Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. 1st Advantage Mortg., LLC (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.)

593 B.R. 166
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 31, 2018
DocketCase No. 08-13555 (SCC); Adversary Proceeding No. 16-01019 (SCC); Adversary Proceeding No. 16-01297 (SCC); Adversary Proceeding No. 16-01383 (SCC)
StatusPublished

This text of 593 B.R. 166 (Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. 1st Advantage Mortg., LLC (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. 1st Advantage Mortg., LLC (In re Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc.), 593 B.R. 166 (N.Y. 2018).

Opinion

SHELLEY C. CHAPMAN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

*169Before the Court is the Joint Supplemental Motion to Dismiss on Unique Issues filed by Universal American Mortgage Company, LLC ("UAMC") and Eagle Mortgage Holdings, LLC ("Eagle" and, together with UAMC, the "Defendants"), dated June 15, 2017 [Dkt. No. 453]1 (the "Motion"). On August 29, 2017, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ("LBHI" or the "Plan Administrator") filed its opposition to the Motion [Dkt. No. 507] (the "Opposition"), together with the Declaration of Adam M. Bialek [Dkt. No. 507-1] (the "Bialek Decl."). On September 28, 2017, the Defendants filed a reply to the Opposition [Dkt. No. 517] (the "Reply").

BACKGROUND

The Court assumes familiarity with the general background and history of the LBHI chapter 11 cases; this Decision will provide limited background facts pertinent to the Motion.

A. LBHI's Loan Business

Prior to its bankruptcy, LBHI, directly or through its affiliates, including Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB ("LBB"), engaged in the purchase and sale of mortgage loans. LBHI arranged directly or through affiliates such as LBB to purchase mortgage loans from loan originators and other third parties (the "Sellers") including the Defendants; it then packaged such loans for securitization or sale to other third parties. In transactions involving UAMC, UAMC sold mortgage loans to LBB pursuant a Loan Purchase Agreement dated September 20, 2005 (as amended by an Addendum dated October 1, 2006, the "UAMC LPA") pursuant to which, among other things, UAMC contractually agreed to indemnify LBB and hold it harmless from liabilities or losses it might incur (including liabilities to third parties) as a result of breaches of the representations and warranties in the UAMC LPA.2 In transactions involving *170Eagle, Eagle (or its predecessor, Eagle Home Mortgage, Inc.) sold mortgage loans to LBB pursuant to a Loan Purchase Agreement dated October 21, 2004 (the "Eagle LPA" and, together with the UAMC LPA, the "Agreements") pursuant to which, among other things, Eagle contractually agreed to indemnify LBB and hold it harmless from liabilities or losses it might incur (including liabilities to third parties) as a result of breaches of the representations and warranties in the Eagle LPA.3 In conjunction with the sale by LBB to LBHI of the loans at issue, the Complaints assert that LBB subsequently assigned to LBHI all of its rights and remedies under the Agreements pertaining to such loans.4

Each of the Agreements specifically incorporates the terms and conditions of the Seller's Guide of loan administrator, Aurora Loan Services LLC (the "Seller's Guide").5 Under the Seller's Guide, the seller makes certain representations, warranties, and covenants to the purchaser of mortgage loans about, among other things, the quality, characteristics, and underwriting of each mortgage loan; the property securing the mortgage loans; and the borrowers.6 In the event the seller breaches a representation, warranty, or covenant thereunder, the Seller's Guide delineates various forms of remedies.

Specifically, section 710 of the Seller's Guide, entitled "Repurchase Obligation" provides, in relevant part, that

In the event of a breach of any of the representations, warranties or covenants contained in Section 700 through 710 herein ... and unless Purchaser determines that such breach has been cured ... Seller shall, at Purchaser's option, repurchase the related Mortgage Loan ... at the Repurchase Price.

Ex. L to Bialek Decl. (Seller's Guide) § 710. Section 711 of the Seller's Guide, entitled "Indemnification and Third Party Claims," provides, in relevant part, that

In addition to any repurchase and cure obligations of Seller, and any and all other remedies available to Purchaser under this Seller's Guide and the Loan Purchase Agreement, Seller shall indemnify Purchaser and Purchaser's designee (including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of any Note) from and hold them harmless against all claims, losses, damages, penalties, fines, claims, forfeitures, lawsuits, court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, judgments and any other costs, fees and expenses that the Purchaser may sustain in any way related to or resulting from any act or failure to act or any breach of any warranty, obligation, representation or covenant contained in or made pursuant to this Seller's Guide or the Loan Purchase Agreement by any agent, employee, representative or officer of Seller or Seller's correspondent.

Ex. L to Bialek Decl. (Seller's Guide) § 711.

*171B. The Bankruptcy Proceedings

On September 15, 2008, LBHI and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively, the "Debtors") filed voluntary chapter 11 cases in this Court.

On December 6, 2011, this Court confirmed the Modified Third Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of LBHI and Its Affiliated Debtors (the "Plan"). See Order Confirming Plan [Case No. 08-13555, Dkt. No. 23023] (the "Confirmation Order").7

C. Prior Actions

In March 2011, LBHI filed suit against UAMC in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Case No. 11-CV-20859) (the "Florida Action"), alleging breaches of representations and warranties regarding eight mortgage loans that UAMC sold to LBB pursuant to the UAMC LPA.8 On January 9, 2013, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed without prejudice seven of the eight counts in the complaint initiating the Florida Action, finding that such counts lacked commonality of factual circumstances, and granted LBHI the right to re-file each of such counts as a separate complaint.9

Immediately following dismissal of the Florida Action, LBHI filed seven actions in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (the "Colorado District Court"), each relating to one loan at issue.10 In five of the seven actions (collectively, the "Colorado Actions"), the Colorado District Court granted summary judgment in favor of UAMC on the basis that LBHI's breach of contract claims were barred by the statute of limitations.11 See Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. Universal Am. Mortg. Co., LLC , 12 F.Supp.3d 1355 (D. Colo. 2014) ; Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. Universal Am. Mortg. Co., LLC , No. 13-CV-00087, 2014 WL 1715365 (D. Colo. April 30, 2014) ; Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. Universal Am. Mortg. Co., LLC , No. 13-CV-00088, 2014 WL 1715225 (D. Colo. April 30, 2014) ; Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. v. Universal Am. Mortg. Co., LLC , No.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
593 B.R. 166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lehman-bros-holdings-inc-v-1st-advantage-mortg-llc-in-re-lehman-bros-nysb-2018.