Magdaleno v. Indymac Bancorp, Inc.

853 F. Supp. 2d 983, 2011 WL 338493, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13561
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 31, 2011
DocketCiv No. S-10-2148 FCD/KJN
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 853 F. Supp. 2d 983 (Magdaleno v. Indymac Bancorp, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Magdaleno v. Indymac Bancorp, Inc., 853 F. Supp. 2d 983, 2011 WL 338493, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13561 (E.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

FRANK C. DAMRELL, JR., District Judge.

This matter is before the court on the motion of OneWest Bank, FSB (“OneWest”) and Mortgage Electronic Registration System, Inc (“MERS”) (collectively, “defendants”) to dismiss plaintiff’s first amended complaint (“FAC”) pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) 12(b)(6). OneWest and MERS alternatively move for a more definitive statement pursuant to FRCP 12(e).1 Plaintiff Catalina Magdaleno (“plaintiff’) opposes the motions. For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ motion to dismiss is GRANTED with leave to amend, in part.2

BACKGROUND

In May 2009, plaintiff brought this action in state court against OneWest, MERS, NDEX West, LLC (“NDEX”)3 and Indymac Federal Bank, FSB (“Indy-mac”) for conduct arising out of a loan and subsequent foreclosure activity. (FAC, filed May 28, 2009, ¶¶ 1-21.). In August 2010, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) removed the state court action to this court pursuant , to 28 U.S.C. 1441(b). (FDIC’s Not. of Removal, filed Oct. 5, 2010 [Docket # 1].)

Plaintiff alleges that in 2005, she applied for two loans with IndyMac as the lender and MERS as the nominee beneficiary. (Id. ¶ 9.) Plaintiff secured the loans based on a thirty-year adjustable interest rate at 1.000% APR with a maximum cap of 9.950%. (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that the written contract does not reflect the true intent of the parties; instead, plaintiff asserts that IndyMac’s broker, “Kevin” of Anchor Financial, “represented to plaintiff that she would receive a fixed, thirty-year 1% interest rate.” (Id. ¶ 10.)

On July 11, 2008, the Office of Thrift Supervision placed IndyMac Bank into receivership and a new bank, Indymac, was created under the conservatorship of the FDIC4. (Defs.’ Mot. to Dismiss [“MTD”], [988]*988filed Oct 14, 2010, 2009 [Docket #7], at 8:12-15; FDIC’s Not. of Removal at 1:22-2:9.). On March 19, 2009, FDIC transferred the loans to OneWest as successor in interest to Indymac. (MTD at 8:15-16.)

Plaintiff defaulted on the loans in or around April 2007 because of her alleged “lack of income and confusing terms of her loan.” (FAC ¶ 12.) MERS subsequently appointed NDEX as trustee. (FAC ¶ 19.) On September 18, 2008, NDEX caused a Notice of Default to be filed. (FAC ¶ 13; Defs.’ Req. for Judicial Notice [“RJN”], filed Oct. 14, 2010 [Docket # 7], Ex. 4.) Plaintiff contends that NDEX did not have the authority to file the notice because NDEX, allegedly, “was not a trustee, beneficiary or authorized agent under the Deed of Trust per Civil Code Section 2924.” (Id.) Plaintiff further contends that Indymac and One West, as successor in interest, engaged in misconduct by misrepresenting the terms of the loan. (FAC ¶¶ 27-30.)

Plaintiff filed the present action on May 28, 2009, alleging claims for (1) wrongful foreclosure in violation of California Civil Code § 2924; (2) fraudulent misrepresentation; (3) fraudulent concealment; (4) reformation, California Civil Code §§ 3399, 1670.5; (5) violation of California Business & Professions Code § 17200 et seq.; and (6) violation of California Civil Code § 1632.

STANDARD

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), a pleading must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). Under notice pleading in federal court, the complaint must “give the defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (internal quotations omitted). “This simplified notice pleading standard relies on liberal discovery rules and summary judgment motions to define disputed facts and issues and to dispose of unmeritorious claims.” Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 512, 122 S.Ct. 992, 152 L.Ed.2d 1 (2002).

On a motion to dismiss, the factual allegations of the complaint must be accepted as true. Cruz v. Beto, 405 U.S. 319, 322, 92 S.Ct. 1079, 31 L.Ed.2d 263 (1972). The court is bound to give plaintiff the benefit of every reasonable inference to be drawn from the “well-pleaded” allegations of the complaint. Retail Clerks Int’l Ass’n v. Schermerhorn, 373 U.S. 746, 753 n. 6, 83 S.Ct. 1461, 10 L.Ed.2d 678 (1963). A plaintiff need not allege “ ‘specific facts’ beyond those necessary to state his claim and the grounds showing entitlement to relief.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955. “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949.

Nevertheless, the court “need not assume the truth of legal conclusions cast in the form of factual allegations.” United States ex rel. Chunie v. Ringrose, 788 F.2d 638, 643 n. 2 (9th Cir.1986). While Rule 8(a) does not require detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949. A pleading is insufficient if it offers mere “labels and conclusions” or “a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955; Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1950 (“Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.”). Moreover, it is inappropriate to assume that the [989]*989plaintiff “can prove facts which it has not alleged or that the defendants have violated the ... laws in ways that have not been alleged.” Associated Gen. Contractors of Cal., Inc. v. Cal. State Council of Carpenters, 459 U.S. 519, 526, 103 S.Ct. 897, 74 L.Ed.2d 723 (1983).

Ultimately, the court may not dismiss a complaint in which the plaintiff has alleged “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955). Only where a plaintiff has failed to “nudge [his or her] claims across the line from conceivable to plausible,” is the complaint properly dismissed. Id. at 1952. While the plausibility requirement is not akin to a probability requirement, it demands more than “a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. at 1949.

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Bluebook (online)
853 F. Supp. 2d 983, 2011 WL 338493, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/magdaleno-v-indymac-bancorp-inc-caed-2011.