In re Residential Capital, LLC

529 B.R. 806, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 1373, 2015 WL 1803348
United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York·Decided April 21, 2015·No. Case No. 12-12020 (MG) Jointly Administered·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER SUSTAINING IN PART AND OVERRULING IN PART THE RESCAP BORROWER CLAIMS TRUST’S OBJECTION TO CLAIM NUMBER 3862 FILED BY RHONDA GOSSELIN

MARTIN GLENN, United States Bankruptcy Judge

Pending before the Court is the ResCap Borrower Claims Trust’s (the “Trust”) objection to Claim Number 3862 (the “Claim,” ECF Doc. # 7552-3, Ex. A) filed by Rhonda Gosselin (“Gosselin”). The objection to the Claim is included in the ResCap Borrower Claims Trust’s Seventy-Fifth Omnibus Objection to Claims (No Liability Borrower Claims) (the “Objection,” ECF Doc. # 7552). The Objection is supported by the declarations of Deanna Horst (the “Horst Declaration,” ECF Doc. # 7552-3) and Norman S. Rosenbaum (the “Rosenbaum Declaration,” ECF Doc. # 7552-4). Gosselin filed an opposition to the Objection (the “Opposition,” ECF Doc. # 7652). The Trust filed a reply (the “Reply,” ECF Doc. # 7842), supported by the supplemental declaration of Deanna Horst (the “Supplemental Horst Declaration,” ECF Doc. # 7842-1). The Court held a hearing on the Objection on January 14, 2015 (the “Hearing”) and took the matter under submission.1 This Opinion sustains in part and overrules in part the Objection to Gosselin’s Claim.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Loan History

Debtor GMAC Mortgage, LLC (“GMACM”) originated an $85,000 loan to Gosselin on July 26, 2006 (the “Loan”), evidenced by a note (the “Note,” Horst Supp. Ex. B) and secured by a mortgage (the “Mortgage”) on Gosselin’s primary residence located at 16 Rolf Avenue, Chicopee, Massachusetts 01020 (the “Property”). (See Horst Supp. ¶ 7.) The Loan was a cash-out refinancing of the then-existing mortgage loan for the Property. (See id.) Gosselin was provided with a Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) disclosure (the “TILA Disclosure,” id. Ex. E) at the time the Loan was originated. (Horst Supp. ¶8.) GMACM transferred the Loan to the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) on September 15, 2006. (Obj. Ex. 1-A at 36.) GMACM serviced the Loan from July 26, 2006 until servicing rights were transferred to Green Tree Servicing LLC (“Green Tree”) on February 1, 2013. (Id.)

According to the Trust, Gosselin’s Loan was approved by GMACM on the basis of her credit score and the 47% loan-to-value ratio at the time of closing. (Horst Supp. ¶ 7.) Gosselin signed a loan application and HUD-1 settlement statement (the “HUD-1 Statement,” id. Ex. C), indicat[811]*811ing that the Loan paid off a prior lien on the Property in the amount of $24,559.46 as well as credit card debt totaling $41,528.45. (Horst Supp. ¶ 7; see id. Ex. C.) Gosselin also received $14,523.72 in cash from the Loan proceeds. {See Horst Supp. ¶ 7.) Before the origination of the Loan, Gosselin’s' monthly mortgage payment was $511.00 and her monthly credit card payments were $1,703.00 in the aggregate, totaling $2,214.00. {Id.) After the Loan closed, Gosselin’s monthly mortgage payment was $813.37 and her monthly payments on other debts were $538.00, totaling $1,351.37. (Id.) Accordingly, the Loan reduced Gosselin’s monthly debt payments by $863.00. (Id.)

The Loan was in default as of June 4, 2007, based on nonpayment of the April through June 2007 payments. (Id. ¶ 9.) Gosselin informed the Debtors that she would not be able to make all three delinquent payments, and the Debtors agreed to allow her to make the April and May payments in June 2007 and the June payment in July 2007. (Id.) On July 9, 2007, Gosselin made a payment toward the April and May amounts due. (Id.) The Debtors accidentally transferred the payment to another customer (the “Misdirected Payment”), and that customer refused to return the payment to the Debtors.2 (Id.) A GMACM employee advised Gosselin to put a “stop payment” on the Misdirected Payment check, and GMACM informed her that it would cover any related costs, amend her credit report if it was affected by the Misdirected Payment, 'waive any late charges, and offer to enroll her in a privacy guard. (Id.) On June 25, 2007, Gosselin made another payment toward the delinquent April and May payments, and the Debtors accepted this payment and brought her account current. (Id.)

Gosselin again defaulted on the Loan and was notified of a breach on July 3, 2007 after the June and July 2007 Loan payments were not made. (See Reply ¶ 10.) Also in July 2007, Gosselin’s escrow payment (paid along with principal and interest) increased as a result of higher than estimated taxes. (Horst Supp. ¶ 10.) The original escrow payment covered taxes on an estimated basis; the amount of principal or.interest did not change, and the increase was not connected to the Misdirected Payment. (Id.)

The Loan was referred to foreclosure on August 9, 2007. (Obj. Ex. 1-A at 36.) Gosselin entered into a forbearance plan (the “Forbearance Plan”) on November 2, 2007. (Reply ¶ 10.) On November 15, 2007, GMACM placed a hold on the foreclosure due to the Forbearance Plan. (Id.) Gosselin made payments under the Forbearance Plan on November 13, 2007 in the amount of $1,900.00, and on December 8, 2007, January 15, 2008, and February 14, 2008 in the amount of $800.00 each. (Obj. Ex. 1-A at 36.) As a result of Gosse-lin’s compliance with the Forbearance Plan, she was approved for a traditional permanent modification (the “Loan Modification”) on February 20, 2008. (Id.) Gosselin was required to execute and return the Loan Modification papers by February 29, 2008, but she failed to return the necessary documents. (Id.) On May 15, 2008, because Gosselin failed to submit executed Loan Modification documents, the Loan Modification was denied and the hold on the foreclosure was removed. (Id.) Foreclosure was restarted but again put on hold because GMACM received a demand letter (the “Chapter 93A Demand [812]*812Letter”) from Gosselin pursuant to chapter 93A of the Massachusetts General Laws (“Chapter 98A”). (See Obj. Ex. 1-A at 36-37.) On June 30, 2008, GMACM responded to the Chapter 93A Demand Letter; foreclosure proceedings remained on hold until August 18, 2008. (Id. at 37.)

B.Gosselin’s Bankruptcy Cases

After foreclosure proceedings were rein-itiated, foreclosure was placed on hold after Gosselin filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy petition on September 18, 2008 (the “Chapter 13 Case”). (Id.) Gosselin’s Chapter 13 Cáse was dismissed, and foreclosure proceedings were once again restarted. (Id.) In April 2010, Gosselin filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition (the “Chapter 7 Case”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts (the “Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court”), again staying foreclosure proceedings. (See id.) Gosselin filed an adversary proceeding in her Chapter 7 Case against GMACM among other defendants (the “Adversary Proceeding”). (See also the “Complaint,” Horst Supp. Ex. A at 8-16; Obj. Ex. 1-A at 3; Horst Supp. Ex. A at 8-16.)

The Complaint filed in the Adversary Proceeding asserted claims for money damages, costs, and attorney’s fees .for breach of contract, negligence, wrongful foreclosure, violations of Chapter 93A, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing against defendants GMACM, Fannie Mae, and MERS.

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In re Residential Capital, LLC, 529 B.R. 806, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 1373, 2015 WL 1803348 (N.Y. 2015).

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