Matt v. HSBC Bank

968 F. Supp. 2d 351, 2013 WL 4854481, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130450
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedAugust 27, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 10-11621-PBS
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 968 F. Supp. 2d 351 (Matt v. HSBC Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matt v. HSBC Bank, 968 F. Supp. 2d 351, 2013 WL 4854481, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130450 (D. Mass. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER ON REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

PATTI B. SARIS, Chief Judge.

“After review of the report and recommendation, and the objections, I ADOPT the [157] Report and Recommendations and ALLOW [115] Motion for Summary Judgment.”

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON CERTAIN DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (#115)

COLLINGS, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. Introduction

The plaintiff Jodi B. Matt (“Matt”) has sued HSBC Bank USA, National Association, on Behalf of the Trust Fund and for the Benefit of ACE Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust Series 2005-HE4 Asset [Backed] Pass Through Certificates (“HSBC as Trustee”) and several other defendants asserting claims arising out of the financing of a mortgage loan on her property in Canton, Massachusetts. Among other things, Matt seeks to forestall foreclosure on her home: she claims essentially that defendant HSBC as Trustee cannot establish that it is the mortgagee of her property and that it therefore lacks authority to foreclose on her home.

[354]*354On October 30, 2012, a number of Defendants (the “Moving Defendants”)1 filed their Certain Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (# 115) together with their Memorandum of Law in Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgment (# 116), their Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgment (# 117), and supporting documentation (# 118, Aff. of Courtney L. Benson with exhibits; # 119, Aff. of Maria Osinski with exhibits). On November 20, 2012, Matt filed her Plaintiffs Opposition to Certain Defendants [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment (# 126), along with her Statement of Material Facts in Support of Their [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment (# 127) and the Affidavit of Glenn F. Russell, Jr. (# 128), with exhibits. On December 4, 2012, the Moving Defendants filed Certain Defendants’ Reply Memorandum in Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgment. (# 131) The Court heard oral argument on the motions on January 3, 2013. Subsequently, on January 8, 2013, with leave granted, Matt filed her Sur Reply to the Defendants’ Reply Memorandum in Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgement. (# 144) On January 9, 2013, the Moving Defendants filed their Surreply in Support of Their Motion for Summary Judgment. (# 145) The record is complete, and the motion is ripe for disposition.

For the following reasons, the Court shall recommend that the motion for summary judgment be granted.

II. Background

The following facts, which provide an overview, are drawn from the parties’ statements of undisputed facts, and are undisputed unless otherwise noted. The Court sets out further factual details in the discussion section below.

On April 6, 2005, Matt obtained a mortgage loan secured by her property in Canton, Massachusetts from Northeast Mortgage Corporation (“Northeast”). (# 117 ¶ 2;# 127 ¶ 1) On the same date, Matt executed an adjustable rate promissory note (the “note”) for $200,000 in favor of Northeast. (Id.) On April 6, the same day Matt obtained the mortgage loan, Northeast purported to assign the mortgage to New Century. (# 117 ¶¶ 3-4; see also # 118, Exh. 4)2 The purported assignment was recorded in the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds on December 19, 2006. (# 127 ¶ 3; [355]*355see also # 118, Exh. 4) New Century subsequently purported to assign the mortgage to HSBC as Trustee on November 6, 2007. (# 117 ¶ 5; see also # 118, Exh. 6) This subsequent purported assignment was recorded in the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds on about November 16, 2007. (# 127 ¶ 5)

Bank of America, N.A., successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, formerly known as Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP (“Bank of America”) serviced the mortgage loan until October 1, 2012, when the servicing rights transferred to Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. (# 127 ¶ 7) Matt initially defaulted on the mortgage loan in October 2005, when she failed to make her monthly payment. (# 127 ¶ 8) After bringing her loan current in January 2007, Matt again defaulted in April 2007. (Id.) Thereafter, Matt made payments in May, June, and August, although without bringing the loan current, and then ceased to make any payments until April of 2008. (#117 ¶ 8; see also # 119, Exh. E) In April of 2008, Matt brought her loan current via a lump sum payment of $34,898.35. (# 117 ¶ 8; see also # 119, Exh. E and Exh. G)

In May of 2008, plaintiff again defaulted on her payment obligations and, absent making one payment in August of 2008, she has made no further payments to date. (#117 ¶¶ 8-9; see also #119, Exh. E) Bank of America sent Matt a Notice of Intention to Foreclose on September 14, 2009, which provided Matt the opportunity to cure her default. (# 127 ¶ 11; # 119, Exh. I) Matt did not cure the default. (Id.) On January 27, 2010, HSBC as Trustee filed a complaint in the Massachusetts Land Court as a preliminary step to foreclose on Matt’s home. (# 1 ¶ 49)

On September 23, 2010, Matt filed the present lawsuit, in which she asserts the following claims: Count I seeks “Preliminary and Permanent Injunctive Relief’; Count III alleges “Respondeat Superior Liability”; Count IV alleges violation of “Chapter 93A and its Implementing Regulations”; Count V seeks “Rescission by Way of Recoupment under G.L. c. 140D”; Count VI alleges “Breach of Contract”; Counts VII and VIII allege “Intentional Misrepresentation”; Count IX alleges “Civil Conspiracy” under Massachusetts law; Count X alleges “Breach of the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing”; and Count XI alleges “Unjust Enrichment.”3 The Moving Defendants have moved for summary judgment on all counts.

III. Standard of Review

The purpose of summary judgment is “to pierce the boilerplate of the pleadings and assay the parties’ proof in order to determine whether trial is actually required.” Rojas-Ithier v. Sociedad Espanola de Auxilio Mutuo y Beneficiencia de Puerto Rico, 394 F.3d 40, 42 (1 Cir., 2005) (internal quotations marks and citation omitted). When considering a motion for summary judgment, a “court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a). The moving party bears the initial burden of asserting the absence of a genuine issue of material fact and “supporting] that assertion by affidavits, admissions, or other materials of evidentiary quality.” Mulvihill v. Top-Elite Golf Co., 335 F.3d 15, 19 (1 Cir., 2003) (citations omitted); Borges ex rel. S.M.B.W. v. Serrano-Isern, 605 F.3d 1, 5 (1 Cir., 2010).

[356]*356Once the moving party alleges the absence of all meaningful factual disputes, the non-moving party must show that a genuine issue of material fact exists. This showing requires more than the frenzied brandishing of a cardboard sword.

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968 F. Supp. 2d 351, 2013 WL 4854481, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matt-v-hsbc-bank-mad-2013.