MidFirst Bank v. Johnson

District Court, N.D. Texas·Decided July 11, 2023·No. 3:22-cv-01902·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS DALLAS DIVISION MIDFIRST BANK, § § Plaintiff, § § v. § CIVIL ACTION NO. 3:22-cv-1902-B § STEVEN JOHNSON, JOHN MCGHEE, § ROBERT MCGHEE, JOI MCGHEE, and § IEISHA MCGHEE § § Defendants. § MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Before the Court is Plaintiff MidFirst Bank’s Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 15), filed August 26, 2022. For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion. I. BACKGROUND1 Plaintiff filed this foreclosure action against Defendants Steven Johnson, Ieshia McGhee, John McGhee, Joi McGhee, and Robert McGhee—alleging that they have defaulted on a mortgage agreement held by Plaintiff. See Doc. 1, Compl., ¶ 1. By way of background, on July 28, 2008, Decedent Debra Ann McGhee (“Decedent”), a single woman, executed a Note (the “Note”) in an amount of $70,948.00, with an interest rate of 7.00% per annum2 and a 4.00% late fee per missed payment. Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. A (Note). The Note was originally made payable to Summit Mortgage Corporation (“Summit”). Doc. 1, 1 The Court draws the facts from Plaintiff’s complaint (Doc. 1). 2 “Interest will be charged on unpaid principal from the date of disbursement of the loan proceeds…until the full amount of principal has been paid.” Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. A (Note). Compl., 1 18; see also Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. A, 1 1. Along with the Note, Decedent executed a Deed of Trust (the “Security Instrument”), which granted Summit, its successors and assigns, a security interest in the real property known as 4003 Easter Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75216 (the “Property”) and more particularly described as: LOT A-1, BLOCK D/5854, OF THE RESUBDIVISION OF LOTS 1 AND B ALL OF LOT 21, BLOCK D/5854 OF FORDHAM HEIGHTS ADDITION, AN ADDITION TO THE CITY OF DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 24, PAGE 147, OF THE MAP RECORDS OF DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS. Doc. 1, Compl. 1 9. In addition, the Security Instrument named Mortgage Electronic Registration Services, Inc (“MERS”) as “the beneficiary, solely as nominee for Summit and its successors and assigns. Subsequently, MERS, as nominee for Summit, transferred and assigned the Loan Agreement to [Plaintiff].” Doc. 1, Compl., 1 20. Plaintiff is the current holder of the Note. Id. 1 21. Under the Note’s terms, Decedent, as the borrower, would default on the Note if she failed to make monthly payments. Id. {1 24; Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. A, 1 6(B). And in the case of default, the terms of the Security Instrument permit Plaintiff to foreclose upon the Property by exercising a power of sale. Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. B, 119 (FHA Deed of Trust). On June 28, 2019, Decedent passed away. Doc. 1, Compl., 1 2. According to Plaintiff, no probate was opened for Decedent; thus, upon the Decedent’s death, Decedent’s heirs acquired all of Decedent’s respective estates, including an undivided interest in the Property. Id. {1 3. Decedent’s heirs include Decedent’s surviving spouse and four children, all of which are named as Defendants.’ Doc. 1, Compl., 1 3-8.

Decedent acquired the Property prior to her marriage to her surviving spouse. See Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. B, 1 (“The Grantor is [Decedent], A Single Person.”). Therefore, the Property is Decedent’s separate property. See Tex. Fam. Code § 3.001(1) (“A spouse’s separate property consists of the property owned or claimed by the spouse before marriage.”). When an individual dies intestate with a surviving spouse, both the surviving spouse and the decedent’s children retain an interest in the separate property. See Tex. Est. Code

As of December 1, 2019, Defendants, as Decedent’s heirs, defaulted on the loan agreement with Plaintiff. Id. 1 25. Accordingly, on March 24, 2020, Plaintiff provided a notice of default and an opportunity to cure the default to the Decedent’s estate. Id. 1 25; see also Doc. 1- 1, Compl., Ex. D (Notice of Default). But the default was not thereafter cured. Doc. 1, Compl., 1 26. Subsequently, Plaintiff served Decedent’s estate with a notice of acceleration on the Note. Id.; see also Doc. 1-1, Compl., Ex. E (Notice of Acceleration of Loan Maturity). Nonetheless, Defendants, as Decedent’s heirs, have not made payments on the Note. Doc. 1, Compl., 11 26. Thus, Plaintiff now seeks a declaratory judgment recognizing and enforcing Plaintiff's statutory probate lien on the Property by authorizing Plaintiff to foreclose on Defendants’ interest in the Property.* Doc. 1, Compl., 17 29, 31-32. In conjunction with this requested relief, Plaintiff brings a trespass-to-try-title claim, asking the Court to declare that all of Defendants’ interest in the property is now vested in Plaintiff. Id. 1 41. All Defendants were served on or before September 8, 2022.? On September 20, Defendant John McGhee filed an Answer (Doc. 7). And, on December 16, Plaintiff and Defendant Steven Johnson filed a Motion for Entry of Agreed Partial Judgment (Doc. 12). To

§ 201.002 (Separate Estate of the Intestate). Thus, Defendants—Decedent’s surviving spouse and four children—all retain an interest in the Property, as it is separate property of Decedent. 4 Pursuant to this relief, Plaintiff specifically seeks a declaratory judgment that its Security Instrument secures: (1) the outstanding balance of the Note; (2) pre-judgment interest; (3) post-judgment interest from the date of judgment until paid; (4) costs of court; and (5) attorneys’ fees in an amount to be determined upon subsequent motion pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54 (d) (2) (B) (i). Doc. 15, Pl.’s Mot. 4. 5 Defendants Ieshia McGhee and Joi McGhee were both personally served by a process server on August 31, 2022. See Summons (Doc. 5) & Summons (Doc. 6). Defendant Steven Johnson’s summons and complaint was left at his residence with a person of suitable age and discretion on September 6. See Summons (Doc. 11). Defendants Robert McGhee and John McGhee were personally served on September 7 and 8, respectively, at their respective correctional facilities. See Summons (Doc. 10) & Summons (Doc. 9).

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MidFirst Bank v. Johnson, (N.D. Tex. 2023).

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