plaintiff’s motion for a temporary restraining order. 18 (Doc. No. 2.) The court does not find it appropriate to set the motion for a hearing pursuant to 19 Local Rule 231(c). For the reasons explained below, the court will grant Plaintiff’s motion. 20 BACKGROUND 21 On October 14, 2024, Plaintiff filed this action against Defendant NewRez, LLC alleging 22 several claims arising out of a mortgage loan secured by Plaintiff’s real property located at 13244 23 Country Heights Drive, Penn Valley, California 95946 (the “Property.”) (Doc. No. 1.) In his 24 complaint, Plaintiff alleges as follows. 25 On or about June 14, 2022, Plaintiff purchased the Property and took out a first position 26 loan with American Home Loans in the amount of $1,095,200.00 (Id. at ¶ 9.) The Property is a 27 single-family home and is Plaintiff’s primary residence. (Id. at ¶ 8). Since at least January 15, 28 2025, Defendant has been the servicer of the loan. (Id. at ¶ 10.) 1 At some point during 2025, Plaintiff and Defendant entered into a forbearance agreement 2 regarding the loan. (Id. at ¶ 11.) The forbearance agreement ended on October 1, 2025. (Id.) The 3 parties agreed that Plaintiff would apply for a “modification to bring the loan current” once the 4 forbearance agreement ended. (Id.) A customer service representative told Plaintiff he could not 5 apply for a loan modification until the forbearance agreement ended. (Id. at ¶ 12.) A trustee’s sale 6 of the Property is scheduled for October 15, 2025, though Plaintiff does not allege when he 7 learned of the sale. (Id.) 8 On September 30, 2025, Plaintiff spoke with another individual, Erica Macon, who told 9 Plaintiff that that previous customer service representative he spoke to was mistaken, and that 10 Plaintiff did not have to wait until the end of the forbearance agreement to apply for a loan 11 modification. (Id. at ¶ 13.) Ms. Macon told Plaintiff to apply immediately and said she would 12 follow up with Plaintiff every forty-eight (48) hours to ensure the application was complete. (Id.) 13 Plaintiff submitted his loan modification application on September 30, 2025. (Id. at ¶ 21.) 14 However, Plaintiff did not hear back from Ms. Macon regarding his loan modification application 15 despite emailing her. (Id. at ¶ 13.) 16 On October 3, 2025, Plaintiff followed up with Defendant by phone to check the status of 17 his loan modification application. (Id. at ¶ 14.) Plaintiff spoke with an individual named Michael, 18 who told him that he was now Plaintiff’s “single point of contact.” (Id.) Michael told Plaintiff that 19 Plaintiff’s loan modification application was complete on October 3, 2025 and under review. (Id.) 20 Plaintiff attempted to call Michael again on an undisclosed date but did not speak to him. 21 (Id. at ¶ 15.) Plaintiff learned thereafter that another individual, Alejandro Ocampo, was his new 22 “single point of contact.” (Id.) Plaintiff likewise was unable to reach and speak to Ms. Ocampo 23 regarding the status of his loan modification application. (Id.) Plaintiff then contacted his prior 24 “single point of contact,” Aarika Hamilton, to get assistance with his application. (Id.) On 25 October 10, 2025, Ms. Hamilton informed Plaintiff that Plaintiff needed to submit additional 26 documentation to complete his application. (Id.) Plaintiff did not submit additional 27 documentation, but received a letter from Defendant on October 12, 2025, informing him that his 28 loan modification application was complete and under review. (Id.) Notwithstanding the 1 completion of Plaintiff’s application, Defendant plans to proceed with the trustee sale of the 2 Property on October 15, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (Id. at ¶ 16.) 3 Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff brings the following claims against Defendant: (1) 4 violations of the Homeowner Bill of Rights (“HBOR”), California Civil Code § 2923.6; (2) 5 violations of the HBOR, California Civil Code § 2923.7; and (3) violation of the California 6 Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Business and Professions Code §§ 17200 et seq. (Doc. No. 1 7 at ¶¶ 18–36.) 8 On October 14, 2025, Plaintiff filed the pending ex parte motion for a temporary 9 restraining order to prevent Defendant from conducting the scheduled foreclosure sale of the 10 Property. (Doc. No. 2.) Counsel for Plaintiff also filed a declaration describing her efforts to 11 contact Defendant’s employees prior to filing the pending motion. (Doc. No. 2-3.) 12 LEGAL STANDARD 13 The purpose of a temporary restraining order is to preserve the status quo and to prevent 14 irreparable harm “just so long as is necessary to hold a hearing, and no longer.” Granny Goose 15 Foods, Inc. v. Bhd. of Teamsters, 415 U.S. 423, 439 (1974). The standard governing the issuing 16 of a temporary restraining order is “substantially identical” to the standard for issuing a 17 preliminary injunction. Stuhlbarg Int’l Sales Co. v. John D. Brush & Co., 240 F.3d 832, 839 n.7 18 (9th Cir. 2001). To obtain either form of injunctive relief, the moving party must show: (1) a 19 likelihood of success on the merits; (2) a likelihood of irreparable harm to the moving party in the 20 absence of preliminary relief; (3) that the balance of equities tips in favor of the moving party; 21 and (4) that an injunction is in the public interest. Winter v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 22 7, 20 (2008). A plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction must make a showing on all four of 23 these prongs. All. for the Wild Rockies v. Cottrell, 632 F.3d 1127, 1135 (9th Cir. 2011). 24 Courts within the Ninth Circuit may also consider a request for a temporary restraining 25 order using a “sliding scale” approach in which “a stronger showing of one element may offset a 26 weaker showing of another.” Id. at 1131–35. “[W]hen plaintiffs establish that the balance of 27 hardships tips sharply in their favor, there is a likelihood of irreparable injury, and the injunction 28 is in the public interest, they need only show ‘serious questions’ on the merits.” Where Do We Go 1 Berkeley v. Cal. Dep’t of Transp., 32 F.4th 852, 859 (9th Cir. 2022) (citing All. for the Wild 2 Rockies, 632 F.3d at 1135). Nevertheless, injunctive relief is “an extraordinary remedy that may 3 only be awarded upon a clear showing that plaintiff is entitled to such relief.” Winter, 555 U.S. at 4 22. 5 ANALYSIS 6 A. Compliance with Procedural Requirements 7 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(b)(1) permits the court to issue a temporary restraining 8 order without notice to the adverse party only if (1) specific facts in the affidavit or underlying 9 pleading show that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result before the 10 opposing party may be heard; and (2) the movant certifies in writing efforts made to give notice 11 and the reasons why notice should not be required. Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b)(1).

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Dion Reif v. NewRez, LLC, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dion-reif-v-newrez-llc-caed-2025.