Edwards v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n

545 S.W.3d 169
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 20, 2017
DocketNo. 08-16-00136-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 545 S.W.3d 169 (Edwards v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, 545 S.W.3d 169 (Tex. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

ANN CRAWFORD McCLURE, Chief Justice

In this appeal, we review a summary judgment foreclosing a lien on a home that Appellant, James T. Edwards, inherited from his mother. Like some cases of this type, the relatively straightforward contract issues blur because of the inaccuracies in mass produced loan documents and foreclosure paperwork. Nonetheless, we affirm.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

James T. Edwards inherited a house in Trophy Club, Texas, from his mother, Ruth Edwards. Sometime after her death, Bank of America, N.A., the successor of Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP, filed suit to foreclose on the property. The suit claimed that a "home equity loan agreement" created under the TEX.CONST. art. XVI, § 50 (a)(6), and secured by a deed of trust on the property, was in arrears. Edwards filed a pro se unverified answer that asserted the signature on the promissory note was not that of Ruth Edwards. He also claimed that any Texas home equity loan must be executed in the offices of a lawyer, lender, or title company to be valid, and this loan was not so executed.

The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) was substituted as plaintiff. It filed an amended petition claiming that Ruth Edwards executed a promissory note (the Note) secured by a deed of trust, omitting any reference to a home equity loan or the Texas Constitution. The amended petition alleged that Ruth passed away in 2009, and that Edwards held title to the property through a general warranty deed dated May 13, 2010. As of the date of the amended petition, fifty-two monthly payments had not been made. Fannie Mae sought a declaration establishing its lien, as well as judicial foreclosure of the lien. The amended petition attached the Note and Deed of Trust that require further discussion.1

The Note is dated "March 15, 2007," and contains Ruth's promise to pay $156,500.00 along with interest to the original lender in monthly installments of $963.60, beginning *173May 1, 2007. The final payment was due April 1, 2037. The Note refers to a property address of "308 Village Trl., Trophy Club, Texas." The Note also refers to a deed of trust, dated the same date as the Note, which secures the loan.

The Deed of Trust has a type written date on the first page of "March 6, 2007," but Ruth actually signed the document on March 15, 2007. The Deed of Trust refers to a note, dated "March 6, 2007," with the principal sum of $158,400.00 and a final payment date of April 1, 2037. The Deed of Trust transfers the rights to property at "308 Village Trl, Trophy Club, Texas" (and provides the legal description of the same). The Deed of Trust further describes the note as a renewal and extension of a previous 2003 note, but expressly disclaims that the note is a home equity loan as defined by Section 50(a)(6) of the Texas Constitution.

Ruth apparently had three living children at the time of her death in 2009. Two of Edwards' siblings filed a general warranty deed conveying their interest in the Trophy Club property to him. The warranty deed states that Edwards would assume the obligations under the promissory note dated "March 15, 2007" and in the principal amount of "$156,500.00." The date and loan amount are handwritten into the deed, with the original typed date of "March 6, 2007" and the original typed loan amount of "$158,400.00" having been struck through.

Fannie Mae filed a traditional motion for summary judgment seeking judicial foreclosure on the property. The motion was supported in part by the affidavit of Amy D. Gauthier a "foreclosure specialist" for Seterus, Inc., which she identifies as the mortgage servicer for Fannie Mae. She attached as business records several documents in Seterus's file, including the Note. She similarly identified the Deed of Trust that was executed "[i]n conjunction with the Note." The affidavit attaches additional records showing that Edwards stopped making payments in 2011, and paperwork documenting the notice of default and acceleration of the Note.

Gauthier's affidavit makes one other assertion important to this appeal:

On or about March 15, 2005, Ruth Edwards executed a Texas Home Equity Note ('Note') in the amount of $156,500.00 originally payable to Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. [Emphasis added].

Edwards filed a response to the summary judgment, pointing out discrepancies in the documents attached to Fannie Mae's own motion. Edwards highlighted the statement in Gauthier's affidavit describing the loan as a "Texas Home Equity Loan executed on March 15, 2007." The Deed of Trust refers to a Note dated March 6, 2007. The Deed of Trust also expressly states that the Loan is not a Texas Home Equity Loan. Given these variances, Edwards claims the Note referred to in the Deed of Trust cannot be the same note attached to the summary judgment motion and made the basis of the lawsuit. Edwards then claimed that Fannie Mae failed to produce a note tied to its Deed of Trust, and the deed is therefore not enforceable. He also claimed that if the Note is indeed a home equity loan, it is not enforceable because it was not signed in the office of a lender, attorney, or title company, as required by the Texas Constitution.

Finally, Edwards' response included his own declaration which states in relevant part, "I am familiar with my deceased mother, Ruth Edwards' signature. The signature purporting to be her signature on the last page of the Note dated March 15, 2007 and attached as Exhibit A-l to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment is not *174my mother's signature." The trial court granted the motion and this appeal follows.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review a trial court's decision to grant summary judgment de novo. Travelers Ins. Co. v. Joachim , 315 S.W.3d 860, 862 (Tex. 2010). Fannie Mae asserted a traditional summary judgment under TEX.R.CIV.P. 166a(a). Under a traditional motion, the moving party carries the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact and it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Diversicare General Partner, Inc. v. Rubio , 185 S.W.3d 842, 846 (Tex. 2005) ; Nixon v. Mr. Property Mgmt. Co., Inc. , 690 S.W.2d 546, 548 (Tex. 1985). Evidence favorable to the non-movant is taken as true in deciding whether there is a disputed issue of material fact. Fort Worth Osteopathic Hospital, Inc. v. Reese , 148 S.W.3d 94, 99 (Tex. 2004) ; Tranter v. Duemling , 129 S.W.3d 257, 260 (Tex.App-El Paso 2004, no pet.).

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Bluebook (online)
545 S.W.3d 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-fed-natl-mortg-assn-texapp-2017.