DTND Sierra Investments LLC v. Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co.

958 F. Supp. 2d 738, 2013 WL 3894946, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104792
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedJuly 26, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. SA-12-CV-1014-XR
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 958 F. Supp. 2d 738 (DTND Sierra Investments LLC v. Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DTND Sierra Investments LLC v. Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co., 958 F. Supp. 2d 738, 2013 WL 3894946, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104792 (W.D. Tex. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER

XAVIER RODRIGUEZ, District Judge.

On this day the Court considered Defendant Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company National Association’s (“BONY”) motion to dismiss (Doc. No. 11). For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS the motion.

I.

A. Factual Background1

On or about April 4, 2003, Lee and Patricia Huntley executed a promissory note (the “Note”) to procure a loan for the purchase of 1802 Three Forks, San Antonio, Texas 78258 (the “Property”). The Note was made payable to SouthTrust Mortgage Corporation. At the same time, the Huntleys executed a deed of trust (“the Deed of Trust”), granting a lien on the Property. The Property was described in the Deed of Trust by reference to its street address only. SouthTrust Mortgage Corporation’s interest in the Note and Deed of Trust was thereafter assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, as Trustee (“JPMorgan”) on or about April 5, 2003.

Based upon “information and belief,” Plaintiff alleges that on or about January 1, 2004, the Huntleys defaulted on their obligations under the Deed of Trust.2 Around the same time, the Huntleys also defaulted on the payment of Property assessments imposed by the 281 East Home[743]*743owners Association (the “HOA”). On December 7, 2004, the HOA conducted a foreclosure sale of the Property. At this sale, the HOA purchased the Property. Subsequently, on July 19, 2005, a certified copy of the Deed of Trust was filed with the property description that was omitted from the recording in 2003.

On or about June 28, 2010, JPMorgan assigned its interest in the Note and Deed of Trust to Defendant. On June 30, 2011, Plaintiff purchased the Property from the HOA and recorded the special warranty deed. Thereafter, on January 3, 2012, Defendant foreclosed on the Property with Deborah Martin acting as substitute trustee. Defendant purchased the Property at the substitute trustee’s sale. As a result, Plaintiff alleges that Defendant “currently seeks to wrest possession of the Property from Plaintiffs tenants.”

B. Procedural Background

Plaintiff filed its original “Suit to Remove Cloud and Quiet Title, Petition for Declaratory Relief and Damages, and Application for Temporary Restraining Order” in Bexar County District Court on October 1, 2012. In that petition, Plaintiff sought to declare invalid the Substitute Trustee’s Deed and asserted claims against Defendants BONY, Cathy Goodwin, Patricia Huntley, and Lee Huntley.

Defendant removed the case to this Court on October 23, 2012, asserting diversity jurisdiction because Plaintiff is a citizen of Texas and BONY is a citizen of California. Although Cathy Goodwin and the Huntleys are also citizens of Texas, this Court concluded that because these Defendants were improperly joined at the time of removal, their citizenship is disregarded for determining whether removal was proper.3 Accordingly^ this Court had diversity jurisdiction at the time of removal and this was not destroyed by Plaintiffs post-removal amendment to its complaint with regard to Cathy Goodwin.4 Further, because Cathy Goodwin and the Huntleys were ruled to be improperly joined, these Defendants were effectively dismissed from the action. Akerblom v. Ezra Holdings Ltd., 509 Fed.Appx. 340, 347-48 (5th Cir.2013) (per curiam).5

Along with its notice of removal, Defendant filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs original complaint on October 23, 2012. Plaintiff then filed an Amended Complaint on November 14, 2012 and in response Defendant filed the instant motion to dismiss. In Plaintiffs amended complaint, Plaintiff asserts that it seeks to “invalidate the lien and Substitute Trustee’s Deed filed on February 9, 2012 and quiet Plaintiffs title” because Defendant’s lien was not perfected prior to the HOA foreclosure, Defendant’s claims to the Property under the Deed of Trust are barred by the statute of limitations, and Plaintiff has obtained the Property through adverse possession. Plaintiff also seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and asserts a violation of the Texas Debt Collection Practices Act.

II.

A. Legal Standard for Deciding a Motion to Dismiss

“To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual mat[744]*744ter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. While detailed factual allegations are not necessary, a plaintiff must provide “more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955. However, a complaint can survive a motion to dismiss even if actual proof of the facts alleged is “improbable.” Id. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955. Although the court must take all of the factual allegations in the complaint as true, the court is “not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). “Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely consistent with a defendant’s liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief.” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted).

B. Documents That May Be Considered

The Supreme Court has held that in deciding a motion to dismiss, a court may consider documents incorporated into the complaint by reference. Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308, 322, 127 S.Ct. 2499, 168 L.Ed.2d 179 (2007). The court may also consider any documents attached to the complaint and any documents attached to the motion to dismiss that are central to the claim and referenced by the complaint. Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 594 F.3d 383, 387 (5th Cir. 2010); see also Sullivan v. Leor Energy, LLC, 600 F.3d 542, 546 (5th Cir.2010) (quoting Scanlan v. Tex. A & M Univ., 343 F.3d 533, 536 (5th Cir.2003)) (holding that while the court generally must not go outside the pleadings, the court may consider documents attached to a motion to dismiss that are referred to in the plaintiffs complaint and are central to the plaintiffs claim.).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
958 F. Supp. 2d 738, 2013 WL 3894946, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104792, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dtnd-sierra-investments-llc-v-bank-of-new-york-mellon-trust-co-txwd-2013.