Khan v. ReconTrust Co.

81 F. Supp. 3d 867, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22118, 2015 WL 798966
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedFebruary 23, 2015
DocketNo. C 12-01107 LB
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 81 F. Supp. 3d 867 (Khan v. ReconTrust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Khan v. ReconTrust Co., 81 F. Supp. 3d 867, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22118, 2015 WL 798966 (N.D. Cal. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING SPS’S MOTION TO DISMISS AND GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART RECONTRUST AND BANK OF AMERICA’S MOTION TO DISMISS

[Re: ECF Nos. 94 & 97]

LAUREL BEELER, United States Magistrate Judge

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Rahila Khan, proceeding pro se, filed this action against defendants Recon-Trust Company (“ReconTrust”), Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank of America”), and Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. (“SPS”) (collectively, “Defendants”) for claims based on the circumstances surrounding her mortgage loans and her subsequent default on those loans. (See Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), ECF No. 84.1) Defendants move to dismiss Ms. Khan’s Second Amended Complaint. Upon consideration of the papers submitted and the applicable legal authority, the court grants SPS’s motion and grants in part and denies in part ReconTrust and Bank of America’s motion.2

STATEMENT

I. MS. KHAN’S ALLEGATIONS

Ms. Khan alleges that in September 2006, she entered into two mortgage loans (hereinafter, referred to as the “First Loan” and the “Second Loan”), which she used to purchase property at [869]*86939959 Michelle Street, Fremont, California. (See First Amended Complaint (“FAC”), ECF No. 22, ¶2; SAC ¶ 2; SPS RJN, Exs. A, B, ECF No. 95.3) In January 2009, Ms. Khan began falling behind on her mortgage payments “because the interest rates were exorbitant and it was financially impossible for her to [make them].” (SAC ¶ 13.)

Thereafter Ms. Khan sought, and/or thought she received, trial or permanent loan modifications of the First Loan on three occasions from Bank of America. (See SAC ¶¶ 7, 14.) On the first occasion, Ms. Khan alleges that she obtained a temporary loan modification in September 2009, made modified payments in October and November 2009, received a permanent loan modification contract in January 2010, and signed and returned the permanent loan modification contract and provided evidence of her income that same month, but Bank of America nevertheless cancelled the modification, stating that it never received proof of her income (a claim she denies). (Id. ¶ 14(A).) On the second occasion, Ms. Khan alleges that she obtained another loan modification in January 2010 and that she made modified payments in February and March 2010, but Bank of America cancelled the modification without giving any reason for its doing so. (Id. ¶ 14(B).) On the third occasion, Ms. Khan alleges that she obtained a loan modification in April 2010. (Id. ¶ 14(C).) She alleges that she was required to supply additional information, which she did, and that she believed the modification was in place until she received a Notice of Default from ReconTrust. (Id.) Ms. Khan alleges that, despite Bank of America’s representations to the contrary, it turns out that Bank of America never actually had authority to modify her First Loan because of Bank of America’s duties under the pooling and service agreement (“PSA”) to which her First Loan had been assigned. (Id. ¶ 14(E).)

A Notice of Default, which was recorded by ReconTrust on September 21, 2011, [870]*870states that Ms. Khan was behind on her mortgage payments by $151,302.53 as of September 20, 2011. (Id. ¶ 15; Recon-Trust and Bank of America RJN, Ex. C, ECF No. 97-1.) Attached to the Notice of Default is a declaration of Chamkiri Miller, a Mortgage Servicing Specialist II at Bank of America, who marked a box indicating that Bank of America “tried with due diligence to contact [Ms. Khan] in accordance with California Civil Code § 2923.5.” (SAC ¶ 18; ReeonTrust and Bank of America RJN, Ex. C, ECF No. 97-1.) The box indicating that Bank of America “has contacted [Ms. Khan] to assess [her] financial situation and explore options for [her] to avoid foreclosure” was not marked. (ReeonTrust and Bank of America RJN, Ex. C, ECF No. 97-1.) In any event, Ms. Khan alleges Ms. Miller did not initiate any attempt to try to contact” her. (SAC ¶ 19.)

