Montenegro v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC

419 S.W.3d 561, 2013 WL 6076472, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 14092
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 18, 2013
DocketNo. 07-12-00297-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 419 S.W.3d 561 (Montenegro v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Montenegro v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, 419 S.W.3d 561, 2013 WL 6076472, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 14092 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

MACKEY K. HANCOCK, Justice.

Appellant, Francis Williams Montenegro, appeals the trial court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of appellees, Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (collectively, “Ocwen”). We will affirm.

Background

On August 15, 2002, Vinh Nguyen (“Vinh”) purchased the property at 911 Indian Run Drive, Pflugerville, Texas (“the subject property”) with a Note and Deed of Trust which named Finance America, LLC, as the beneficiary. This Note and Deed of Trust was subsequently transferred to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. The mortgage relating to this Note and Deed of Trust was serviced by Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC.

[565]*565On July 3, 2003, the subject property was purportedly purchased by Montenegro. As part of this transaction, Diem Thi Nguyen (Diem)1 executed a Warranty Deed with Vendor’s Lien that she signed “Vinh Nguyen, by his attorney-in-fact, Diem Thi Nguyen.” Diem’s claim to be Vinh’s attorney-in-fact is supported by a durable power of attorney that was signed by Vinh on June 9, 2003. This power of attorney granted Diem authority to, inter alia, transfer Vinh’s interest in real property. However, the power of attorney also expressly cited that it was executed according to the “Durable Power of Attorney Act, Chapter XII, Texas Probate Code.” On July 8, 2003, Montenegro recorded the Warranty Deed with Vendor’s Lien and a Deed of Trust with the Travis County Clerk’s Office. The power of attorney was not recorded. From the time of his purported purchase of the subject property, Montenegro’s mother, father, sister, and nephew have lived in the subject property.

According to Montenegro, he made monthly payments to Vinh from the time of his purchase of the subject property until April of 2006. On May 17, 2006, Montenegro sent a letter to Ocwen that notified Ocwen that Montenegro claimed ownership of the subject property and sought authorization from Ocwen to make mortgage payments for the property directly to Ocwen. In this letter, Montenegro stated that,

I was told by Pam that she could not speak with me regarding the matter until she received authorization from Vinh Nguyen. I explained that [ ] it was my belief he was incarcerated in Florida. She requested that I send my copy of the Deed and Promissory Note to discuss with superiors the authorization. I offered to pay the mortgage payment(s) in the interim, but she told me she could not receive them from me until such authorization was obtained.
By this letter, I hereby request that such authorization be reviewed and permitted. I remain able and willing to pay the mortgage payment(s), and hope that this matter can [be] resolved in such a way as to remove Vinh Nguyen as the middle-man, as I am not certain about his availability in the future.

Montenegro attached copies of his Warranty Deed, Deed of Trust, and Promissory Note to this letter. While Ocwen never expressly authorized Montenegro to make direct payments, Montenegro made an $8,128.20 payment to Ocwen to cure Vinh’s default. Thereafter, Montenegro made monthly payments on the subject property directly to Ocwen for approximately one year.

On August 17, 2007, Ocwen sent Vinh a Notice of Default and Intent to Accelerate. This notice was not sent to Montenegro. When the default was not cured, Ocwen sent a Notice of Acceleration and Posting to both Vinh and Montenegro on October 15, 2007. The subsequent foreclosure sale was scheduled for November 6, 2007. Montenegro filed his original petition in this case, and sought a temporary restraining order seeking to restrain the foreclosure sale. A temporary restraining order was issued on November 6, 2007. In spite of the issuance of the temporary restraining order, the foreclosure sale was held and Wells Fargo purchased the subject property.

After amending his petition, Montenegro asserted claims against Ocwen for wrongful foreclosure and to quiet title. In De[566]*566cember of 2011, Ocwen filed a motion for traditional and no-evidence summary judgment seeking a take-nothing judgment as to all of Montenegro’s claims. Montenegro filed his response and objections to Ocwen’s summary judgment evidence. Ocwen filed its reply and objections to Montenegro’s summary judgment evidence. On February 16, 2012, the trial court signed a take-nothing summary judgment. At the same time, the trial court entered orders denying Montenegro’s objections to Ocwen’s summary judgment evidence, and sustaining in part and denying in part Ocwen’s objections to Montenegro’s summary judgment evidence. Montenegro filed a motion for reconsideration, which was denied by the trial court. Montenegro timely filed notice of appeal.

Montenegro presents eight issues by his appeal. By his first two issues, Montenegro contends that he has standing to pursue his wrongful foreclosure and quiet title actions. By his third issue, Montenegro contends that the trial court erred in sustaining Ocwen’s objection to the durable power of attorney of Diem. By his fourth and fifth issues, Montenegro contends that the trial court erred in granting no-evidence and traditional summary judgment on his wrongful foreclosure claims. By his sixth and seventh issues, Montenegro contends that the trial court erred in granting no-evidence and traditional summary judgment on his quiet title claims. Finally, by his eighth issue, Montenegro contends that he was not required to tender the amount due on Ocwen’s note prior to filing suit.

Standard of Review

Because this is an appeal from the grant of a motion for summary judgment, Montenegro’s issues challenge, directly or indirectly, the propriety of the trial court’s summary judgment ruling. Ocwen’s motion for summary judgment presented both no-évidence and traditional grounds for summary judgment. See Tex.R. Crv. P. 166a(c), (i).

Appellate courts review the granting of a motion for summary judgment de novo. See Valence Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 164 S.W.3d 656, 661 (Tex.2005). When a movant files a no-evidence motion in proper form under Rule of Civil Procedure 166a(i), the burden shifts to the non-movant to defeat the motion by presenting evidence that raises an issue of material fact regarding the elements challenged by the motion. Mack Trucks, Inc. v. Tamez, 206 S.W.Sd 572, 582 (Tex.2006). In other words, the nonmovant must respond to a no-evidence motion by presenting more than a scintilla of probative evidence on each challenged element. See King Ranch, Inc. v. Chapman, 118 S.W.3d 742, 751 (Tex.2003); DR Partners v. Floyd, 228 S.W.3d 493, 497 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 2007, pet. denied). More than a scintilla of evidence exists when the evidence, as a whole, “rises to a level that would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to differ in their conclusions.” Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc. v. Havner, 953 S.W.2d 706, 711 (Tex.1997) (quoting Burroughs Well-come Co. v. Crye, 907 S.W.2d 497, 499 (Tex.1995)). The movant in a traditional motion for summary judgment, filed pursuant to Rule 166a(c), has the burden of showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that it is entitled to a summary judgment as a matter of law. See Am. Tobacco Co. v. Grinnell, 951 S.W.2d 420, 425 (Tex.1997).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
419 S.W.3d 561, 2013 WL 6076472, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 14092, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/montenegro-v-ocwen-loan-servicing-llc-texapp-2013.