Kajitani v. Downey Savings & Loan Ass'n, F.A.

647 F. Supp. 2d 1208, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42388
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedMay 22, 2008
DocketCivil No. 07-00398 SOM/LEK
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 647 F. Supp. 2d 1208 (Kajitani v. Downey Savings & Loan Ass'n, F.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kajitani v. Downey Savings & Loan Ass'n, F.A., 647 F. Supp. 2d 1208, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42388 (D. Haw. 2008).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

SUSAN OKI MOLLWAY, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

In 2006, Plaintiffs Geraldine and Arnold Kajitani (the “Kajitanis”) refinanced their fixed-rate mortgage, obtaining an adjustable-rate mortgage with Defendant Downey Savings and Loan Association, F.A. (“Downey”). The Kajitanis now sue Downey, alleging violations of the Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq. (“TILA”), chapter 480 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, and common law fraud. The Kajitanis seek both damages and injunctive relief.

[1211]*1211Downey moves for summary judgment, arguing that the Kajitanis have failed to produce sufficient evidence to survive summary judgment on their TILA claims. This court disagrees with Downey on this point. Downey also argues that the state law claims are preempted by federal law. The court agrees that state law claims based on actions governed by TILA or Regulation Z are preempted. The Kajitanis’ other state law claims are not preempted.

II. LEGAL STANDARD.

The court reviews the motions under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as amended effective December 1, 2007. As the amendments to the rules in issue here were stylistic only, the court relies on authorities construing the previous version of the applicable rules.

Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that summary judgment shall be granted 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); see also Addisu v. Fred Meyer, Inc., 198 F.3d 1130, 1134 (9th Cir.2000). Summary judgment must be granted against a party that fails to demonstrate facts to establish an essential element at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The burden initially falls upon the moving party to identify for the court those “portions of the materials on file that it believes demonstrate the absence of any genuine issue of material fact.” T.W. Elec. Serv., Inc. v. Pac. Elec. Contractors Ass’n, 809 F.2d 626, 630 (9th Cir.1987) (citing Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548).

“When the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c), its opponent must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (footnote omitted). The nonmoving party may not rely on the mere allegations in the pleadings and instead must “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Porter v. Cal. Dep’t of Corr., 419 F.3d 885, 891 (9th Cir.2005) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)).

“A genuine dispute arises if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” California v. Campbell, 319 F.3d 1161, 1166 (9th Cir.2003); accord Addisu, 198 F.3d at 1134 (“There must be enough doubt for a ‘reasonable trier of fact’ to find for plaintiffs in order to defeat the summary judgment motion.”). “A scintilla of evidence or evidence that is merely colorable or not significantly probative [does not] present a genuine issue of material fact.” Addisu, 198 F.3d at 1134 (citation omitted). “[I]f the factual context makes the non-moving party’s claim implausible, that party must come forward with more persuasive evidence than would otherwise be necessary to show that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Cal. Arch’l Bldg. Prods., Inc. v. Franciscan Ceramics, Inc., 818 F.2d 1466, 1468 (9th Cir.1987) (citing Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348).

III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND.

Downey is a federally chartered savings and loan association with its principal place of business in California. Order Granting Defendant’s Motion for Relief From the Entry of Default (Oct. 25, 2007) (“Default Order”) at 2 n. 1.

[1212]*1212In 2006, the Kajitanis had a 5.25% fixed-rate mortgage loan from First Hawaiian Bank. Declaration of Geraldine I. Kajitani (April 24, 2008) (“Geraldine Decl.”) ¶ 2. The Kajitanis claim that Mark Atalla, acting on behalf of Downey, contacted them about refinancing them mortgage. Id. ¶¶ 2, 4. According to the Kajitanis, Atalla promised them a 1.0% interest rate for five years. Downey also allegedly promised the Kajitanis that there would be no prepayment penalty on the loan. Id. ¶ 6.

On or about September 15, 2006,1 the Kajitanis met with Atalla at the Outrigger Resort Hotel in Waikiki to sign the documents and to close the loan. Id. ¶¶ 9-11; see also Declaration of Lowana E. Richardson (April 25, 2008) (“Richardson Decl.”) ¶ 4. Lowana Richardson, a notary public commissioned by the State of Hawaii, had been contacted by the Kajitanis to notarize the documents for the closing. Richardson Decl. ¶¶ 2, 4.

Richardson says that it was usually the lender, title company, or escrow company that contacted her to notarize signatures on loan documents. According to Richardson, to ensure that there were two sets of documents at a closing, lenders or others normally instructed her to print out two sets of the loan documents beforehand or physically provided her with two sets of loan documents at the closing. Id. ¶ 3. At the Kajitani closing, however, Richardson did not have any of the loan documents. Richardson says that Atalla had only one set of loan documents at the closing. Id. ¶ 5.

At the closing, the Kajitanis signed a TILA Disclosure Statement (“Disclosure Statement”), which stated that the annual percentage rate was 8.083%. Ex. B (attached to Plaintiffs Memorandum in Response to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (April 20, 2008) (“Opp’n”)). The Disclosure Statement contained a clause that read, “The undersigned acknowledge receiving and reading a completed copy of the disclosure.” The Kajitanis dated their signatures as of September 15, 2006.

The Kajitanis also signed an Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Program Disclosure (“ARM Disclosure”), which explained the difference between an adjustable-rate mortgage (“ARM”) and a fixed-rate mortgage. Ex. C (attached to Defendant’s Concise Statement of Material Facts (April 16, 2008)).

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Kajitani v. DOWNEY SAV. AND LOAN ASS'N, FA
647 F. Supp. 2d 1208 (D. Hawaii, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
647 F. Supp. 2d 1208, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42388, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kajitani-v-downey-savings-loan-assn-fa-hid-2008.