Gossett v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

919 F. Supp. 2d 852, 2013 WL 321664, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11354
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 24, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. H-11-508
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 919 F. Supp. 2d 852 (Gossett v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gossett v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., 919 F. Supp. 2d 852, 2013 WL 321664, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11354 (S.D. Tex. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT

MELINDA HARMON, District Judge.

Pending before the Court in the above referenced action alleging breach of contract (loan modification agreement), wrongful foreclosure of Plaintiffs Tekelia Archer Gossett and Christopher Todd Gos-sett’s home located at 7659 Alcomita Drive, Houston, Texas 77083, failure to provide proper notice of acceleration of loan and of default and time to cure in violation of Texas Property Code § 51.002(b) and (d), violations of the Texas Fair Debt Collection Act (“TDCA”), Texas Financial Code §§ 392.001 et al., and of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (“DTPA”), Texas Business & Commerce Code Ann. §§ 17.41 et seq., and negligent infliction of emotional distress, is a motion for summary judgment and mo[855]*855tion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (instrument # 35) filed by Defendants Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, which now owns the foreclosed property, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Standard of Review

Summary judgment is proper when “the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The movant has the burden to demonstrate that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The substantive law governing the claims identifies the essential elements and thus indicates which facts are material. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Where the non-movant bears the burden of proof at trial, the movant need only point to the absence of evidence to support an essential element of the non-movant’s case; the movant does not have to support its motion with evidence negating the nonmovant’s case. Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994).

If the movant succeeds, the non-movant must come forward with “evidence such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The non-movant “must come forward with ‘specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Matsushita Elec. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). “A factual dispute is deemed ‘genuine’ if a reasonable juror could return a verdict for the nonmovant, and a fact is considered ‘material’ if it might affect the outcome of the litigation under the governing substantive law.” Cross v. Cummins Engine Co., 993 F.2d 112, 114 (5th Cir.1993). Summary judgment is proper if the non-movant “fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case.” Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548; Piazza’s Seafood World, LLC v. Odom, 448 F.3d 744, 752 (5th Cir.2006).

Although the court draws all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-movant, the non-movant “cannot defeat summary judgment with conclusory, unsubstantiated assertions, or ‘only a scintilla of evidence.’ ” Turner v. Baylor Richardson Med. Center, 476 F.3d 337, 343 (5th Cir.2007). Conjecture, conclusory allegations, unsubstantiated assertions and speculation are not adequate to satisfy the nonmovant’s burden. Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1079 (5th Cir.1994); Ramsey v. Henderson, 286 F.3d 264, 269 (5th Cir.2002). Nor are pleadings competent summary judgment evidence. Little, 37 F.3d at 1075; Wallace v. Texas Tech. U., 80 F.3d 1042, 1045 (5th Cir.1996); Adams Family Trust v. John Hancock Life Ins. Co., 424 Fed.Appx. 377, 381 & n. 11 (5th Cir.2011).

While a failure to state a claim is usually challenged by a motion for dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6), it may also constitute the basis for a summary judgment under Rule 56 because “the failure to state a claim is the ‘functional equivalent’ of the failure to raise a genuine issue of material fact.” Whalen v. Carter, 954 F.2d 1087, 1098 (5th Cir.1992). In such circumstances, the motion for summary judgment challenging the sufficiency of the complaint will be “evaluated much the same as a 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss.” Ashe v. Corley, 992 F.2d 540, 544 (5th Cir.1993).

[856]*856Because the Court concludes that Defendants are entitled to summary judgment on all claims, it does not address the Rule 12(b)(6) motion.

Plaintiffs’ Factual Allegations

On April 8, 2008 Plaintiff Tekelia Archer Gossett purchased her home and executed a promissory note (Ex. A to # 35), requiring her to make monthly payments on the first day of each month beginning May 1, 2008, to lender Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. That same day she and her husband, Christopher Todd Gossett, executed a Deed of Trust (Ex. B to # 35). Plaintiffs maintain that Mrs. Gossett continued to pay the monthly payments until late 2009, when Mr. Gossett lost his job. Mrs. Gos-sett contacted Wells Fargo beginning in 2009 to obtain a modification of her loan. She alleges that in February 2010, after she submitted a great deal of paperwork, and her mortgage payments were approximately two months in arrears, she and Wells Fargo agreed to a modification allowing her to make payments of $689.86, due the first day of each month, beginning on March 1, 2010. This temporary modification was orally confirmed by a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage agent, Carmen, identification # HLD, on February 9, 2010 and was recorded by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She further states that Wells Fargo Home Mortgage withdrew the first three monthly payments from her CitiBank account. ,

When she called Wells Fargo Home Mortgage on June 1, 2010 to make that month’s payment, she spoke to representative Jackson, identification # FOU, at 6:45 p.m., a conversation that was also recorded. She asserts that she asked for written confirmation of her loan modification and was told it would be mailed from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

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919 F. Supp. 2d 852, 2013 WL 321664, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11354, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gossett-v-federal-home-loan-mortgage-corp-txsd-2013.