Nationstar Mortgage, LLC v. Marquez

180 So. 3d 219, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 18768, 2015 WL 8932416
District Court of Appeal of Florida·Decided December 16, 2015·No. 3D13-2990·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

SHEPHERD, J.

Nationstar Mortgage, LLC, appeals an adverse final judgment entered after an involuntary dismissal in foreclosure proceedings. We reverse and remand for entry of judgment in favor of Nationstar.

In 2007, Jacqueline Marquez executed a promissory note and mortgage in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS), as nominee for the lender, Lehman Brothers Bank. Ms. Marquez failed to make payments on the mortgage beginning in May of 2008. In September of 2008, MERS assigned the note and mortgage to Aurora Loan Services, Inc., and Aurora filed the instant action to foreclose the mortgage on January 5, 2009. Aurora’s complaint included a count to reestablish a lost note. On March 23, 2009, Ms. Marquez responded by filing a motion to dismiss and an answer, affirmative defenses and a counterclaim; the motion to dismiss challenged Aurora’s standing to foreclose on the mortgage. Subsequently, the mortgage and note were assigned to Nationstar, which was substituted as plaintiff in the action.

The case proceeded to a bench trial on March 30, 2013, at which time Nationstar presented the testimony of its employee, Sean Chibnik. Mr. Chibnik was familiar with the account, having reviewed the records prepared in the ordinary course of business by Nationstar’s predecessors. Mr. Chibnik testified that, although he was unaware of the circumstances regarding the loss of the note, the note was in possession of the bank when it was lost, the loss of possession was not the result of a transfer by the bank or a lawful seizure, and no other entity or individual attempted to enforce the note. A copy of the note, showing a blank endorsement by Lehman Brothers, was admitted into evidence. Copies of the mortgage, default letter and payment history were similarly admitted into evidence, with Ms. Marquez objecting only to the sufficiency of the evidence regarding the mailing of the default letter. Near the end of Nationstar’s case, the following transpired:

MS. LESS [Attorney for Ms. Marquez]: I would like to request ... that the language be added specifically to any proposed final judgment referencing] ... the [bankruptcy] order of discharge ....
THE COURT: Is that the only objection you have?
MS. LESS: Yes, your Honor.
THE COURT: You have no objections to the establishment of the lost note?
MS. LESS: Your Honor — yes, Your Honor, we would move that Plaintiff hasn’t proven their case, that their corporate representative today has no correct knowledge of the ordinary course of business and is familiar enough with the file, just having reviewed the file a week ago to know properly that — to reestablish the lost note.
MR. TOWNSEND [Attorney for Na-tionstar]: Your Honor, there is no standard in law or in a Statute as to what would represent proper knowledge.
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If the witness can prove that he has the proper knowledge of the matter, then that’s the only standard that’s required, not whether he reviewed it a day before or a week before or a month before or a year before.
*221 THE COURT: I don’t think that’s the thrust of the objection. Counsel, are you familiar with Florida Statute 702.015 as amended by the 2013 Legislature?

There followed a discussion about the statutory amendment and Yang v. Sebastian Lakes Condominium Association, Inc., 123 So.3d 617 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). Based on this authority, the trial court determined the plaintiff did not meet its burden in re-establishing the note and entered a final judgment in favor of the defendants. 1 For the reasons which follow, we reverse and remand for entry of judgment in favor of Nationstar.

To establish standing to foreclose on a mortgage and note, a plaintiff must demonstrate it is the owner of the note and mortgage and that it acquired such ownership prior to filing the action. McLean v. JP Morgan Chase Bank Nat. Ass’n, 79 So.3d 170 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). Ownership may be proven by an “uncon-tradicted chain of self-authenticating assignments.” Bank of New York Trust Co. v. Rodgers, 79 So.3d 108 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012). Where the plaintiff is not in possession of the original documents, it is still entitled to enforce the instrument if:

(a) [it] was entitled to enforce the instrument when loss of possession occurred ...; (b) The loss of possession was not the result of a transfer by [it] or a lawful seizure; and (c) [it] cannot reasonably obtain possession of the instrument because the instrument was destroyed, its whereabouts cannot be determined, or it is in the wrongful possession of an unknown person or a person that cannot be found....

§ 673.3091, Fla. Stat. (2013).

In this case, Nationstar established its standing to foreclose on the note and mortgage through documentary and witness testimony. Mr. Chibnik identified the mortgage and a copy of the note, with a blank endorsement, found in Nationstar’s records, and without objection the trial court admitted the documents into evidence. The trial court also admitted the default letter, over counsel’s objection, directed solely to insufficient proof the letter was received by Ms. Marquez. Subsequently, again without objection, the trial court admitted the payment history on the account showing the last payment on the account was made April 2008. Moreover, Mr. Chibnik testified the note was lost while in possession of the bank and not as a result of a transfer or lawful seizure. No motion for involuntary dismissal was made by counsel for Ms. Marquez. In fact, counsel for both parties were discussing the form of final judgment to be entered in favor of Nationstar after counsel for Nationstar rested its case, when the trial court sua sponte questioned the evidence presented to establish the lost note. 2

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Nationstar Mortgage, LLC v. Marquez, 180 So. 3d 219, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 18768, 2015 WL 8932416 (Fla. Ct. App. 2015).

180 So. 3d 219 (Nationstar Mortgage, LLC v. Marquez) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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