Mitchell-Tracey v. United General Title Insurance

237 F.R.D. 551, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85723, 2006 WL 2772578
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedSeptember 26, 2006
DocketNo. CIV. AMD 05-1428
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 237 F.R.D. 551 (Mitchell-Tracey v. United General Title Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mitchell-Tracey v. United General Title Insurance, 237 F.R.D. 551, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85723, 2006 WL 2772578 (D. Md. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DAVIS, District Judge.

In this removed action, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, First American Title Insurance Co. (“First American”) and United General Title Insurance Co. (“United General”) engaged in a “uniform and illegal practice,” and designed and executed “a scheme to cheat consumers,” in respect to Defendants’ issuance of title insurance policies to homeowners in Maryland who obtain title insurance in connection with the refinancing of residential mortgage loans. That is, Plaintiffs assert that Defendants routinely collected title insurance premiums in excess of that they were legally entitled to charge for refinance transactions. Plaintiffs allege violations of both federal and state law, including claims for violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (as to which, by separate order, Defendants’ motion for summary judgment has been granted), “money had and received,” negligent misrepresentation, and civil conspiracy.

Now pending is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification, which is opposed by Defendants. The court heard extensive oral argument on the motion. For the reasons set forth herein, the motion shall be conditionally granted.

I.

Title insurance is an integral aspect of virtually every mortgage loan and refinance transaction. Title insurance provides a guarantee to the owner of the parcel, and/or a lender that the property is free and clear of all hens and encumbrances except those specifically included in the title policy. There are two types of title insurance policies available: (1) an owner’s policy and (2) a lender’s policy. The owner’s policy is generally purchased by the borrower/homeowner for the purpose of providing protection of the homeowner’s property interest. The lender’s policy, although typically paid for by the homeowner or the party refinancing, is purchased for the benefit of the lender/mortgagee providing protection of the lender’s security interest in the property. The owner’s policy remains in effect as long as that particular homeowner owns the home; a lender’s policy remains in effect until the associated mortgage loan has been satisfied.

All insurers doing business in Maryland are governed by the Maryland Insurance Code (“the Code”). The Code requires that a title insurer must file “all rates or premiums, supplementary rate information, forms of contracts, policies, or guarantees of insurance, and all modifications of contracts, policies, or guarantees of insurances that it proposes to use” with the Maryland Insurance Administration (“MIA”). Md.Code Ann., Ins. § ll-403(a)(l) and (2) (2006). Both defendants, First American and United General, are title insurers doing business in Mary[554]*554land and thus are obligated to “hold to the rates or premiums as approved” and may “not deviate from the rates or premiums.” Md.Code Ann., Ins. § ll-407(b). MIA also requires all property and casualty insurers to follow the “Best Price Rule,” which requires issuers to provide the consumer with the most favorable price point for which the consumer qualifies.1 Although they are not required by state law to do so, each of the Defendants has filed a discounted “reissue rate” with the MIA and thereby offers such rates as published. The reissue rate is applicable for First American borrowers if any of the following apply:

(A) when, within ten (10) years prior to the application for mortgagee insurance, a policy has been issued on the identical property to the mortgagor as owner.
(B) when, within ten (10) years prior to the application for mortgagee insurance, a mortgagee policy has been issued for the same mortgagor or on the same property. The reissue rates, when applicable as outlined above (see section (A)(B) and (C)) shall be 60% of the published rates in force for original insurance.

United General’s “reissue rate" is applicable when:

the owner of property on which application is made for mortgage title insurance has had the title to such property insured as owner within ten (10) years prior to such application, such owner shall be entitled to the following reissue rates on such mortgage insurance up to the face amount of such owner’s policy, provided this is provided with a copy of an owner’s policy issued by this company or by another company licensed to do business in Maryland. The reissue rate shall be 60% of the original rate for first and second mortgage.

Here, the named Plaintiffs and potential class members have allegedly been damaged by the Defendants’ failure to comply with their own filed and state-approved title insurance premiums. Plaintiffs seek both declaratory relief and monetary damages on behalf of themselves and potentially thousands of others.

II.

Plaintiffs contend that Defendants have engaged in the uniform and illegal practice of systematically charging borrowers, who are refinancing, higher title insurance premiums instead of the lower reissue rates that they have filed with the state’s insurance commission. Plaintiffs further contend that they meet the legal requirements for certification under Rule 23 and that a class action is the most efficient mechanism to adjudicate these claims.

Plaintiffs seek certification of two classes consisting of individuals in Maryland who within ten years of having purchased title insurance refinanced the identical underlying mortgages but were charged a title insurance premium that exceeded the applicable premium discount or “reissue rate” on file with the Maryland Insurance Administration (“MIA”). The two classes are defined as follows:

First American Class:

All persons or entities in Maryland who within 10 years of having previously purchased title insurance in connection with their mortgage or fee interest, refinanced the identical mortgage or fee interest, and were charged a title insurance premium by First American that exceeded the applicable premium discount or “reissue rate” for title insurance on file with the Maryland Insurance Administration that such persons or entities should have been charged.

United General Class:

All persons or entities in Maryland who within 10 years of having previously purchased owner’s title insurance in connection with their mortgage or fee interest, refinanced the identical mortgage or fee interest, and were charged a title insurance premium by First American that exceeded the applicable premium discount or “reissue rate” for title insurance on file with the Maryland Insurance Administra[555]*555tion that such persons or entities should have been charged.

Recognizing that if this case is not certified as a class action it cannot be maintained at all, as a practical matter, Defendants have vigorously opposed the class certification motion.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
237 F.R.D. 551, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85723, 2006 WL 2772578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitchell-tracey-v-united-general-title-insurance-mdd-2006.