Empire Community Development, LLC v. Campoverde

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 11, 2024
Docket1:22-cv-04046
StatusUnknown

This text of Empire Community Development, LLC v. Campoverde (Empire Community Development, LLC v. Campoverde) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Empire Community Development, LLC v. Campoverde, (E.D.N.Y. 2024).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ---------------------------------------------------------- x EMPIRE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT : LLC, : : REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION Plaintiff, : 22 Civ. 4046 (RPK) (VMS) : -against- : : JHON CAMPOVERDE, MERS AS : NOMINEE FOR INDYMAC BANK, : FSB, : : Defendants. : ---------------------------------------------------------- x Vera M. Scanlon, United States Magistrate Judge: Plaintiff Empire Community Development, LLC (“Empire” or “Plaintiff”) commenced this foreclosure action against Defendants Jhon Campoverde (“Mr. Campoverde”) and senior lienholder MERS as nominee for Indymac Bank, FSB (“MERS”) (together, “Defendants”) concerning a piece of real property encumbered by a mortgage (the “Mortgage”) assigned to Plaintiff located at 33-27 99th Street, Corona, NY 11368 (the “Property”). See generally Compl., ECF No. 1. On August 23, 2023, this Court respectfully recommended that the District Court deny Plaintiff’s first motion for default of foreclosure and sale against Defendants without prejudice because 1) Plaintiff had failed to properly serve Mr. Campoverde with the summons and the complaint (the “Complaint”); 2) Plaintiff had not complied with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (the “SCRA”) with respect to Mr. Campoverde; and 3) granting Plaintiff’s request to extinguish the interest of MERS in the Property would have been premature at the time. See ECF Nos. 19 & 20. The Court mailed its first report and recommendation (the “First R&R”) to Defendants MERS at 1901 East Voorhees St., Suite C, Danville, IL 61834-4512; MERS at 28 1 Liberty St., New York, NY 10005; Sharon McGann-Horstkamp as General Counsel for MERS at 1818 Library St., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190; Matthew Martin as General Counsel for First Citizens Bancshares, Inc., at 4300 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609; MERS at P.O. Box 2026, Flint, MI 48501-2026; MERS at 11819 Miami St., Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68164; and Jhon Campoverde, 33-27 99th St, First Floor, Corona, NY 11368. Objections to the First R&R were

due by September 6, 2023. See ECF No. 20. On September 12, 2023, in light of Plaintiff’s failure to timely object, the District Court adopted the First R&R and directed Plaintiff to “file a status letter within 30 days of the date of this order detailing its proposal as to future actions in this case as well as the results of its investigation as to the current addresses for [D]efendants.” Dkt. Order 9/12/2023. Plaintiff’s counsel timely filed a status report stating that “[w]e are working with our process server to obtain sufficient information to support Plaintiff’s service on [Mr. Campoverde] to provide to the Court beyond the Affidavits of Service previously filed, in addition to proof of [Mr. Campoverde]’s non-military status.” ECF No. 21. Plaintiff requested

leave to file a renewed motion for a default judgment of foreclosure and sale against Defendants within 60 days. See ECF No. 21. The District Court granted Plaintiff’s request. See Dkt. Order 10/19/2023. Plaintiff timely filed the renewed motion for a default judgment and supporting exhibits. See Motion for Default, ECF No. 22. Before this Court is Plaintiff’s second motion for default judgment of foreclosure and sale against Defendants pursuant to Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”). See Motion for Default, ECF No. 22. Plaintiff moves for damages in the total amount of $286,679.35, plus additional interest, as well as equitable relief.

2 For the reasons set forth below, the Court respectfully recommends that the motion for a default judgment be granted. I. BACKGROUND The parties are referred to the First R&R for the factual and procedural history in this case. See ECF No. 20 at 1-5.

