Ditech Fin. LLC v. Herman

97 N.E.3d 1282, 2017 Ohio 7908
CourtCourt of Appeals of Ohio, Tenth District, Franklin County
DecidedSeptember 28, 2017
DocketNo. 17AP–225
StatusPublished

This text of 97 N.E.3d 1282 (Ditech Fin. LLC v. Herman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Ohio, Tenth District, Franklin County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ditech Fin. LLC v. Herman, 97 N.E.3d 1282, 2017 Ohio 7908 (Ohio Super. Ct. 2017).

Opinions

TYACK, P.J.

{¶ 1} Sharon J. and Mark D. Herman are appealing from the trial court's granting of summary judgment on behalf of Ditech Financial LLC. For the following reasons, we reverse and remand the case to the trial court.

I. FACTS AND CASE HISTORY

{¶ 2} This is a foreclosure case. In 2007, the Hermans purchased the property commonly known as 6033 McNaughten Grove Lane, Columbus, Ohio. On January 7, 2008, a mortgage was recorded on the McNaughten property when the Hermans refinanced with Countrywide. Bank of America subsequently became successor to Countrywide when Bank of America purchased Countrywide during the 2007-08 financial crisis.

{¶ 3} The Hermans filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy after the failure of their business during the Great Recession in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. A loan to the Hermans' business had been collateralized with a lien on the McNaughten property.

{¶ 4} The loan to the Hermans' business was acquired by SRB Servicing, which then pursued foreclosure on the McNaughten property before the same Franklin County Common Pleas judge as the case at bar. SRB Servicing v. Herman et al. , Franklin C.P. No. 14CV-5066 (Nov. 24, 2015). Bank of America and the Hermans were named as defendants and served with summons. Bank of America failed to answer and default judgment was entered against them. The September 18, 2014 order and judgment entry in SRB Servicing granted a default judgment against Bank of America stating that Bank of America was timely served and failed to appear. Bank of America was in default of the complaint pursuant to Civ.R. 55.

{¶ 5} Allegedly in September 2014, the Hermans defaulted on their payments under the note. The Hermans were sent a letter on October 14, 2014 from loan servicer, Green Tree Servicing LLC ("Green Tree"), advising the Hermans about the default and the right to cure. On November 6, 2014, records indicate the mortgage assignment to Green Tree was recorded.

{¶ 6} On February 27, 2015, a judgment entry was entered in the SRB Servicing case in favor of SRB Servicing LLC. On May 6, 2015, Green Tree moved to intervene in SRB Servicing . On August 31, 2015, Green Tree merged with Ditech Financial LLC.

*1284{¶ 7} The SRB Servicing case was settled, post judgment. As a result, the foreclosure judgment entry in that case was vacated on November 24, 2015.

{¶ 8} On March 9, 2016, Ditech Financial LLC filed a complaint in foreclosure. On October 4, 2016, the trial court issued an order substituting MTGLQ Investors, LP (hereinafter "appellee") as the plaintiff. Appellee alleged it is the holder of the promissory note executed by the Hermans and secured by a mortgage on real property located at 6033 McNaughten Grove Lane, Columbus, Ohio.

{¶ 9} On December 13, 2016, appellee moved for summary judgment. The Hermans opposed the motion for summary judgment arguing that there is a question as to the validity of the mortgage held by appellee and the notice of default. On February 18, 2017, the trial court granted appellee's motion for summary judgment. The trial court found that appellant's reliance on the decision rendered in case No. 14CV-5066 is misplaced as the judgment was vacated and the complaint was dismissed. The trial court found that sufficient evidentiary-quality materials established that no genuine issues of material fact existed.

{¶ 10} A final judgment entry was signed on March 6, 2017, which was appealed to this court on March 31, 2017. The Hermans do not dispute that they are behind on payments in their mortgage and note but claim that, for other reasons, they are not in default. Specifically, they allege there are defects in the notice of default process and, that as a result, they did not have an opportunity to cure the default under their note.

{¶ 11} The Hermans contend that SRB Servicing extinguished any interest appellee could have in the mortgage. The Hermans also argue that since the case of SRB Servicing was still ongoing at the time of the notice of default in October 2014 they sought clarification from the mortgage service provider Green Tree. Unable to receive any clarification from Green Tree within the time given to cure, the Hermans argue they were denied a meaningful time to cure.

{¶ 12} The Hermans have had the financial obligation underlying the note and mortgage in this case discharged during bankruptcy proceedings. Thus, appellee cannot and is not seeking a personal money judgment against the Hermans. Appellee is attempting to get the property securing the note and mortgage sold. Appellee is hoping the proceeds from the foreclosure sale will compensate it, at least in part. The trial court granted that relief.

II. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶ 13} The Hermans assign three errors for our consideration:

[I.] The Trial Court erred by granting summary judgment where Appellants demonstrated genuine issues of material fact concerning the validity of Appellee's ownership of the mortgage.
[II.] The Trial Court erred by granting summary judgment where Appellants demonstrated that a new notice of default was required to be given to Appellants after the Mortgage was revived following settlement of a related foreclosure case.
[III.] Genuine issues of material fact exist as to whether Appellants had a meaningful opportunity to cure the default.

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

{¶ 14} Civ.R. 56(C) states that summary judgment shall be rendered forthwith if:

[T]he pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence, and written stipulations of fact, if any, timely *1285filed in the action, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. No evidence or stipulation may be considered except as stated in this rule. A summary judgment shall not be rendered unless it appears from the evidence or stipulation, and only from the evidence or stipulation, that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion * * *.

{¶ 15} Accordingly, summary judgment is appropriate only where: (1) no genuine issue of material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) viewing the evidence most strongly in favor of the non-moving party, reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion and that conclusion is adverse to the non-moving party. Tokles & Son, Inc. v. Midwestern Indemn. Co. , 65 Ohio St.3d 621, 629, 605 N.E.2d 936 (1992), citing Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. , 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 65-66,

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Bluebook (online)
97 N.E.3d 1282, 2017 Ohio 7908, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ditech-fin-llc-v-herman-ohctapp10frankl-2017.