Panuelos v. Bank of America, N.A.

556 P.3d 1275, 155 Haw. 95
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 24, 2024
DocketCAAP-20-0000576
StatusPublished

This text of 556 P.3d 1275 (Panuelos v. Bank of America, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Panuelos v. Bank of America, N.A., 556 P.3d 1275, 155 Haw. 95 (hawapp 2024).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX 24-SEP-2024 08:39 AM Dkt. 80 MO

NOS. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX, CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX and CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX BERNARDO PANUELOS, Plaintiff-Appellant, and CATHERINE BOYD; STEPHEN BURGSTALLER; CRISTINA BURGSTALLER; JACQUELINE BUI; MARIETTA B. HICKEY aka MARIETTA BOMBARDIERI; PAMELA B. SHULTS; ANDRICK C.Y. TONG; BARBARA J.K. DUARTE; BRUCE A. FOX; STEVEN V. TAYLOR; MIA B. TAYLOR; SHELLEY M. BUCK; FARZAD AZAD; KATHRYN M. AZAD; GARY W. FEINER; MICHAEL J. HILLINGER; and LISA M. HILLINGER, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.; HIGHTECHLENDING, INC.; DAVID FUGATE; AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK, F.S.B.; JEFFREY T. DANA; JENNIFER M. HAGUE; MATTHEW ROBERT BUSH; HEATHER NOEL BENNETT; QUICKEN LOANS, INC.; MARK BURROWES; RONALD K. SCOTT; SHERYL RAE SCOTT; PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; DEREK D. KAWAIAEA; ACADEMY MORTGAGE CORPORATION; FERNANDO FRONDA; EVERGREEN MONEYSOURCE MORTGAGE COMPANY; ALVIN LEO SIPE AND SUSAN KITANIK SIPE, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE BLACK INK TRUST DATED DECEMBER 27, 2016; GABRIEL L. BONDE; FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST DATED NOVEMBER 3, 2004; CHARLES Z. FEDAK; MERI L. FEDAK; CLAYTON T. HAUSEUR AND GRACE K. HAUSEUR, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE HAUSEUR FAMILY TRUST DATED JANUARY 17, 2008; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Defendants-Appellees; and DOE DEFENDANTS 1-50, Defendants NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SECOND CIRCUIT (CIVIL NO. 2CC191000153)

and CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX MICHAEL J. HILLINGER and LISA M. HILLINGER, Plaintiffs-Appellants, and CATHERINE BOYD; STEPHEN BURGSTALLER; CRISTINA BURGSTALLER; JACQUELINE BUI; MARIETTA B. HICKEY aka MARIETTA BOMBARDIERI; PAMELA B. SHULTS; ANDRICK C.Y. TONG; BARBARA J.K. DUARTE; BRUCE A. FOX; STEVEN V. TAYLOR; MIA B. TAYLOR; SHELLEY M. BUCK; FARZAD AZAD; KATHRYN M. AZAD; GARY W. FEINER; BERNARDO PANUELOS, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.; HIGHTECHLENDING, INC.; DAVID FUGATE; AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK, F.S.B.; JEFFREY T. DANA; JENNIFER M. HAGUE; MATTHEW ROBERT BUSH; HEATHER NOEL BENNETT; QUICKEN LOANS, INC.; MARK BURROWES; RONALD K. SCOTT; SHERYL RAE SCOTT; PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; DEREK D. KAWAIAEA; ACADEMY MORTGAGE CORPORATION; FERNANDO FRONDA; EVERGREEN MONEYSOURCE MORTGAGE COMPANY; ALVIN LEO SIPE AND SUSAN KITANIK SIPE, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE BLACK INK TRUST DATED DECEMBER 27, 2016; GABRIEL L. BONDE; FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST DATED NOVEMBER 3, 2004; CHARLES Z. FEDAK; MERI L. FEDAK; CLAYTON T. HAUSEUR AND GRACE K. HAUSEUR, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE HAUSEUR FAMILY TRUST DATED JANUARY 17, 2008; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Defendants-Appellees; and DOE DEFENDANTS 1-50, Defendants

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SECOND CIRCUIT (CIVIL NO. 2CC191000153)

and CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX JACQUELINE BUI, Plaintiff-Appellant, and CATHERINE BOYD; STEPHEN BURGSTALLER; CRISTINA BURGSTALLER; MARIETTA B. HICKEY aka MARIETTA BOMBARDIERI; PAMELA B. SHULTS; ANDRICK C.Y. TONG; BARBARA J.K. DUARTE; BRUCE A. FOX; STEVEN V. TAYLOR; MIA B. TAYLOR; SHELLEY M. BUCK; FARZAD AZAD; KATHRYN M. AZAD; GARY W. FEINER; BERNARDO PANUELOS; NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

