Potoczny v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC

33 F. Supp. 3d 554, 2014 WL 3600475, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99232
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 22, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 12-1251
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 33 F. Supp. 3d 554 (Potoczny v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Potoczny v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC, 33 F. Supp. 3d 554, 2014 WL 3600475, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99232 (E.D. Pa. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

McLAUGHLIN, District Judge.

This action arises from a mortgage foreclosure proceeding filed in state court by defendant Aurora Loan Services, LLC (“ALS”), against the plaintiff, Emil Po-toczny, with regard to Potoczny’s property in Darby, Pennsylvania. Potoczny brings claims against ALS, ALS’s parent company Aurora Bank FSB (collectively, “Aurora”), and Aurora’s counsel, Phelan Hallinan & Schmieg, LLP (“PHS”) for violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692p (“FDCPA”) (Count I), Pennsylvania’s Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act, 73 P.S. §§ 2270.1-2270.6 (“FCEUA”) (Count II), and. Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 73 P.S. §§ 201-1 to 201-9.3 (“UTPCPL”) (Count IV), and for breach of contract (Count III).

The plaintiff has moved for summary judgment as to Aurora and PHS on his claims under the FDCPA, the FCEUA, and the UTPCPL (Doc. No. 21). PHS and the Aurora defendants have filed separate cross-motions for summary judgment on all claims (Doc. Nos. 34 & 35). The Court will deny the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, and will grant the defendants’ motions.

I. Factual & Procedural Background1

A. Note & Mortgage

On November 11, 2006, Potoczny entered into a promissory note (the “Note”) in which he agreed to repay a $100,000 loan to a lender identified as “Home Loan Center, Inc., dba LendingTree Loans” (“LendingTree”). Compl., Ex. A, ¶ 1. The Note provides that the lender may transfer the Note, and that “[t]he Lender or anyone who takes this Note by transfer and who is entitled to receive payments under the Note is called the ‘Note Holder’.” Id. “In addition to the protections given to the Note Holder under th[e] Note, a Mortgage ... protects- the Note Holder from possible losses .... ” Id., ¶ 10.

The Note is secured by a mortgage which grants a security interest to Len-dingTree on Potoczny’s property located at 1308 Main Street, in Darby, Pennsylvania (the “Mortgage”). Compl., Ex. B. The Mortgage “secures to Lender (i) the repayment of the Loan, and all renewals, extensions and modifications of the Note, and (ii) the performance of Borrower’s covenants and agreements under th[e] [Mortgage] and the Note.” Id. at 3. The lender under the Mortgage is again identified as “Home Loan Center, Inc. dba Lending-Tree Loans.” Id. at 1. The Mortgage expressly states that Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), acting as a nominee for the Lender and its successors and assigns, is the mortgagee under the security instrument. Id. at 1, 3. Under the Mortgage, “MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) has the right to exercise any or all of [the] interests [granted by the Borrower], including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property, and to take any action required of Lender .... ” Id. at 3.

The Mortgage provided that Potoczny would pay a sum to cover “escrow items,” which include, among other things, insurance premiums and property taxes. Id. at 4. By written waiver, the lender might the [557]*557borrower’s obligation to pay for escrow items, id. at 5; however, the “Lender may revoke the waiver as to any or all Escrow Items at any time by a notice given in accordance with Section 15 [of the Mortgage] and, upon such revocation, Borrower shall pay to Lender all Funds, and in such amounts, that are then required ....” Id. Potoczny asserts that LendingTree did, in fact, waive the escrow requirement. As evidence of that waiver, he has produced a copy of an escrow waiver dated November 11, 2006, which contains a signature block for “Emil W. Potoczny,” but is signed by neither party. Compl., Ex. H.

On November 22, 2006, LendingTree informed Potoczny by letter that servicing of his mortgage loan was being transferred to Aurora Loan Services, LLC (“ALS”). Declaration of Helen Plácente, Ex. E (Doc. Nos. 34-4 & 35-5).

At some point between November 2006 and December 2010, the Note was endorsed by Kathy Henry, Assistant Secretary for LendingTree, over to Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB. Rick W. Skogg, on behalf of Lehman FSB, subsequently endorsed the Note over to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Lehman Brothers Holdings, through its authorized signatory Paul E. Sveen, then endorsed the Note in blank. Plácente Deck, Exs. B & C. The endorsements are not dated. The document tracking system used by ALS and Aurora Bank reflects that ALS received the Potoc-zny loan collateral file, containing original documents associated with the loan, on December 20, 2010, and imaged the endorsed-in-blank Note into its electronic database on January 4, 2011. Plácente Deck ¶¶ 12-13 & Ex. A.2 By assignment of mortgage dated February 2, 2011, the Mortgage was assigned to ALS by MERS, as nominee for LendingTree. Plácente Deck ¶ 25 & Ex. I.3

B. Home Affordable Modification Trial Plan

In 2009, Potoczny sought a loan modification agreement from Aurora. As the first step in this process, Potoczny signed a Home Affordable Modification Trial Period Plan (“Trial Plan”) on October 27, 2009. Plácente Deck, Ex. F. ALS was listed as the “Lender or Servicer” under the Trial Plan. The Trial Plan required Potoczny to make payments of $837.27 on November 1, 2009, December 1, 2009, and January 1, 2010, “which inelude[d] payment for Escrow Items, including real estate taxes, insurance premiums and other fees.” Id., § 2.

The Trial Plan was executed only by Potoczny. The Plan provided that, if the Lender did not return a fully executed copy of the Plan and the Modification Agreement prior to the Modification Effective Date, the loan documents would not be modified and the Trial Plan would terminate. Id., § 2(F). In that event, “the Lender will have all of the rights and remedies provided by the Loan Documents.” Id. Under § 4(C) of the Trial Plan, Potoczny also agreed that, “[i]f Lender may establish an escrow account under applicable law, this Plan constitutes notice that the Lender’s waiver as to payment of Escrow Items, if any, has been revoked, and I have been advised of the [558]*558amount needed to fund my escrow account, and I agree to the establishment of an escrow account.” Ultimately, Aurora declined to execute the Trial Plan, and Potoc-zny’s loan was not modified.

C. Default & Foreclosure

Under the Note, Potoczny was to make a monthly payment of $716.41, due on the first day of each month, starting January 1, 2007. Compl., Ex. B, ¶ 8. If he did not pay the full amount of each monthly payment by its due date, he would be in default. Id,., ¶ 6(B). From approximately December 1, 2006, to October 5, 2009, Po-toczny made monthly payments of $716.41 to ALS. Plácente Decl., Ex. G (Customer Account Activity Statement, Mar. 31, 2012). From October 30, 2009, to April 30, 2010, he made payments of approximately $837.37. Id. After June 1, 2010, Potoczny made monthly payments of approximately $717.00. Id. The last of these payments was recorded on December 6, 2010. Id.4

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 F. Supp. 3d 554, 2014 WL 3600475, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/potoczny-v-aurora-loan-services-llc-paed-2014.