Hamilton v. Suntrust Mortgage Inc.

6 F. Supp. 3d 1300, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41668, 2014 WL 1285859
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 25, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-60749-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 6 F. Supp. 3d 1300 (Hamilton v. Suntrust Mortgage Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. Suntrust Mortgage Inc., 6 F. Supp. 3d 1300, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41668, 2014 WL 1285859 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT SUN-TRUST MORTGAGE INC.’S MOTION TO DISMISS THE THIRD AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT

JAMES I. COHN, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the Court on Defendant SunTrust Mortgage Inc.’s (“SunTrust”) Motion to Dismiss the Third Amended Class Action Complaint, and Alternatively, Motion for the Court to Abstain from Hearing Plaintiff Hamilton’s Claims [DE 107] (“Motion”). The Court has carefully considered the Motion, Plaintiffs’ Response [DE 117] (“Response”), SunTrust’s Reply [DE 121], as well as Plaintiffs’ Notice of Filing Supplemental Authority [DE 127], SunTrust’s Notice of Filing Supplemental Authority [DE 132] and Plaintiffs’ Response [DE 138] thereto, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises. For the reasons below, the Court denies SunTrust’s Motion.

I. INTRODUCTION

This is one of a slew of so-called “force-placed” insurance cases filed in this district and around the country. At the heart of this case are provisions included in many standard-form mortgage contracts that require the borrower to maintain hazard insurance on the mortgaged property to protect the lender’s interest in the collateral. If the borrower fails to do so, the lender has the option of “force-placing” the insurance and passing the cost on to the borrower. What is not disclosed to borrowers, however, is that their lenders and loan servicers are allegedly colluding with certain insurers to artificially inflate force-placed insurance premiums in return for unearned kickbacks from the insurers. The cost of the inflated premium is then either added to the borrower’s debt or automatically deducted from the borrower’s escrow account.

II. SUMMARY OF FACTUAL ALLEGATION

In this putative class action, Plaintiffs Carina Hamilton flk/a Lisa Monti (“Hamilton”) and David S. Wieder (“Wieder”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”) challenge Defendants SunTrust Mortgage Inc. (“SunTrust”), QBE Specialty Insurance Company (“QBE Specialty”), and Sterling National Insurance Agency n/k/a QBE First Insurance Agency’s (“QBE First”) (collectively “Defendants”)1 alleged scheme of entering into exclusive agreements to force-place insurance at grossly excessive rates in return for unearned kickbacks to SunTrust. According to Plaintiffs, SunTrust buys “umbrella” insurance policies covering their entire portfolio of mortgage loans from the QBE Defendants.3d Am. Cmpt. [DE 96] ¶ 26. In exchange, SunTrust gives the QBE Defendants the “exclusive right” to force-place insurance on properties within the portfolio when the borrower’s insurance lapses. Id. QBE First discovers a lapse in coverage, it sends “notice to the borrower — purporting to come from SunTrust — that insurance will be ‘purchased’ and force-placed if proof of voluntary coverage is not provided.” Id. If the lapse continues, QBE First sends another notice that insurance is being force-placed at the borrower’s expense. Id.

QBE First buys the force-placed insurance exclusively from its affiliated insurer — QBE Specialty. Id. ¶ 27. QBE Specialty charges QBE First an artificially-inflated price for the insurance premium, [1304]*1304which, in turn, is charged to the borrower. Id. QBE First retains some of the premium for “allegedly acting as an insurance broker despite the pre-existing exclusive agreements.” Id. Another portion of the premium is “kicked back” (either disguised as “commissions” or through lucrative ceded reinsurance premiums) to SunTrust or its affiliate. Id. ¶¶ 25, 27. These “kickbacks,” however, are “not given in exchange for any services provided; [they are] simply grease paid to keep the force-placed machine moving.” Id. ¶30. As a result of this scheme, SunTrust and the QBE Defendants have reaped enormous profits at Plaintiffs’ and the putative class members’ expense.

A. Plaintiff Hamilton.

On September 17, 2007, Hamilton entered into a mortgage contract with Sun-Trust. 3d Am. Cmpt. [DE 96] ¶ 36. Section 5 of the contract required her to keep the property insured against loss by fire and other hazards. Hamilton Mortgage, Exhibit A to the Motion [DE 107-1] ¶ 5.2 If she failed to do so, the contract provided:

Lender may obtain insurance coverage, at Lender’s option and Borrower’s expense .... Borrower acknowledges that the cost of the insurance coverage so obtained might significantly exceed the cost of insurance that Borrower could have obtained. Any amounts disbursed by Lender under this Section 5 shall become additional debt of Borrower secured by this Security Instrument.

Id.

From July 21, 2007, through July 21, 2008, Hamilton insured her property, with the annual premium costing around $2,400.3d Am. Compt. [DE 96] ¶ 37. Hamilton subsequently defaulted on her mortgage. Id. ¶ 38. In September 2010, QBE First notified Hamilton that it had bought insurance for her property from QBE Specialty, which was backdated to April 22, 2010. Id. ¶ 39. Although Hamilton’s property at that time had an assessed value of only $84,000, Hamilton was charged $10,181.32 for the policy covering April 22, 2010, through April 22, 2011. Id. At no point, however, was Hamilton notified that a percentage of the force-placed insurance premium would be paid to Sun-Trust or its affiliate. Id. ¶ 41.

B. Plaintiff Wieder.

Wieder has a mortgage serviced by Sun-Trust.3d Am. Compt. [DE 96] ¶ 42. Paragraph 5 of his mortgage contract also required him to keep the property insured against loss by fire and others hazards. Id. ¶ 43. If he failed to do so, then SunTrust could “do and pay for whatever is necessary,” including force-placing insurance, “to protect the value of the Property and the Lender’s rights in the Property.” Id.

Wieder insured his property until the policy lapsed in 2010. Id. ¶ 44. In October 2010, QBE First notified Wieder that it would be force-placing insurance effective September 26, 2010. Id. ¶45. On December 2, 2010, QBE First notified Wieder that it had bought insurance from QBE Specialty. Id. ¶ 46. The annual cost of the premium was $16,610.64, which Sun-Trust debited from Wieder’s escrow account. Id. Wieder subsequently insured his property for $1,076 per year, approximately fifteen times less than the cost of the force-placed policy. Id. ¶ 47.

[1305]*1305C. Plaintiffs’ Claims and SunTrust’s Motion.

On November 27, 2013, Plaintiffs filed the Third Amended Class Action Complaint against Defendants. Plaintiffs assert three Florida law claims: (1) breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing against SunTrust (Count I); (2) unjust enrichment against the QBE Defendants (Count II); and (3) tortious interference with a business relationship against the QBE Defendants (Count III). SunTrust now moves to dismiss Count I for failure to state a plausible claim. In the alternative, SunTrust asks the Court to abstain from hearing Hamilton’s claim under the Colorado River doctrine or to dismiss her claim altogether for lack of standing.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standards.

Under

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 F. Supp. 3d 1300, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41668, 2014 WL 1285859, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-suntrust-mortgage-inc-flsd-2014.