Moore v. McCalla Raymer, LLC

916 F. Supp. 2d 1332, 2013 WL 28253, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedJanuary 2, 2013
DocketCivil Action File No. 1:12-CV-1714-TWT
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 916 F. Supp. 2d 1332 (Moore v. McCalla Raymer, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moore v. McCalla Raymer, LLC, 916 F. Supp. 2d 1332, 2013 WL 28253, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4 (N.D. Ga. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER

THOMAS W. THRASH, JR., District Judge.

This is an action for wrongful foreclosure. It is before the Court on the Report and Recommendation [Doc. 29] of the Magistrate Judge that the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss Amended Complaint [1336]*1336[Doc. 16 & 20] be GRANTED. The Plaintiffs Objections are without merit for the reasons set forth in the thorough and well-reasoned Report and Recommendation. The Court approves and adopts the Report and Recommendation as the judgment of the Court. The Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss Amended Complaint [Doc. 16 & 20] are GRANTED. The Defendant MERS is dismissed without prejudice. The other Defendants are dismissed with prejudice. The Motion to Dismiss Original Complaint [Doc. 6 & 10] are DENIED as moot.

FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

JANET F. KING, United States Magistrate Judge.

Pending before the court are Defendants’ motions [Docs. 6, 10] to dismiss the original complaint in this action [Doc. 1-1] and Defendants’ motions [Docs. 16, 20] to dismiss Plaintiff Marcia Moore’s complaint as amended [Doc. 14]. Defendants argue that the complaint(s) should be dismissed for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. And Defendant Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (“MERS”) argues that Defendant should be dismissed from this action pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(5) because MERS has not been properly served. Defendants’ motions [Docs. 6, 10] to dismiss the original complaint are unopposed. Plaintiff has responded [Docs. 21, 22] to Defendants’ motions [Docs. 16, 20] to dismiss the complaint as amended, and Defendants have filed replies [Docs. 23, 24]. The court RECOMMENDS that the motions to dismiss [Docs. 6, 10] the original complaint be DENIED AS MOOT; that MERS’ Rule 12(b)(5) motion [Doc. 16] to dismiss the amended complaint against Defendant be GRANTED; that MERS’ Rule 12(b)(6) motion [Doc. 16] accordingly be DENIED because the court lacks personal jurisdiction over Defendant; and that the remaining Defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) motions [Docs. 16, 20] to dismiss the amended complaint be GRANTED.

1. Facts1

Plaintiff Moore entered into a loan agreement with Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (“Countrywide”) in October 2005 and executed a Security Deed granting MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) and the successors and assigns of MERS the property at 1408 Colony East Circle, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083. [Complaint, ¶ 11; Doc. 20, Exhibit (“Ex.”) A, Security Deed].2 The Security Deed states: “Borrower understands and agrees that MERS holds only legal title ... but, if necessary ... has the right to exercise any or all of [1337]*1337those interests [granted by Borrower in the Security Deed] including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property[.]” [Security Deed at 1-2],

Plaintiff made the monthly mortgage payments on the loan - for five years, until 2010 when she lost her second job. ■ [Complaint, ¶ 13].3 She was seeking a loan modification with “BAC” and alleges that she “never received any notice as to whether she was denied [a loan modification] before she was foreclosed upon.” [Id., ¶ 14; Doc. 20, Ex. C, Notice of Foreclosure (“Notice”) ]. On or about May 17, 2010, Plaintiff received a Notice of Foreclosure Sale from McCalla Raymer, LLC (“McCalla”) stating that BACHLS, “fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP,” was foreclosing on the property. [Complaint, ¶ 15]. She alleges that the Notice identifies the loan servicer as her “creditor.” [Id.].

The Notice identifies the loan by inter alia a. “Servicing Lender’s # .” [Notice, Doc. 20, Ex. C]. A copy of the Notice of Sale submitted for publication in the legal newspaper showing foreclosure sale scheduled for the first Tuesday in July 2010 is referenced as enclosed. [Id. at 2]. “Bank of America” is identified as the entity with the full authority to negotiate, amend, and modify the terms of the mortgage, and Plaintiff is given information on who to contact to find out more about the foreclosure or if reinstatement of her loan might be allowed. [M]4

“ .On April 12, 2010, one month before the Notice of Foreclosure to Plaintiff, MERS, acting as Countrywide’s nominee, assigned to BACHLS the “Security Deed, the property described therein, and the indebtedness secured thereby” and stated therein that it had also sold and assigned to BACHLS “the note secured by the aforesaid Security Deed ... to secure the Assignee, its successors, representatives and assigns, in the payment of said note.” [Complaint, Ex. B, Assignment, recorded on June 21, 2010, at Deed Book 22013, Page 340, Clerk of Superior Court, DeKalb County]. “C. Troy Crouse” and “Thomas Sears,” attorneys with McCalla, signed the Assignment as a “Vice President” and “Assistant Secretary” of MERS; their signatures are witnessed; and the Assignment is notarized. [Id.].

The property was sold at foreclosure on July 6, 2010, to BACHLS, as evidenced by a Deed Under Power which states “in witness whereof, Lender as Agent and Attorney in Fact for Borrower has hereunto affixed Lender’s hand and seal.” [Complaint, Exs. E & El, Deed Under Power, recorded August 2, 2010, at Book 22068, Page 421].5 The Deed Under Power bears the corporate seal of BACHLS and is signed by “Timothy E. Moran — Assist. Vice President” and “Barbara Komisarof— Assist. Vice President” for BACHLS, as “attorney in fact” for “Maria C. Moore.” A “ *Corrective* Deed Under Power” was [1338]*1338recorded at Deed Book 22094, Page 480, on August 18, 2010, to reflect that the borrower’s first name is “Marcia.” [Id., Exs. F & FI].

On or about March 21, 2012, six-hundred-and-twenty-four days after foreclosure, Plaintiff received a letter from McCalla stating that the property had been foreclosed upon on July 6, 2010, and that she needed to vacate the property. [Id., ¶ 23]. Plaintiff filed this action on April 10, 2012, in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia, alleging inter alia that she “had never received any communication concerning the confirmation of the foreclosure sale[.]” [Doc. 1-1].6 Bank of America, N.A. (“BANA”), the successor-by-merger to Defendant BACHLS,7 and MERS filed notice of removal of the Superior Court action on May 16, 2012, based on federal question(s) in the complaint. [Docs. 1,1-1]8

After Defendants filed motions [Docs. 6, 10] to dismiss the complaint, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint [Doc. 14].9 The complaint, as amended, contains claims for wrongful foreclosure (Count I), [1339]*1339constructive fraud (Count II), and violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6), (Count III). [Doc. 14]. Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $500,000 and attorney fees and costs (Count IV) plus injunctive relief (Count V). [/&].

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
916 F. Supp. 2d 1332, 2013 WL 28253, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moore-v-mccalla-raymer-llc-gand-2013.