Fixed Income Shares: Series M v. Citibank N.A.

130 F. Supp. 3d 842, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119042, 2015 WL 5244707
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 8, 2015
DocketNo. 14-CV-9373 (JMF)
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 130 F. Supp. 3d 842 (Fixed Income Shares: Series M v. Citibank N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fixed Income Shares: Series M v. Citibank N.A., 130 F. Supp. 3d 842, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119042, 2015 WL 5244707 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

JESSE M. FURMAN, District Judge:

' This case is one of many derivative actions recently brought, in this Court and New York state court, against trustees of trusts containing residential mortgage backed securities. In this case, Plaintiffs sue Citibank N.A, (“Défendant” or “Citibank”) in its capacity as trustee for twenty-seven such trusts, alleging that Citibank breached its contractual duties, committed several state-law torts, and violated the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, 15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa et seq. (“TIA”). Pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil -Procedure, Citibank now moves to dismiss the Complaint in its entirety. For the reasons explained below, Citibank’s motion is granted in part and denied in part.''

BACKGROUND

The following facts — which are taken from the Complaint, documents it incorporates, and matters of which the Court may take judicial notice — are construed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs. See, e.g., Kleinman v. Elan Corp., plc, 706 F.3d 145, 152 (2d Cir.2013); LaFaro v. N.Y. Cardiothoracic Grp., PLLC, 570 F.3d 471, 475 (2d Cir.2009); Aurecchione v. Schoolman Transp. Sys., Inc., 426 F.3d 635, 638 (2d Cir.2005).

Plaintiffs’ claims arise out of Citibank’s role as trustee for twenty-seven trusts (the “Trusts”), in which Plaintiffs invested. (Compl. (Docket No.' 1) ¶ 1). The Trusts are of two types: The overwhelming majority are New York common law trusts (the “PSA Trusts”), which are governed by Pooling and Service Agreements (“PSAs”), while the remainder are Delaware statutory trusts (the “Indenture Trusts”), which are governed by Sale and Servicing Agreements (“SSAs”) and Indentures (together [846]*846with the PSAs and SSAs, the “Trust Documents”). (Id. ¶ 95).1 The Trusts consist entirely of residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”). (Id. ¶ 97). RMBS trusts generally operate as follows: First, an investment bank acquires mortgage loans from loan originators, who are often themselves affiliates of, or otherwise beholden to, the acquiring bank. (Id., ¶¶ 2, 117). These banks are known as the “sponsors” of the RMBS trust. After acquiring the loans, the sponsor transfers them to a “depositor,” which then conveys them to the trust. (Id. ¶¶ 118-19).

The trust holds the loans for the benefit of investors who purchase securities, which give the investors a beneficial interest in the underlying mortgages. (Id. ¶¶ 2, 108, 159). The trust, also known as the “issuer,” appoints a trustee — in this case, Citibank — whieh is the only independent party to the transaction and which is responsible for ensuring that “each of the mortgage loans was properly conveyed [to the trust]” and for certifying “that the documentation for each loan was accurate and complete.” (Id. ¶ 114). In addition, the sponsor chooses an entity, known as the “servicer,” to collect payments on the underlying loans and take any necessary enforcement action against borrowers. (Id. ¶¶ 120-21). Like the loan originators, the servicers are often affiliated with the sponsoring bank. (Id. ¶¶2, 120). The principal and interest payments on’ the underlying loans are ultimately passed through to the investors. (Id. ¶ 116).

The Trusts are largely established and governed, by contracts, several of which are relevant here. The contract between the originator and the sponsor — or, alternatively, the sponsor and the depositor — is known as a Mortgage Loan Purchase and Sale Agreement (“MLPA”). (Id. ¶ 124). The MLPA governs the sale of the mortgage loans, and includes representations and warranties made by the seller (either the originator or the sponsor) “concerning the characteristics, quality, and risk profile of the mortgage loans.” (Id.).- Significantly, upon “discovery or receipt of notice of any .breach” of a seller’s representations and warranties, the seller is generally required to cure the breach or, if the breach is not cured, to either substitute the defective loan with another loan of adequate quality or repurchase the defective loan at a specified price. (Id. ¶¶ 126-27),

Citibank’s duties as trustee are outlined in the Trust documents. To the extent relevant here, those duties fall into two categories: “pre-default” duties and “post-default” duties. A trustee’s pre-default duties are largely limited to those enumerated in the trust documents. See Elliott Assocs. v. J. Henry Schroder Bank & Tr. Co., 838 F.2d 66, 71 (2d Cir.1988). The trustee must, for example, accept on behalf of the Trust all right, title, and interest in and to the mortgage loans (Compl. ¶¶ 131— 32, 135-36); certify receipt of complete mortgage loan files from the depositor (id. ¶ 136); notify all parties to the Trust documents upon discovering a breach of a representation or warranty made by the seller with respect to any loan (id. ¶ 140); and notify a servicer .upon discovery of the servicer’s failure to comply with its obligations (id. ¶ 141).

A trustee’s duties increase following an “Event of Default,” as defined in the Trust documents. For the PSA Trusts, an Event of Default occurs when the servicer fails to perform its duties and' — after proper notice from either a particular percent[847]*847age of the investors or the trustee — fails to cure that breach within a specified period of time. (Id.; see Decl. Matthew D. Ingber (Docket No. 40) (“Ingber Decl.”), Ex. 1A (“Sample PSA”) § 7.01). For the Indenture Trusts, an Event of,Default is slightly different: For those, trusts, ,.an Event of Default occurs when the issuing trust fails to perform its obligations under the Indenture and — again, after proper notice from a particular number of investors or the trustee — that default is not cured. (Compl. ¶ 163; Ingber Decl., Ex. 2 (“Sample Indenture”), App. A at 87). In any case, after an Event of Default, the trustee must “exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it,” including the power to terminate or otherwise take action against a servicer, “and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.” (Sample PSA § 8.01; see also Sample Indenture § 6.01).

In this case, Plaintiffs allege that Citibank breached both its pre- and post-default duties when, between 2009 and 2011, Citibank learned that the. Trusts contained large numbers of loans where the seller or servicer had failed to comply with its obligation, and Citibank failed to take appropriate action. (Compl; ¶¶ 5,12, 222, 27-76, 281, 285-303). Because of these deficiencies, Plaintiffs allege, the Trusts have lost more than $2 billion. (Id. ¶ 97). ' *

LEGAL STANDARDS

As noted, Citibank’s motion is brought pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). A Rule 12(b)(1) motion challenges the court’s subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case. “A case is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1) when the district court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate it.” Makarova v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 F. Supp. 3d 842, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119042, 2015 WL 5244707, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fixed-income-shares-series-m-v-citibank-na-nysd-2015.