Horton v. California Credit Corp. Retirement Plan

835 F. Supp. 2d 879, 2011 WL 6130801, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141421
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedDecember 7, 2011
DocketCase No. 09-cv-274-IEG (NLS)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 835 F. Supp. 2d 879 (Horton v. California Credit Corp. Retirement Plan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Horton v. California Credit Corp. Retirement Plan, 835 F. Supp. 2d 879, 2011 WL 6130801, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141421 (S.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER:

(1) GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, [Doc. No. 66]; and

(2) GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, [Doc. No. 67].

IRMA E. GONZALEZ, Chief Judge.

This is a mortgage case brought by Plaintiffs Michael and Cathie Horton for alleged violations of the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act [882]*882(“RFDCPA”). Defendant California Credit Corp. Retirement Plan (“CCCRP”) is the only remaining Defendant. Currently before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, or in the Alternative, Partial Summary Judgment. Having considered the parties’ arguments, and for the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment as to: (1) count one of the first cause of action, seeking rescission under TILA; (2) the third cause of action, seeking to quiet title; and (3) the fourth cause of action for violations of the California’s unfair competition law. Furthermore, the Court GRANTS Defendant’s motion for summary judgment as to: (1) count two of the first cause of action, seeking damages under TILA; and (2) the second cause of action for violations of the RFDCPA. Finally, the Court DENIES the parties’ motions for summary judgment in all other respects.

BACKGROUND

I. Factual background

Plaintiffs are the married owners and occupants of 10272 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego, California 92128 (“the Property”). On November 10, 2006, Plaintiffs entered into a Home Equity Line of Credit Agreement (“the Note”) with Defendant CCCRP for a total amount of $70,000. The Note was secured by a California Open-End Deed of Trust (“Deed of Trust”) in second position against the Property. The loan was primarily for personal, family, and household purposes. The amount advanced to Plaintiffs was approximately $60,000 to $65,000.

During the loan consummation, Plaintiffs received and signed numerous documents. Among the documents was a Notice of Right to Cancel (“NRC”) form. (See Henry Decl. ISO Def.’s MSJ, Ex. C [Doc. No. 67-4].) The NRC form informed Plaintiffs that they were “entering into a transaction that will result in a security interest in [CCCDP’s] favor in [Plaintiffs] home” and that they had “a legal right under Federal Law to cancel [that] transaction, without any cost, within three business days from whichever of the following events occurs last”:

(1) the date that you sign the Note & Trust Deed, the recording of which will create a security interest in your home; that date is: 11/10/06; or
(2) the date you received your Truth In Lending disclosures; or
(3) the date you received this Notice Of Right To Cancel.

(Id.) The NRC form did not contain a specific numeric date upon which Plaintiffs’ right to cancel would expire. Rather, the NRC form included the following explanation:

A business day for the purpose of your right of rescission is all calendar days except Sundays and holidays. The holidays that are recognized for this purpose are New Year’s Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For example, if you sign the Note and Trust Deed on a Thursday, then your right to rescind expires at midnight on the following Monday, unless that Monday should be a recognized holiday, then your right to rescind would expire at midnight on the following Tuesday. If you sign the Note and Trust Deed on a Monday, then your right to rescind would expire at midnight on the following Thursday.

(Id.) At the very end, the NRC form stated: “The undersigned hereby acknowledge(s) receipt of two copies of the above NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CANCEL.” (Id.) The NRC form then provided a space [883]*883for Michael Horton to sign and a space for Cathie Horton to sign. (Id.)

Defendant alleges that from September 2007 to August 2008, Plaintiffs failed to pay at least nine monthly statements. (See Henry Decl., Ex. F.)

Plaintiffs allege that on September 5, 2008, they mailed their regular monthly payment to Defendant. (Cathie Horton Decl. ISO Pl.’s MSJ, ¶ 6 [Doc. No. 66-3].) Defendant acknowledges receiving on September 10, 2008 a check from Plaintiffs in the amount of $741.00, but disputes that this was Plaintiffs’ “regular monthly payment.” [Doc. No. 69-2, ¶ 14.] On September 8, 2008, Plaintiffs received a letter from Zenith Trustee Services indicating that Plaintiffs’ loan was in foreclosure. On September 11, 2008, Defendant returned Plaintiffs’ September 5 payment to Plaintiffs with a letter stating that the “reason for the return is that [Plaintiffs’] file has been forwarded to Zenith Trustee Services to initiate foreclosure proceedings.” On September 30, 2008, Plaintiffs mailed two checks in an attempt to bring the loan payments current. The checks were returned with a letter stating that the amounts were insufficient to bring the loan current.

On September 3, 2008, Defendant recorded a Notice of Default against the Property. On November 25, 2008, the first deed holder Chase Home Financial LLC (“Chase”) also recorded a Notice of Default. On November 28, 2008, Plaintiffs mailed a Notice of Rescission of Loan Transaction (“Rescission Notice”) to Defendant and to Zenith Trustee Services, seeking to rescind the loan and indicating readiness to discuss any tender obligations. (Raymond Decl. ISO PL’s MSJ, Ex. DLR-A [Doc. No. 66-4].) On February 9, 2009, Defendant recorded a Notice of Trustee’s Sale against the Property, setting the sale for March 4, 2009. Subsequently, Chase also recorded a Notices of Trustee’s Sale — on February 27, 2009 and on June 21, 2010.1

II. Procedural background

Plaintiffs filed their complaint on February 13, 2009, and shortly thereafter moved for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and a preliminary injunction to stay the foreclosure proceedings. This Court granted the TRO on February 25, 2009, and granted the preliminary injunction on March 16, 2009, 2009 WL 700223. The preliminary injunction is still in place.

On August 13, 2009, 2009 WL 2488031, the Court denied Defendant’s motion to compel arbitration and granted in part and denied in part Defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint. Plaintiffs filed their Verified First Amended Complaint (“VFAC”) on September 4, 2009, alleging four causes of action: (1) rescission and damages under TILA; (2) violations of the RFDCPA; (3) quiet title; and (4) violation of California’s unfair competition law (“UCL”). Defendant filed an answer to the VFAC on September 24, 2009.

On September 22, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a Notification of Bankruptcy. Based on that notification, the Court automatically stayed this case and denied as moot Defendant’s motion for summary judgment and Plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment. On September 26, 2011, having received Plaintiffs’ notice of bankruptcy discharge, the Court re-opened the action.

The parties have now filed their respective motions for summary judgment, oppositions, and replies. Plaintiffs seek partial summary judgment on the first, third, and [884]*884fourth causes of action.

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Bluebook (online)
835 F. Supp. 2d 879, 2011 WL 6130801, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/horton-v-california-credit-corp-retirement-plan-casd-2011.