On August 27, 2024, this Court held a telephonic conference with Plaintiff’s counsel Alyssa Kapner to discuss Plaintiff’s claims regarding MERS’s prior mortgage on the Property. See ECF Order 8/23/2024; 8/27/2024 Minute Entry. The Complaint alleges that MERS “holds a prior mortgage which is adverse to Plaintiff’s interest . . . . The senior mortgage for MERS as nominee for Indymac Bank, FSB, appears to be prior and adverse to the mortgage being foreclosed and is subject to be [sic] declared invalid and extinguished pursuant to Article 15 of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law.” ECF No. 22 ¶¶ 27-28. During the conference, Plaintiff’s counsel referred the Court to the Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement of Mr. Del Pozo, the seller of the Property, with MERS,

dated February 2, 2005 (the “Consolidation Agreement”). See Official Transcript from 8/27/2024 Status Conference, ECF No. 23 at 3:8-16; New York City Automated City Register Information System (“ACRIS”) Online Records on the Property, Consolidation Agreement, CFRN 2005000563921, recorded on Oct. 11, 2005.1 Under the Consolidation Agreement, MERS agreed to act as nominee for Indymac Bank, FSB with regard to two of Mr. Del Pozo’s mortgages on the Property, which are listed in Exhibit A of the Consolidation Agreement (together, the “Del Pozo Mortgage”). See ACRIS Online Records on the Property, Consolidation Agreement, CFRN 2005000563921, recorded on Oct. 11, 2005.

1 Available at https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/BBL (last visited on 9/2/2024). 3 As to the Del Pozo Mortgage, Plaintiff’s counsel explained that it was fully satisfied at the time Mr. Del Pozo deeded the Property to Mr. Campoverde on December 29, 2005. See ECF No. 23 at 3:14-16. The deed transfer between Messrs. Del Pozo and Campoverde (the “Deed”) is recorded on New York City’s ACRIS. See ACRIS Online Records on the Property, Deed, CFRN 2006000042939, recorded on Jan. 24, 2006. According to Plaintiff’s counsel, the Del

Pozo Mortgage was not properly discharged on ACRIS along with the recording of the transfer of the Deed. See ECF No. 23 at 5:6-23. ACRIS’s records for the Property do not include a satisfaction of mortgage by Mr. Del Pozo to MERS as nominee for Indymac Bank, FSB. See Results for Online ACRIS Search Results for Property by Borough/Block/Lot.2 ACRIS’s online records regarding the Property do show a satisfaction of mortgage for a separate Del Pozo mortgage with CitiMortgage less than three months after Mr. Del Pozo deeded the Property to Mr. Campoverde on December 29, 2005. See ACRIS Online Records on the Property, Satisfaction of Mortgage, CFRN 2006000215119, dated March 10, 2006, recorded on Apr. 18, 2006.

ACRIS also shows that, at about the same time as the transfer of the Deed for the Property from Mr. Del Pozo to Mr. Campoverde, Mr. Campoverde executed two separate mortgages with MERS on December 29, 2005. See ACRIS Online Records on the Property, Mortgage, CFRN 2006000042940, recorded on Jan. 24, 2006; see ACRIS Online Records on the Property, Mortgage, CFRN 2006000042941, recorded on Jan. 24, 2006. Mr. Campoverde later executed two satisfactions of mortgage, one on October 26, 2006, see Satisfaction of Mortgage, CFRN 2006000620103, recorded on Nov. 6, 2006, and another on November 1, 2006, see

2 Available at https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/BBL (results for search criteria: Queens/01714/0049) (last visited on 8/30/2024). 4 Satisfaction of Mortgage, CFRN 2006000634710, recorded on Nov. 15, 2006, both of which involved MERS. MERS’s involvement in these transactions shows that MERS was on notice of the activity related to the Property based on Mr. Campoverde’s Mortgage and possession of the Property at least since December 29, 2005. II. LEGAL STANDARD

FRCP Rule 55 establishes a two-step procedure by which a party may obtain a default judgment. See Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2, Albany, NY Pension Fund v.

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Empire Community Development, LLC v. Campoverde, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/empire-community-development-llc-v-campoverde-nyed-2024.