SPS became the servicer of her loans in June 2012. (Id. ¶ 4(C). Ms. Khan alleges that SPS “has been refusing to accept mortgage payments on the loans, have not recognized the modifications, and continue[s] to add illegal and unexplained charges to the loan payment amount.” (Id.)

In addition to the allegations summarized above, Ms. Khan also alleges that Defendants, along with others, failed to properly “securitize” her loan pursuant to the applicable PSA and therefore have no right to foreclose on her property. (See 'id. ¶¶ 8-9, 25-26.) She also alleges that Defendants failed to properly substitute the trustee under the deed of trust for the First Loan and therefore Defendants have wrongfully foreclosed on her property. (See id. ¶¶ 11, 16-17, 20-24.) For reasons explained below, these additional allegations fail to support Ms. Khan’s sole remaining fraud claim.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Ms. Khan filed this action against Re-conTrust and Bank of America on March 6, 2012. The court dismissed her original complaint on July 2, 2012, but allowed her to file an amended one. (7/2/2012 Order, ECF No. 16.) She did so on September 6, 2012, and as she did in her original complaint, she alleged claims for (1) fraud, (2) violation of TILA, (3) violation of RESPA, and (4) wrongful foreclosure in violation of California Civil Code §§ 2923.5 and 2924. (FAC, ECF No. 22.) ReeonTrust and Bank of America moved to dismiss her First Amended Complaint, and on October 23, 2012, the court granted in part their motion. (10/23/2012 Order, ECF No. 26.) The court dismissed with prejudice Ms. Khan’s TILA, RESPA, and wrongful foreclosure claims, but ruled that her fraud claim survived. (Id.) ReeonTrust and Bank of America then answered the First Amended Complaint. (Answer, ECF No. 30.)

After this, the parties engaged in nearly two years of mediation, with the assistance of the court’s ADR program and pro bono counsel. After those negotiations finally failed, Ms. Khan filed a motion asking for permission to file a second amended complaint. (Motion for Leave to File SAC, ECF No. 73.) She sought permission to do two things: (1) add SPS as a defendant to her surviving fraud claim, and (2) add a new fraud claim against Bank of America, ReeonTrust, and SPS with respect to a completely separate property that had not been at issue in this action. On November 3, 2014, the court granted her motion insofar as she wanted to add SPS to her surviving fraud claim but denied her motion insofar as she wanted to add claims regarding a separate property. (11/3/2014 Order, ECF No. 82.) She filed her Second Amended Complaint on December 4, 2014. (SAC, ECF No. 84.) She brings a single [871]*871fraud claim against ReconTrust, Bank of America, and SPS. (Id. ¶¶ 2731.)

On December 30, 2014, Ms. Khan filed a motion for leave to file a third amended complaint. (Motion for Leave to File TAC, ECF No. 90.) The court denied her motion on January 7, 2015. (1/7/2015 Order, ECF No. 92.)

On January 14, 2015, SPS filed a motion to dismiss Ms. Khan’s Second Amended Complaint. (SPS Motion, ECF No. 94.) The next day, ReconTrust and Bank of America did so, too. (ReconTrust Motion, ECF No. 97.) Ms. Khan filed oppositions to both motions, and Defendants filed replies. (Opposition to ReconTrust Motion, ECF No. 98; Opposition to SPS Motion, ECF No. 99; SPS Reply, ECF No.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Yvanova v. New Century Mortgage Corp.
365 P.3d 845 (California Supreme Court, 2016)
Green v. Central Mortgage Co.
148 F. Supp. 3d 852 (N.D. California, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
81 F. Supp. 3d 867, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22118, 2015 WL 798966, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/khan-v-recontrust-co-cand-2015.