Finster v. U.S. Bank National Ass'n

245 F. Supp. 3d 1304, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44984
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 28, 2017
DocketCase No. 3:15-cv-1044-J-34MCR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 245 F. Supp. 3d 1304 (Finster v. U.S. Bank National Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Finster v. U.S. Bank National Ass'n, 245 F. Supp. 3d 1304, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44984 (M.D. Fla. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER

MARCIA MORALES HOWARD, United States District Judge

THIS CAUSE is before the Court on two motions. On August 8, 2016, Defendant U.S. Bank National Association (U;S. Bank) filed a Motion to Dismiss Third Amended Complaint (Doc. 49; Motion to Dismiss), to which Plaintiff Bleu Finster responded on August 26, 2016, see Plaintiff Bleu Finster’s Response in Opposition to Defendant U.S. Bank National Association’s Motion to Dismiss Third Amended Complaint (Doc. 50; Response to MTD). In addition, ,on October 18, 2016, U.S. Bank filed Defendant’s Motion for Final Summary Judgment (Doc. 65; Summary Judgment Motion). Plaintiff filed a response in opposition to the Summary Judgment Motion on November 14, 2016. See Plaintiff Bleu Finster’s Response in Opposition to Defendant U.S; Bank National Association’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 69; Response to MSJ). For the reasons set forth below, the Court finds that U.S. Bank is entitled to summary judgment in its favor, and therefore, the Court will deny the Motion to Dismiss as moot.1

I. Standard of Review

Under Rule 56, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rule(s)), “[tjhe court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Rule 56(a), The record to be considered on a motion for summary judgment may include “depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials.” Rule 56(c)(1)(A).2 An issue is genuine when the evidence is such that a [1307]*1307reasonable jury could return a verdict in favor of the nonmovant. See Mize v. Jefferson City Bd. of Educ., 93 F.3d 739, 742 (11th Cir. 1996) (quoting Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Publ’g Co., 9 F.3d 913, 919 (11th Cir. 1993)). “[A] mere scintilla of evidence in support of the non-moving party’s position is insufficient to defeat a motion for summary judgment.” Kesinger ex rel. Estate of Kesinger v. Herrington, 381 F.3d 1243, 1247 (11th Cir. 2004) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)).

The party seeking summary judgment bears the initial burden of demonstrating to the court, by reference to the record, that there are no genuine issues of material fact to be determined at trial. See Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608 (11th Cir. 1991). “When a moving party has discharged its burden, the non-moving party must then go beyond the pleadings, and by its own affidavits, or by depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Jeffery v. Sarasota White Sox, Inc., 64 F.3d 590, 593-94 (11th Cir. 1995) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). Substantive law determines the materiality of facts, and “[o]nly disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly pre-elude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). In determining whether summary judgment is appropriate, a court “must view all evidence and make all reasonable inferences in favor of the party opposing summary judgment.” Haves v. City of Miami, 52 F.3d 918, 921 (11th Cir. 1995) (citing Dibrell Bros. Int’l, S.A. v. Banca Nazionale Del Lavoro, 38 F.3d 1571, 1578 (11th Cir. 1994)).

II. Background3

On March 29, 2006, Plaintiff Bleu Fin-ster executed a Note and. Mortgage as part of the purchase of real property in Duval County, Florida, See' Summary Judgment Motion, Ex. 1: Affidavit of Shanan Owen (Owen Aff.), Ex. A. The investor on the loan is the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). See Response to MSJ at 5 (citing Excerpt of June 24, 2016 Deposition of Shanan Owen (Doc. 67-1) at 9).4 Although Finster disputes whether U.S. Bank was validly assigned the Note and Mortgage, compare id. at 5 with Motion for Summary Judgment at 4 (citing Owen Aff. ¶ 6, Ex. B), it is undisputed that U.S. Bank services the Note and Mortgage. See Motion for Summary Judgment at 3, ¶ 1 (citing Owen Aff. ¶ 5, Ex. A); Response to MSJ at 5, ¶ 1. [1308]*1308When Finster stopped making the required payments on the Note and Mortgage, U.S. Bank filed a foreclosure action in Florida state court against her. See Owen Aff. ¶ 7. Finster obtained legal representation from Alliance Legal Group and instructed U.S. Bank to direct all communications to her attorneys. Id. ¶ 8. On July 19, 2013, U.S. Bank obtained a final judgment of foreclosure on the property and the court set a judicial sale date of November 21, 2013. Id. ¶ 9. However, prior to the sale, Finster submitted a loan modification application to U.S. Bank, and in a letter dated September 30, 2013, U.S. Bank responded that she “may be eligible” for a loan modification. Id. ¶¶ 10-11, Ex. C. The September 30, 2013 letter instructed Fin-ster to begin making payments at a specified amount for a three-month “trial period,” and explained that upon receipt of the first trial period payment, U.S. Bank would suspend foreclosure. Id. Ex. C. In addition, the letter stated that:

After all trial period payments are timely made and you have submitted all the required documents, your mortgage would then be permanently modified. (Your existing loan and loan requirements remain in effect and unchanged during the trial period.) If each payment is not received by U.S. Bank Home Mortgage in the month in which is due [sic], this offer will end and your loan will not be modified under the Making Home Affordable program.

Id., Ex. C. U.S. Bank attached a list of “Frequently Asked Questions,” to the letter which included the following:

Q. When will I know if my loan can be modified permanently...? Once you make all of your trial period payments on time, we will send you a Loan Modification Agreement detailing the terms of the modified loan. The Loan Modification Agreement will become effective once you and we have signed it.

Id., Ex. C at 4.

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245 F. Supp. 3d 1304, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44984, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/finster-v-us-bank-national-assn-flmd-2017.