Harris v. Sand Canyon Corp.

274 F.R.D. 556, 2010 WL 2902771
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedJuly 22, 2010
DocketCivil Action No. 2:08-CV-3692-PMD
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 274 F.R.D. 556 (Harris v. Sand Canyon Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harris v. Sand Canyon Corp., 274 F.R.D. 556, 2010 WL 2902771 (D.S.C. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER

PATRICK MICHAEL DUFFY, District Judge.

This action arises out of the adjustable rate mortgage Plaintiffs Thomas J. Harris and Wanda O. Harris received from Defendant Sand Canyon Corporation f/k/a Option One Mortgage Corporation after refinancing their primary residence. Before the court is Defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment and Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. Based on the following, the court grants in part and denies in part Defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment and denies Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs purchased their residence in North Charleston, South Carolina in 1997, and on June 5, 2006, they refinanced their home mortgage loan through Defendant by executing a mortgage and adjustable rate note in the principal amount of $127,500 (the “Loan”). The Loan had an initial interest rate of 11.8% and a 30 year term. The interest rate remained at 11.8% for the first two years, but adjusted every six months thereafter for the remainder of the term of the Loan. Prior to the refinancing, Defendant alleges it provided Plaintiffs with a Good Faith Estimate of their Settlement Costs on or around May 8, 2006, although, in their complaint, Plaintiffs claim they received this documentation after the closing of the Loan transaction. At the execution of the Loan, Defendant had Plaintiffs sign the following documents: (1) an Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Disclosure; (2) a Summary of Terms of Loan; (3) a Truth in Lending Disclosure Statement; (4) a HUD-1 Settlement Statement; (5) an Itemization of Amount Financed; (6) a Notice of Right to Cancel; and (7) a Broker Compensation and Fees Disclosure. Plaintiffs eventually defaulted on the Loan, after which they executed a Loan Modification Agreement with Defendant on August 16, 2007. Plaintiffs again defaulted on the Loan in December of 2007, and ultimately filed this class action lawsuit on October 1, 2008, alleging that Defendants engaged in a fraudulent scheme to systematically lure unwary borrowers to enter into ‘subprime’ mortgages and loans ... through a variety of fraudulent means, for the sole purpose of maximizing Defendants’ own profitability and without any regard for the financial consequences to the borrower.” (Compl. ¶7.) In their complaint, Plaintiffs assert six causes of action against Defendant, and Defendant now moves the court to grant it judgment as a matter of law on three of Plaintiffs’ causes of action.

ANALYSIS

I. Defendant’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment

A. Legal Standard for Summary Judgment

To grant a motion for summary judgment, the court must find that “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(2). The judge is not to weigh the evidence but, rather, must determine if there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). All evidence should be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Perini Corp. v. Perini Constr., Inc., 915 F.2d 121, 123-24 (4th Cir.1990). “[Wjhere the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party, disposition by summary judgment is appropriate.” Teamsters Joint Council No. 83 v. Centra, Inc., 947 F.2d 115,119 (4th Cir.1991). “[T]he plain language of Rule 56(e) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The “obligation of the nonmoving party is ‘partic[560]*560ularly strong when the nonmoving party bears the burden of proof.’ ” Hughes v. Bedsole, 48 F.3d 1376, 1381 (4th Cir.1995) (quoting Pachaly v. City of Lynchburg, 897 F.2d 723, 725 (4th Cir.1990)). Summary judgment is not “a disfavored procedural shortcut,” but an important mechanism for weeding out “claims and defenses [that] have no factual bases.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 327, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

B. Truth in Lending Act Claim

In their second cause of action, Plaintiffs allege that “[i]n the course of [their] consumer transaction, Defendant], upon information and belief, failed to deliver all ‘material’ disclosures required by TILA, [the Truth in Lending Act], and [the] Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”) ... prior to the loan transaction ... [or] ... in writing upon application for the loan or, at the latest, three (3) days subsequent to the lenders receipt of the loan application.” (Compl. ¶52^)-0)).) Plaintiffs also allege that Defendant may have violated TILA by “(i) under-disclosing the finance charge and APR; (ii) failing to provide two copies of the notice of right to rescind and an accurate date for the expiration of the rescission period; [and] (iii) failing to disclose properly and accurately the number, amount and due dates or period of payments scheduled to repay the obligations.” (Id. ¶ 53.) Because of these alleged violations, Plaintiffs seek to invoke their rights to rescind the loan transaction and to recover damages from Defendant. See 15 U.S.C. §§ 1635,1640.

With respect to Plaintiffs’ action to recover damages, Defendant contends that Plaintiffs filed their claim after the expiration of TILA’s one year statute of limitation. Title 15 U.S.C. § 1640(e) states that “any action [for damages] may be brought in any United States district court ... within one year from the date of the occurrence of the violation ----” Defendant asserts that the statute of limitations on Plaintiffs’ claim for damages under TILA began to run on June 5, 2006, the date the Loan transaction was closed, and therefore expired on June 5, 2007. See Tucker v. Beneficial Mortg. Co., 437 F.Supp.2d 584, 589 (E.D.Va.2006) (“If the violation is one of disclosure in a closed-end credit transaction, ‘the date of the occurrence of the violation is no later than the date the plaintiff enters the loan agreement.’ ”) (quoting Smith v. Am. Fin. Sys., 737 F.2d 1549, 1552 (11th Cir.1984)). Because Plaintiffs did not file their complaint until October 1, 2008, Defendant asks the court to grant it summary judgment as to this claim.

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274 F.R.D. 556, 2010 WL 2902771, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harris-v-sand-canyon-corp-scd-2010.