MICHAEL J. HILLINGER; and LISA M. HILLINGER, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.; HIGHTECHLENDING, INC.; DAVID FUGATE; AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK, F.S.B.; JEFFREY T. DANA; JENNIFER M. HAGUE; MATTHEW ROBERT BUSH; HEATHER NOEL BENNETT; QUICKEN LOANS, INC.; MARK BURROWES; RONALD K. SCOTT; SHERYL RAE SCOTT; PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; DEREK D. KAWAIAEA; ACADEMY MORTGAGE CORPORATION; FERNANDO FRONDA; EVERGREEN MONEYSOURCE MORTGAGE COMPANY; ALVIN LEO SIPE AND SUSAN KITANIK SIPE, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE BLACK INK TRUST DATED DECEMBER 27, 2016; GABRIEL L. BONDE; FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE FRANK WHITNEY MacLEAN AND PAMLA HAY MacLEAN REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST DATED NOVEMBER 3, 2004; CHARLES Z. FEDAK; MERI L. FEDAK; CLAYTON T. HAUSEUR AND GRACE K. HAUSEUR, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE HAUSEUR FAMILY TRUST DATED JANUARY 17, 2008; WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Defendants-Appellees; and DOE DEFENDANTS 1-50, Defendants

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SECOND CIRCUIT (CIVIL NO. 2CC191000153)

MEMORANDUM OPINION (By: Hiraoka, Presiding Judge, Nakasone and Guidry, JJ.)

These consolidated appeals come from a wrongful foreclosure lawsuit filed by several plaintiffs against Bank of America, N.A. (BANA) and others in the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit.1 Bernardo Panuelos, Michael J. Hillinger and Lisa M. Hillinger (the Hillingers), and Jacqueline Bui appeal from Hawai#i Rules of Civil Procedure (HRCP) Rule 54(b)-certified Judgments for BANA, each entered on August 26, 2020.2 They challenge the circuit court's August 11, 2020 "Order Granting Defendants Bank of America, N.A. and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.'s Motion to Dismiss First Amended

1 The Honorable Rhonda I.L. Loo presided. 2 Barbara J.K. Duarte was also an appellant, but her appeal has been dismissed by stipulation.

3 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Complaint and Motion to Sever, Filed February 21, 2020, and Substantive Joinders by Joining Defendants." We vacate the Judgments, affirm in part and vacate in part the Order, and remand for further proceedings.

I. BACKGROUND

BANA nonjudicially foreclosed on several properties owned by various plaintiffs below. The plaintiffs claim the foreclosures didn't comply with former Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 667-5.3 They sought damages for wrongful foreclosure and lost rental income, treble damages under HRS § 480-13, restitution, and rescissory or other equitable damages. Some plaintiffs also sought to quiet title to, and regain possession of, their foreclosed properties. BANA moved to dismiss the lawsuit or to sever the plaintiffs' cases. The circuit court dismissed all claims made by Panuelos, the Hillingers, and Bui, and severed the remaining plaintiffs' cases. HRCP Rule 54(b)-certified judgments were entered against Panuelos, the Hillingers, and Bui. We consolidated their appeals. The parties submitted supplemental briefs on several supreme court decisions published after briefing for these appeals had been completed, including Llanes v. Bank of Am., N.A., ___ Hawai#i ___, ___ P.3d ___, 2024 WL 3064621 (as amended on recon., Sept. 9, 2024); In re Manuel, 152 Hawai#i 290, 526 P.3d 267 (2023); and Delapinia v. Nationstar Mortg. LLC, 150 Hawai#i 91, 497 P.3d 106 (2021).

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review a ruling on a motion to dismiss de novo. Bank of Am., N.A. v. Reyes-Toledo, 143 Hawai#i 249, 256, 428 P.3d 761, 768 (2018). We assume the facts alleged in the complaint are true and view them in the light most favorable to the

3 HRS §

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State v. Taniguchi
815 P.2d 24 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1991)
In Re Mayton
208 B.R. 61 (Ninth Circuit, 1997)
Kealoha v. Machado.
315 P.3d 213 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2013)
Anastasi v. Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.
366 P.3d 160 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2016)
Bank of America, N.A. v. Reyes-Toledo.
428 P.3d 761 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2018)
Hancock v. Kulana Partners, LLC.
452 P.3d 371 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2019)
Ching v. Dung.
477 P.3d 856 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2020)
Delapinia v. Nationstar Mortgage LLC.
497 P.3d 106 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2021)
Anastasi v. Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.
341 P.3d 1200 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2014)
In re Ryan
560 B.R. 339 (D. Hawaii, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
556 P.3d 1275, 155 Haw. 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/panuelos-v-bank-of-america-na-hawapp-2024.